CAT 2023 Sees 30% Surge in Registrations: Record-Breaking Numbers
The Common Admission Test 2023 (CAT 2023) has witnessed an unprecedented surge in registrations, breaking all previous records. According to a report by the Times of India, a staggering 3.3 lakh candidates have applied for MBA admissions at the prestigious Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) for the CAT 2023.
Comparatively, in the year 2022, a total of 2.55 lakh candidates registered for the CAT entrance exam, marking an 11% increase over the 2021 figures. Notably, there was a remarkable uptick of over 6% in registrations from candidates belonging to various categories.
Professor Sanjeet Singh of IIM-Lucknow, in response to this exceptional surge in registrations, commented, “Registrations this year are the highest in the history of CAT, ever since it was started in 1977. In fact, it never touched the 3-lakh mark before. In absolute numbers, an increase of 75,000 applications, year-on-year, is a record in itself.”
Key Highlights
The key highlights of CAT 2023 registrations include:
- 3.3 lakh applicants, a historic high.
- Registration window closed on September 21 at 11 AM.
- Admit cards will be available for download on October 25 via the official website, iimcat.ac.in.
- CAT exam scheduled for November 26.
It’s important to note that in 2022, 87% of the CAT test-takers were male, with 35% being female, and 4 applicants identifying as transgender. The increase in registrations comes despite a minor decline during the COVID-19 pandemic period.
Notably, six IIMs—namely, IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Sambalpur, IIM Kashipur, IIM Rohtak, and IIM Shillong—will have 43% female representation in the PGP class, even though a larger number of male students have registered for CAT 2023.
CAT Registrations Over the Last 8 Years
Let’s take a look at the trend in CAT registrations over the past eight years:
| Year | Registrations |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 3.3 lakh |
| 2022 | 2.55 lakh |
| 2021 | 2.29 lakh |
| 2020 | 2.27 lakh |
| 2019 | 2.44 lakh |
| 2018 | 2.41 lakh |
Admission Procedure
The CAT 2023 admissions procedure will consist of three crucial phases:
- Written Ability Test (WAT): The initial step of the process.
- Group Discussion (GD): Followed by WAT.
- Personal Interview (PI): The final phase.
The written test will be divided into three sections:
- Quantitative Ability
- Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
- Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
Each section of the test will have a duration of 40 minutes, providing candidates with a total of 120 minutes to complete the examination.
It’s worth noting that until 2008, the CAT was conducted using the traditional offline pen-and-paper test mode.