About 1.95 lakh candidates across the country took the CAT exam on December 4, 2016.
The exam was scheduled from 9 am to 12 pm (first slot) and 2 pm to 5 pm (second slot).
It was speculated that the question paper will throw a surprise at the test-takers which was in the form of Geometry. In the QA section, higher weightage was allotted to Geometry than other topics.
CAT 2016 Analysis:
Here's section wise analysis of CAT 2016 exam from MBA expert Mikin Shah, ForesightSchool.
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Verbal : Moderate Difficulty Level. Emphasis on Reading comprehension, sentence sequencing and central idea. Difficulty level was average. The topics for RC passages were quite manageable. There were about 5 Non-MCQ questions. Average student could have attempted 18-20 questions while scholars could have gone upto 25-27.
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DI-LR : High Difficulty Level. Although easier compared to last year. Trick was to identify easier sets. For the easier sets, calculator proved to be very useful. It was easy to get lost and waste time in this section. An attempt of 10-12 questions will be sufficient to clear the sectional cut-off.
QA : Moderate to High Difficult Level. This was a well designed section. The surprise was higher weightage of geometry questions. Challenge was to go through all questions as there were a lot of speed breakers. An attempt of 18-20 questions would have been optimum. However the sectional cut-off could be cleared with about 15 attempts.
Overall Difficulty Level : Moderate to High : Optimum attempts - 48 to 55.
- CAT 2016 student reactions
- CAT 2016 analysis by MBA Expert Tarun Malik, Edmyt
- CAT 2016 analysis by MBA Expert Rahul Singh, CATKing
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About the Expert: Mikin Shah is a serial topper. He cracked CAT in 2003 with 99.11 percentile score. He was ranked first in GCET 2004, 2009 & 2010. He topped CMAT 2012-13 and was ranked fifth in CMAT 2013-14. In 2015, he cracked CAT once again with 99.53 percentile. He is the co-founder and director at foresight school – an educational institute which specializes in entrance exams, MBA Tuitions and financial courses such as CFA.

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Student Forum
Answered Yesterday
No, candidates who have secured a valid score in AILET or CLAT do not need to appear in AmLAT to apply for Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore. These candidates can appear in counselling rounds. Selection will be based on scores submitted from aforementioned exams.
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 days ago
Yes, you could potienally get into FMS Delhi with a CAT percentile of 98 but your chances of admission depends heavily on category, section scores, and profile. FMS Delhi shortlists students based on different factors expect just CAT percentile. Students are judged on Class 10 and 12 academic perfor
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered 4 days ago
Admission in IIM Calcutta depends on multiple factors such as: CAT scores, past academic records, gender diversity, and performance in the Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI). Candidates can check below minimum required CAT score for getting shortlisted at IIM Calutta:
- OPEN / Gene
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered 4 days ago
Yes, IBS Mumbai considers top scorers in national exams like CAT, NMAT, or GMAT for tuition fee waivers. Students who secure a high percentile are eligible for these merit-based awards during the first year. The continuation of this financial aid in the second year depends strictly on maintaining a
R
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 4 days ago
No, national entrance exams like JEE, CAT, or MAT are not strictly mandatory in all cases for admission to IILM University, Greater Noida. National level entrance exam scores are preferred for direct shortlisting and merit scholarships.
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
In case of mistakes in the fields mentioned on the CAT admit card, candidates must contact the official CAT helpdesk via email or phone to get it rectified before the exam date.
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Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
Candidates need to log in using their CAT User ID and Password to download CAT admit card. These login credentials are generated at the time of registration.
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Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
No, the Common Admission Test (CAT) admit card cannot be obtained offline. Candidates have to download CAT 2026 admit card from the official website.
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
Yes. Candidates must preserve their admit card safely. It is a mandatory document required for identity verification during the Writing Ability Test (WAT), Personal Interview (PI) rounds, and final admission stages at the institutes.
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Vipra Shrivastava is MA in English Literature from Delhi University with extensive experience in content writing of over 14 years. She has been handling content for Management, Accounting and Commerce streams for 8
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