GMAT Vs CAT Exam: Know Key Difference Between CAT and GMAT, Which is Easier & Tougher
Is GMAT easier than CAT? Which one is tougher or easier, we will discuss it in this blog. Also know the key differences between CAT and GMAT. 
CAT vs GMAT: Most of the management aspirants face the dilemma of choosing between CAT and GMAT for pursuing MBA. Since both are popular exams and accepted by a large number of Tier 1 B-Schools, one is bound to get confused in choosing between the two. Let us first state the fact - GMAT is very different from CAT.
The basic difference between the two is that while CAT is a domestic entrance exam; GMAT is a global exam which is valid for admission to all business schools worldwide. Performance assessment method of GMAT and CAT are also very different. Conducted by the Graduate Management Admission Council, GMAT scores are acceptable by Indian B-schools mostly in case of NRI/Foreign students. However, some top India institutes like SPJIMR, Mumbai, XLRI Jamshedpur, MDI, Gurgaon accept GMAT scores of domestic candidates too. Other top MBA colleges including the IIMs accept GMAT score for admission to Executive MBA and FPM programmes. At the same time CAT is also accepted by IIMs and many other MBA colleges for Executive MBA, Phd, MPhil, FPM, etc.
- GMAT vs CAT: Which is Tougher?
- GMAT vs CAT: What is the difference between the two?
- Frequency /Mode of Exam
- CAT vs GMAT: Exam Syllabus
- CAT vs GMAT: Exam Duration
- GMAT vs CAT: Difficulty Level
- CAT vs GMAT: Marking Scheme
- CAT vs GMAT: Exam Fee
- Validity of Exam Score
- Is GMAT easier than CAT? An Overview
GMAT vs CAT: Which is Tougher?
The most common question among aspirants is - Is GMAT easier than CAT? Both CAT and GMAT are considered to be tough. They have unique features that aspirants have to understand and prepare for.
Every year over three lakh students in India take the CAT exam. Most of the candidates do not get the desired score in their first attempt in both CAT and GMAT. An equal number of MBA aspirants take the GMAT as well. Domestic candidates who plan to pursue management studies in the upcoming academic year, can take either both the exams (if they can manage to prepare for both simultaneously) or choose to appear for one of them, depending on the MBA course and institute they are targeting. Although both CAT and GMAT test the candidate’s English Language and Quantitative Ability and Logical Reasoning skills, the two are poles apart in many aspects. Here we tell you the difference between CAT and GMAT
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GMAT vs CAT: What is the difference between the two?
Exam Conducting Body
GMAT: GMAT is conducted by the Graduate Management Admission Council.
CAT: CAT is conducted by the Indian Institute of Management.
GMAT eligibility criteria: To appear in GMAT, the aspirant must have a bachelor’s degree in any stream or equivalent degree from a recognized university. Final year graduation candidates are also eligible to apply. There is no minimum marks required to appear in GMAT.
CAT eligibility criteria: To appear in CAT, the aspirant must have a bachelor’s degree in any stream with minimum of 50 per cent aggregate marks or equivalent from a recognized university (45 per cent for reserved category students). Final year Graduation candidates are also eligible to apply.
Frequency /Mode of Exam
GMAT: GMAT is held throughout the year. The candidate can book an exam slot for self from the given calendar as per their convenience. The aspirant can also re-take the exam five times within 12 months. A maximum of eight attempts are allowed to any candidate in his/her lifetime.
CAT: CAT is conducted by the IIM only once a year. CAT application process begins in August and the exam is held in the last week of November or the first week of December. CAT 2025 application window closed on September 20 and CAT 2025 will be held on November 30, 2025.
GMAT vs CAT: Exam Pattern
GMAT: GMAT question paper consists MCQs from Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Data Insights. There is sectional time limit for each section but the candidate can choose the order in which they wish to answer each section.
Also Read: GMAT exam pattern
CAT: CAT exam is held in online mode for two hours in two slots on a scheduled date. Candidates are required to follow the chronology of the question paper, i.e. neither they can choose to answer the section of their choice, nor can they go back to the question skipped earlier. The CAT question paper consists of MCQs and a few key-in answer type questions.
Also Read: CAT exam pattern
CAT vs GMAT: Exam Syllabus
GMAT exam syllabus: GMAT includes Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Data Insights.
CAT exam syllabus: CAT includes topics from Quantitative Aptitude (QA), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC).
Also Read:
CAT vs GMAT: Exam Duration
GMAT: GMAT is held for 135 minutes and has sectional time limit.
CAT: CAT is held for 120 minutes and has sectional time limit.
GMAT vs CAT: Difficulty Level
GMAT
GMAT is a very tough MBA entrance exam. Not only due to the tough questions asked but also due to a peculiar marking scheme. However, it is easier to get a good college through GMAT as it is an adaptive test. Which means, the difficulty level of second attempt will be determined by the candidate's performance in the first attempt of GMAT. If a candidate has struggled in the first attempt, he/she will get the question paper of lower difficulty level in their next attempt and if the candidate has performed well in the first attempt, the question paper of their second attempt will have similar difficulty level. Also, GMAT is more structured and has defined syllabus.
CAT
CAT is known as a tough MBA exam because it is unpredictable. The difficulty level of the questions remain on the high year on year. Getting a good B-school with CAT score is tough if you've not scored a minimum of 95 percentile. There are no multiple attempts in CAT, so to improve the score candidates have to drop a year. However, there is no guarantee that in the next year, the CAT question paper will be easier than previous year.
CAT vs GMAT: Marking Scheme
GMAT: GMAT exam has a peculiar marking scheme. Candidates are marked between 200 and 800. Section wise, candidates are scored 60-90 for all three sections.
Also Read: GMAT scoring process
CAT: Three marks are awarded to every correct attempt and there is negative marking of one mark for each wrong answer. There is no negative marking for non-MCQ typw question though. Total marks of CAT is 198. In 2024, the CAT had 68 questions and 204 marks. CAT 2025 may follow the same pattern.
Also Read: CAT score vs percentile
CAT vs GMAT: Exam Fee
GMAT: GMAT exam fee is USD 250 for all countries.
CAT: CAT exam fee is INR 2,600 for General and NC-OBC candidates and INR 1,300 for Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Physically Disabled candidates.
Validity of Exam Score
GMAT: GMAT score is accepted by more than 2,100 management institutes across the globe. GMAT score is valid for admission for up to five years.
CAT: CAT score is accepted by 21 IIMs and over 1,300 management institutes in India. It is not valid outside India. CAT score is valid for admission for only one year.
Also Read:
| CAT_Mock_Test_1 | CAT_Mock_Test_1_Solutions |
| CAT_Mock_Test_Set_2 | CAT_Mock_Test_2_Solutions |
Is GMAT easier than CAT? An Overview
Before concluding this blog, let us take a quick glance at how GMAT exam and CAT exam are different from each other to assess which one is more difficult:
| Features |
GMAT |
CAT |
|---|---|---|
| Exam Full Form |
Graduate Management Admission Test |
Common Admission Test |
| Conducting body |
Graduate Management Admission Council |
Indian Institute of Management |
| Validity |
Global/for five years |
In India only, valid for only one year |
| Eligibility |
No minimum percentage required in bachelor’s degree |
Bachelor’s degree with minimum of 50% marks (45 % for SC/ST/PwD candidates) |
| Frequency |
Anytime of the year |
Once a year (November last week) |
| Mode of Exam |
Online |
Online |
| Exam Sections |
|
|
| Number of sections |
3 |
3 |
| Number of questions |
64 Questions |
68 questions |
| Exam Duration |
135 minutes |
120 minutes |
| Sectional time limit |
|
40 minutes for each section |
| Difficulty level |
High |
High |
| Marking Scheme |
|
|
| Exam Fee |
USD 250 |
|
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GMAT or otherwise known as the Graduate Management Admission Test and Common Admission Test or commonly referred to as CAT are the two most widely accepted management entrance tests, scores of which are accepted by all the top B-schools, including the IIMs. The basic difference, between the two, is that while CAT is a national-level entrance exam for students looking for admission to Top Business Schools in India, GMAT is held on a global level and helps students for admission to top B-Schools worldwide. Conducted by Graduate Management Admission Council, GMAT scores are acceptable mainly in the case of NRI/Foreign students who want to study in India. The IIMs accept the GMAT score of domestic candidates for executive management programmes. Candidates can learn in-depth about the difference between GMAT and CAT exams.
An equivalent of 700 on the old GMAT for the new GMAT can have two instances,
| Old GMAT | New GMAT (Focus) | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| 700 | 645 | 91.3% |
| 700 | 655 | 87.7% |
Thus, there can be either of the two scores - 645 of 655 on the GMAT Focus. Their percentiles are also given above. Each old GMAT score will usually have two corresponding scores, only one GMAT score will be awarded based on the number of questions the applicants have answered.
CAT exam is a national level MBA entrance exam conducted by the IIM. Every year, over 2.3 lakh candidates apply for it. Since the last two years, the competition has increased further with oveer 3 lakh candidates applying for the exam.
The CAT score is accepted by the Iims and all top MBA colleges in India. To select the best candidates from over 3 lakh test takers there is a need for stringent criteria. That's why, the CAT exam is tougher than other MBA entrance exams. Even though the syllabus of CAT is same as that of other MBA entrance exams, the question paper set by the IIM faculty always has tough questions. Moreover, CAT has sectional time limit for each section which is not there in any other exam except XAT. Having a time limit for each section adds pressure on candidates to complete solving adequate number of questions in a section within the time limit. If a student is weak in a particular subject, they can't use the time as per their need. CAT's Reading Comprehension passages are long and dense unlike other MBA exams. This is one more reason why most candidates feel CAT is tougher than any other MBA entrance exam.
CMAT syllabus is somewhat same as CAT syllabus. It has two extra subjects, Innovation and Entrepreneurship and General Awareness. However, these two subjects are not tough and can be covered alongside Quantitative Aptitude, English and Logical Reasoning. Despite having less subjects CAT is tougher than CMAT.
Let us understand the difference between the GMAT test centre and onlne below:
- GMAT Online is conducted 24/7 and registrations can happen 24 hours before the preferred exam slot. On the other hand GMAT at test centre also allows 24 hours before registration but slots are limited and last minute slots can be unavailable.
- GMAT Online is more expensive than GMAT at test centre. GMAT Online costs USD 300+taxes and GMAT at test centre costs USD 275+taxes.
- When appearing for GMAT at home (online), applicants can access an online whiteboard or have a physical whiteboard. Whereas, at the test centre, applicants get laminated sheets and dry eraser.
This is how the two modes of GMAT exams differ from one another. Rest other aspects remain the same.
Based on the following parameters applicants can understand which is a better option for them when registering for GMAT exam:
Thus, based on personal choices, applicants can choose which is the better option for them, and consequently register for the exam.