Planning to get enrolled in an MBA programme? Confused about CUET PG and CAT, which exam to prepare for? Read this Shiksha article to learn about the difference between CUET PG, and CAT exams, for which exam a candidate can prepare, exam pattern and the complete admission process of the respective exams.
CUET PG vs CAT
Also Read: CUET PG Vs IIT JAM: Which is Better for Master’s Degree
About CUET PG
CUET PG assesses candidates' subject-specific knowledge and general aptitude, making it a comprehensive evaluation tool. It offers a wider range of CUET PG courses, including humanities, social sciences, commerce, and science programmes ( master's degree programmes like MSc, MA, MCom, MFA and professional degree programmes like MBA, BEd, MEd, LLB and LLM).
| Paper Code |
Test Paper |
Registered candidates |
Appeared candidates |
|---|---|---|---|
| COQP12 |
General (MBA, etc.) |
97880 |
74116 |
About CAT
Common Admission Test is a highly competitive exam conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management for admission to their flagship MBA programmes and those of other top B-schools in India.
- CUET PG vs CAT: Detailed Comparison
- CUET PG vs MBA: Which One is Better?
- CUET PG vs CAT: Key Differences You Should Know
- CUET PG vs CAT Difficulty Level and Syllabus
- CUET PG vs CAT for MBA: Career Opportunities, Salary Range and ROI
- CUET vs CAT which is better (Placement Comparison)
CUET PG vs CAT: Detailed Comparison
The following table presents a detailed comparative analysis between the CAT and CUET PG exams:
| Specifications |
CUET PG | CAT |
|---|---|---|
| Full name |
Common University Entrance Test (For Postgraduate Courses) |
Common Admission Test |
| Conducting Authority |
National Testing Agency |
IIM Calcutta (2026) |
| Courses for admission |
MSc, MTech, MA, M.Com, MBA, MCA |
MBA/PGDM |
| Number of test takers |
6-7 lakhs Around 1 Lakh for MBA |
2-3 lakhs |
| Frequency of the exam |
Once a year |
Once a year |
| Exam Date |
Between March 11 to March 28, 2026. |
In the month of November |
| Number of days |
18 days (3 shifts each day) |
One Day |
| Duration of test |
105 Minutes or 1 hour 45 minutes |
120 minutes/ 2 hours |
| Mode of exam |
Computer-based |
Computer-based |
| Total marks |
300 marks | 198 marks |
| Marking scheme |
+4 for each correct answer -1 for each incorrect answer
|
+3 for each correct answer -1 for each incorrect answer |
| Subjects/sections |
|
|
| Total number of questions |
75 |
66 |
| Official website |
https://iimcat.ac.in |
Commonly asked questions
• A Central Control Room was opened to monitor and facilitate the smooth conduct of the Examination on the ground. 02 National Coordinators, 19 Regional Coordinators, 303 City Coordinators, 1083 Observers, and 162 Deputy Observers were deployed.
• Live CCTV Surveillance was planned in all examination centres to curb malpractices in the examination. The NTA also made arrangements for live viewing of remote locations of all examination centres from the Control Room located in the NTA premises of New Delhi. Recording of CCTV Systems was also done.
• The examination centres were also monitored using AI-based Video Analytics and Virtual Observers.
• In order to stop cheating using mobile networks, Jammers were installed in all the Centres.
The CUET PG exam is conducted once a year. The exam is conducted mainly in March. The exact dates of the exam are announced by the National Testing Agency a month before the exam.
Know more about -
NTA which is known as National Testing Agency is the examination conducting body of CUET PG examination. The Role of NTA is confined to registration of candidates, conduct of the test, hosting of answer key, inviting challenges, finalising Answer Keys, preparing and declaring result and hosting Score Card. Merit list will be prepared by participating Universities/ organisations. Universities may conduct their individual counselling on the basis of the score card of CUET (PG) provided by NTA.
The CUET PG intimation slip is the precursor to the admit card. In this document candidates will only be intimated about city where their CUET PG exam centre has been allotted. The objective of this document is to help candidates prepare in advance regarding the exam day travel or commute.
CUET PG vs MBA: Which One is Better?
In this Section, candidates will be able to find which entrance exam is better for them based on the exam pattern, syllabus, top participating institutes and placement parameters.
CUET PG Syllabus vs CAT Syllabus
Here is the detailed difference between the CUET PG and CAT syllabi here:
CUET PG MBA Syllabus
CUET PG 2025 MBA syllabus is designed in such a way for candidates to test their language comprehension, Quantitative Ability, Data Interpretation and Reasoning ability. CUET PG MBA Syllabus is comprehensive and covers a wide range of topics relevant to MBA studies. It emphasizes critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills. Difficulty level is designed to be challenging for CUET PG MBA 2025 Preparation. Syllabus is bilingual (English and Hindi) to cater to a wider audience.
Here we bring the CUET MBA 2026 for the various subjects that would be tested through this exam across domains:
CUET PG MBA Syllabus For English Comprehension
- English Grammar
- English Usage Errors
- Jumbled Para
- Sentence Correction
- Sentence Improvement
- Reading Comprehension
- Paragraph Completion
- One-word Substitution
- Synonyms & Antonyms
- Idioms & Phrases
CUET PG MBA Syllabus For Hindi Comprehension
- हिन्दी व्याकरण
- अशुद्ध प्रयोग
- पररच्छेद का उहित क्रम
- वाक्य शुहद्ध
- वाक्य पररष्कार
- पाठ बोधन
- वाक्य की पूणणता
- अनेक शब्द केहियेएक शब्द
- समानाथी एवंहविोम
- मुिावरेएवंकिावते
CUET PG MBA Syllabus For Maths/Quantitative Ability
- Partnership
- Simple Interest and Compound Interest
- Profit & Loss
- Percentages
- Pipes and Cisterns
- Time Speed Distance
- Problems on Train
- Work and Wages
- Time and Work
CUET PG MBA Syllabus For Logical Reasoning
- Ranking Tests
- Linear
- Arrangements
- Matrix Arrangements
- Sequencing
- Statements Arguments
- Cause and Effects
- Statements Assumptions
- Statements and Conclusion
- Number Series
- Blood Relationship Tests
- Coding and Decoding
- Inferences
- Non-Verbal Reasoning
- Analogy Test
- Symbol Based Problems
- Direction and Distance Test
CUET PG MBA Syllabus For Data Interpretation
- Pie Charts
- Line Charts
- Bar Graphs
- Tabular Charts
- Mixed Graphs
- Data Sufficiency
- Graph Number Systems
- Tabulation
- Sets and Venn Diagrams
CAT MBA Syllabus
CAT syllabus PDF prepared by Shiksha has CAT quant syllabus, CAT VARC syllabus and CAT DILR syllabus. It has further description of these topics and sub topics in detail and can be very useful for CAT 2026 preparation. Download CAT exam syllabus PDF below for faster preparation:
| Download CAT syllabus PDF: |
CUET PG vs CAT Participating Institutes
- CUET PG is accepted by a wide range of central universities, state universities, deemed universities, and private institutions across India.
- Many prestigious central universities like Delhi University, JNU, BHU, and Hyderabad University accept CUET PG scores for their postgraduate programmes.
Also Read:
- Best MBA Colleges accepting CUET-PG Score in Uttar Pradesh
- Best MBA Colleges accepting CUET-PG Score in India: Fees, Admission, Ranking 2026, Courses, Placements
CAT:
- Elite management institutes: CAT primarily caters to top-tier management institutes, such as the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and other prestigious B-schools.
- Focus on managerial and leadership skills: These institutes offer management programs that require strong analytical, quantitative, and verbal reasoning abilities.
Key Difference:
While CUET PG offers a wider range of options for postgraduate studies, CAT primarily focuses on management programmes at top-tier institutions.
CUET PG vs CAT: Key Differences You Should Know
When people compare CUET PG vs CAT, which one is better, they mainly look at four things.
- These are career goals, college type, exam difficulty, and salary (ROI).
- CAT is for students who want to study in IIMs and top MBA colleges.
- Many colleges provide high-paying jobs after an MBA.
- CUET PG is for students who want to pursue MBA or PG courses in Central and State Universities.
- These colleges are more affordable and easier to enter.
- CAT is hard and very competitive.
- CUET PG is easier and open to more students.
Commonly asked questions
CUET PG Passing Marks are the scores or marks to be obtained to qualify for admission to the universities. If the candidate wants to know whether they have passed the CUET PG exam or not, they are required to check the cutoff marks released by the participating universities and colleges. After the declaration of the CUET PG result, all participating universities will release the course-wise passing marks or CUET PG cutoff, which will be used for shortlisting candidates for the counselling process.
The CUET PG exam is conducted in computer-based test mode. You can use a mouse and a keyboard to select answers on the computer screen.
Know more about -
CUET PG exam is conducted once a year. The exam was held in March. The CUET PG result 2026 was released on May 23. The participating universities started the Counselling soon.
NTA doesn't release cutoff marks for each speciality for CUET PG exam. Cutoff depends upon difficulty level, number of students etc. Students do need to try to score maximum marks out of 300 to increase their chances of admission.
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CUET PG vs CAT Difficulty Level and Syllabus
One big question students ask is the CUET PG vs CAT difficulty level.
| CAT Exam | CUET PG Exam |
|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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What are the main topics of CAT?
Check out the following list to know the main topics related to the CAT exam.
- Quantitative Aptitude
- DILR
- VARC
- Speed and accuracy are very important
What are the main topics of the CUET PG Syllabus?
Go through the following list to know the important topics in the syllabus.
- General Aptitude and Logic
- General Knowledge and Current Affairs
- Subject knowledge (MBA or PG subject)
CUET PG vs CAT for MBA: Career Opportunities, Salary Range and ROI
Students searching for CUET PG vs CAT for MBA often feel confused.
- CAT MBA is best for those students who wish to get job opportunities in the top corporate companies. Also, with this, they can get a high salary range between INR 20 to 30 lakh in different sectors, consulting and finance firms.
- CUET PG MBA is best for those who are looking for reasonable fees, excellent education, many career options with a high salary range between INR 4 to 12 lakh in the initial phase of their professional journey.
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CUET vs CAT which is better (Placement Comparison)
When considering MBA placements CAT is generally considered to offer better opportunities than CUET PG. This is primarily due to the prestige and reputation of the institutions that accept CAT scores. Here is the breakdown of the average salaries that the candidates get through CAT and CUET PG participating institutes.
|
Institute Name
|
Fee (In Lakhs)
|
Average salary (In lakhs)
|
|---|---|---|
|
Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad
|
INR 25.00 lakhs
|
INR 34.45 LPA
|
|
Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore
|
INR 24.70 lakhs
|
INR 35.92 LPA
|
|
Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Calcutta
|
INR 25.00 lakhs
|
INR 35.07 LPA
|
|
Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Kozhikode
|
INR 20.50 lakhs
|
INR 28.05 LPA
|
|
Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow
|
INR 21.75 lakhs
|
INR 30.00 LPA
|
|
Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Indore
|
INR 21.17 lakhs
|
INR 25.68 LPA
|
| College Type |
Average Annual Salary Range
|
|---|---|
| Top Tier MBA Colleges (IIMs, XLRI, etc.) | INR 20-30 Lakhs |
| Tier 2 MBA Colleges (Some IITs, FMS Delhi, etc.) | INR 15-25 Lakhs |
| Tier 3 MBA Colleges (State-level universities, private colleges) | INR 6-12 Lakhs |
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 20 hours ago
The National Testing Agency will release the CUET PG admit card 2027, after the registration process is over and city intimation slips are released. The tentative release date for CUET PG hall ticket is last week of February 2027.
A
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 20 hours ago
As per last year, NTA will likely release the CUET PG city slip 2027 in the last week of February 2027. Once released, the details will be available on NTA CUET PG official website.
Y
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 3 days ago
CUET PG application form 2027 will likely be released in the second week of December 2026. With CUET PG scores, candidates will be able to get admission to postgraduate degree programs like MA, MSc, MCom, MTech, MFA, and other professional degrees like MBA, BEd, LLB, and LLM courses.
S
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a week ago
Galgotias University does not seem to have a single CUET PG cutoff for every postgraduate course. The score needed can vary based on the programme, merit, and seat availability. If you are applying for an M.Sc., M.Tech, MBA, or another PG course, check its the latest admission requirements before ap
S
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a week ago
If you mean 200 marks in JEE Main, then yes, you have a very strong chance of getting admission to Galgotias University, provided you meet the Class 12 eligibility criteria for your chosen B.Tech branch. For B.Tech CSE, Galgotias currently requires 60% in the specified Class 12 subjects, and JEE Mai
J
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a week ago
CUET PG 2027 application date hasn't been officially announced yet; based on previous schedules, it may open around January 2027.
P
Contributor-Level 8
Answered a month ago
NTA removed Part A from the CUET PG exam in 2025. As per the latest exam pattern, the NTA ask only subject-related questions in the CUET PG exam.
The following table presents the exam structure of the CUET PG question paper.
Part | Sections/Subjects | Number of Questions |
|---|---|---|
A | Domain knowledge Question from CUET PG syllabus | 75 |
V
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
Both colleges are well-known for providing the best education to the students. For students aiming for admission to DU, the minimum score needed for MA in English programme by the General AI category was 199.
On the other hand, the minimum score needed for the same programme and category in JNU was
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
Amity University Ranchi considers CUET-PG scores for admission in MBA. Aspirants must also complete graduation with at least 50% aggregate. However, mere passing CUET-PG won't guarantee admission. Candidates also need to pass English Language Test followed by GDPI for admission in MBA.
N
Guide-Level 15
Answered a month ago
With a CUET PG 2026 score of 164 and a B.A. Economics from GITAM University, your chances of getting into top universities like Delhi University (DU), Banaras Hindu University (BHU), or the University of Hyderabad are likely to be limited in the General category, as their M.A. Economics cut-offs are
A
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