CAT vs GMAT: Which Test Should You Choose?
Highlights of CAT & GMAT
The table below contains essential details such as eligibility criteria, exam pattern, exam sections and the marking system of CAT and XAT:
The CAT exam lasts 120 minutes, has three sections and contains 66 questions. Each section is allotted 40 minutes and no breaks are allowed. The GMAT on the other hand is a 64-question exam that takes 135 minutes to complete with 45 minutes for each section and a 10-minute optional break after any section. Candidates have the leverage to attend the sections in their prioritised order.
The CAT gives +3 marks for each correct answer and (-)1 for incorrect answers, whereas the GMAT does not have negative marking.
In the CAT, the order of the three sections is fixed first VARC then DILR and finally Quant whereas in the GMAT, the test taker can choose which order the three sections should be solved.
The GMAT is a computer-adaptive test in which questions appear on the screen one at a time with the difficulty level of the next question determined by the performance of the previous question. In CAT questions from an entire section are displayed together and the test taker can choose the order in which to answer them.
GMAT scores are available immediately after the test whereas CAT results take 3-4 weeks to be declared.
The GMAT test is administered throughout the year, allowing test takers to select a date whereas the CAT is administered on the last Sunday of November.
Which exam is more manageable? CAT or GMAT
It is difficult to determine which exam is easier and which is more difficult between the CAT and the GMAT because the GMAT is a computer-adaptive test in which questions appear one by one and the difficulty level of the next question is determined by the performance on the previous question whereas in the CAT questions from the same section are displayed together with the same difficulty level for all aspirants.
- The difficulty level of the CAT's quantitative section is regarded as higher than that of the GMAT's quant due to more formula-based questions requiring a large number of calculations to be completed in a limited amount of time whereas GMAT quantitative ability questions are more logic-based.
- The verbal portion of the GMAT is thought to be more difficult than the CAT. The verbal ability and reading comprehension (VARC) section of the CAT includes four passages and 7-8 verbal ability questions. The GMAT includes passages that are perceived to be more difficult and the critical reasoning questions demand strong analytical skills. As a result the GMAT verbal section is more difficult than the CAT due to the more advanced questions.
- The Data Insights section of the GMAT and the Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning section of the CAT are completely different. The Data Insights section contains extensive tables and charts as well as a large amount of data that can take some time to process. The CAT consists of data interpretation sets and logical reasoning puzzles designed to assess the student's problem-solving ability.
Conclusion
GMAT scores are accepted by management colleges all over the world including nearly all of India's top colleges for Executive MBA programmes. Some prestigious colleges including SPJIMR, BITSoM, XIM, IMI and IMT accept GMAT scores for their regular MBA programmes. CAT scores are accepted by all top colleges including IIMs and IITs with the exception of XLRI, SIBM, SCMHRD and NMIMS.
The CAT and GMAT follow different patterns. The CAT is better suited to the majority of Indian students particularly those who lack strong vocabulary and grammar. The GMAT exam takes less time to prepare because it is more logic-based. The CAT on the other hand is a more syllabus-orientated exam that requires extensive practice before a student is prepared to take it.
FAQs
Candidates must have a valid three-year degree in any stream from a recognised college or university with 50% marks (45% for SC/ST, PwD, and DA candidates) or be in their final year of study for the CAT, but there is no educational requirement to take the GMAT Focus Edition exam.
There is no age limit for these two exams.
There is no limit to the number of attempts in the CAT and GMAT but the CAT is only given once a year, whereas the GMAT Focus Edition is given several times a year. Only five GMAT attempts are permitted in a 12-month period with a minimum of 16 days between each attempt.
The CAT and GMAT both have three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension(VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) and Quantitative Ability (QA), with the GMAT's Focus Edition sections being Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning and Data Insight.
The CAT time duration is 120 minutes with 40 minutes allotted to each of the three sections (VARC-24 questions, DILR-22 and QA-22), whereas the GMAT time duration is 135 minutes, evenly divided into three sections (QR-21 questions, VR-23 and DI-20).
The CAT awards 3 marks for correct answers and -1 for incorrect answers whereas the GMAT does not award the same marks for each question and uses a complex algorithm because it is a computer-adaptive test and the difficulty level of the next question is determined by your performance on the previous question. However, wrong answers do not result in negative marks on the GMAT.
The provisional scorecard is displaced immediately following the GMAT exam but the CAT result is announced 3-4 weeks later.
