September 29, 2020: Common Admission Test (CAT) 2020 has reported the lowest number of registration for the examination in the last five years. The registration number for CAT 2020 now drops to 2.3 lakh. 

The first major drop in the registration was recorded in the Common Entrance Test of 2013. The Common Admission Test (CAT) official records, announced the number of registered students for CAT 2020 on September 23, 2020, at 05:00 pm.

After comparing the registrations of the year 2020, the number has been recorded to be the least in comparison to the last five year CAT registrations. 

CAT 2020 Exam Highlights

In 2020, IIM Indore will be conducting the CAT Examination. The CAT 2020 is scheduled for November 29, 2020. The exam will be conducted in 156 cities across India. For more details about CAT 2020, refer to the table below:

Name of Examination  Common Admission Test (CAT)

CAT 2020 Conducting Body

IIM Indore

CAT Application

August 5-September 23, 2020

Exam Date 

November 29, 2020

Mode

Online

Duration

2 Hours (120 Minutes)

Number of Sections

3 (Quantitative Ability, Verbal Ability, and Reading Comprehension, and Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning)

Medium of Exam

English

Official Website

iimcat.ac.in

CAT Helpdesk

cathelpdesk@iimcat.ac.in

Read: MBA Admissions 2021:Top 100 B-Schools, Exams Accepted, Registration Dates, Cutoff

CAT Registration Trends Over the Years

The CAT registration count has been decreasing significantly over the past years. The IIM Indore provided a seven-day extension in the application deadline, which also resulted in fewer registrations. For details analysis, check the table below:

CAT Registration Detail Analysis Over Years

Year of Examination

Registration and Trends since Previous Year

2020

2.30 Lakh (- 5.73%)

2019

2.44 Lakh (+ 1.24%)

2018

2.41 Lakh (+ 4.32%)

2017

2.31 Lakh (- 0.43%)

2016

2.32 Lakh (+ 5.93%)

2015

2.19 Lakh (+ 11.16%)

2014

1.97 Lakh (+ 1.02%)

2013

1.95 Lakh (- 8.78%)

2012

2.14 Lakh (+ 4.39%)

2011

2.05 Lakh (+ 0.49%)


The previous year, a total of 2.44 Lakh students registered for the CAT examination. The previous year CAT exam was conducted with the accordance of IIM Kozhikode and a total of 2.09 students qualified for the national level management entrance examination. 

Read: CAT 2020 Exam Pattern (Changed), Syllabus, Marking Scheme, Mock Test

CAT 2020 Registration Drops: Know the Reasons 

The drop in CAT 2020 Registrations was recorded mainly due to the COVID-19 situation in the country. The subsequent lockdown resulted in an economic slowdown that reflected on massive job losses amidst the coronavirus pandemic. 

Contrary to this, according to experts, usually during a slow down, the CAT registration number increases. The market was looking forward to welcoming the CAT selected students and were expecting more registrations this year.

Referring to the pandemic situation, the director of IIM Indore said, "The high registration numbers reflect the sustained interest students have in the field of management and in IIMs. In these challenging times, the CAT team is working hard to ensure a safe exam with social distancing and isolation facilities".

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