Is the syllabus of CAT and GMAT Examination different?

 What is the Fundamental Difference Between CAT and GMAT? 

The CAT and GMAT exams are very crucial for MBA aspirants who wish to study in India and abroad. The two entrance tests require preparation over months and some areas overlap in their syllabi.

Introduction

The CAT and the GMAT are the two most important and popular MBA exams in India and their scores are the most widely accepted in the country. Hence, the acing of CAT or GMAT can open doors to prestigious MBA colleges for students. 

Table of Contents

• Is the syllabus of the CAT and GMAT Examinations different?

• The circumstances of both CAT and GMAT

• Difference between CAT and GMAT syllabus

• GMAT exam pattern

• The difference in the exam pattern

• Conclusion

• FAQs

Is the syllabus of the CAT and GMAT Examinations different?

There are some similarities and differences between the two exams that you will know about when you read the article at length. The subjects of the CAT and GMAT exams are similar, but their syllabus is quite different. The two exams have great difficulty levels, different exam patterns, and marking schemes. So, it is important to prepare for the exams well ahead of time after CAT registration and GMAT registration. Before you sit for the exams, check your CAT exam eligibility and GMAT exam eligibility. 

The circumstances of both CAT and GMAT 

The CAT exam is held by the Indian Institute of Management of the country. The exam helps you open up the opportunity of admission into more than 1200 business schools across the country. A good GMAT score, on the other hand, can open up the possibility of joining over 2100 business schools all over the world. At the end of the day, choose which schools you want to join and decide the type of exam you sit for. 

GMAT scores are also valid for IIM and get you into more than 100 top-class business schools in India. IIMs are open to accepting GMAT scores for executive programs for foreign students. The e-GMAT and CAT Exam 2023 are valid for some non-IIMs too. So, if your dream is to get selected for a good business school, go for the two exams. Students of the general category, PWD category as well as other reserved categories can sit for the two exams in India. 

Difference between CAT and GMAT syllabus 

The CAT syllabus includes important topics like quantitative, logical, and verbal reasoning. The CAT syllabus includes quantitative aptitude, data interpretation, and logical reasoning. The syllabus also includes verbal ability and reading comprehension. The CAT Exam syllabus includes subjects such as geometry, averages, trigonometry, and algebra. The CAT exam also bases upon quantitative aptitude in the form of mensuration, profit and loss, and time speed distance. 

In the VARC section, the CAT syllabus 2023 includes fill-in-the-blanks, verbal reasoning, and sentence completion. The section also focuses on grammar usage in English. The section also focuses on jumbled paragraphs and foreign words. You also have to study verbal logic and idioms for the best results. 

The CAT Exam 2023 also focuses on logical reasoning, and you might need to brush up on blood relations, series, propositions, and puzzles. You also need to study up on clocks and calendars and coding-decoding. The CAT exam is based on questions related to a family tree and binary logic. 

You also need to focus on data interpretation for the same. For example, in the cat exam, you have to use lines, graphs, and pie charts for decoding. You also have to use bar graphs and cases for data interpretation. Data interpretation is a skill that every student of management should know about. 

GMAT Exam Pattern 

It is important to clarify the GMAT exam details before sitting for the examination. When you are clear about the GMAT exam syllabus and eligibility, the preparation goes in a targeted manner. The GMAT exam syllabus is based on verbal reasoning. Under verbal reasoning, you see topics such as subject-verb agreement, critical reasoning, verb, tense, and identifying reasoning. The GMAT question paper also focuses on topics such as pronouns and comparisons. You can also read up on idioms for the verbal reasoning part. 

Apart from the GMAT essay, the GMAT paper also focuses on quantitative reasoning. The quantitative reasoning section deals with number systems and theory. The reasoning section also focuses on multiples and factors, as well as decimals and fractions. The quantitative reasoning section also deals with percentages and averages. 

The GMAT exam subjects also include integrated reasoning like multi-source reasoning, graphics interpretation, and table analysis. The GMAT paper also focuses on two-part analysis questions. The integrated reasoning section is quite different from the reasoning section included in the CAT exam paper. 

The Difference In The Exam Pattern 

The GMAT exam pattern has four sections, while the CAT paper has three sections. The total number of questions for the two papers also varies a lot. The pattern for GMAT has 81 questions, and the CAT pattern has 66 questions. Many would argue that CAT is easier to solve than the GMAT exam. The GMAT exam includes sections such as Multiple-choice questions and a writing assignment. The CAT exam, on the other hand, includes Multiple choice questions and key-in answers. 

The time for the two types of exams also differ. For example, the time to finish the GMAT is 187 minutes. On the other hand, the time to finish CAT is 120 minutes. The GMAT offers you sectional flexibility in answering the different parts. You can decide the order of sections to answer when solving. On the other hand, in the CAT exam, you have to follow the chronology of sections.

The GMAT is good for students because they can take it five times a year. The CAT 2022 exam, however, is only open once a year. The GMAT is perfect for practicing because it does not have any negative markings. However, in the CAT exam, you see a bit of negative marking in terms of -1. The deduction is seen in the multiple-choice questions. You, however, do not see deductions in the non-MCQ sections.

Conclusion

CAT Exam 2023 and GMAT are both important exams for students who want to make a career in MBA. The syllabus of the two exams is somewhat similar but has some distinct differences. Therefore, when preparing for both exams, you should pay attention to multiple study resources. For example, you can solve cat previous year question paper and GMAT previous year question papers with solutions pdf for better results. You can get GMAT previous year question papers online or from a good GMAT coaching center in India.

There are many websites that help with preparation for better CAT results and GMAT scores. Physicswallah is a good educational platform for competitive preparation classes centred on CAT and GMAT. If you are looking to ace the GMAT and CAT, it is best to go for this particular platform. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

Q1. Is the syllabus for CAT and GMAT the same? 

Ans. The CAT and GMAT exam syllabus is almost alike. You can take both tests for MBA distance education. Both the CAT and GMAT are computer-based examinations. There are some sections of the CAT and GMAT examination that are similar. For example, you will face quantitative reasoning and verbal reasoning in both examinations. The CAT and GMAT examinations are however different in duration and question difficulty levels. 

Q2. Can I prepare for the GMAT and CAT together? 

Ans. Yes, you can prepare for CAT and GMAT together, but you have to be systematic in approach. 

Q3. Is GMAT easier than CAT? 

Ans. The GMAT exam is often adjudged an easier exam than CAT because it is an adaptive test. 

Q4. Will CAT preparation help with GMAT? 

Ans. Yes, CAT preparation will definitely help with GMAT preps because the syllabus is very coinciding. You can take CAT mock test along with GMAT mock tests for the prep.

 

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