--- title: "CAT Coaching" description: "CAT (Common Admission Test) is the primary entrance for IIMs and most top Indian B-schools, conducted annually in late November. T.I.M.E. Coimbatore offers classroom and online prep tracks anchored by the AIMCAT mock series, with section-wise feedback for VARC, DILR, and Quantitative Aptitude." url: "https://timecbe.com/exams/cat" archetype: "course" locale: "en-IN" --- # CAT Coaching > **Quick answer.** T.I.M.E. Coimbatore CAT coaching prepares aspirants for the Common Admission Test - the gateway to IIMs and 200+ top B-schools across India. Our program covers Quantitative Aptitude, Verbal Ability + Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation + Logical Reasoning, with 30+ full-length mocks. Classroom and online prep for the Common Admission Test (CAT) - IIM admissions, structured AIMCAT mock series, and section-wise feedback for VARC, DILR, and QA. ## At a glance - **Full form:** Common Admission Test - **Category:** Management - **Conducting body:** Indian Institutes of Management (IIM rotates host each year - IIM Bangalore in 2024, IIM Calcutta in 2025, TBD for 2026) ## Format - **Duration:** 120 minutes total (40 min per section, sectional timing enforced) - **Scoring:** Each correct +3, incorrect -1 (MCQs); TITA questions no negative marking. Raw scores normalised across CAT slots into percentile scores. - **Sections:** - VARC - Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (40 minutes) - Reading comprehension passages + verbal ability questions (para summary, para jumbles, odd-one-out). - DILR - Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (40 minutes) - Sets of 4-5 questions each - caselets, tables, graphs, arrangements, puzzles. - QA - Quantitative Aptitude (40 minutes) - Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, modern math. Mix of MCQ and TITA (Type In The Answer) questions. ## Key dates - **Registration window:** August - mid September (annual) - **Admit card release:** Late October - **Exam day:** Last Sunday of November - **Results:** Early January (following year) ## Score interpretation - **99+ percentile** - Competitive for IIM-A, IIM-B, IIM-C calls. Section-wise cutoffs (typically 80+ in each) matter as much as overall percentile. - **95-99 percentile** - Competitive for new IIMs (Indore, Kozhikode, Lucknow, etc.) and tier-1 non-IIM schools (FMS, MDI, SPJIMR). - **85-95 percentile** - Strong calls from tier-2 non-IIM schools (IMI, IMT, NMIMS, GIM, etc.) and IIMs at the entry end of the range. - **70-85 percentile** - Calls from established tier-3 management programs; consider XAT / CMAT in parallel for broader options. ## What we offer - **Mock series:** AIMCAT - T.I.M.E.'s flagship full-length mock series (typically 25+ AIMCATs per cycle) - **Batch types:** Classroom (full-time), Classroom (weekend), Online live, Test-series only - **Duration:** 12-18 months for foundation-to-CAT track; 6-8 months for the accelerated track - AIMCATs run on a national schedule with percentile reporting against the all-India T.I.M.E. cohort - useful for calibrating against CAT difficulty rather than self-study guesswork. Fee structure and current cycle dates: please enquire below. ## When should I start preparing for CAT? Most aspirants who score 95+ percentile have prepared for 12-18 months. If you're a final-year student or working professional starting fresh, target the foundation track from January / February for the next-November exam. Accelerated 6-8 month tracks work if you're already strong in 2 of the 3 sections. ## Are AIMCATs harder than the actual CAT? Section-by-section difficulty varies by AIMCAT, but the cohort against whom your percentile is computed is the all-India T.I.M.E. student base - a more competitive pool than the broader CAT-taking population. A 92+ AIMCAT percentile consistently is a strong signal of 95+ on CAT itself. ## How does CAT compare to XAT, MAT, and CMAT? CAT is the most competitive (~2.5L candidates for ~5K IIM seats). XAT (held in January) gates XLRI and other Xavier schools and is closer in difficulty to CAT. MAT and CMAT are easier and gate tier-2/3 schools. Most T.I.M.E. students prep for CAT primarily and add XAT in parallel; MAT / CMAT are usually optional safety nets. ## Frequently asked questions ### Do I need an engineering background to crack CAT? No. CAT is open to any graduate with 50%+ marks (45% for reserved categories). Non-engineers tend to need more work on QA but often have an edge on VARC - overall percentile distribution is similar across backgrounds with prep. ### How many AIMCATs does T.I.M.E. provide? Typically 25+ full-length mock CATs per cycle, plus section-wise and topic-wise tests. The series is paced so the heaviest density is in the August-November window leading up to the exam. ### Can I take just the test series without classroom coaching? Yes - the test-series-only option suits self-prep students who want the calibration of AIMCAT percentile reporting. The classroom track adds concept teaching, doubt-clearing, and strategy sessions on top. ### What's a realistic percentile improvement with one year of prep? Highly individual. Students starting from a 60-70 percentile baseline (first AIMCAT) commonly reach 90-95 percentile with a year of structured prep. Reaching 99+ requires consistent practice + section-balancing on top. ### Does T.I.M.E. help with the post-CAT WAT / GD / PI process? Yes - the WAT (Written Ability Test), GD (Group Discussion), and PI (Personal Interview) prep is included for students who clear shortlist cutoffs. Sessions typically run from late January through March, when call letters arrive.