Sat Nov 30 10:12:50 UTC 2024: ## CAT 2024 Answer Key Released, Objection Window Opens

**New Delhi, December 3, 2024** – The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Calcutta has released the provisional answer key for the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2024. The answer key is available on the official CAT website, iimcat.ac.in. Candidates have until 11:55 PM on December 5th to raise objections.

Approximately 2.93 lakh candidates appeared for the exam, representing an 89% attendance rate out of 3.29 lakh registered candidates. The breakdown of candidates includes 1.07 lakh females, 1.86 lakh males, and five transgender candidates. The exam consisted of 68 questions across three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC – 24 questions), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR – 22 questions), and Quantitative Ability (QA – 22 questions).

Experts have commented that the exam was easier than in previous years, potentially leading to a higher cut-off score. The reading comprehension section featured five long passages, with varying difficulty levels according to CATKing CEO Sumit Singh Gandhi. The quantitative ability section focused heavily on direct formula application questions.

Meanwhile, IIM Ahmedabad completed its third cluster of summer placements for the PGP class of 2026, with around 60 firms participating. IIM Bangalore reported a record high of 40% women students in its PGP program, the highest in 18 years. Overall, IIMs saw a record number of women students in their 2024-26 batch, with women representation increasing across all institutions. However, the top-ranked IIMs continue to have a modest percentage of female students.

IIM Mumbai also announced its MBA program in Sustainability Management, accepting applications until January 31st, 2025, based on CAT 2024 scores. Several IIMs also offer various short-term executive courses, including a week-long course on the Bhagavad Gita offered by IIM Ahmedabad.

The next steps for CAT 2024 applicants involve checking the answer key, submitting objections (if any), and awaiting the final results to determine eligibility for further admission rounds at various IIMs. These subsequent rounds typically include a writing ability test (WAT), personal interview (PI), and group discussion (GD).

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