Is CAT Tougher Than IIT? Know The Difference Between CAT and IIT

Is CAT Tougher than IIT? – Regarding the answer to the question, there are no direct answers, but we can compare the exam highlights. The difficulty level of the said examination is highly dependent on the exclusively on the appeared students, exam format, exam syllabus, and other crucial facts.

The Common Admission Test is an MBA entrance exam that is required to get admission to India’s top business schools in India, including IIMs. On the other hand, IIT JEE is an engineering entrance exam that will be used as the final exam to choose applicants for admission to prominent IITs. Let’s drive into a complete comparison b/w CAT and IIT to know which is the toughest  among them.

Is CAT Tougher Than IIT?

Despite the fact, both of these are national-level exams held annually, the CAT is a national-level MBA exam administered by IIMs on a rotational basis for admission to IIMs. Whereas the IIT Entrance Exam is conducted by IITs on a rotational basis for JEE Mains-qualified students interested in studying in IITs.

If we compare the syllabuses included in CAT and IIT, we can observe that IIT entrance exams are entirely subject-specific. The questions come from Math, Physics, and Chemistry classes 11 and 12. However, the CAT is an aptitude test in which the authority primarily evaluates the candidates’ logical ability for future management roles. In this regard, the CAT exam is a little more difficult than IIT.

Aside from that, if we consider competitiveness, CAT is tougher than IIT because students from all educational backgrounds can take the exam. However, only science students with PCM and 10+2 can take the IIT entrance exam.

About IIM CAT Exam

The Common Admission Test, or CAT, is a national-level management aptitude test administered by the IIM for admission to MBA and other postgraduate courses provided at its 21 campuses. Typically the exam is held in the last week of the November every year and regulated by the one of the IIMs in a rotational basis. Some insights of the CAT Exam is mentioned below.

• About the Syllabus: The CAT exam  contains questions about Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA). The exam difficulty level ranges from moderate to high.
• Number of Registrations: Every year, more than two lakh people apply for the CAT exam. In CAT 2023, applications reached a record high of 3.30 lakh. The total number of CAT 2024 registrations is 3.29 lakh. For 2025, the number of registrations might touch 4 lakhs.

• Who are eligible for the exam: To take the CAT 2025, the minimum academic requirement is candidates must have a bachelor’s degree with a minimum aggregate of 50% or an equivalent CGPA (45% for SC, ST, and PWD/DA categories). Also, Candidates who have earned a professional degree (CA/CS/ICWA/FCAI) with the requisite percentage can also take the CAT.

• Courses Offered: Through the Common Admission Test, or CAT 2025, qualified students can seek admission to MBA and other postgraduate courses offered by its 21 campuses. Aside from full-time MBA programs, the CAT score is accepted for admission to Executive MBA, PhD, and FPM programs at IIMs and other B-Schools. Candidates who pass the CAT exam are eligible for admission to approximately 1300 MBA colleges in India, including the IIMs.

• CAT 2025 Exam Schedule: The CAT 2025 exam date is set for November 30, 2025, and IIM Kozhikode is anticipated to administer the exam. The CAT 2025 registration cum application procedure will begin in August 2025 and continue until the third week of September 2025. The application will be officially announced in the last week of July 2025 and made available at iimcat.ac.in. The exam will be held in three shifts in more than 170 exam centers throughout India.

About IIT Entrance Exam

IIT JEE is a national-level engineering entrance test that consists of two stages: JEE Main and JEE Advanced. JEE Main is a screening exam that determines whether candidates are qualified to take JEE Advanced, the final exam used to select candidates for admission to prominent IITs.

• About the Syllabus: 
  • JEE Main consists of two papers. Paper 1 is administered for admission to undergraduate engineering programs at NITs, IIITs, CFTIs, and other notable universities. It is also an eligibility test for JEE Advanced, which is required for admission to IITs. Paper 2 is required for entrance to the B. Arch. and B. Planning programs.
  • On the other hand, The IIT JEE Advanced is a single-stage objective-type examination with two papers of three hours. Paper-1 and Paper-2 will each contain three sections: Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. Through the exam, both papers assess and measure applicants’ comprehension and analytical abilities.
• Number of students Appeared:
  • As the JEE Mains is a screening test, the number of registrations in Jee Mains is much higher than in JEE Advanced. Every year, over ten to twelve lakh candidates take the JEE Main exam. However, out of only 2.5 lakh qualifying and proceeding to the JEE Advanced to seek admission into IIT.
  • JEE Advanced selects only the top 2.5 lakh candidates who qualified in the Phase 1 selection test, with approximately 40,000 qualifying for a seat in IITs. The total number of seats available in IITs across courses and categories is around 17000.
• Who are eligible for the exam:

• • To be eligible for the JEE (Main) exam, candidates must have passed or be appearing in their Class 12 (or equivalent) examination with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics as compulsory subjects, and they can take the exam three years in a row beginning with the year they take the Class 12 exam.
  • To become eligible for the JEE Advanced, For both General and OBC applicants, a 12th-grade percentage of 75% is required for JEE Advanced. However, SC/ST aspirants must have a percentile of 65% or higher. To be eligible for JEE Main, candidates must rank among the top 2,50,000 (all categories) in the B.E./B.Tech. paper (Paper I).
• Courses offered: After passing JEE Main, you can enroll in a variety of undergraduate engineering programs at IITs, NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs, including B.Tech, B.Arch, and B.Plan. After passing JEE Advanced, candidates can enroll in programs offered by the 23 IITs in India, including Bachelor’s, Integrated Master’s, or Bachelor-Master Dual Degrees in Engineering, Science, Architecture, Design, or Pharmaceutics.

Is CAT Tougher Than IIT – Comparison

After understanding both the exam highlights, let’s make a comparison table that helps to find out our answers to the questions. Is CAT Tougher Than IIT?

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