Record 3.3 lakh candidates apply for CAT 2023, 30% higher than last year
Common Admission Test (CAT) 2023. This marks a remarkable 30 per cent increase compared to last year when registrations stood at 2.5 lakh. CAT, the gateway to prestigious Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and other esteemed business schools, is scheduled to take place on November 26.
CAT 2023 convener, Prof.
Sanjeet Singh of IIM-Lucknow, who is overseeing the organization of the test this year, revealed that the 2022 increase was comparatively modest at 11 per cent, making this year's leap all the more remarkable.
«Registrations this year are the highest in the history of CAT, ever since it was started in 1977. In fact, it never touched the 3 lakh mark before. In absolute numbers, an increase of 75,000 applications, year-on-year, is a record in itself,» Prof.
Singh told TOI.
Experts attribute this surge to heightened visibility of CAT on social media platforms and the expansion of test cities and exam centers, particularly in tier-II cities. This strategic expansion has evidently paid off, driving the highest-ever registration numbers in CAT's history.
Of the total 3.3 lakh applicants, a significant 1.17 lakh, or 38 per cent, are female. This reflects a commendable 3 per cent increase in female registrations.
Over the past decade, IIMs have consistently implemented initiatives aimed at boosting gender diversity in management education, resulting in a notable presence of female students, ranging from 30 per cent to 45 per cent, on their campuses.
It's worth noting that CAT underwent a significant transformation in 2009 when it transitioned from a pen-and-paper test to a computer-based format. Prior to this change, the highest number of registrations, around 2.9 lakh, was recorded in 2008. Since then, registration
