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Common Admission Test (CAT), Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), and Graduate Record Examination (GRE) are top entrance exams for admission. All three serve a different purpose as per the aspirant’s choice of targeted program. The CAT exam is for management courses, the GMAT for master’s programs, and the GRE for doctoral and management programs. While applying for any of the exams, aspirants must fulfil the eligibility criteria. To know more about all three CAT vs GMAT vs GRE, continue reading the blog post below.
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Differences Between CAT vs GMAT vs GRE
As we know, all three exams, CAT, GMAT and GRE serve different purposes and have a different curriculum and conducting bodies. Candidates need to pay exam fees to appear for the exam. Look at the table below to learn more about the CAT vs GMAT vs GRE exam.
| Particulars | CAT | GMAT | GRE |
| Full Form | Common Admission Test | Graduate Management Admission Test | Graduate Record Examination |
| Accepting Schools | MBA schools in India | 3000+ universities worldwide | Both National and International universities |
| Programs | Admission to management programs | Admission to Master’s programs | Admission to Doctoral programs and MBA programs |
| Exam Syllabus | VARC, DILR, Quant | Analytical Writing Assessment, Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, Integrated Reasoning | Analytical Writing Section, Verbal Reasoning Session, Quantitative Reasoning |
| Exam Duration | 2 hours | 2 hours and 15 minutes | 3 hours and 45 minutes |
| Exam Mode | Computer Based Test | Computer Based Test | Computer Based Test |
| Conducted Body | India Institute of Management | Graduate Management Admission Council | Education Testing Service |
| Official Website | iimcat.ac.in | mba.com | ets.org |
More Reads on the CAT Exam
| CAT Exam: Date, Registration, Eligibility, Syllabus & More [Guide] | CAT Exam Analysis 2023 (Slot 1,2,3): Check Section-Wise Analysis, Difficulty Level and More |
CAT vs GMAT vs GRE: Eligibility Criteria
Candidates for each exam differ. We have briefly listed each requirement for all three exams.
CAT (Common Admission Test)
- Educational Background: Bachelor’s degree from a recognised university with a minimum of 50% marks (45% for reserved category students).
- Age Limit: No upper age limit.
- Attempts: Can be taken once a year. There is no restriction on the number of attempts.
GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test)
- Educational Background: Bachelor’s degree in any stream or equivalent qualification from a recognized university.
- Age Limit: None.
- Attempts: Up to 5 times a year with a minimum gap of 16 days between attempts. Lifetime limit of 8 attempts.
GRE (Graduate Record Examinations):
- Educational Background: No specific requirement, but most universities prefer candidates with a bachelor’s degree.
- Age Limit: None.
- Attempts: Up to five times a year with a minimum gap of 60 days between attempts. No lifetime limit.
Also Read: CAT Exam is for What Purpose? Check Key Reasons
CAT vs GMAT vs GRE: Syllabus
The syllabus of CAT vs GMAT vs GRE is somewhat different. Refer to the table given below to know more about the different sections and the important topics one needs to prepare for any below-mentioned exams.
| Particulars | CAT | GMAT | GRE |
| Section 1 | Quantitative Aptitude: HCF & LCM, Geometric Progression, Surds and Indices, Partnership (Accounts), Time-Speed-Distance etc | Verbal Reasoning: Parallelism/Comparison, Resolve/Explain, Misplaced Modifiers, Strengthen/Weaken, Assumption, Identify the Reasoning etc | Analytical Writing: Argumentative Writing Task and an Issue Writing Task |
| Section 2 | Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension: Syllogisms, Different Usage of Same Word, Sentence Correction, Fill in the Blanks, Jumbled Paragraphs etc | Quantitative Reasoning: Powers and Roots, Pipes, Cisterns & Work Time, Descriptive statistics, Permutation & Combination, Ratio and Proportion etc | Verbal Reasoning: Text Completion, Sentence Equivalence and Reading Comprehension |
| Section 3 | Data Interpretation Logical Reasoning: Data Sufficiency, Pie Charts, Line Graphs, Caselets, Tables | Integrated Reasoning: Graphics Interpretation, Table Analysis, Multi-Source Reasoning, Two-Part Analysis etc | Quantitative Reasoning: Arithmetic, Data Analysis, Geometry, Algebra etc |
| Section 4 | Analytical Writing Assessment: Writing Task |
Also Read: How to Crack CAT in First Attempt?
CAT vs GMAT vs GRE: Exam Pattern and Scoring
Candidates applying for any competitive exam must be well-versed in the exam pattern as established by the exam conducting committee. Refer to the table given below to know more about the CAT vs GMAT vs GRE exam pattern and their differences.
| Particulars | CAT | GMAT | GRE |
| Exam Syllabus | VARC, DILR, Quant | Analytical Writing Assessment, Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, Integrated Reasoning | Analytical Writing Section, Verbal Reasoning Session, Quantitative Reasoning |
| Exam Duration | 2 hours | 2 hours and 15 minutes | 3 hours and 45 minutes |
| Exam Medium | English | English | English |
| Total Questions | 66 | 80 | 80 |
| Total Scores | Around 189 | Around 800 | Around 340 |
| Total Sections | 3 | 4 | 3 |
Also Read: How To Prepare For CAT?
CAT vs GMAT vs GRE: Scope & Acceptance
GMAT and GRE both the exams have international recognition whereas, the CAT exam is specific to India. However, the CAT is a standardised exam for every Indian MBA aspirant, the GMAT is exclusively for business students and the GRE is much broader. Indian management schools accept CAT, over 7000 programs accept GMAT scores and a wide range of graduate programs accept GRE.
The top institutes accepting CAT scores apart from the top IIMs in India are IIT Delhi, IIT Mumbai, SPJIMR, FMS and many more. As far as the GMAT exam is concerned, its scores are accepted by the top 100 schools around the globe. GRE is now a standardised test for graduate school in most English-speaking countries.
Refer to the table below for the list of colleges accepting CAT, GMAT and GRE scores.
| CAT | GMAT | GRE |
| Faculty of Management Studies | XLRI Jamshedpur | Aryans Business School, Punjab |
| Management Development Institute | IIM Ahmedabad | IIKM Business School, Mumbai |
| SP Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR), Mumbai | Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur | Columbia University |
| Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad | Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore | Harvard University |
| JBIMS Mumbai | Lloyd Business School | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Institute of Management Technology | Indian School of Business | Stanford University |
| International Management Institute | SP Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR), Mumbai | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Also Read: GRE Math vs GMAT Math: How Are They Different?
CAT vs GMAT vs GRE: How to Choose the Right Exam?
The choice of your program must align with your MBA goals. If you are willing to study in one of the management schools wordlwide GMAT must be the best option for you. However, while considering graduate programs, the GRE is the choice you must opt for. Lastly, CAT aspirants typically opt for Indian business schools so CAT is an optimal choice for aspirants.
Also Read: GRE vs GMAT: Which One is Better for You?
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FAQs
The quantitative ability in CAT in particular is more difficult when compared to the GMAT or GRE.
GMAT is considered easier than the CAT exam.
The CAT exam is a little more difficult than the GRE.
Yes, aspirants can get admission into IIMs with their GMAT scores.
For more informative blogs, check out our Management Exams Section, or you can learn more about competitive exams by visiting our Indian exams page.