GMAT · Guides · October 22, 2026 · 6 min read
GMAT vs CAT: which is easier, does IIM accept GMAT, and which exam to take
CAT and the GMAT lead to different programmes, so the choice depends mainly on your work experience and where you want to study. CAT is the route into the two-year PGP/MBA at the IIMs for Indian residents, usually straight after graduation or with a few years of experience. The GMAT is used by ISB, by the IIMs’ one-year executive MBAs for experienced professionals (such as IIM Ahmedabad’s PGPX and IIM Bangalore’s EPGP), by some other Indian programmes and by business schools abroad. On difficulty, most test-takers find the GMAT easier to score well on than CAT, because the GMAT measures you against a fixed scale while CAT ranks you against a very large pool in a single sitting.
Format side by side
As of October 2026. CAT details change slightly from year to year; check iimcat.ac.in for the current notification.
| CAT | GMAT | |
|---|---|---|
| Run by | the IIMs (one IIM convenes it each year) | GMAC |
| When | once a year, late November (29 November 2026) | any working day, year-round |
| Length | 2 hours | 2 h 15 min |
| Sections | VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension), DILR (Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning), QA (Quantitative Ability) | Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, Data Insights |
| Time per section | 40 minutes each, fixed order, no switching | 45 minutes each, you choose the order |
| Questions | about 66–68 in total | 64 (21 Quant, 23 Verbal, 20 Data Insights) |
| Question format | multiple choice plus type-in answers | multiple choice and multi-part Data Insights items |
| Wrong answers | −1 for a wrong multiple-choice answer, no penalty on type-in questions | no negative marking, but unanswered questions are penalised, so guess rather than skip |
| Adaptive | no | yes, question by question |
| Calculator | basic on-screen calculator | none in Quant; basic on-screen one in Data Insights |
| Result | scaled score and percentile, released about a month after the test | score on screen at the end of the test |
| Taken where | test centres in India | test centre or online at home |
Is GMAT easier than CAT?
For most people, yes, in the sense that a strong GMAT score is more reachable than a strong CAT percentile. But the tests are hard in different ways.
Where CAT is harder:
- Competition. CAT is a ranking exercise among a very large number of candidates on one day. A 99th percentile leaves very little room for error, and a bad day costs you a year.
- Quant breadth. CAT QA covers geometry, mensuration and a wider range of topics. The GMAT dropped geometry in 2024.
- DILR sets. CAT’s logical reasoning sets are long puzzles where one wrong assumption can cost the whole set.
- Negative marking. Every wrong multiple-choice answer costs a mark, so you must judge which questions to leave.
Where the GMAT is harder:
- Data Sufficiency. A question type CAT does not have: you decide whether the information is enough, not what the answer is.
- Critical Reasoning. GMAT Verbal is built on short arguments with precise logic traps. CAT VARC leans more on long reading passages and para jumbles.
- Adaptivity. The questions get harder as you answer correctly, so a high scorer sees many difficult questions in a row.
- Data Insights. Multi-part questions give credit only if every part is right.
People who have prepared seriously for CAT usually find GMAT Quant manageable and need most of their time for Data Sufficiency, Critical Reasoning and the Data Insights formats. The GMAT difficulty guide goes into more detail.
Does IIM accept GMAT?
It depends on the programme. Phrase it this way: the IIMs accept the GMAT for some programmes, not for the flagship two-year PGP for Indian residents.
| Programme type | Test usually required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| IIM two-year PGP/MBA, Indian residents | CAT | GMAT is not an alternative for resident Indian candidates |
| IIM two-year PGP, international applicants | GMAT | for example, IIM Indore’s 2026–28 procedure for foreign passport holders asks for a GMAT score; some IIMs also consider NRIs and candidates based abroad |
| IIM one-year executive MBA (IIM Ahmedabad PGPX, IIM Bangalore EPGP and similar at other IIMs) | GMAT or GRE | for experienced professionals; IIMB’s EPGP asks for at least 5 years of work experience and does not accept at-home online scores |
| ISB PGP (one year) | GMAT or GRE | at least 2 years of full-time work experience; scores from online or home-based tests not accepted from the April 2025 intake |
| ISB PGP-YL (young leaders) | GMAT, GRE, and reportedly CAT | check the programme page |
| Other Indian B-schools | varies | many private schools accept GMAT for some programmes alongside CAT, XAT or their own tests |
| MBA abroad | GMAT or GRE | CAT is not used outside India |
Each school sets its own rules and they change between cycles, including which test versions count, minimum scores and work-experience limits. Check the programme page of every school before you register. As a rule of thumb, if a programme admits experienced professionals, it probably takes the GMAT; if it admits fresh graduates in India, it probably takes CAT.
Cost, attempts and validity
| CAT | GMAT | |
|---|---|---|
| Fee | about ₹2,600–2,700 for general category, about half for SC/ST/PwD | $275 at a test centre or $300 online, plus 18% GST in India |
| Attempts | once a year; no limit on the number of years | up to 5 times in 12 months, at least 16 days apart, no lifetime limit |
| Validity | in practice, one admission cycle | 5 years |
| Retake after a bad day | wait a year | rebook within weeks |
Figures as of October 2026. The CAT fee is from the 2026 cycle as reported in the press; confirm on iimcat.ac.in. GMAT fees and rules are in the GMAT exam fees guide.
The cost difference is large: one GMAT attempt costs roughly ten times a CAT registration. But a GMAT score stays valid for five years and can go to schools in India and abroad, while a CAT score is used for one cycle.
How to decide
Take CAT if:
- you want the two-year IIM PGP and you are an Indian resident;
- you are a final-year student or have less than two years of work experience;
- you want the widest choice of Indian B-schools in one test.
Take the GMAT if:
- you have several years of work experience and are aiming for ISB or an IIM one-year programme;
- you are also considering MBAs abroad;
- you want flexibility: book a date that suits you and retake within weeks if needed;
- you are an NRI or foreign national applying to Indian schools that accept the GMAT for international candidates.
Consider both if you have two to four years of experience and are torn between a two-year IIM and ISB. Quant and reading skills overlap, so CAT preparation helps with the GMAT, but the GMAT question types (Data Sufficiency, Critical Reasoning, Data Insights) need their own practice. A common sequence is CAT in November, then the GMAT in the following months if the CAT result is not what you need.
What score to aim for
CAT targets are percentiles and depend on the IIM and your category. For the GMAT, ISB’s reported median is around 669–675 on the current 205–805 scale, and IIM one-year programmes look for similar scores. See what is a good GMAT score for the full percentile table and targets by school, and the GMAT preparation plan for how to get there.