CAT Final Answer Key 2024 (Out) - Direct Link to Download IIM CAT Slot 1, 2 & 3 Answer Key PDF & Response Sheet

CAT Answer Key 2024 (Final Answer Key Out)

The CAT 2024 final answer key was released on December 16 on the official website. The final answer key is available through candidate login for all slots. CAT answer key 2024 objection window was closed on December 5, 2024, by the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, on the official website of IIM CAT at iimcat.ac.in. Candidates were required to enter the CAT application login ID and password on the Objection Management link till 11:55 PM. The CAT 2024 answer key was released on December 3, at 6 PM along with the response sheet on the official website. Although many students could check the answer key by logging in on November 29, IIM Calcutta officially opened the objection window from December 3 to 5, 2024. CAT 2024 result, which has been released on December 19, 2024, is formulated on the basis of the final answer key. The direct link to check the preliminary CAT 2024 answer key has been updated below:

Candidates must pay a fee of INR 1200 to challenge each question in the answer key. If the authorities find your objection genuine, the amount will be refunded to you. The answer key is an important document that contains correct answers to all the questions asked in the CAT exam 2024 and the response sheet contains all the answers marked by a candidate. With the help of the CAT answer key and response sheet, candidates can calculate their probable score in the exam and estimate their chances of getting admission to IIMs and other CAT participating colleges. Find the complete details related to the CAT 2024 answer key on this page.

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CAT Answer Key 2024 Release Date & Time

The CAT 2024 exam dates related to the CAT answer key have been given below. 

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Ques: When will CAT 2024 answer key be released?

Ans: The CAT 2024 answer key has been released on December 3, 2024. The answer key was released for some students on November 29, 2024.

Ques: When can I raise objections against the CAT answer key 2024?

Ans: Candidates will be able to raise objections against the CAT answer key 2024 from December 3-5, 2024. The conducting authority will open the objection window for 3-4 days on the official website.

CAT Answer Key 2024 Highlights

The CAT answer key 2024 will help the test takers verify their CAT exam 2024 answers and thereby arrive at their expected CAT 2024 exam score. This will enable them to explore the chances for MBA admission 2025 in various IIMs, FMS, MDI, SPJIMR, IITs, and other MBA colleges accepting CAT and CAT 2024 participating institutes. The release of the final CAT answer key also marks the second stage of the CAT 2024 selection process. Check the major highlights of the CAT 2024 answer key given below:

Ques: Who will release CAT 2024 answer key?

Ans: The conducting authority of CAT 2024 exam, IIM Calcutta, released CAT 2024 answer key. It is available on the official IIM CAT website.

Ques: Do I need to log in to access the CAT answer key?

Ans: Yes, candidates need to log in to access the CAT answer key. You will be required to enter your registration ID and password on the official website to download the CAT answer key and response sheet.

How to Download CAT Answer Key 2024?

Candidates for the CAT 2024 can use their CAT login ID and password to access their CAT answer keys to evaluate their performance and estimate final scores. Candidates may also use the CAT 2024 percentile predictor to evaluate their performance after the answer key is released. The actions listed below must be followed by candidates to download the CAT answer key or response sheet 2024. Here are the steps that candidates need to follow to view the CAT 2024 answer key:

Step 1: Visit IIM CAT's official website- iimcat.ac.in.

Step 2: Click on the 'Candidate Login for Raising Objection' tab available on the homepage. 

Step 3: After clicking on the link, enter your CAT User ID and Password and log in. The CAT 2024 answer key will be displayed on the screen.

Step 4: Cross-check your answers with that of the CAT 2024 answer key.

Step 5: Download the CAT 2024 answer key for future reference.

Ques: How can I download the CAT answer key?

Ans: To download the CAT answer key, visit the official website (iimcat.ac.in), click on the candidate login tab, and enter your registration ID and password. The answer key will be displayed on your screen.

Ques: Will the response sheet also be released with the CAT answer key?

Ans: Yes, the response sheet will also be released with the CAT answer key. Candidates will be able to download bot the answer key and response sheet by logging into the official website.

How to Raise Objection to CAT 2024 Answer Key?

Candidates can check how to challenge the CAT exam 2024 answer key by going through the points listed here.

Step 1: Visit the official website of CAT 2024.

Step 2: Click on the tab 'Candidate Login'.

Step 3: On the new page that will open, enter your unique login credentials and sign in.

Step 4: The page of your personal details page will open.

Step 5: Click on the tab titled “Objection Form”.

Step 6: Choose the question number, section, and type of objection from the provisional CAT answer.

Step 7: You will have to select one of the following three options:

• None of the options is a correct answer
• More than one option is a correct answer
• The answer key is incorrect

Step 8: You will be allowed to add remarks of up to 500 words while objecting to a particular question in the CAT answer key 2024.

Step 9: Once you have raised the objection and given the remark, you will have to pay Rs. 1,200 per objection as the objection fee.

Step 10: You must be very careful while submitting the form because no changes will be allowed once you submit it.

Note: There is no restriction to the number of objections that you can raise.

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Ques: How can I raise objections against the CAT answer key?

Ans: To raise objections against the CAT answer key, candidates need to log into the official website and click on the 'Objection Form.' Select the objection type: incorrect option(s), multiple correct answers, or wrong key. Add up to 500-word remarks, pay INR 1200 per objection, and submit.

Ques: Do I need to pay some fees to challenge the answer key?

Ans: Yes, candidates will have to pay INR 1200 per objection. The fee has to be paid online via debit card, credit card, UPI, Internet Banking, etc. The objection to the answer key will not be submitted until the fee is paid.

Important Instructions to File Objections to CAT Answer Key 2024

Candidates must be extremely careful and thorough when filing for objections against the CAT answer key 2024. Candidates must follow the guidelines mentioned below when filling out the CAT 2024 objection form:

• Candidates will only be able to challenge the CAT 2024 answer key online on the official website of CAT 2024.
• The CAT 2024 objection form that needs to be filled and submitted for raising objections to the CAT answer key 2024 will be provided on the official website along with the answer key.
• Candidates must submit the objections within the stipulated time period. No objections will be entertained if they are submitted after the last date prescribed.
• The applicable fee for raising objections against the CAT answer key is Rs. 1200 per objection. This fee does not include the transaction processing fee and the applicable GST (if any).
• It must be noted that if the objection raised by the candidate is found to be invalid, the objection fee paid by them will not be refunded.
• Candidates will only be able to raise one objection at a time.
• Candidates must be careful with submitting their objections as objections once submitted cannot be edited later.
• If an aspirant has to raise objections to more than one question, they will have to pay for each of the objections separately.
• The response of the concerned examination authority against any objections raised against the CAT answer key will be treated as final. In case this process leads to any change in the evaluation mechanism, the decision taken by the exam authorities after considering the objections will be treated as final.
• There is no limit to how many objections can be raised against the CAT 2024 answer key.
• The CAT result 2024 will be announced after the exam conducting authority has reviewed all the objections raised and the authorities have made changes in the CAT answer key based on valid objections. The CAT final answer key will also be released along with the CAT results.
• No re-checking of the CAT answer key 2024 or the CAT result 2024 will be done under any circumstances.

Ques: Can I edit my objection after submitting it?
Ans: No, you can't edit your objection after submitting it. Ensure you review your objection carefully before submission. If you have objections to multiple questions, you must process and pay for each separately.

Ques: What happens after you raise an objection to the CAT answer key?
Ans: After you raise an objection, the exam authority reviews it. If objections lead to changes in the answer key, these changes will be reflected in the CAT final answer key, and the revised results will be announced accordingly.

Information Mentioned on CAT Answer Key 2024

Candidates appearing for the CAT 2024 exam must be aware of all these aspects of the CAT answer key to use it effectively. Aspirants who appeared for the CAT exam will find the following information mentioned on the CAT answer key 2024:

Details of the Candidate: The candidate details mentioned on the CAT answer key 2024 include the name of the candidate, CAT registration number, CAT 2024 exam center, exam date, and exam time. 

CAT Exam Question and CAT Answers/ Correct Solutions: The number of answers in the CAT 2024 answer keys for each slot will be identical to the number of questions. In the CAT exam, there are four sets of question papers. IIMs release the CAT question papers with correct answers for every slot and all four question paper sets along with the answer key. However, the test taker can only access the CAT question paper with answer keys pdf that he/she attempted in his/her slot after logging into the official CAT website. Candidates appearing for the CAT 2024 exam will find the CAT 2024 question papers and answers in the following manner:

• Question

• Question type

• Question ID

• Status (attempted/not attempted)

• Right option/answer

• Candidate's response

CAT Scoring Pattern: For Multiple-Choice Questions, each correct answer will yield +3 marks, while an incorrect response will result in a negative penalty of -1 mark. For Non-MCQ type TITA questions, however, incorrect answers do not result in a negative marking. If you can recall a significant portion of the questions you would attempt in the CAT 2024 exam, you can calculate your approximate CAT raw scores and analyze the CAT answer keys to determine what percentile you are likely to obtain.

CAT Answers for All Three Slots of the Exam: The CAT 2024 exam will take place in three slots: morning, afternoon, and evening. The time duration for each slot will be 2 hours. The total number of questions has been reduced to 66 and the maximum score has been reduced to 198 marks. The score according to the CAT 2024 sectional composition can be found in the table below:

Ques: What are the details mentioned for the CAT answer key?

Ans: The details mentioned on the CAT answer key include the candidate's name, CAT registration number, CAT exam centre, test date, test time, question, question type, question ID, status (attempted/not attempted), right option/answer, and candidate's response.

Ques: What should I do if the details on my response sheet are wrong?

Ans: If the details on your response sheet are wrong, you must contact the authorities to correct them. In case you want to file an objection against the answer key, you will have to go through the objection filing process.

How to Calculate CAT Exam Score?

The CAT answer key 2024 and the CAT marking scheme have to be used together to arrive at the CAT raw scores. Thus candidates must make sure they follow the CAT marking scheme as it is mentioned by the CAT conducting authorities. Follow the instructions given below to determine your CAT exam 2024 score using the CAT answer key:

• Each correct answer is worth three points as per the CAT marking scheme, so if an applicant correctly answers 40 questions, their total score will be 40x3 = 120.

• One mark will be levied for each incorrect answer on the CAT exam. So, if an applicant marks ten questions inaccurately, they will lose ten points due to negative marking.

• To calculate the CAT Raw score, aspirants must subtract the total negative marks obtained from the total score obtained, which is 120 - 10 = 110.

Ques: How is the CAT exam score calculated using the answer key?

Ans: To calculate your CAT score, multiply the number of correct answers by three and then subtract one point for each wrong answer. For example, if you answer 40 questions correctly and 10 incorrectly, your score would be 110.

Ques: What is the penalty for incorrect answers in the CAT exam, and how does it affect my score?

Ans: For every incorrect answer in the CAT exam, one mark is deducted from your total score. This negative marking can impact your score significantly. For instance, with 20 wrong answers out of 30 correct ones, your final score would be 79.

CAT 2024 Response Sheet & Score Calculation

The CAT response sheet contains all the responses marked by a student on the CAT question paper. Candidates can use the response sheet to match their answers with the answer sheet and calculate their raw score in the exam. The CAT response sheet 2024 will most likely be released in December 2024, along with the provisional answer key. Candidates can download their official response sheets from the official IIM CAT website (iimcat.ac.in). To download the response sheet, candidates will have to enter their login credentials, such as CAT registration ID & password. Here's how you can calculate your CAT score using the response sheet.

1. First, calculate how many questions you answered correctly.

2. Multiply the total number of correct answers by 3. For example, if you answered 40 questions correctly, your score will be 120.

3. Count the number of incorrect answers and multiply it by -1. For instance, if you have 10 incorrect answers, your score will be -10.

4. Finally, subtract the score of incorrect answers from the score of correct answers. For example, if your score from correct answers is 120 and from incorrect answers is -10, your final score will be 120 - 10, which equals 110.

Ques: How can I obtain my CAT 2024 response sheet?

Ans: Candidates can download their CAT 2024 response sheet from the official IIM CAT website by entering their login credentials, including the CAT registration ID and password, expected to be released in December 2024.

Ques: How do I calculate my score using the CAT response sheet?

Ans: Calculate your score by first determining the number of correct answers and multiplying that by 3. Then, count your incorrect answers, multiply by -1, and subtract this from your correct answers score to find your total.

Previous Years’ CAT Answer Keys

Candidates who will be appearing for CAT 2024 must check out the previous year CAT answer key to get an idea of how the CAT answer key looks like and how to evaluate their own performance using the CAT answer key 2024. Take a look at the CAT answer key of last year mentioned in the table below:

Ques: What is the difference between CAT preliminary answer key and final answer key?

Ans: The CAT preliminary answer key is released first which allows candidates to challenge answers if they find discrepancies. After reviewing these challenges, the conducting body releases the final answer key, which incorporates any corrections.

Ques: What is the CAT marking scheme?

Ans: As per the CAT marking scheme, 3 marks are awarded for every correct answer while 1 mark is deducted for every incorrect answer. These is no pena;ty for the unattempted questions. The TITA questions don't have any negative markings.

CAT Answer Key 2024 Sample

Here's a sample of the CAT answer key to help students get an insight into it.

CAT Answer Key: Release Date Trends

Since the timeline for CAT exam-related events follows a certain pattern, it is important to know the trend of these events over the years to predict occurrences for the current year. The table below shows the release dates for the CAT official answer key.

CAT Score Vs Percentile

Once the CAT answer key 2024 is released, candidates can begin predicting their score for CAT 2024. To predict the CAT 2024 score, aspirants must be aware of the CAT score vs percentile analysis. The CAT score vs percentile analysis is an important tool used by CAT aspirants to determine their CAT percentile score based on their CAT raw scores before the CAT results are released. The CAT score vs percentile is available right after the CAT exam is conducted and it is released by top CAT coaching institutes and other CAT exam experts.

Candidates can use the CAT score vs percentile analysis to get a rough idea of their CAT percentile score which will help them decide which college they want to apply to for MBA admission based on their CAT 2024 scores. The expected CAT score vs percentile analysis for CAT 2024 has been mentioned below, take a look:

Ques: How do I predict my CAT 2024 score using the score vs percentile analysis?

Ans: After the CAT 2024 answer key is released, you can compare your raw scores with the provided score vs percentile analysis by top coaching institutes to estimate your percentile score.

Ques: Can the CAT score vs percentile analysis help me choose MBA colleges?

Ans: Yes, by estimating your CAT percentile using the score vs percentile analysis, you can determine which MBA colleges to apply to based on your expected performance.

CAT Cut off Score 2024 for IIM and Other MBA Colleges

Check the expected CAT cutoff 2024 for IIM and other MBA colleges in India, provided in the table below.

Ques: What is the expected CAT cutoff for IIMs?

Ans: The expected CAT cutoff 2024 admission into IIMs like Ahmedabad and Bangalore is in the range of 99-100 percentile, with slight variations across different IIMs. For example, IIM Calcutta expects a cutoff of 99.

Ques: How does the CAT cutoff vary among top MBA colleges in India?

Ans: The CAT cutoff varies among top MBA colleges, ranging from 95-99 for SPJIMR, Mumbai, to 99+ for IIT Bombay. Other notable institutions like MDI, Gurgaon, and FMS have their cutoffs in the 97-99 and 98-99 ranges, respectively.

CAT Result 2024

CAT 2024 result will most likely be announced in the first week of January 2025. To check and download the result, candidates will need to click on the 'Result Link' on the IIM CAT website and login using their User ID and Password. The result will be available in the form of a scorecard, displaying sectional and overall scores along with the percentile rank. With the CAT result 2024, the final answer key will also be issued after all objections have been reviewed. After the result declaration, CAT 2024 participating colleges will release their cutoff and commence the shortlisting process.

Ques: When will the CAT 2024 results be announced, and how can I check them?

Ans: The CAT 2024 results are expected in the first week of January 2025. Candidates can access their results by clicking the 'Result Link' on the official website and logging in with their credentials.

Ques: What information will the CAT 2024 scorecard include, and what follows after the results?

Ans: The scorecard will feature sectional and overall scores, along with the percentile rank. Following the results, participating colleges will release their cutoffs for the shortlisting process.