Difference Between MAH CET and CAT: Eligibility, Exam Pattern, Difficulty Level, Colleges

MAH CET vs CAT: Held by the Maharashtra State Common Entrance Test Cell, MAH CET is one of the top MBA entrance exam that offers admission to over 300 Top Management Colleges in Maharashtra. The exam is relatively easier than CAT exam which makes it very popular among MBA aspirants in Maharashtra.

The syllabus and eligibility criteria of MAH CET 2024 and CAT 2023 are mostly the same, but, due to less number of applicants, less competition, and no negative marking, candidates of Maharashtra generally prefer to sit for the former one. Scroll through the page to understand the differences and similarities between MAH CET and CAT. 

MAH CET Vs CAT

A detailed comparison between MAH CET 2024 and CAT 2023 is given in the table below:

Specifications	MAH CET	CAT
Full-form	Maharashtra Common Entrance Test	Common Admission Test
Conducting Body	Maharashtra State Common Entrance Test Cell	Indian Institute of Management
Level of Examination	State Level	National Level
Application Mode	Online mode	Online mode
Total Applications	Approx. 75,000 to 1 Lakh	Approx. over 2 Lakh
Reserved Category Exam Fee	₹800	₹950
Unreserved Category Exam Fee	₹1,000/-	₹2,000
Total Exam Centres	48	156
Exam Frequency	Once a year	Once a year
Exam Mode	CBT (Computer Based Test)	CBT (Computer Based Test)
Exam slots	One slot, two days	Two-three slots, one day
Exam Duration	150 minutes	120 minutes
Number of Sections	4 sections	3 sections
Type of Questions	MCQs	MCQs & Non-MCQs
Total Questions	200 questions	66 questions
Total Marks	200 marks	198 marks
Number of Test Cities	48	156

Also Read: GMAT vs CAT Differences: Which is Better?

What are Some other Differences Between MAH CET and CAT?

Provided below are a few more differences between MAH CET and CAT. Go through them to get a better idea of both the exams.

Eligibility Criteria of MAH CET and CAT

The eligibility criteria are the same for both MAH CET and CAT. Enlisted below are a few pointers explaining the same:

• To sit for this exam, it is crucial to have completed a bachelor’s degree in any stream from a recognised institute/ university. 

• The minimum aggregate marks required in the qualifying exam is 50%. 

• 5% relaxation is offered to reserved category candidates. 

• Final year students are also free to apply, provided that they produce required documents at the time of admission.

Detailed MAH CET Eligibility Criteria	Detailed CAT Eligibility Criteria

MAH CET Syllabus vs CAT Syllabus

CAT exam has all the sections just like MAH CET including sections such as Logical Reasoning, Verbal Ability and Quantitative Aptitude, However, an Abstract Reasoning section is additional in the MAH CET. 

MAH CET	CAT
Abstract Reasoning Logical Reasoning Verbal Ability Quantitative Aptitude	Quantitative Aptitude (QA) Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)

The detailed study of the MAH CET and CAT Syllabus is given below:

MAH CET Syllabus	CAT Syllabus

MAH CET vs CAT: Exam Pattern

Here is the section-wise weightage for MAH CET and CAT.

Features	MAH CET MBA		CAT
Number of Sections	4 sections		3 sections
Sections	Logical Reasoning (LR) Analytical Reasoning (AR) Quantitative Aptitude (QA) Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)		Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) Quantitative Aptitude (QA)
Types of Questions	MCQ and non-MCQ		MCQ and non-MCQ
Total number of questions	200 questions		66 questions
Section-wise number of questions	LR	75 questions	VARC	24 questions
	AR	25 questions	DILR	20 questions
	QA	50 questions	QA	22 questions
	VARC	50 questions	-	-
Sectional Time Limit	No		Yes, 40 minutes per section
Marking Scheme	1 mark is awarded for every correct answer No negative marking		3 marks are awarded for every correct answer Negative marking of -1 for every wrong answer
Total marks	200 marks		198 marks

Click on the links below to get more information about the exam pattern of MAH CET and CAT.

Detailed MAH CET Exam Pattern	Detailed CAT Exam Pattern

Marking Scheme of MAH CET vs CAT

Check the table below for the most recent MAH CET and CAT exam patterns:

Particulars	MAH CET	CAT
Marks Per Correct Attempt	+1	+3
Negative Marking	No	Yes
Marks per Incorrect Attempt	0	-1
Marks per Unattempted Question	0	0

Exam Duration of MAH CET vs CAT

The duration of the MAH CET exam is 150 minutes, without any break in between. Additionally, there is no time restriction for attempting any particular section. 

On the other hand, the duration of the CAT exam is 120 minutes. There is also a sectional time limit for CAT. Candidates are required to complete their exam within the allotted time, which is 40 minutes for each section. 

Difficulty Level of MAH CET vs CAT

It is often asked if the CAT is more difficult than MAH CET. CAT is considered to be more challenging than MAH CET in terms of difficulty. The competitiveness for admission is greater for the CAT exam than the MAH CET because it is administered at the national level. The cutoff for the CAT exam is on the higher side, and obtaining a passing score is difficult. Every year, about 2 lakh individuals register for the CAT exam.

In contrast, the MAH CET test is administered at the state level and between 75,000 and 1 lakh people register for it. Because of this, the cutoff is lower than CAT and it is easier to qualify.

Exam fees for MAH CET vs. CAT

MAH CET: The exam fee is INR 1,000 for students in the General Category and INR 800 for students in the Reserved Category.

CAT: The fee for the CAT exam is INR 2,200 for students in the General Category and INR 1,100 for students in the Reserved Category.

Counselling Process of MAH CET vs CAT

MAH CET and CAT have totally different processes of counselling. 

MAH CET: After passing the MBA CET, candidates must take part in a common counselling session in order to be assigned a seat in one of the MBA programmes provided by many B-Schools of Maharashtra.

CAT: There isn't a standard counselling procedure for all universities that accept CAT. To shortlist candidates for MBA admission, the IIMs hold Personal Interviews (PI) and Written Ability Tests (WAT). There are separate counselling processes for different CAT participating institutes.

Participating Institutes of MAH CET vs CAT

CAT is a national level entrance examination while MAH CET is a state-level exam which implies that the scores of CAT are accepted by top universities from all over the nation and MAH CET scores are accepted by premier colleges situated in the state of Maharashtra.

Participating Institutes of MAH CET	Participating Institutes of CAT
Colleges Accepting MAH CET Scores	Colleges Accepting CAT Scores

Also Read: CAT vs CMAT, NMAT, XAT, SNAP, IIFT & Other MBA Entrance Exam

MAH CET Vs CAT: Detailed Analysis

Given below are a few links related to MAH CET and CAT. Click on them to get a detailed analysis of both the exams. You can compare and contrast the two as per your requirements.

MAH CET	CAT
How to Apply for MAH CET	How to Apply for CAT
How to Prepare for MAH CET	How to Prepare for CAT
Best Books for MAH CET Preparation	Best Books for CAT Preparation
Mock Test of MAH CET	Mock Test of CAT
Previous Year’s Question Papers for MAH CET	Previous Year’s Question Papers for CAT
Paper Analysis for MAH CET	Paper Analysis for CAT
Coaching Institutes for MAH CET	Coaching Institutes for CAT
Result of MAH CET	Result of CAT
Cut-offs for MAH CET	Cut-offs for CAT

MAH CET and CAT are two different kinds of MBA exams that open up the door to top management institutes. It solely depends on the requirement of the candidates to choose either of the two. One offers admission in the state of Maharashtra while the other one can provide you admission in any desired state of India.

To weigh your options and explore top MAH CET and CAT colleges, just dial the toll-free helpline number 1800-572-9877 or fill-up the Common Application Form. Our admission experts will be glad to resolve your queries. You can also drop your questions in the QnA zone.

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