Top Universities for GRE vs CAT

There are various universities abroad & in India accepting CAT vs GRE live score for admissions. Before applying for any master's or MBA programs, students need to know the top universities accepting both exam scores for successful admission.

So, to decide CAT or GRE which is better for international students to study abroad, we have listed some of the best universities accepting identical scores for master's programs.

GRE Accepting Universities in Abroad	CAT Accepting Universities in Abroad
University of California, Berkeley	HEC Paris
Stanford University	Singapore Management University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)	Asian Institute of Management
University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill	SKEMA Business School
University of Washington	SP Jain School of Global Management
Pennsylvania State University	Norwegian School of Economics

Now that you know about the top universities accepting CAT vs GRE live score, let's have a quick glance over the GRE and CAT key differences.

CAT vs GRE: Key Differences

The key difference between GRE vs CAT is that the latter is a graduate admissions exam that helps you to get into master's degree programs across the world. Whereas CAT is an Indian management test which is only accepted by the B-schools in India.

The following GRE and CAT difference chart will give you a quick look at some crucial aspects related to both the exam along with highlighting the key differences between GRE and CAT:

Particulars	GRE	CAT
Total Students Appeared in 2021	Around 2 lakhs	1.92 Lakhs
Frequency	5 times	1 times
Scoring Range	260-340	0-40
Computer-adaptive	Yes	Yes
Total Time	3 hours & 45 minutes	2 hours
Total no. of questions	MCQs: 80 Unscored research section: 20	Total: 66 questions
Exam Fee	213 USD	2,300 INR
Validity	GRE scores valid up to 5 years	1 year

GRE at Home vs GRE at Testing Center

GRE vs CAT: Differences in Sections, Numbers and Types of Questions

The difference between CAT vs GRE lies in their question paper pattern, in terms of their sections i.e., questions types, time limit etc. Let's discuss it now.

GRE

• Each one of the sections of GRE has a time limit and it varies based on its sections.
• The GRE paper is divided into three sections i.e., analytical writing, verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning section.
• The exam is conducted in two modes which are paper-based and computer-based. The paper pattern of two modes differs from each other

Let us see the exam pattern of the GRE test:

GRE Sections	Paper-based GRE Pattern		Computer-based GRE Pattern
	No. of Section	Duration	No. of Section	Duration
Analytical Writing	2 sections- 2 tasks	60 minutes	1 section- two tasks	60 minutes
Verbal Reasoning	2 sections- 50 questions	70 minutes	2 section- 40 questions	60 minutes
Quantitative Reasoning	2 sections- 50 questions	80 minutes	2 section- 40 questions	70 minutes
Unscored	NA	NA	Varies	Varies
Research	NA	NA	Varies	Varies

GRE Accepting Universities in USA

CAT

• The CAT paper too is divided into three sections i.e. verbal ability and reading comprehension, quantitative, and data interpretation & logical reasoning.
• Each of the sections has a certain time limit to solve and it varies based on the section.
• For every correct answer 3 marks are awarded and for every wrong answer, ⅓ is deducted from them.

The exam pattern is given below:

Section	Total Questions	Time Allotted
Quantitative Aptitude	24	40 minutes
Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation	20	40 minutes
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension	22	40 minutes

GRE Accepting Universities In Europe

GRE vs CAT: Eligibility Criteria 

A common difference between GRE and CAT is their eligibility criteria. Let's discuss the eligibility criteria of each of these exams given below.

GRE

To be eligible for the application of GRE, you are required to meet the following criteria.

• You must have completed your 18 years of age for the GRE exam without anyone's consent.
• No specific upper age limit criteria.
• Since it is a graduate entrance, you are required to have a bachelor's degree from a recognised university.
• You can appear in the GRE test a maximum of five times in a year, but with a 21 days gap between each one of the reattempts.

CAT

The eligibility criteria for the application of the CAT exam is given below:

• You must have a bachelor's degree in a relevant subject from a recognised board.
• Marks relaxation is given to students based on their category i.e. for Gen and OBC students must have at least 50% marks and SC, ST may have a minimum of 45% marks in bachelor.
• Final year students are also eligible for the exam.
• There are no age limit criteria for the exam.

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GRE vs CAT: Syllabus and Marking Scheme

The next aspect we are going to explore is the difference between CAT and GRE syllabus. Let us now understand how CAT vs GRE syllabus differs from each other.

GRE Section Wise Exam Pattern

Section	Topic	Score Range
Analytical Writing	Analyses an Issue task and an argument task	0-6 with 0.5 point increment
Verbal Reasoning	Text Completion, Reading Comprehension, and Sentence Equivalence	130-170 with 1 point increment
Quantitative Reasoning	Quantitative Comparison Questions, Multiple Choice Questions, and a Numeric Entry Questions	130-170 with 1 point increment

How to Improve GRE Verbal Score?

CAT Section Wise Exam Pattern

Section	Topic	Score Range
Quantitative Aptitude	Algebra, Arithmetic, Number System, Trigonometry, Surds and Indices, Time Speed Distance, Geometry, coordinate Geometry, Mensuration, Percentages, Logarithms, Probability, Ratios & Proportions	+3 for each correct answer     -1 for each incorrect MCQ answer     -0 for incorrect non-MCQ answer
Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation	Case lets and Tables, Bar Graph, Blood Relations, Missing information, Games and Tournaments, Venn Diagrams, Calendars, cubes, clocks, Logical Sequences, Routes and Networks, Seating Arrangement	+3 for each correct answer     -1 for each incorrect MCQ answer     -0 for incorrect non-MCQ answer
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension	Reading Comprehension, Para summary, grammar, Syllogisms, Verbal reasoning, Critical reasoning, Para jumble Jumbles, Fill in the blanks, Vocabulary	+3 for each correct answer     -1 for each incorrect MCQ answer     -0 for incorrect non-MCQ answer

Important GRE Preparation Books

After discussing the GRE vs CAT syllabus, let's have a look at the costs of both tests:

GRE vs CAT: Fee Structure

Coming to the fees structure of both the GRE vs CAT tests. The application fees for CAT are 2,300 INR for General students and 1,100 for SC, ST and PWD students. No extra costs are required for the CAT exam as it doesn't give you the facilities to reschedule, cancel, or refund options.

GRE fees, on the other hand, differ from one country to another:

• 230 USD for Australia
• 213 USD for India
• 231 USD for China
• 205 USD for other parts of the world.

Apart from the application fees, an extra cost is required for changing or rescheduling, time change, slot, venue, and cancellation of the exam.

How to Send GRE Scores to Universities?

GRE vs CAT: Competition and Level of Difficulty

When we discuss CAT or GRE which is better in terms of difficulty level, the CAT is more popular as compared to the GRE. This is due to its less expensive and more readily available features for various Indian B-schools. CAT is also somewhat more competitive which makes it the most difficult to achieve.

Whereas, the number of students appearing in the GRE exam is 3 lakhs out of which 20% are Indian applicants. However, the total number of students who take the CAT exam is around 2 lakhs every year from across the world.

Hence, we can say that the CAT is more difficult than the GRE.

When to Start Preparing for GRE?

GRE vs CAT: Which One to Consider?

Since the GRE test has a well-defined type of questions and a structured curriculum than the CAT, it is easier to prepare for it. With a good timetable and two months of diligent preparation, it is feasible for you to get a great GRE score on the exam.

On the other hand, if we discuss the GRE vs CAT syllabus, the CAT has more than the GRE test, and so it requires you to spend more time preparing.

Coming to the GRE vs CAT which is tougher, the verbal reasoning part of the GRE is highly difficult for students who are non-native English students. The quantitative section of the CAT exam is more challenging than the GRE.

Overall choosing the best among the two, will surely be up to you. If you're looking to study graduate programs including MBA at study abroad institutions then submitting the GRE scores is preferred more than your CAT. Whereas if you are preparing for an MBA in India you can get it by doing a strong preparation in the CAT test.

What After GRE?

Pursuing a master's degree from a good study institution is a dream of many students, but a dilemma occurs which one is the best: CAT vs GRE. Most universities abroad accept GRE scores compared to CAT to take admission to a master's program. So, to achieve good GRE scores, you need to practise a lot, and for that, you can buy our premium package of Yocket GRE Prep Plus for just 99/- INR for 6 months and get access to a personalised priority prep dashboard & many more features.

Also Read:

GRE Self Study Plan	Is GRE Tough?	Best Book for GRE Verbal 2022
Rescheduling GRE Exam	GRE Scholarships	GRE Flashcards