New Delhi, Oct 15 (IANS): The Common Admission Test (CAT) 2013 for entrance to management institutes across India will begin Wednesday, an statement said.

The examination will be held from Oct 16 to Nov 11 in prometric centres across 40 cities. The total duration of test will be two hours and 35 minutes, including the tutorial.

"This increase in locations from 36 cities last year provides candidates greater flexibility and convenience for choosing a suitable test day. For candidates who are differently abled, additional support will be available," the statement quoted CAT convenor Rohit Kapoor as saying.

This year, Maharashtra has recorded the highest number of CAT registrations, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. There has also been a rise in the number of women applicants this year.

This year, the 13 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) have added 115 seats for B-School admissions, for a total of 3,335 seats across all IIMs.