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CAT

A candidate is eligible to appear in CAT 2019 if he/she holds a Bachelor's Degree with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA. The candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Differently Abled (DA) categories, need at least 45% marks.


About Exam

Common Admission Test (CAT) is one of the prominent MBA entrance exams in India. CAT exam is led by the Indian Institutes of Management as a pre-imperative for admission to the postgraduate and fellow programs in management offered by the head organizations. More than 100 B-schools acknowledge CAT scores to complete their affirmations. Around 2 Lakh applicants give the exam every year. Around 4000 seats are offered for confirmation in 20 IIMs.

 

CAT is scheduled to be conducted on November 24.

Eligibility

The Eligibility Criteria for CAT is as follows:

  • A candidate must have completed their Bachelor's degree from a recognized university or an equivalent recognized by the MHRD.
  • The minimal percent in CAT 2017 is 50% for general and 45% for other categories.
  • Applicants who are awarded CGPA or grades, the conversion of grades would be according to the procedure as set in place via the Institute.
  • Applicants in their final year of graduation can apply by submitting a certificate issued via the Registrar/Principal latest by June 30.

Some of the Bachelor degree equal instances are as follows:

  • Engineering degree completed for a duration of four years after 10+2 or post B.Sc or degree.
  • Degrees recognized by the MHRD/AICTE/AMIE by Institute of Civil Engineers.
  • Qualification equivalent recognized by the association of Indian Universities, Delhi
  • Moreover, in the case of another degree equivalent to a Bachelor's diploma, a candidate can get an equivalency certificate issued by the association of Indian Universities, New Delhi.

Application Fees

The application process for common Admission test will start from the month of August. Approximately 1.5 months of time is being given to the candidate to complete the application process which is usually online.

The costs for the application can be paid both via cash, DD or online ( credit/Debit/internet Banking). In case the candidate can pay via cash or DD, he's required to update the same on his login credentials.

The Application fees will be as follows:

  • For General: Rs. 1,700/-
  • For NC-OBC: Rs. 850/-
  • For SC/ST/PWD (DA): Rs. 850/-

Application Procedure

The Application Procedure for CAT is as follows:

  • The applicants would be required to go to the official website to register through filling up data like name, date of birth, e-mail id and mobile number.
  • Captcha needs to be entered and "I Agree" have to be checked.
  • Login credentials would be received via SMS and e-mail.
  • You could log in by clicking on the existing user tab.
  • Fill up the form with personal info, academic, work experience, and programs.
  • Passport size photograph needs to be uploaded.
  • An attested certificate would need to be uploaded.
  • Pick out your preference for programs and cities in terms of choice.

Exam Pattern

The CAT examination pattern did not go through many changes.

The test duration is 180 minutes (3 hours) and the number sections are 3, namely-

  • Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)
  • Quantitative Ability (QA)
  • Verbal & Reading Comprehension (VRC)

Sections QA and VRC will have 34 questions each, even as DILR will include of 32 questions. Each accurate answer will award three marks to the applicants whilst. There's a negative marking of 1 mark for each wrong answer.

As per CAT examination pattern, each section will be allotted 60 minutes and a candidate can't switch from one section to the other whilst answering questions. The Quantitative Ability section will comprise of questions on topics like:

  • Mathematics
  • Arithmetic
  • Geometry
  • Mensuration

Study Material

The study material for CAT are as follows:

 Books

  • Arun Sharma's Quantitative Aptitude for CAT
  • Guide of Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation for the CAT by Nishit Sinha

Business Magazines

  • Business Line by the Hindu Group
  • Business Today by India Today Group
  • Business World
  • Management Compass Career Launcher
  • Competition Success Review

Newspapers: 

  • The Hindu
  • Economics Times
  • The Statesman

Courses Under Exam

The courses under exam are as follows:

  • PGP– Post Graduate Programme
  • PGP-FABM- Post Graduate Programme in Food and Agribusiness Management
  • PGPBM- Post Graduate Programme in Business Management
  • PGP-UAE- Post Graduate Programme at UAE
  • PGPEM- Post Graduate Programme in Enterprise Management
  • PGPWE- PGP for Working Executive
  • PGDM- Post Graduate Diploma in Management
  • PGPPM- Post Graduate Progamme in Public Policy and Management
  • PGPSM- Post Graduate Programme in Securities Markets
  • EPGPM- Executive Post Graduate Programme
  • PGPEX- Post Graduate Programme for Executives

Test Centres

There are various test centres for CAT. They are as follows:

  • Chhattisgarh - Bhilai, Raipur
  • Delhi - New Delhi
  • Goa - Madgaon
  • Gujarat - Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara
  • Haryana - Faridabad, Gurgaon, Palwal, Rohtak
  • Himachal Pradesh - Solan
  • Jammu & Kashmir  - Jammu
  • Jharkhand - Ranchi
  • Karnataka - Bengaluru, Belgaum, Mangalore, Mysore, Shimoga, Udupi
  • Kerala - Kochi, Kasaragod, Kollam, Kozhikode, Malappuram,Thrissur, Thiruvananthapuram
  • Meghalaya -Shillong
  • Odisha - Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Sambalpur
  • Puducherry - Puducherry
  • Punjab -  Fatehgarh Sahib, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Mohali, Patiala,Ropar, Sangrur
  • Rajasthan -  Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, Udaipur

FAQs

Some of the Frequently Asked Quesions (FAQ's) related to this exam are as follows:

 

Q. Is there any age limit for taking the CAT exam?

Ans. No, there is no age limit for taking the CAT exam.

 

Q. What is the fee for the CAT exam?

Ans. The fee is Rs.1700 for General and NC-OBC Candidates. However, if you belong to the SC/ST/PWD (DA) category the applicable fee is Rs.850.

 

Q. I have completed my Bachelor’s Degree. Am I required to submit the overall percentage of marks or as per my University norms?

Ans. You must submit the percentage according to your university norms.

 

Q. Where can I pay the CAT exam fee?

Ans. You can pay the CAT exam fee during online registration. You can use a valid credit card, debit card, or net banking facility.

 

Q. I have changed my name with due procedure after completing my degree. Am I required to enter my name as per  the changed name?

Ans. You must enter your changed name and provide the supporting documents for change of name at the time of examination, interview & admission.

 

Q.  I am unable to get my Admit Card, whom should I contact?

Ans. If you are unable to view your Admit Card after logging in, contact the CAT Helpdesk:

  • Toll-free: 18002663549
  • Email: cathelpdesk@iimcat.ac.in

 

Q. Can I take the exam from any computer, anywhere?

Ans. Candidate must give the exam on a workstation assigned at the exam venue based on the city selected while registering for CAT. The venue details for the exam are printed on the Admit Card.

 

Q. How many sections are there in CAT?

Ans. There are three sections.

Syllabus

CAT contains 3 sections -

  • Quantitative Aptitude
  • Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning
  • Verbal and Reading Comprehension

It is vital for aspirants to recognise about the whole syllabus of CAT exam and prepare strategically to obtain a good percentile. Students tend to overlook the syllabus in detail and therefore are unable to try all the questions. Here are section-wise subjects and sub-subjects that need to be prepared for each section

Quantitative Aptitude

  • Arithmetic:- Number System, HCF, LCM, Ratio & Proportion, Simplification,Percentage, Average, Age Calculation, Time & Work, Distances
  • Algebra:- Theory of Equations, Quadratic Equation, Permutation & Combination, Sequence & Series
  • Geometry:- Angles, Lines, Triangles, Circles
  • Mensuration:-  Areas and Volumes- Rectangles, Squares, Triangles, Circles, Cubes, Cones, Spheres, Pipes and Cistern
  • Calculus:- Maxima and Minima, Function
  • Trigonometry:- Trigonometric Ratios, Heights and Distances

Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning

Questions in the Logical Reasoning section are based on:

  • Seating Arrangement
  • Blood Relations
  • Syllogism
  • Venn Diagram
  • Propositions
  • Data Arrangement
  • Puzzles
  • Assumptions
  • Statements
  • Clocks and Calendars
  • Sets

Questions in Data Interpretation section are based on:

  • Bar Graph
  • Line Graph
  • Pie Chart
  • Tables
  • Caselets
  • Combination of Graphs
  • Data Sufficiency

Verbal and Reading Comprehension:

  • Sentence Correction
  • Word usage
  • Fill in the blanks
  • Para Jumble
  • Para completion
  • Fact Inference Judgement

Cut-Offs

  • CAT score, overall the sectional cut-offs form the basis of getting shortlisted via various IIMs and other non-IIM management institutes.
  • Top B-schools which includes the IIMs generally have a higher range of cut-offs that are 90+ percentile, whilst the mid-rung B-school's cutoffs range from 75 to 80 percentile and that of the lower rung B-schools is around 50 percentiles.
  • All aspirants have to understand that achieving high percentile in CAT will not guarantee admission into IIM. The most efficient B-schools not only consider the CAT score but also take into consideration the academic report, work experience and participation of the applicants in extra-curricular activities.

 

Selection Procedure

Applicants first shortlisted by the IIMs and other participating B-schools on the basis of CAT cut off scores. The IIMs select the shortlisted applicants on the basis of Group
Discussion (GD), Personal Interview (PI) and Written Ability Test (WAT). The B-schools conduct separate selection procedure, aside from the 6 new IIMs. 

  • IIM- Ahmedabad
  • IIM- Indore Mumbai Campus
  • IIM- Raipur
  • IIM- Sirmaur
  • IIM- Bangalore
  • IIM- Kozikhode
  • IIM- Rohtak
  • IIM- Nagpur
  • IIM- Calcutta
  • IIM- Shillong
  • IIM- Udaipur
  • IIM- Vishakhapatnam
  • IIM- Lucknow
  • IIM- Trichy
  • IIM- Kashipur
  • IIM- Amritsar
  • IIM- Indore
  • IIM- Ranchi
  • IIM- Bodhgaya
  • IIM- Jammu
  • IIM- Sambalpur

Documents to be Carried

Following are the required documents to be carried for this exam:

  • 10th and 12th-grade mark sheets, Bachelor's degree certificate, higher education certificate.
  • Applicable certificates which are required to be uploaded.
  • Scanned passport photographs, signatures and photo which would be recent and not more than 6 months having a white background.
  • The list of IIM programs that want to be applied for.

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