CAT 2018: Registration Opens On August 8, Exam on November 25

The registration window for the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2018 will be open from August 8 to September 19 with the test scheduled to be held in two shifts on September 25, according to the notification released by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs).

The conduct of the mandatory exam for admission to flagship post graduate management programs in the 20 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and several other top-rated B-schools, is organised on a rotational basis by the IIMs. This year, the online computer-based test is being held by IIM Calcutta.

According to Prof. Sumanta Basu, Convener, CAT 2018, the test centres are spread across approximately 147 cities.

Candidates will be given the option to select four test cities in order of preference. Cities and centres will be assigned to the candidates only after the last date for registration and hence candidates need not rush to block slots and cities in the initial days of registration.

He said the concerned authority will try their best to assign candidates to their first preferred city. In case it is not

possible, they will be assigned a city following their given order of preference. In the rare case that a candidate is not allotted any of the preferred cities, he/she will be allotted an alternate city. However, candidates will not be able to select the session because it will be assigned randomly.

The candidates should pay the registration fee through online payment modes only, including credit cards, debit cards and net banking.

After submission of the application, candidates will be allowed to download the examination admit card from October 24 onwards, till the date of the test.

In 2017, around 1,99,600 candidates had sat for the computer-based test held on November 26 in 381 test centres spread over 140 cities in India. A total of 2,31,067 students had registered for CAT 2017 out of which 87% appeared for the test

The 180-minute test comprises three sections. Section I deals with Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, o Section II with Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning and Section III with Quantitative Ability.

Candidates are allotted exactly 60 minutes for answering questions in each section. They will not be allowed to switch from one section to another while answering questions in a section.

Some questions in each section may not be of a multiple-choice type. Instead, direct answers will have to be typed on the screen. Use of basic onscreen calculator for computation is allowed during the test.

A tutorial to understand the format of the test will be available on the CAT website from October 17. Prof Basu said it would be helpful for the candidates to work on the tutorials available on the CAT website well in advance.

The CAT website also contains a section on Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) that addresses some of the commonly asked queries regarding the test. Candidates could also contact the CAT helpdesk on email or phone.

Eligibility Criteria

The candidate must hold a Bachelor’s Degree, with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA (45% in case of those in the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) and Persons with Disability (PWD) categories) or possess an equivalent qualification recognized by the HRD Ministry. Those with a professional degree (CA/CS/ICWA) with the required percentage are also eligible to sit for the test.

Candidates appearing for the final year of Bachelor’s degree/equivalent qualification examination and those who have completed degree requirements and are awaiting results can also apply. However, such candidates, if selected, will be allowed to join the program provisionally, only if they submit a certificate from the Principal / Registrar of their University/institution (issued on or before the date as stipulated by the respective IIM).

The certificate should state that they have completed all the requirements for obtaining the Bachelor’s degree/equivalent qualification on the date of the issue of the certificate.

The percentage of marks obtained by the candidate would be calculated based on the practice as followed by the respective University/Institution. In the case of grades/CGPA, the conversion to the percentage of marks would be based on the procedure as certified by the respective University/institution. In case there is no scheme for converting CGPA into equivalent marks, the equivalence would be established by dividing the candidate’s CGPA by the maximum possible CGPA and multiplying the result with 100.

IIMs may verify eligibility at various stages of the selection process, the details of which are provided on the website. Applicants should note that the mere fulfilment of minimum eligibility criteria will not ensure consideration for shortlisting by IIMs. Candidates must declare and maintain a valid and unique email account and a phone number throughout the selection process.

In 2017, around 1,99,600 candidates had sat for the computer-based test held on November 26 in 381 test centres spread over 140 cities in India. A total of 2,31,067 students had registered for CAT 2017 out of which 87% appeared for the test. The IIMs have a combined number of 11,000 for the various programs.

In CAT 2017, Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section had 34 questions. The Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning section had 32 questions. The Quantitative Ability section had 34 questions.

The official announcement of results came on January 8, 2018. Among the 20 candidates who scored an overall 100 percentile were two females and three non-engineers. In 2016, all the 20 top scorers were male engineers.