Common Aptitude Test (CAT) is a computer-based online entrance examination conducted for admissions into IIMs and other business schools throughout the country. Indian Institute of Management (IIMs) conducts this examination for short-listing candidates for postgraduate as well as other management courses in 20 IIMs across the country. Around 2.4 million students apply for CAT every year and the numbers are increasing rapidly every year. It is conducted by one of the IIMs every year, on a rotational basis.
CAT 2020/21 Application Form has been released from 29th July 2020. The registration was started on 5th August 2020. Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) will organize the CAT 2021 exam. It is a computer-based admission test conducted for admissions in PG & Fellow management programs offered by IIMs all over the country. Various B Schools and other management institutions in India will consider the CAT score for providing admission in MBA, PGDM & other PG management courses.
History
Prior to 2009, CAT had been an offline paper-based examination conducted on a single day. In May 2009, it was announced that thereafter CAT should be conducted online. From 2009 to 2013, the test was programmed by an American firm named “Prometric”. Since 2014, Tata Consultancy Services took over the responsibility of conducting the CAT.
CAT 2021: REGISTRATION PROCESS
・The registration process will be completely online and can be done by visiting the official website.
・The registration process is expected to start in the month of August 2021 for candidates applying for CAT 2021 and the candidates will be able to apply till the last week of September 2021.
・After filling the application form candidates will need to submit their scanned photograph and duly signed form.
・The image would be accepted in JPEG format only.
・Candidates belonging to reserved categories can get some relaxation by uploading their caste certificates.
・Candidates will have the option to choose upto 4 test cities as per their convenience.
・Now, the candidates will need to pay the mentioned registration fees for completing their application.
CAT 2021: ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Candidates need to fulfill the following criteria for appearing for CAT 2021.
For general category: Candidates should hold a bachelor’s degree with minimum 50% marks.
For SC, ST, PwD/DA(Differently Abled): Candidates should hold a bachelor’s with minimum 45% marks.
Candidate’s bachelor’s degree can be from any university under the governance of central/state legislature, or any institution established by an act of parliament or deemed as a University under sec. 3 of the UGC Act, or an equivalent qualification recognized by the EDUCATION MINISTRY, India.
Candidates who have completed their graduation and are in the final year of their bachelor’s degree are also eligible to apply.
CAT 2021: Exam Details
|
Exam name |
Common Aptitude Test |
|
Syllabus |
Quantitative Aptitude, Data Interpretation, Data Sufficiency, Verbal Ability, Reading Comprehension, Logical Reasoning, and Analytical Reasoning. |
|
Mode of Examination |
Online |
|
Duration |
180 minutes |
|
Exam language |
English |
|
Occurrence |
Once every year |
|
Total marks |
300 marks |
|
Test cities |
354 test centers across India |
|
Official website |
https://iimcat.ac.in/ |
CAT 2021: Important Dates (Speculative)
|
Events |
Dates (speculative) |
|
Notification issue |
Last week of July 2021 |
|
Starting of registration |
First week of August 2021 |
|
Ending of registration |
Fourth week of September 2021 |
|
Admit card release |
October 2021 |
|
Date of exam |
November 2021 |
|
Answer key declaration |
December 2021 |
|
Result declaration |
January 2022 |
TOP COLLEGES:
|
RANK |
COLLEGES |
CUT OFF(EXPECTED) |
|
1 |
Faculty of management studies (FMS), New Delhi |
97-98 |
|
2 |
JBIMS Mumbai |
95-97 |
|
3 |
Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurgaon |
94-95 |
|
4 |
International Management Institute (IMI), New Delhi |
90-92 |
|
5 |
Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Ghaziabad |
90-92 |
|
6 |
XIM-Xavier University, Bhubaneswar |
90-93 |
|
7 |
SPJIMR, Mumbai |
85-90 |
|
8 |
IIT, Mumbai |
90-92 |
|
9 |
Department of Management Studies (IIT Delhi), New Delhi |
85-90 |
CAT 2021: SYLLABUS
There is no fixed syllabus for CAT 2021 but preparing from the basic level can help candidates clear the exam.
Following are the different levels of examination
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning:
In this section these topics are covered- data sufficiency, combination of graph, line graphs, bar graphs, pie chart, caselet, matching puzzles, blood relation, binary logic, family tree, clocks and calendars, sets, venn diagrams, etc.
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension:
In this section these topics are covered- reading comprehension(direct & indirect questions are asked), sentence correction, active voice, passive voice, synonyms, antonyms, jumbled sentences, etc.
Quantitative Ability:
In this section these topics are covered- number system, geometry, algebra, trigonometry, modern mathematics, simple interest,time and work,etc.
CAT 2021: EXAM PATTERN
|
SUBJECT |
NO. OF QUESTIONS |
MARKS |
ALLOTTED TIME |
|
Quantitative Ability |
34 |
102 |
60 |
|
Data Adequacy & Logical Reasoning |
32 |
96 |
60 |
|
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension |
34 |
102 |
60 |
|
Total |
100 |
300 |
180 |
CAT 2021: ADMISSION PROCESS
The selection process consists of two different rounds- Written Ability Test and Personal Interview. CAT results also play a vital role in supporting a candidates application. IIMs do consider previous academic holdings, excellence certificates etc. For more information visit the official website of IIM.
CAT 2021: Application Form
IIIM releases the application forms for CAT 2021 online on the official website of the exam. The application process was started on 5th August, 2020. The candidates need to fill the application form before the deadlines i.e. 23rd September, 2020 by first creating a login ID on the official website with their valid email ID, mobile no. and password and filling up the required details in the registration form, followed by the payment of the application fee. The application form for CAT 2021 must be filled with valid details and verified before the final submission as any discrepancies may lead to the rejection of the application form if not corrected within the given time on intimation to rectify the details.
Steps to fill CAT 2021 Application Form
Step 1 - Registration
- Go to the official website of CAT 2021
- Complete the registration by clicking on 'New Candidate Registration'
- Fill in the valid e-mail ID, mobile no., name, etc
- Click on 'Generate OTP'
- Upon the successful registration, ensure that an OTP has been received on the registered mobile number.
Step 2 - Entering the details in the application form
- Go to the official website and log in using the user ID and Password
- Fill in the personal, educational and contact details.
- Click on the 'Save'.
Step 3 - Uploading the Documents
- Once the application form is filled, candidates need to upload the scanned copies of Passport size photograph, signature, category certificate (if applicable) and PwD certificate (if applicable).
Step 4 - Paying the Application fee
- Make payment of the refundable application fee using the Debit Card/ Credit Card/ Net Banking.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:
Candidates shortlisted for Written Ability Test and Personal Interview will need to provide the following documents.
- Marksheet and bachelors degree
- Caste Certificate of candidates belonging to SC, ST, PwD for getting some relaxation.
- Original Certificate from the director of the institute/university certifying that the candidate has obtained 50% marks or equivalent for final year undergraduate students.
CAT 2021: APPLICATION FEE STRUCTURE:
For candidates belonging to the general category, fee is Rs 2000/-
For candidates belonging to the SC/ST/PwD/DA category, fee is Rs 1000/-
CAT 2021: ADMIT CARD
CAT 2021 Admit Cards are expected to be released in the 3rd week of October 2021. Students can download the admit card by visiting the official website. Candidates are required to carry their Admit Cards and photo ID proof to their respective test centers. The admit card will not be delivered to the candidates via fax or post or any other offline medium. Admit cards will comprise the details about the candidate as well as the exam such as candidate’s name, roll number, exam centres, exam guidelines etc.Candidates must keep their admit card safe till the completion of the admission procedure.
Steps to download the admit card are as follows:
- Open CAT 2021 website https://iimcat.ac.in/
- Login by entering your credentials
- Click on the ‘admit card’ section
- Go to the “Admit Card” tab. And click on the “Download” option.
CAT 2021: ANSWER KEY
IIM releases the CAT answer key, individual response sheet, and question paper, before the declaration of the CAT result. Applicants can download the CAT answer key from the website to predict their CAT scores. The answer key is meant to be released in 2 phases - preliminary and final. After the release of the preliminary answer key, an objection raising option will be available to challenge CAT 2021 answer key. After all the evaluation, a final answer key will be released after revising all the doubts. The answer key helps the student to get an idea about their performance in the examination.
The official Answer Key is speculated to be released in the month of December 2021
CAT 2021: RESULTS
CAT 2021 results will be declared in the month of January 2022 on the official website. The results will comprise details like scores obtained by the candidate, candidate’s category, name of the programme, exam date and so on. Candidates will have to enter their enrolment ID/email ID and password on the result login page to access the result.
Candidates can check their results by following these steps:
- Open the official CAT 2021 website https://iimcat.ac.in/
- Login using your credentials.
- Go to the “scorecard” tab
- Click on the download button to download the result.
IIM Interview Call Letter
Candidates selected for the 1st round of admission process will get the call letters for the next rounds of admission on their registered email ID. The call letter will comprise the details like Registration link, Deadline to complete the registration and Date, time & venue of WAT/GD and PI round.
Documents required at the time of WAT/GD and PI:
- Standard 10 marksheet & certificate
- Standard 12 marksheet & certificate
- Graduation marksheet & certificate
- Call letter for the interview
- CAT 2021 scorecard
- Reservation category certificates (if applicable)
Written Ability Test (WAT)
Written Ability Test or WAT refers to an essay writing test that evaluates the candidate's writing skills based on the write-up on a given topic that must be prepared in 15 to 30 minutes. The topics of WAT may differ from latest events to philosophy to test the candidate’s clarity of concepts and understanding of latest affairs.
Group Discussion (GD)
Group Discussion is conducted by making 8 to 10 groups comprising different candidates. They are provided a topic and open discussion is conducted to let each candidate put forth their views. Through this round, the candidate’s communication skills are tested.
Personal Interview (PI)
The Personal Interview round is a very important phase of IIMs admission which carries around 30-40% weight in the entire selection process. In the Personal Interview round, a panel of 2-4 interviewers judges the candidates based on their confidence, communication & leadership skills, managerial abilities, etc.
FAQs
I am a fresher B.Com student; can I appear for CAT 2021?
No, after completing your graduation course and obtaining your bachelor’s degree, you will be eligible to appear for CAT.
What is the exam date for CAT 2021?
The exam date for CAT 2021 will be in the last week of November 2021.
I lost my class 12 mark sheets; can I apply for CAT 2021?
No, you will have to present all your mark sheets and degree certificates to register for CAT 2021.
Is there any negative marking for wrong answers in CAT 2021?
Yes, 1 mark will be deducted for every wrong answer attempted in CAT 2021.
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