How to apply for CAT 2020 for admission to Indian Institutes of Management
Aspiring for a postgrdauate program in management in one of the top management institutes in the country? Want to learn what is the eligibility criteria and selection process for joining one of the IIMs? Learn here all the relevant details of the CAT 2020 exam, including the application process and last dates for application.
CAT 2020
Common Admission Test 2020 (CAT 2020) is a computer-based test for admission to various postgraduate and fellow programmes at the Indian Institutes of Management. There are 20 IIMs in the country and admission to the different programs at each one of them is through CAT 2020. The CAT score is used by many other non-IIM institutes too for admission to their postgraduate programs. A state-wise list of all such non-IIM institutes can be accessed at the CAT website. The test for CAT 2020 will be held in two sessions on 29 November 2020 at centres across the country.
CAT 2020 advertisement link: https://cdn.digialm.com//per/g01/pub/756/ASM/WebPortal/17/PDF/CAT_Advertisements_2020.pdf
Important dates
Registration fee
Registration fee is to be paid only once, irrespective of the number of institutes that you may apply for. Fee once paid is not refundable.Test centres
There will be 156 test cities, where the computer-based test will be conducted. The candidates will be able to opt for six test cities in the order of their preference.Test format
CAT 2020 is a computer-based test, which will have three sections. Section 1 is about Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension. Section 2 is about Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning. Section 3 is about Quantitative Ability. There will be both MCQ type as well non-MCQ type questions in the test. All the questions will, however, carry the same marks. For the non-MCQ type questions, the answer will have to be typed. Each correct answer will fetch you 3 marks. For the MCQ type questions, a wrong answer will result in a deduction of 1 mark. For non-MCQ questions, there is no negative marking. The aspirants can appear for the mock test which will be uploaded in the CAT website in due time.
Programs on offer
The various postgraduate and fellow programs on offer at different IIMs can be accessed by visiting the page on CAT 2020 Information Bulletin, the link for which is available at the CAT website.
Link for CAT 2020 Information Bulletin: https://cdn.digialm.com//per/g01/pub/756/ASM/WebPortal/17/PDF/CAT_2020_Information_Bulletin.pdfEligibility criteria
Mere fulfilment of the eligibility criteria won't ensure shortlisting by the IIMs. The candidates will have to go through a well-defined multi-stage selection process before being shortlisted by any of the IIMs. Sample formats of various affidavits and certificates are available at the CAT website. These can be referred by those who will need them. Seat reservation
As per Government of India norms on the reservation of seats in government institutions for higher education, 15% of the seats will be reserved for the SC category students, 7.5% for the ST students, 27% for the OBC non-creamy layer students and 10% for the EWS or the economically weaker section. 5% of the seats are also reserved for the PwD candidates, with benchmark disability more than 40%. If shortlisted, the candidates should be in possession of the necessary certificates and should be in a position to produce them at the time of interview. Once registered, the candidates will not be able to apply for any change in category.Selection process
The selection of candidates by the respective IIMs are based on a number of factors. In fact, every IIM has its own set of parameters to evaluate the suitability of the candidate for the MBA program. Primary among these criteria is the CAT examination itself. Only those who qualify the CAT are shortlisted for further evaluation through Group Discussions (GD), Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI). Further, additional parameters such as the candidate's past academic performances, work experience, gender and other factors are also taken into consideration before the final selections. Those successful candidates who would be in their final year of graduation and would be admitted provisionally will have to produce their qualifying degrees and mark sheets latest by 31 December 2021. Non-fulfilment of this criterion will result in automatic cancellation of their admission. Results
The results of the CAT 2020 will be published mostly by the second week of January 2021. The list of shortlisted candidates will be displayed on the website of each IIM. Separate interview letters will also be issued to the shortlisted candidates by the respective IIMs. How to register
For registering with CAT 2020, the aspiring candidates will have to visit the official website of CAT 2020 between 10 am of 05 August 2020 to 5 pm of 16 September 2020. The first step will be to generate a unique user id and password. The candidate will require a valid mobile number and email address for generating the same. An OTP will be sent to both the mobile number and email address for verification. Once the verification is complete, the user id and password will be sent. The candidate should retain the same mobile number and email address until the end of the selection process as all updates and official communication will be done through them only.
Once you have the user id and password, log in to the registration page and submit all the necessary details. While filling up the form, you will have to fill up columns on personal details, academic details, work experience (if any), program opting for and preference for test cities. The next step will be to pay the registration fee online. Your application and registration process will be complete then. You can also complete the application in more than one sittings by login again using the same user id and password. Each time you will have to save the changes though. No changes will be permitted once you have submitted the application form and paid the registration fee. After you have submitted the form, you can take a print out of the application for your reference.
For easy understanding of the registration process, a demo video is available at the CAT website. The link for the same is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWL1W5JQTCw&feature=youtu.beFor queries
For queries, if any, regarding the application or registration process, payments and document upload one can take help of the FAQ section available at the website. One may also call at the toll-free number, Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 6 pm. You may also send an email at the address given below.
For queries regarding eligibility, certificates and category, you may contact the CAT centre, the address and contact details of which are given below. Calls will be taken, Monday to Friday, from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm
CAT Centre
Indian Institute of Management Indore,
Prabandh Shikhar, Rau - Pithampur Road,
Indore - 453556, Madhya Pradesh
Website CAT 2020: www.iimcat.ac.in
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