Online registration and applications open for CAT-2021 for IIM admissions
Looking for the admission notification for admission to management programs at the Indian Institutes of Management? This article provides complete information about the dates for the online registration and application for the Common Admission Test 2021 (CAT-2021) for IIMs in India. Details of the eligibility criteria, application fee, online registration process, and the entrance test date for CAT-2021 have been provided. You will also know the various courses offered at all the IIMs.
The Indian Institute of Management has released the official notification of the registration process and date of the Common Admission Test 2021 (CAT-2021), the common entrance test that is compulsory to appear for if you wish to get admission to Post Graduate Programs in Management (PGP) and Fellow Programs in Management (FPM) at any of the Indian Institute of Management (IIMs) in India. You can even apply for admission to non-IIM member institutes with the CAT-2021 score, but an IIM will not be involved in the selection process of those institutes. The CAT-2021 score is valid only till 31st December 2022. 
[Image source: TOI, print advt. 1st August 2021]Eligibility requirements
At the outset it should be noted that the following eligibility criteria are for eligibility to appear for CAT-2021 and does not guarantee that you will be shortlisted for admission to any of the IIM.
Educational Qualification: You must have a Bachelor's Degree, with a minimum of 50% marks or equivalent CGPA (45% for Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, and Persons with Disability) from a recognized University or educational institution. If you are appearing for the final year of your Bachelor's degree course (or any recognized equivalent qualification exam) and have also completed all the degree requirements and are awaiting results, then you are eligible to register for CAT-2021. In this case, however, on selection for admission, you can join the course at the IIM on a provisional basis after you submit a certificate from the Principal or the Registrar of the University/Institution where you are studying, stating that you have completed all the requirements for obtaining the degree/equivalent qualification on the date of issue of the certificate. You must, though, submit the qualifying degree/equivalent mark sheet and certificate no later than 31st December 2022, otherwise, your provisional admission will be canceled.
Professional Qualification: You can also register for CAT-2021 if you have completed a professional degree, such as CA or CS or ICWA (with the same percentage as mentioned) or ICWA/Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of India (FIAI)) with min. 50% (SC/ST/PwD candidates should have a minimum of 45%). In case you have not acquired any Bachelor's Degree, then it is necessary to have got any one of these professional degrees.
Work experience: Relevant work experience (only full-time experience after graduation, and not internships and project work, and the like) may also be considered during the selection process, so it is advisable to mention it during the registration process. The experience should be mentioned in days, as on 31st July 2021.
CAT-2021 Registration fees
Candidates must pay the non-refundable registration fee online as follows-
Note - The fee will have additional transaction charges as well. You need to pay the above registration fee as per the category applicable only once, even if you apply for admission to more than one IIM.List of IIMs and Courses
The image below shows the list of IIMs that offer Post Graduate Programs in Management (PGP)-
[Image source: official information bulletin]
The image below shows the list of IIMs that offer Fellow Programs in Management (FPM) (Doctoral programs)-
[Image source: official information bulletin]Seat reservation
The reservation of seats is as follows-How to register and apply for CAT-2021
The registrations for CAT-2021 should be done in online mode only with a valid email ID and a valid mobile number at the official CAT-2021 registration website between 10 a.m. of 4th August 2021 and 5 p.m. of 15th September, 2021.
You will receive an OTP to that email and/or mobile number. If you are an overseas candidate, you will receive the OTP on the email address only. For emergency purposes, you must also provide an alternate email address and alternate mobile number of a close relative/acquaintance who can be contacted quickly in case of an emergency. So the first step is to generate a unique User ID and password, and then log in with that User ID and password to fill up the online application form. Once you have entered all the details in the application form, make the requisite online payment to complete the process.
For the Test centre - During the online application process, you can select any six of the 158 cities for the Test.
Here's a list of the documents that you must upload at the time of applying-
Photo: This should be a scanned copy of a passport size photo (30mm X 45mm in .jpg or .jpeg with the file size, not more than 80KB). The photo should not be more than 6 months old and should have a white background. Also, ensure that you have sufficient copies of the same photo as it will be required later to be pasted on the Admit Card for the CAT-2021 test.
Signature: This should be a scanned copy of the signature (80mm X 35mm in .jpg or .jpeg with file size not more than 80KB).
Caste certificate if applicable: Candidates applying in the category of EWS/NC-OBC/SC/ST/PwD should download the required certificate from the CAT website, enter the required information, then self-attest it, and then scan it as PDF document to upload during the online application process. If the certificate is not uploaded, your application will be rejected.
Academic documents : These are not required for uploading, but you will need them to fill in the details-(i) SSC/10th/Equivalent; (ii) HSC/12th/Equivalent/Diploma Course; (iii) Bachelor's Degree; (iv) Master's Degree; (v) Other Professional Degrees. In case you have a dual degree with both a Bachelor's Degree and a Master's Degree (such as B.Tech. + M.Tech., or B.Tech. + M.Sc.), then you are required to submit the appropriate details in both the Bachelor's and Master's degree sections.
Important Note: Make sure that you have entered all details correctly in all sections of the online application before the final submission because on making the payment and submitting the application, you will not be able to make any changes. Also, the originals of all mark sheets will be required at the time of the interview so make sure that the details you are entering online are exactly the same as on the originals.What happens after CAT-2021 results
On getting your result of CAT-2021, you have to check the website of the IIM to which you are seeking admission to know whether you are on the list of shortlisted candidates for the selection process. The IIMs will also directly send interview letters to the candidates. Since the selection procedures and the criteria for final selection will vary, you need to check the website of the respective IIMs for further information and updates. Some IIMs may conduct one or more of these for the final selection- (i) a Written Ability Test (WAT), (ii) a Group Discussion (GD), (iii) a Personal Interviews (PI). Remember to show all the mark sheets and submit attested copies of the same as supporting documents of eligibility at the time of interview. Important dates
CAT-2021 registration begins: 4th August 2021, at 10 a.m.
CAT-2021 registration ends: 15th September 2021, at 5 p.m.
CAT-2021 Admit Card available for download: 27th October 2021, from 5 p.m. up to 28th November 2021.
CAT-2021 Test date: 28th November 2021.
CAT-2021 Test result: second week of January 2022 (tentative).Contact information
Help Desk Phone: 18002101088
Help Desk E-mail: cathelpdesk@iimcat.co.in
Website: https://iimcat.ac.in/
Useful resource: Learn how to prepare for CAT exams.
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