Common Admission Test (CAT)
Exam Date: 28/11/2021 Exam State: All India Last Date: 15/09/2021

Exam Details

CAT 2021 is a pre-requisite for admission to various Post Graduate and Fellow programs of IIMs.

CAT 20201 scores are allowed to be used by listed non-IIM member institutions.

The CAT results are likely to be declared by the second week of January, 2021.

The CAT 2021 score is valid only till 31 December 2022.

Exam Detail: CAT is not an online examination. It is a digital or Computer Based Test (CBT); not an Internet-Based Test (IBT); that is, a candidate will not take the examination on an internet site. Instead of reading the questions in a paper booklet and darkening the ovals on the answer-sheet, a candidate will read the questions on a computer terminal and choose an answer by clicking on the correct option.

CAT 2021 will have three sections:

  • Section I: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension
  • Section II: Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
  • Section III: Quantitative Ability

There are no negative marks for non-MCQ type questions.

A list of such institutions is provided on the CAT website. IIMs have no role in the selection process of non-IIM institutions.

Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs): Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bangalore, Bodh Gaya, Calcutta, Indore, Jammu, Kashipur, Kozhikode, Lucknow,Nagpur, Raipur, Ranchi, Rohtak, Sambalpur, Shillong, Sirmaur, Tiruchirappalli, Udaipur, Visakhapatnam.

These programs are:

Post Graduate Programs in Management (PGP):

Institutes:

Institutes- Programs- Website Addresses

IIM Ahmedabad -PGP, PGP-FABM, ePGP www.iima.ac.in

IIM Amritsar- PGP www.iimamritsar.ac.in

IIM Bangalore -PGP, PGPEM, PGPPM, PGPBA www.iimb.ac.in

IIM Bodh Gaya-PGP www.iimbg.ac.in

IIM Calcutta- MBA www.iimcal.ac.in

IIM Indore -PGP, PGP-HRM www.iimidr.ac.in

IIM Jammu- PGP www.iimj.ac.in

IIM Kashipur -PGP, EPGP www.iimkashipur.ac.in

IIM Kozhikode- PGP, PGP-BL, PGP-F, EPGP (Kochi Campus & IL) www.iimk.ac.in

IIM Lucknow -PGP, PGP-ABM, PGP-SM www.iiml.ac.in

IIM Nagpur- PGP www.iimnagpur.ac.in

IIM Raipur- PGP www.iimraipur.ac.in

IIM Ranchi -PGP, PGP-HRM www.iimranchi.ac.in

IIM Rohtak -PGP, EPGPX www.iimrohtak.ac.in

IIM Sambalpur- MBA www.iimsambalpur.ac.in

RGIIM Shillong- PGP, PGPEX www.iimshillong.ac.in

IIM Sirmaur PGP www.iimsirmaur.ac.in

IIM Tiruchirappalli -PGPM, PGPBM, PGPM-HR www.iimtrichy.ac.in

IIM Udaipur -MBA www.iimu.ac.in

IIM Visakhapatnam- PGP www.iimv.ac.in

Fellow Programs in Management (FPM) [Doctoral]

Institutes: Programs

IIM Ahmedabad-PhD

IIM Amritsar- FPM

IIM Bangalore- FPM

IIM Bodh Gaya- PhD (FPM)

IIM Calcutta- Doctoral

IIM lndore- FPM

IIM Kashipur- FPM, EFPM

IIM Kozhikode- FPM

IIM Lucknow- FPM

IIM Raipur- FPM, EFPM

IIM Ranchi- PhD, EPhD

IIM Rohtak- FPM, EFPM

IIM Sambalpur- PhD

RGIIM Shillong- FPM

IIM Sirmaur- PhD

IIM Tiruchirappalli- FPM

IIM Udaipur- PhD

IIM Visakhapatnam- FPM

Candidate can apply under the following categories:

General

Economically Weaker Section (EWS)

Scheduled Caste (SC)

Non-creamy Other Backward Class (NC-OBC)

Scheduled Tribe (ST)

As per Government of India norms, IIMs reserve 15% seats for SC candidates, 7.5% seats for ST candidates, 27% seats for NC-OBC candidates and up to 10% seats for EWS candidates. 5% seats are also reserved for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities. IIMs also provide scholarships to deserving students who need financial support.

You cannot appear for more than one slot. It will be deemed as a fraudulent activity if you attempt to appear more than once for CAT 2021. To ensure that candidates have only one attempt, Admit Cards, Photo IDs, candidate pictures, and biometric information will be verified. Candidates who attempt to take the test more than once will be eliminated any time during the selection process.

Schedule

CAT 2021 will have three sessions:

forenoon, afternoon and evening on Sunday, November 28, 2021.

Candidates will be assigned a single session depending on the test centre availability and city preference.

Eligibility

There is no age restriction for taking the CAT examination.

Candidate must hold a Bachelor’s Degree with at least 50% marks or equivalent (45% SC/ST/PWD).

The percentage of marks obtained by the candidate would be calculated based on the practice as followed by the respective University/Institution.

Candidates appearing for the final year of Bachelor’s Degree/equivalent qualification examinationand those who have completed degree requirements and are awaiting results can also apply. 

Completed professional degree (CA/CS/ICWA/Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of India(FIAI)) with required percentage.

Reservations: As per the legal requirements, 15% of the seats are reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC), 7.5% for Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates, 27% of seats for Other Backward Classes candidates belonging to the “Non-Creamy” layer (NC-OBC), and 5% for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwD).

As defined in the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (RPwD Act 2016), “person with benchmark disability” means a person with not less than forty percent (40%) of a specified disability where specified disability has not been defined in measurable terms and includes a person with disability where specified disability has been defined in measurable terms, as certified by the certifying authority.

“Specified Disability” means the disabilities as specified in the Schedule of the RPwD Act 2016.

The categories of disability are:

a) blindness and low vision,

b) deaf and hard of hearing,

c) locomotor disability including cerebral palsy, leprosy cured, dwarfism, acid attack victims and muscular dystrophy,

d) autism, intellectual disability, specific learning disability and mental illness, and

e) multiple disabilities from amongst persons under clauses (a) to (d)

f) other 'specified disabilities' mentioned in 'The Schedule' of the RPwD Act 2016

Syllabus

CAT examination does not have a defined syllabus for CAT preparation.

However, you can attempt the mock test to understand the pattern of examination and types of questions.

Check the CAT website regularly for the announcement of the mock test.

Fees

CAT 2021 registration fee:

Rs. 1,100/- for SC, ST and PwD category candidates.

Rs. 2,200/- for all other categories of candidates.

SC, ST and PwD candidates must upload a copy of their SC/ST/PwDcertificates at the time of registration.

Fees once paid cannot be refunded under any circumstances.

You will be required to pay the CAT examination fee during the online registration through the payment gateway. Use a valid Credit Card, Debit Card, or NetBanking facility.

Admission process

Interested candidate may visit official website of the CAT to apply for entrance exam.

Before a prospective candidate makes a decision to appear for CAT 2021, he/she must visit the websiteand/or read the program advertisement of the concerned IIM and specific programmes to ensureaccurate and updated information on the programmes he/she wants to apply for, including eligibilityrequirements and admission processes.

New Applicant has to register first

After successful registration, you can use the system generated User ID and Password to log in to the website.

Upon logging in, you will first see the Registration Summary page.

Click on ‘Go to Application Form’. This will direct you to the Application Form page.

Candidate needs to pay registration fee only once, irrespective of the number of institutes he/she is applying for.

SC, ST and PwD candidates must upload a copy of their SC/ST/PwD certificates at the time of registration.

Fee once paid cannot be refunded under any circumstances. 

After registration no change in the category will be done, applicants are advised to pay attention while registering.

Note: You cannot edit personal details (Date of birth, email address, mobile number etc.) entered during registration once you confirm the submission. If you have made a mistake in these details, you must register again with a new email ID. Your CAT 2021 application will be considered for the latest registration and the Admit Card will be issued for the same. Please note that, you will not receive a refund or Admit Card for your earlier registration. Failure to re-register in such circumstances may lead to nullification of your candidature. It is recommended to preview your application form before submission to ensure all the details are correct.

Admit Card

The Admit Card will be available for view and print from Wednesday, 27 October 2021, 5:00 p.m. onwards.

The Admit Card will appear only if your online application form is submitted successfully.

You will receive an automated email confirmation upon successful submission.

You can then log into the CAT website using your registered User ID and view/print the Admit Card.

The Admit Card will contain the following details:

  • Name of the candidate
  • Test date
  • PwD status
  • Test centre details
  • Examination session and time

The Admit Card will be available on the CAT website only. You must log in using your CAT 2021 User ID to view/print the Admit card.

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

Toll free: 18002090830

Email: cathelpdesk@iimcat.co.in

Test Centres

Test Centres: CAT will be conducted in centers spread across around 158 test cities.

Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bangalore, Bodh Gaya, Calcutta, Indore, Jammu, Kashipur, Kozhikode, Lucknow,Nagpur, Raipur, Ranchi, Rohtak, Sambalpur, Shillong, Sirmaur, Tiruchirappalli, Udaipur, Visakhapatnam.

Qualifying Marks

Minimum marks shall be required for the Entrance Exam is 50% for General and 45% for SC/ST and Person With Disability (PwD) categories.

Score Result

CAT 2021 Score

Candidates' CAT 2021 score cards will be made accessible on the CAT website. Candidates may also be intimated individually by SMS. The CAT results are likely to be declared by the second week of January, 2022. The CAT 2021 score is valid only till 31 December 2022 and will accordingly be accessible on thewebsite. Thereafter, no queries related to the issuance of CAT 2021 scorecards will be entertained.

Important Dates

CAT 2021 Dates

CAT 2021

28 November 2021

Registration starts

04 August 2021

Registration ends

15 September 2021

Admit card downloading begins

27 October 2021 - 28 November 2021

Result daclaration Second week of January, 2022

Comments
Contact:
CAT Centre
Admissions Office
Indian Institute of Management Calcutta
Diamond Harbour Road,
Joka
Kolkata- 700104
Website: https://iimcat.ac.in