CAT Eligibility Criteria 2018

The CAT 2018 eligibility criteria has been prescribed by IIM Calcutta, which is the conducting body of the exam. For all CAT 2018 applicants, a Bachelor’s Degree with minimum 50% marks in aggregate is a must. Those who are in the final year of their graduation may also apply for the exam. SC, ST and PwD candidates have a relaxation of 5% in graduation marks. 

This year, the CAT (short for Common Admission Test) is going to be conducted on 25th November 2018 in online mode. The CAT 2018 Registration Process started on 8th August and will end on 19th September. Ever year, CAT is conducted by IIMs on a rotational basis. All those who wish to appear for the exam this year must go through the detailed CAT eligibility criteria 2018 before applying for it. Given below is the category-wise eligibility criteria for CAT 2018 and other important information related to the exam.

As per the eligibility criteria for CAT 2018, candidates must fulfill the following conditions:

• Bachelor’s Degree from a recognised University or educational institution with a minimum of 50% marks or equivalent CGPA for General and NC-OBC candidates. [For candidates belonging to SC/ST/PWD categories, the minimum is 45%]

• Candidates taking the final year examination of their Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent qualification examination can apply.

• Those who have completed degree requirements but are awaiting results are also eligible to apply for the exam.

• However, such candidates, if shortlisted, will only be allowed to join the programme provisionally, if they submit a certificate from their University/institution stating that they have completed all the requirements for obtaining the Bachelor’s degree/equivalent qualification on the date of the issue of the certificate.

• Those who have completed a professional degree (CA/ CS/ ICWA) with required percentage are also eligible to apply.

The calculation of candidates' percentage of marks would be based on the procedure followed by the respective University/Institution. In case there is no provision at the University/Institution 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.

Note: During the selection process at IIMs, the authorities may verify candidates' eligibility at various stages. Another thing that candidates must keep in mind is that meeting the minimum eligibility criteria will not guarantee admission in the IIMs. In addition, throughout the process of selection, candidates must maintain a valid and unique email account as well as a phone number.

Also, MBA admission eligibility criteria may differ from college to college and region to region. You can check the details here.

Candidates from the reserved categories must go through the eligibility requirements carefully before applying. The category-wise reservation policies followed by IIMs are listed below: 

• 15% of the seats are reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) and 7.5% for Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates. 27% of seats are reserved for OBC candidates belonging to the “non-creamy” layer (NC-OBC).

• 5% seats are reserved for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwD). 

Note: Being eligible for reservation under various categories does not guarantee admission at IIMs. Candidates are shortlisted if they fulfill the prescribed eligibility criteria, score the minimum required percentile in CAT and perform well in subsequent rounds of the admission process.

Important Information for Reserved Category Candidates

The cast certificate to be submitted by SC or ST category candidates should be in a format approved by the Government. Also, the caste/tribe that a candidate belongs to must be listed in the Government of India schedule. The caste certificate should clearly state:

(a) Name of the candidate's caste/tribe;

(b) Whether the candidate belongs to SC or ST category;

(c) District and the State or Union Territory of candidate’s ordinary residence; and

(d) the appropriate Government of India schedule under which candidate’s caste/tribe is approved by it as SC or ST.

Candidates must upload a copy of the SC/ST/NC-OBC/PwD certificate(s) at the time of CAT registration. Failure to do so will lead to the rejection of their CAT registration.

At the time of interviews, candidates must show the SC/ST/NC-OBC/PwD certificate(s) and submit a photocopy as well. If a candidate fails to do so during the selection process at IIMs, he/she will not be considered under the reserved category.

Check more details on CAT 2018 IIM Reservation here.

1. What is the eligibility to take the test under the PwD category?

The IIMs strictly follow the reservation norms of the Government of India. To be eligible to appear for the test under PwD category, the candidates should belong to any of the following listed categories of disabilities:

• Low Vision/Blindness
• Hearing Impairment
• Locomotive Disability/Cerebral Palsy 

2. I have completed my Bachelor’s Degree, do I need to give an overall percentage of marks or as per my University standards? 

As per the CAT eligibility criteria, you have to give percentage according to your university norms.

3. I have not completed my Bachelor’s Degree/I am in final year of Bachelor’s degree, what marks do I need to enter in the application form? 

As per the CAT eligibility criteria, you have to give aggregate percentage up to the last marks statement received from the University.

4. I have not completed any graduation course but I am in the final year of a professional course, am I eligible for CAT? 

No, for applying in CAT you should fulfill any one of the following conditions:

• Completed Bachelor’s degree with the required percentage.
• Completed professional degree (For example, CA) with the required percentage.
• Should be in the final year of Bachelor’s degree with the required percentage.
• For SC/ST and PWD (DA), candidates should have a minimum of 45%. For General and NC-OBC candidates, a minimum of 50% is required.

5. I am not pursuing or completed my Bachelor’s degree or any Professional degree like CA/CS/ICWA etc., am I eligible to appear for CAT? 

As you are not appearing/completed any Bachelor Degree or not completed any Professional degree like CA/CS/ICWA etc. you are not eligible to appear for CAT.

6. I have completed my 10th/12th standard from CBSE Board. Do I need to enter marks mentioned on mark list?

As per CAT criteria, you have to mention the aggregate percentage of marks for all subjects irrespective of your Board regulations.

7. Can I appear CAT for practice purpose, though I am aware that I am not eligible? 

No, this is not permitted.

8. Is there any age restriction for taking the CAT exam? 

No, there is no age restriction for taking the CAT exam.

9. Are there any special provisions for Differently Abled candidates?

Yes. Please refer to the FAQs for PWD/DA Candidates for more details.

10. I am a General category candidate and got 49% in the Bachelor’s degree. I have also completed Master’s degree with 51%, am I eligible to apply for CAT? 

No, as per CAT eligibility, you should have obtained 50% or more in the Bachelor’s degree.