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Updated By Shreya Sareen on 09 May, 2022 09:36
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The conducting IIM for CAT will release the CAT 2022 eligibility criteria which the candidates will have to meet in order to appear for the exam. According to the basic CAT eligibility 2022 criteria, a candidate will be required to have a bachelor’s degree in any stream with a minimum of 50% aggregate marks in aggregate. A 5% relaxation is provided to SC, ST, and PwD candidates who are required to have 45% aggregate marks in the qualifying course. Candidates who are in the final year of graduation can also clear the CAT Eligibility 2022 for provisional admission through CAT 2022, provided that they satisfy the eligibility upon completion of their course.
Common Admission Test (CAT) exam is a national-level MBA entrance exam in India. Every year, CAT is conducted by one of the Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) on a rotational basis. The CAT 2022 conducting body information has not been released yet.
All those who wish to appear for the exam next year must go through the detailed CAT eligibility criteria before applying for it. The CAT 2022 eligibility rules mentioned above have to be followed strictly, and the candidates who do not comply with them are not allowed to register or appear for the exam. If the candidates apply for the CAT exam without satisfying the mandatory CAT eligibility norms, they are disqualified from the entrance exam. Given below are the category-wise eligibility criteria for CAT and other important information related to the exam.
Also Read: MBA Admission 2022
Candidates must also note that the MBA eligibility criteria of different MBA colleges in India may differ. It is also important to go through the CAT eligibility criteria specified by a college before applying.
Here are the key highlights of the CAT 2022 examination:
| Abbreviation | Common Admission Test |
| CAT Minimum Educational Qualification | Bachelors Degree |
| Relaxation given to satisfy CAT eligibility | 5% for reserved categories |
| CAT Conducting Body | Indian Institute of Management |
| CAT Minimum Marks | 50% (General and NC/OBC) |
| CAT Age Limit | None |
As per a recent update released on the CAT website, IIM Ahmedabad has made certain changes to the CAT eligibility criteria. CAT centre has received several queries from students unsure about their candidature for CAT 2022. Students who have been awarded a "promotion/ pass" certificate instead of the "marks" certificate in the last 2 years due to the pandemic are unsure about whether to check their CAT eligibility 2022. Since the CAT eligibility requires candidates to have at least 50% aggregate marks (45% for SC/ ST/ PwD) candidates, it is an issue for students who have not yet been awarded their marks certificate.
Taking into account the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the following exceptions have been made by the CAT Committee for the CAT eligibility 2022 criteria.
The CAT Committee has also stated that this revision in the CAT eligibility criteria is only applicable for appearing in CAT 2022. Candidates should also verify the institute-specific CAT eligibility criteria.
Given below is the CAT eligibility criteria 2022 for candidates belonging to the General and NC-OBC categories for CAT 2022.
Bachelor’s Degree from a recognized University or educational institution with a minimum of 50% marks or equivalent CGPA for General and NC-OBC candidates
Must have a score of 50% in graduation or its equivalent in any stream
Must have professional degrees such as CA/CS/ICWA with at least 50 per cent aggregate
OR Must be in their final year of graduation degree or awaiting results.
These criterias must be fulfilled to satisfy the CAT eligibility requirements.
Candidates interested in applying for CAT 2022 under SC, ST and PwD categories must take note of the following CAT eligibility criteria.
Those who belong to the SC/ST/PwD categories must have 45 per cent aggregate in graduation (or its equivalent) in any stream.
They must have professional degrees such as CA/ICWA/CS with at least 45% aggregate.
OR Must be in the final year of their graduation degree or awaiting result.
NOTE for All Categories for CAT eligibility 2022: Candidates in the final year of their degree courses, if shortlisted, will only be granted provisional admission through CAT 2022. Their admission would be confirmed only if they submit a certificate from their university or institution stating that they have completed all the requirements for obtaining the bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification on the date of the issue of the certificate. |
Conducting body | IIM Ahmedabad |
Notification date | July 25, 2022 (Tentative) |
Exam date | November 27, 2022 (Tentative) |
Academic qualification | Graduation from a recognized institute in any stream |
Marks required in graduation for CAT eligibility | 50% aggregate marks (45% for SC/ ST/ PwD candidates) |
Age limit for CAT eligibility 2022 | No age limit |
Nationality | Both Indian and foreign nationals eligible |
Work experience required | None |
Reservation | SC, ST, NC-OBC, PwD, EWS |
There is no age limit for any category of candidates who are applying for CAT 2022. Candidates of all groups can apply for CAT 2022 if they satisfy the CAT eligibility criteria mentioned above.
Based on the category of the students, a certain percentage of seats will be reserved for them in the IIMs as is required by law. Candidates from the reserved categories must go through the CAT eligibility requirements carefully before applying. The category-wise reservation given to candidates at IIMs under the boundaries of CAT eligibility can be checked below.
Category of Students | Per Cent of Seats as Reserved Seats |
NC-OBC | 27% |
Scheduled Caste (SC) | 15% |
Scheduled Tribe (ST) | 7.5% |
EWS | 10% |
PwD | 5% |
Note: Being eligible for reservation under various categories does not guarantee admission at IIMs. Candidates are shortlisted if they fulfil the prescribed eligibility criteria, score the minimum required percentile in CAT and perform well in subsequent rounds of the admission process.
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The calculation of a CAT applicant's percentage of marks is based on the procedure followed by the respective university or institution. In case there is no provision at the university or 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. This marks the CAT eligibility 2022.
Note: During the CAT selection process at IIMs, the authorities may verify a candidate's eligibility at various stages. Another thing that candidates must keep in mind is that meeting the minimum CAT 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.
Candidates who will not meet the CAT eligiblity criteria are those who:
Have not completed their Bachelor’s degree or any professional degree such as CS/CA/ICWA
Have not completed their graduation but are pursuing a professional course and in the final year of the same
Belong to the general category and have secured less than 50% aggregate in graduation to meet the CAT eligibility 2022
Belong to SC/ST/PwD category and have secured less than 45% aggregate in graduation
Have completed their graduation from a college or institution for satisfying the CAT eligibility 2022 that is not recognised by either of AICTE/UGC/MHRD-Government of India
Sometimes, a candidate’s mark sheet contains marks in the form of grades or CGPA, which must be converted into percentage marks to help the authorities determine CAT eligibility. Every University or Institution converts the CGPA or grade scores obtained by the candidates into percentage marks for the determination of the candidates’ eligibility. It must also be noted by the candidates that every University or Institution employs its own formula in converting the grade scores or CGPA into percentage scores to look whether they meet the requirements for CAT eligibility 2022. In case any University or Institution does not have a working formula to convert the grade/CGPA scores into percentage scores, then a universal formula will be deployed to calculate the percentile scores of the candidates. The formula is:
Additionally, candidates should refer to the guidelines for converting CGPA to Percentage specified by their university for more information.
Here are some additional CAT eligibility 2022 facts that the candidates should know:
Aspirants who have completed their graduation in the old system are eligible to appear for CAT. The degree obtained by the candidates under such system must be approved and recognised by UGC to meet the CAT eligibility requirements.
Keeping in view the CAT eligibility, shortlisting of the candidates in the IIMs is based on various factors and does not depend only on the candidates fulfilling the CAT eligibility criteria.
The candidates must furnish their valid and working email address and cellular number throughout the entire selection process.
There is no maximum age limit to appear for the CAT exam.
The caste certificate to be submitted by SC or ST category candidates should be in a format approved by the Government under the CAT eligibility 2022. 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 to clear the CAT eligibility criterias. If a candidate fails to do so during the selection process at IIMs, he/she will not be considered under the reserved category.
Also Read
How to Apply for Category Certificates (SC / ST / NC-OBC / PWD / EWS) for CAT 2022 |
Many times, candidates ponder over the question if there is any difference in of IIM and CAT eligibility . In order to ensure all the speculations over this question are put to rest, CollegeDekho provides the candidates with the only difference in the CAT and IIM eligibility criteria. Candidates who have graduated from the old two-year graduation system satisfy the CAT eligibility 2022 but such candidates cannot pursue their desired management course from IIM. Candidates who want to pursue management at any of the IIMs after qualifying the CAT exam must have completed their graduation from the contemporary three-year graduation system. Except for this, there is no difference in IIM and CAT eligibility criteria.
Want to know more about CAT
Dear student,
If you wish to pursue Master of Architecture (M.Arch) from any college, you will have to check if you qualify the eligibility criteria set for the programme in the respective college. Almost all agricultural institutes require the applicants of M.Arch to have a bachelor's degree in architecture and they do not admit students who have not done B.Arch (Bachelor of Architecture).
There are several reputed and famous colleges for M.Arch in India that you can check for admission. Some of them are mentioned below.
Dear Student,
CAT 2021 does not have any seat reservations for Socially and Economically Backward Students (SEBC). You can find more information about the same in our article on the CAT 2021 seat reservation policy.
Please feel free to write back to us if you require any other information. For help with admission to MBA colleges in India, please fill our Common Application Form (CAF) or call our helpline number 18005729877.
Thank you.
READ MORE...Dear Student,
We recommend that you go through our CAT 2021 Preparation Strategy & Study Plan Exam Page for CAT preparation. Other resources that may be useful in preparing for the CAT 2021 Entrance Exam are listed below:
If you have any additional questions or would like to learn more about the CAT Exam, please fill out our Common Application Form and one of our education experts will contact you and provide all the …
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If any candidate applies for CAT without satisfying the minimum requirements then he/she will be disqualified from the exam.
Yes, around 5% of seats are reserved for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwD).
No, candidates who have not completed their bachelor degree are not eligible for CAT.
Candidates who have completed their graduation in the old two-year graduation system are eligible to appear for CAT but such candidates cannot pursue their desired management course from IIM.
To caculate the percentage from your CGPA, you need to multiply your CGPA with 9.5 and the result will be your percentage.
Yes, candidates who have completed their CA/CS/ICWA professional degree with at least 50% marks are eligible to appear for CAT.
Yes, you are eligible for CAT. However, you have to select yes for “Are you in the final year of Bachelor’s degree” choice while registering for the exam.
Around 7.5% of seats are reserved for Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates, 15% for Scheduled Caste (SC) and 27% for OBC candidates.
Candidates who have completed their bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks in case of general category and 45% marks in case of reserved category are eligible to appear for CAT.
No,candidates from any age group can apply for CAT.
CAT score is valid for one year.
No. CAT score is valid for one year.
Yes, final students can apply for the exam but their admission will be done on the basis of their CAT result will be provisional un till they produce their final year graduation mark sheet.
No, there is no age limit criteria for appearing in CAT.
Post successful registration for CAT, you will be able to use the system generated User ID and Password to log into the website. Upon logging in, you will first see the Registration Summary page and then you can click on 'Go to Application Form'. This will direct you to the application form page.
If the registration website is not accessible for any reason, please close your Internet browser and try again. Also, ensure you are using the correct version of any of the following recommended Internet browser: Internet Explorer (version 11 and above) or Mozilla Firefox (version 50 to 61) or Google Chrome (version 50 to 69). The Registration/Application form for CAT is best viewed in Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome browsers. You may also refer to the help desk details given below for instructions: Toll- free: 1-800-209-0830 Email: cathelpdesk@iimcat.ac.in
If you have made a mistake in filling out details for those fields which will affect the selection process, such as Percentage of Marks, Category, Gender, Work Experience, etc. then you are advised to re-register with a new email ID. Your CAT application will be considered for the latest registration and admit card will be issued accordingly. Note: You will not receive a refund or admit card for your earlier registration. Failure to re-register in such circumstances may lead to the nullification of your candidature.
You may select 'Existing User Login' on CAT website to make changes to your personal details, such as address, educational information or exam city preferences. For security reasons, editing of candidate's full name, date of birth, email ID, mobile no, State, and Country will not be allowed. However, if you have genuinely made a mistake in entering your Date of Birth, State, etc., you will have to show evidence of the correct data at the time of examination/interview/admission else your candidature will be nullified. Note: The ability to edit application profile will be available only until you have not submitted the Application Form. Once you have submitted and made the exam fee payment, you will NOT be allowed to make any more changes. You may only view and print thereafter.
No, you need to have a valid and unique email address. All correspondence until CAT and during the selection stage will be communicated using the email address provided by you.
The CAT exam fee is payable at the time of online registration via a valid credit, debit card or online net banking facility.
Online registration for CAT is usually done between the period of August and September. Additional information for the online registration is available on the CAT official website.
No, as per CAT eligibility, you should have obtained 50% or more in the Bachelor's degree.
No, there is no age restriction for taking the CAT exam.
No, this is not permitted.
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.
