Common Admission Test (CAT) is an all-India test conducted by the Indian Institutes
of Management (IIMs), considered to be the most prestigious B-schools of India.
It is an entrance exam for students who want to pursue Post Graduate level Management
Degree from world renowned IIM's. Performance in Common Admission Test or CAT, followed
by Group Discussions and Personal Interviews, serves as the basis for admission.
Apart from the IIM's, a candidate can take admission in many other business schools
with a CAT score.
Courses
The entrance test is conducted for the following courses:
PGP - (Post Graduate Program in Management) - IIM Ahmedabad, IIM
Bangalore, IIM Indore, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Lucknow, RGIIM Shillong
PGP-ABM - (Post Graduate Program in Agri-Business Management) -
IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Lucknow
PGSEM - (PGP in Software Enterprise Management) - IIM Bangalore,
IIM Calcutta
PGP-PGDCM- (Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Aided Management)
- IIM Calcutta
PGPPM -(Post Graduate Program in Public Policy and Management)
- IIM Bangalore
Ex-PGP (Post Graduate Program in Management for Executives) - IIM
Indore
FPM (Fellow Program in Management i.e. equivalent to Ph.D) - IIM
Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Indore, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Lucknow.
Eligibility for CAT Exam
Common Admission Test (CAT) is conducted by Indian Institute of Management (IIMs),
the most reputed B- schools of India. The test is conducted every year for the aspirants,
who desire to seek admission in business administration program at post graduate
level. Scores of CAT, followed by group discussion and personal interview, determine
the selection of the applicants. The entrance examination is conducted for admission
into the following post graduate programs
* Management
* Agri-Business Management
* Software Enterprise Management
* Computer Aided Management
* Public Policy and Management
* Management for Executives
* Fellow Program in Management, which is considered equivalent to Ph. D
Eligibility
Post Graduate Program in Management (PGP)
The applicants should possess Bachelor's degree of a recognized university in any
stream, with not less than 50% marks in aggregate. Exemption of 5% is there for
SC/ST candidates. The candidates waiting for results of the final year exam can
also apply.
Post Graduate Program in Agri-Business Management (PGP-ABM) conducted in IIM
Ahmadabad and Lucknow
The candidates, who have Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Agriculture Sciences or
in Agriculture-related disciplines, with minimum 50% marks in total, are eligible.
Relaxation of 5% is there for SC/ST or Persons with Disability (PWD) candidates.
The candidate with Bachelor's degree of a recognized university with at least 50%
marks in aggregate are also eligible. In order to seek admission in IIM Lucknow,
the applicants should also have minimum two years' experience in Agriculture or
allied sector along with Bachelor's degree in any discipline.
Post Graduate Program in Software Enterprise Management (PGSEM), conducted at
IIM Bangalore and Calcutta
The candidate must have passed graduation from a recognized university. Besides,
he/she should possess two years of work experience in software industry.
Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Aided Management (PGDCM) program, conducted
in IIM Calcutta
The candidate should have completed graduation in any field, with at least 50% aggregate
marks. Relaxation of 5% is there in case of candidates belonging to SC and ST categories.
Post Graduate Program in Public Policy and Management (PGPPM), held in IIM Bangalore
The candidates, who are Government official, civil society functionary, mid career
executive belonging to PSUs and Corporate Undertakings, are eligible. Besides, any
other individual with not less than 7 years of professional experience can also
apply.
Post Graduate Program in Management for Executives (Ex-PGP) held in IIM Indore
The applicants with Bachelor's Degree in any field securing not less than 50% marks
along with minimum 5 years of managerial/ entrepreneurial/ professional experience
after graduation are eligible. Exemption of 5% is there for SC/ST or Persons with
Disability (PWD) candidates.
Examination Pattern
Common Admission Test (CAT) is considered as one of the most competitive entrance
examinations to seek admission in management program all over India. It is conducted
once a year in the end of November or in the beginning of December. The examination
pattern of CAT exam keeps on changing every year. However, the questions are broadly
classified into three or four categories, which are given below.
The duration of the entrance examination is also not fixed. The test paper consists of objective questions with multiple options. The number of questions could be 60 to 70. Negative marking is there for every wrong answer. More than one answer against a question also fetches negative marks. The answers have to be filled only through HB pencil on a computer coded OMR sheets.
Group Discussion & Personal Interview
The candidates, who have successfully cracked CAT entrance examination, have to
appear in Group Discussion & Personal Interview (commonly known as GDPI) in
order to seek admission into postgraduate management programs offered at IIMs and
other reputed B-schools across India.