CAT Eligibility Criteria

CAT Eligibility Criteria 

To be eligible for the CAT exam, candidates must meet the following criteria:

• They must have a bachelor's degree or equivalent from a recognized university or institute with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA for general category and NC-OBC candidates, and 45% marks or equivalent CGPA for SC/ST and PwD candidates.
• They must have completed or be in the final year of their bachelor's degree program at the time of registration. Final year students must submit a certificate from their principal or registrar stating that they have completed all the requirements for obtaining the degree by the specified date.
• There isn't any age limit or work experience requirement to apply for the CAT exam.
• Candidates who have a professional degree such as CA/CS/ICWA/FCAI are also eligible for the CAT exam if they have obtained at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA for general category and NC-OBC candidates, and 45% marks or equivalent CGPA for SC/ST and PwD candidates.
• The CAT exam also follows a reservation policy as per the Government of India norms for admission to IIMs and other participating institutes. The reservation policy is as follows:
  • 15% of seats are reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates
  • 7.5% of seats are reserved for Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates
  • 27% of seats are reserved for Non-Creamy Other Backward Classes (NC-OBC) candidates
  • 10% of seats are reserved for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) candidates
  • 5% of seats are reserved for Persons with Disabilities (PwD) candidates
• Candidates who belong to any of the reserved categories must submit valid documents to support their claim at the time of admission. Candidates who do not belong to any of the reserved categories are considered under the general category.

Candidates should note that the CAT exam eligibility criteria are only for appearing in the exam and do not guarantee admission to any IIM or other participating institute. Each institute has its own selection criteria and cut-off scores based on various factors such as academic performance, work experience, diversity, etc. Candidates should check the official websites of their preferred institutes to know their specific eligibility criteria and admission process.