CAT (Common Admission Test) is an MBA / PGDM Entrance Exam that is conducted once in a year. It is a National Level Management Aptitude Test which is conducted by the IIM Calcutta. Candidates appear for the CAT Exam to get admission in IIMs and other top business schools.
This article includes important information about the CAT Exam Eligibility Criteria such as educational qualification, age limit, work experience, etc.
CAT Eligibility Criteria 2024
It is mandatory for the candidates to meet the CAT exam eligibility criteria before proceeding for CAT registration and application process 2024. To get admission in top B-schools, candidates need to start the preparation for the CAT exam 2024. The details about the same are given in the following table:
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Particular
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CAT Eligibility Criteria 2024
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Educational Qualification
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- Obtained minimum 50% marks in a Bachelor's in any discipline or its equivalent degree (45% marks for SC / ST / Physically Disabled Candidates).
OR
- Secured at least 50% marks in professional degrees like CA / CS / ICWA.
* Candidates who are in the final year of the Graduation can also apply. These students get provisional admissions in the institute until they submit their final degree.
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CAT Age Limit
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- No Minimum or Maximum Age limit to appear for the exam.
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Work Experience
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- Candidates who have prior work experience are given some added preferences by the B-schools during admissions.
* Candidates with no prior experience are also eligible to apply as per CAT exam eligibility criteria 2024.
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* Candidates with backlogs in Bachelors Degree or its equivalent examination can also appear in the CAT 2024 Exam. Furthermore, they must have to clear all their backlogs and meet the CAT exam eligibility before starting the admission process for their concerned institutes.
CAT Eligibility Criteria 2024 Reservation Details
IIMs adhere to the reservation guidelines established by the Government of India for SC / ST / NC-OBC / PwD / EWS category candidates. The reservation criteria for CAT 2024 can be understood from the following table:
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Category
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Reservation Seats
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Non Creamy Other Backward Classes (NC-OBC)
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27%
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Scheduled Castes (SC)
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15%
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Scheduled Tribes (ST)
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7.5%
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Person with Benchmark Disability (PwD)
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5%
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Economically Weaker Section (EWS)
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Up to 10%
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Reservation Criteria for Person with Disability (PwD)
PwD means an individual with a minimum 40% of a specified disability mentioned in the Schedule of the RPwD Act 2016. Following are the categories of disabilities included in the reservation seats:
- Blindness and low vision
- Deaf and hard of hearing.
- Locomotor disability including cerebral palsy, leprosy cured, dwarfism, acid attack victims and muscular dystrophy.
- Autism, intellectual disability, specific learning disability and mental illness
- Multiple disabilities from amongst persons under clauses (a) to (d).
- Other ‘specified disabilities’ mentioned in ‘The Schedule’ of the RPwD Act 2016.
Difference between IIM Eligibility Criteria and CAT Eligibility Criteria
The basic CAT and IIM eligibility criteria are the same in terms of academic qualifications. There are some minor differences that the candidates who want to study at IIM must know. To become eligible for admission in the IIMs, candidates must meet the CAT cutoffs released by the authorities.
