CAT 2019 Application Form, Exam Dates, Syllabus and Cut off

CAT 2019 is expected to be held on November 24, 2019. The official notification for the same will be released on July 28, 2019 on the official website of CAT i.e., iimcat.ac.in. Candidates will be able to register themselves for the exam from August 5, 2019, onwards.

 Read CAT 2019 will be conducted by IIM Kozhikode; Notification Released 

• Last year over 2.41 lakh candidates competed for 12,411 seats, making CAT one of the most competitive examinations in the country.
• CAT 2019 will be conducted in online mode in two sessions. It is a nationwide-test, held in over 140 cities at over 4000 exam centers.
• The exam is conducted once a year by one of the older IIMs on a rotational basis.
• As per the CAT 2019 Eligibility Criteria, applicants should have a graduate degree with a minimum of 50% marks.
• In addition to CAT 2019 scores, factors like performance in WAT, GD, and PI are also important for the selection process, as the admission process is separate for each IIM and other institutes.
• CAT score is valid for one year only.
• CAT Registration will commence from August 5, 2019.

Common Admission Test or popularly recognized as CAT is the most extensive MBA entrance test leading to admission in top MBA colleges of India. It opens the gates for the top 20 IIMs and an approximate number of 1000 business management schools in India. CAT made its entry in international acceptance when Singapore Management University in 2017 declared CAT score valid for admissions into their business programs.

This article highlights all the aspects of CAT 2019 such as important dates, eligibility criteria, application form, exam pattern, syllabus, vital preparation tips and more.

CAT 2019 Highlights

CAT 2019 Important Dates

The tentative schedule for CAT 2019 is given below. CAT Exam Dates will be available on the official website of the organizing institute.

CAT 2019 Notification

IIM Kozhikode, the exam authority of CAT 2019 will release the official notification for the exam on July 28. After the release of notification, CAT 2019 Registration will start. The notification will contain all the details regarding registration, admit card, result, exam dates, etc. It also gives details about the programs offered by the IIMs. Any changes, if made will be notified by the exam authority. 

CAT 2019 Eligibility

Candidates planning to take the exam must fulfill CAT Eligibility Criteria prescribed by the exam conducting body. The eligibilty criteria for CAT 2019 is given below:

• There will be no age restriction for taking the CAT 2019 examination.
• Candidates must hold a Bachelor's Degree with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA (45% marks for SC/ST/PWD categories).
• Candidates, who possess an equivalent examination recognized by the MHRD, Government of India (including AMICE of the Institution of Civil Engineers (India) as an equivalent qualification) can also apply.
• Candidates appearing in final year exam of Bachelor’s degree or waiting for their result are also eligible for CAT exam. 

Difference between CAT and IIM Eligibility

The overall eligibility criteria is the same except, you are allowed to appear in CAT 2019 exam with two years of graduation in the old system, but you are not allowed to pursue the management course at IIMs unless you have completed graduation degree with minimum a minimum duration of three years.

CAT 2019 Application Form

CAT 2019 Application Form will be available tentatively from August 5, 2019. Candidates will be required to fill up general details like personal information and academic qualifications in the application form. The forms can be filled via online mode only on the official website, i.e., iimcat.ac.in. CAT 2019 Registration consists of 3 steps which are given below:

• Candidates can register themselves by providing necessary details to get the candidate’s user ID and Password.
• Fill the CAT 2019 Application Form and upload the required documents.
• The final step is payment of CAT 2019 Application Fee before final submission of the online application form.

CAT Statistics: Applied vs Appeared Candidates

How to Fill a CAT 2019 Application Form?

Candidates can go through the following guidelines to apply for the exam:

Registration

1. Visit the official website of CAT 2019 and click on ‘Registration for New User.’
2. Registration form will appear to create the user profile.
3. Enter personal details like name, date of birth and contact details- valid mobile number and email ID.
4. Candidates will have to verify their mobile number through OTP.
5. Once the OTP is verified, candidates will receive an email containing their User ID and Password. The same will also be sent on the registered mobile number.
6. Login using these credentials to proceed with the application process.

Also Read CAT 2019 Participating Institutes

Filling of Application form

1. Once the candidate is logged in, CAT 2019 Application Form will appear.
2. Candidates will have to enter their personal, communication, academic and professional details as well as their preference of program and exam center.
3. Then, candidates have to upload the scanned images of their recent photograph, signature and category certificate (SC, ST, NC-OBC and PwD category). Also Read Photograph and Signature Details 
4. After checking the details, click on ‘Save and Continue’ to pay the application fees.

Payment of Application Fee

1. The final step to complete the application process is to remit the requisite application fees.
2. Application fee for general and OBC category is INR 2000 and INR 950 for SC and ST candidates. 
3. The application fee can be paid in online mode only, using Credit/ Debit card, Net Banking, and Cash Card & Wallet.
4. Fill the required fields with payment details on the bank page and save the receipt of the online transaction as proof of payment.
5. On successful submission, aspirants will receive an email related to the status of the application.
6. Take a print out of the application form and save it for future correspondence.

CAT 2019 Application Form Correction

If candidates make mistakes while filling the CAT 2019 application form, they can rectify it within the limited time when the forms are open for correction process. The conducting authority allows candidates to make corrections in selected entries only. The correction window will open once the application process is over.

The details that can be corrected are as follows:

• Programs selected
• Percentage of marks scored
• Work experience

Steps to make corrections in CAT 2019 Application Form are mentioned below.

1. Visit the official website of CAT, i.e., iimcat.ac.in.
2. Click on ‘Existing user’ tab.
3. Enter login credentials i.e., User Id and Password.
4. Go through the various sections of the application form and make corrections accordingly.
5. Click on ‘save and continue’ or ‘save’ to exit the portal.

Also Check CAT 2019 Preparation Strategy

CAT 2019 Admit Card

CAT 2019 Admit Card will be issued for the applicants who have successfully registered themselves for the exam. The admit card for the exam will be released. The admit cards can be downloaded from the official website of CAT. The governing body will not send hard copies of the hall ticket by post.

• Admit Card must be retained till the time of admission and counselling, duly signed by the exam supervisor.
• The details about the individual such as his name, roll number, date of birth, time slot and exam center allotted along with the address will be printed on the hall ticket.
• It is a necessary document for taking the entrance exam without which, no individual will be permitted into the exam hall.

Steps to download CAT 2019 Admit Card are given below:

1. Login to the official website of CAT.
2. Login using the User ID and Password.
3. Click on ‘Download Admit Card’ to access the hall ticket.
4. Admit card will appear. Cross-check all the details and take at least two printed copies of the hall ticket.

CAT 2019 Exam Center

• CAT 2019 will be conducted in 140 exam centers across the country.
• Participants will be allowed to choose four cities for the online entrance test as their preferred exam center.
• They should exercise their choices in the application form according to their convenience.
• The governing authority will allot a center to the individuals, and the venue of the center will be mentioned in the admit card.

Below mentioned are CAT Exam Centers that students must know before applying for the exam.

CAT 2019 Exam Pattern

Candidates must check the CAT Exam Pattern before appearing in the exam so that they can perform well.

Download CAT 2019 Sample Papers

Check Related News: CAT 2019 Exam Pattern, Marking Scheme and Syllabus

Changes in CAT Exam Pattern Over Years

CAT 2019 Syllabus

The detailed CAT 2019 Syllabus is given below:

Also Check CAT Preparation Books 

How to Prepare for CAT 2019?

Right preparation strategy at the right time will bring glories to you. With the help of the most recommended and reliable books in the market, candidates can ace the exam. These books are a great source to revise the whole of theCAT 2019 Syllabus, as well as they offer sets of most important questions.

Apart from books, there are multiple sources like online youtube tutorials, online study material  etc that candidates may consider.

Candidates often get confused with regard to the appropriate CAT Books or study material to refer to. They look for the material which the toppers have approved of. This is bound to happen since their no dearth of CAT Preparation Books in the market. Given below are some of the Best Books for CAT Preparation 2019:

Click Here About CAT Preparation Tips For Working Professionals

Topper's Preparation Strategy for CAT 2019

Candidates appearing in CAT 2019 can consider the preparation strategy of the previous year toppers as these are the applied and tested ways to crack CAT. Below given is the list of few toppers of CAT 2018 and their mantras to crack CAT. 

Amit Bikram: Mumbai boy Amit Bikram scored 100 percentile in CAT 2018. In his interview, Amit revealed his mantras to ace CAT exam. He told that he started his preparation 4 months prior to the exam. He kept on taking CAT Mock Tests to analyze his weaker areas and tried to improve in it. According to Amit:

• 4 months are enough to revise and brush up all major areas for CAT exam.
• Take need-based coaching, rely on self-study.
• Make your own preparation plan, do not follow others. 
• Do not believe in short-cuts, practice a lot.
• Go through all the formulae of QA before the exam day. 

Check How to Prepare Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning for CAT?

Niranjan Prasad: Niranjan Prasad from Udupi score 100 percentile in CAT 2018. Subject knowledge and time management are the two main focussed areas during the preparation. Read on Niranjan Success Mantra:

• Self-study is most important. 
• For VARC, Arun Sharma is the best book for preparation. 
• First, work on your weaker areas and keep on improving it until you improve it.
• Use time efficiency while preparing for the exam as it plays a major role. 4 hours of smart work is more important than twelve hours of hard work. 

Raunak Majumdar: Another 100 percentile scorer of CAT 2018 is a graduate from IIT Kanpur. Raunank’s major tool was Mock Test. He took 35-37 mock tests before the exam. Raunak says:

• Time management plays a major role.
• Attempt easy question first and then move forward to maintain speed and accuracy. 
• Test series are beneficial than full-time coaching, as these test series helps in analyzing the shortcomings. 

Check Top 5 CAT Coaching Centers in Hyderabad

CAT Mock Test

The exam conducting body will release CAT Mock tests in the month of October for a better understanding of the CAT question paper. With the available free mock test, candidates will get an idea about how to navigate through the question paper while attempting the exam to score better. The habit of solving at least 5 quizzes will help the candidate to hold a tight grip on their preparation. Below given are the steps that candidates must follow to access the official mock test.

1. Click on the link stating- CAT 2019 Mock Test Link available at iimcat.ac.in.
2. Sign in using registration number and password.
3. Press F11 to read the general instructions.
4. Click on “Next” to read the instructions.
5. Then click on the disclaimer checkbox on “Other Important Instructions for the candidates.
6. Click on “I am ready to begin” to begin the mock test.

Note: There is a separate link of Mock Test for PwD candidates which can be accessed by following the same procedure as mentioned above.

Apart from official Mock Tests, given below are some CAT quizzes for different sections which are prepared for the thorough practice of the CAT aspirants. 

 Top MBA Coachings in India

There are various CAT Coaching centers in India offering online as well as ofline preparations. Coaching Centers like Career Launcher, T.I.M.E., and IMS Learning Centre are located at almost every major cities across the country. Below given are the top 5 coaching institutes in India.

Apart from the coachings mentioned above, there are various other coaching institutes which CAT aspirants may consider.

Also Check CAT Coachings in Hyderabad

CAT Previous Year Paper Analysis
IIM Calcutta conducted CAT 2018. More than 2 lakhs candidates appeared in the exam. The difficulty level of the exam was moderately tough. Based on the CAT aspirants and academic experts, VARC section was difficult, whereas the QA was easy. Below given are the previous year exam analysis and the distribution of questions in each section to give an idea about the exam to the candidates. 

Read Detailed CAT Previous Year Paper Analysis

CAT Rank Predictor

CAT Rank Predictor is an online tool by collegedunia.com. Candidates who have appeared in CAT exam can use the rank predictor to analyze the exam result before the actual results are out. 

• The tool determines the predicted ranks based on their respective percentile. 
• Based on the analysis candidates can choose the best colleges in which they can get into. 

CAT 2019 Result

CAT 2019 Result will be declared tentatively on January 7, 2020. The results will be announced on the official website in the form of a scorecard. These scorecards will contain the sectional and overall marks and percentile obtained by individuals in the exam.

It is valid for only this academic year. The results can be checked by following these few steps:

1. Log on to the official website of CAT.
2. Select the option of ‘Download Scorecard’.
3. Enter your User ID and Password to know your CAT Result.
4. On your account’s page, you can download the scorecard.
5. Download the result and take a print out copies for future reference.

CAT 2019 Normalisation Process

CAT Normalisation Process is done to maintain equality and fairness in the comparison of the performance of CAT aspirants. Through the process, students are scaled based on location, scale differences, test slots, etc. The scaled score will be then converted into a percentile score for further shortlisting process. 

Also Read CAT Score Calculation

CAT 2019 Cut Off

The cutoff for CAT exam depends on various factors like the total number of applicants, the difficulty level of exam, seats available and previous years’ cutoff. Each IIM will announce its cutoff for shortlisting candidates for the selection process separately. 

Candidates must clear sectional and overall cutoff to be eligible for the subsequent rounds. The overall cutoff for IIMs usually falls between 90-99 percentile.

The top 3 IIMs- Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Calcutta have a cut off over 99 percentile. The cutoff for other top business schools like FMS, JBIMS, and SPIJMR is over 95 percentile. The expected CAT Cutoff for top management colleges are-

Check Related News:

• FMS Delhi Admission Procedure through CAT 2019
• Courses Offered Through CAT
• IIM Ahmedabad CAT Cutoff and Admission Criteria 2019

CAT 2019 Selection Process

The selection process of CAT is a two-step process. Candidates who qualify the cutoff marks are invited by CAT colleges for GD or WAT and Personal Interview round. CAT Selection Process is carried out individually by each college, except for the new IIMs. The ratio for admission in IIMs and candidates shortlisted for selection is generally 1:4, but it varies for different IIMs. 

It must be noted that there is no common Common Counselling Process for CAT. The process for form-filling for IIMs is done while preliminary registration for the exam. 

Shortlisting Candidates for PI & WAT- Candidates are shortlisted with a weightage system, as given below:

Final Selection- For final selection, weightage of all the stages in the selection process with work experience is calculated. 

Check CAT Admit Card 2019

Non-IIMs Accepting CAT Score

IIMs are the dream destination for every CAT aspirants, however if a candidate fails in getting a seat there, they need not worry. There are many other top B-schools which accept CAT score. These institutes have their own benchmark. Given below are few of the best colleges in which candidates can take admission through CAT score.  

• Faculty of Management Studies (FMS Delhi)
• Department of Management Studies, IIT Delhi
• Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management, SOM, IIT Bombay
• Department of Management Studies, IIT Madras
• Management Development Institute, Gurgaon
• SP Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR), Mumbai
• Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar (XIMB)
• Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad
• National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE)
• T.A. Pai Management Institute (TAPMI), Manipal
• Loyola Institute of Business Administration (LIBA), Chennai

Check MBA Colleges Accepting CAT Score

CAT 2019 - Do’s and Don’t

Do’s for the candidates

• Bring CAT Admit Cards along with a valid ID proof.
• Use the Google map link embedded on the electronic version of the Admit card to locate the Test Centre.
• Report at the Test center at 7:30 a.m. IST for the Forenoon Session and at 1:00 p.m. IST for the Afternoon Session.
• Deposit all personal belongings such as mobile phones, bags, wallets, Jackets, Jewellery, watch, electronic gadgets, stationery items, etc. at the Test Centre Entrance Gate.
• Return Writing Pad with all pages intact and Pen post the Exam to the Invigilator
• Provide your attendance in the Form with signature when asked for in theExam Lab.
• Post the Exam, handover Admit Card duly signed to Invigilatorpresent in the Exam Lab.

Don’ts for the candidates

• Don’t appear for CAT 2019 more than once.
• Do not carry any prohibited object like electronic gadgets etc. to the exam hall.
• Do not attempt to cheat during the exam.
• Do not request for a change in Exam Centre/ Exam Lab/ Console on the exam day.
• Avoid wearing jewelry, jackets, and footwear inside the exam hall.
• Mobile phones, Electronic Gadgets, Watches, Calculators, own Stationery items, Wallets, and/or goggle are not allowed in the exam hall.

CAT FAQs

Ques. When is CAT 2019 scheduled to take place?

Ques. Is there an option to write CAT in offline mode?

Ques. How many seats are expected to be filled through CAT 2019 in the top IIMs?

Ques. How many registrations are received for CAT 2019?

Ques. Is there any reservation of seats for female candidates in IIMs like we have in GATE?

Ques. Can you give details of seat matrix for IIMs in the country for the year 2019?

Ques. When is the form correction window for CAT 2019 application form?

Ques. How many institutes in total are considering CAT 2019 Scores this year?

Ques. Do I have to fill the application form separately for each CAT College?

Ques. If I do not clear the minimum CAT 2019 Cutoff, will I still be eligible for admission?

Ques. When will I receive my CAT 2019 admit card?

Ques. In case I misplace my admit card at the exam center, can I download the CAT 2019 admit card at the exam center?

Ques. What stationery items can I carry on the day of CAT exam?

Ques. Is there any traveling allowance issued to the candidates of reserved categories for CAT 2019 exam?

Ques. What is the last time to enter CAT exam center on the exam day?

Ques.Can you give me a list of items that are banned to be carried at the CAT 2019 exam center?

Ques. Is it true that students are not allowed to take bio- breaks during CAT 2019 exam hours?

Ques. What support are PwD candidates getting while writing the CAT 2019 exam?

Ques. What items are to be carried on the day of CAT 2019 exam?

Ques. Can you give a list of items that can work as valid photo Id proof?

Ques. What fields can be corrected in CAT application form 2019?

Ques. What steps to follow to edit details in my CAT application form 2019?

Ques. Are transgender candidates allowed to write the CAT exam?

Ques. What is the minimum academic eligibility criteria for writing CAT 2019?

Ques. What information do I need to keep handy before filling the CAT application form?

Ques. What details are asked in CAT 2019 Application Form?

Ques. I have worked as a part-time employee with a management firm. Will my experience be counted during CAT 2019 Registration?

Ques. What are the dimensions for the photograph to be uploaded with the CAT application form?

Ques. Can CAT 2019 application fee be paid in offline mode by bank challan?

Ques. What documents do I have to upload with my CAT 2019 application form?

Ques. Do I have to send a hard copy of the completely filled CAT 2019 application form to the authorities?

Ques. Can the details in the application form be edited after paying the CAT 2019 application fee?

Ques. How to contact CAT 2019 helpdesk in case of some emergency?

Ques. What is the minimum age requirement for appearing for the CAT 2019 exam?

Ques. Are students in the final year of examination eligible to apply for the Common Admission Test?

Ques. Is graduation degree from an Open University or correspondence recognized and accepted for CAT 2019 eligibility criteria?

Ques. How many non- MCQ type questions can I expect in my CAT 2019 question paper?

Ques. Can you give me the exam pattern of CAT 2019 in brief?

Ques. Is there a marking scheme for non-MCQ questions in CAT 2019 exam?

Ques. What is the marking scheme defined for MCQ type questions in CAT 2019?

Ques. Can you list some important topics for preparing the QA section in CAT 2019?

Ques. Can you list the topics to prepare for the Verbal and Reading comprehension section?

Ques. How can I check my CAT 2019 result online?

Ques. Can you give the details of interview cut off percentile for the year 2019?

Ques. I am in my final year of Bachelor‘s Degree. What marks should I enter while filling CAT Application Form?

Ques. Is there any maximum age cap for CAT exam?

Ques. Can I appear for multiple slots for CAT?

Ques. I have done a dual degree program i.e. B.Tech+M.Tech. I am confused about how to enter my marks under qualification column?

Ques. I did not have a graduation degree, However, I have completed a professional degree, Can I apply for CAT?