If you are planning to sit for the CAT exam, it is indispensable that you know the eligibility criteria of the same to establish the correctness of your choice. An exam like CAT has a certain parameter in place if you wish to sit for it and establish your candidature for the business school of your choice.
In this article, I will help you understand the major boxes that you need to tick like the minimum qualification, the accepted eligible marks the set age limit and the reservation policy applicable for the exam.
Let us break down the criteria for the exam one by one and proceed to understand its ecosystem.
Understanding CAT Eligibility for 2024
Like any other exam, the CAT has a set of parameters that you need to fulfil to be considered eligible for taking the exam. Let us understand those parameters to ensure you qualify to become a CAT aspirant.
It is also critical for you as an aspirant to be aware of the eligibility criteria so that you do not waste your time or resources preparing for an exam which you will be bared from participating.
Overview of CAT Eligibility Criteria
To appear for the CAT entrance exam in 2024, candidates must meet certain eligibility criteria regarding their qualifications. Here’s a breakdown:
- Qualification: Bachelor’s Degree
- Educational Requirement: Must hold a Bachelor’s degree.
- Marks in Graduation: 50% (General Category), 45% for SC/ST, and Differently Abled (DA) candidates.
- Completed professional degree: CA/CS/ICWA/Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of India (FIAI with the required percentage.
- Work Experience: Not Compulsory
- Reservation: As per category
Let us try to break down the above category of the criteria and understand them in a bit of detail.
Educational Qualifications for CAT Exam Eligibility
Candidates aiming to appear for the CAT exam must meet the educational criteria outlined for 2024. Here’s what you need to know:
- Bachelor’s degree completion with at least 50% for General Category and NC-OBC and 45% for SC/ST/PwD candidates.
- The graduate degree must awarded by any University or educational institution recognized by the state or the Parliament of India or the Ministry of Education or is declared to be deemed as a University under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956.
Calculating CAT Eligibility Marks
As per the notification that was released for last year’s exam, the marks calculation to establish eligibility will rest with the university keeping in mind the below points.
- Your final grade will depend on how your university calculates your scores.
- If they use percentages, that will be the result of your final scores. In case if they use numbers your university will convert it to a percentage based on their own rules.
- Incase your university school doesn’t have a conversion method, they’ll take your CGPA, divide it by the highest possible CGPA, and multiply by 100 to get a percentage.
Eligibility of Final Year Students
- A student in their final year of graduation is also eligible to sit for the CAT examination.
- However, these applicants will only be allowed to join if they get a letter from their university saying they’ve finished all the coursework for their bachelor’s degree.
How to Fill the CAT Application Form?
Documents Required for Final Year Students
- Final-year students must provide additional documents to meet CAT eligibility criteria since they don’t yet have their final degree certificates.
- These documents must be signed by authorized personnel to verify that the candidate has achieved over 50% marks in their course.
Work Experience and CAT Eligibility
- While the CAT application form includes a section for work experience, it’s not mandatory for appearing in the exam.
- Work experience is considered during the later stages of admission to IIMs but does not affect CAT scores or eligibility.
Differences Between CAT Exam and IIM Eligibility
- While both CAT Exam and IIM eligibility criteria align in some aspects, there are minor differences.
- For example, while CAT accepts a 2-year bachelor’s degree, IIMs require a 3-year bachelor’s degree for their Management Programs.
Ineligibility for CAT Exam
- Candidates who haven’t completed their bachelor’s degree or failed to meet the qualifying marks are ineligible for CAT.
- Graduation from a university not recognized by UGC/AICTE/MHRD renders candidates ineligible.
Reservation of Seats
- CAT follows government policies regarding reservations for underprivileged categories, including SC, ST, OBC, EWS, and PwD.
- Separate categories and reservation percentages are allocated for each group, with specific disability criteria.
| Category | Reservation |
|---|---|
| Scheduled Caste | 15% |
| Scheduled Tribe | 7.5% |
| Other Backward Classes of NC-OBC | 27% |
| Economically Weaker Section | Up to 10% |
| Person with Disability | 5% |
CAT Eligibility Criteria Key Points 2024
We advise all the candidates to check the CAT Eligibility Criteria before filling CAT Application Form. Here we are proving the Eligibility Criteria:
- Please do remember that being eligible for the exam doesn’t mean you will be shortlisted for the examination. It is just a set of non-negotiables that you need to adhere to whilst registering yourself for the exam.
- Keep in mind that it is of utmost critical importance that you maintain a valid and unique email account and a mobile phone number throughout the selection process, owing to verification requirements.
- There are certain top colleges in India apart from the IIMs that consider the CAT score as the parameter for admissions. However, the cutoffs will vary depending on the university.
Conclusion
It is indispensable to understand the eligibility for any exam before opting to prepare for it. It saves you the hassle and clears your schedule in case you do not check in all the boxes of eligibility.
In this article, I have highlighted all the points that were considered last year to establish the eligibility for a candidate to appear for the exam. You can check it in detail here.
Please always remember that being eligible for the exam doesn’t imply that you are also eligible for admission.
All the best for your exams!
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