About CAT 2019
CAT (Common Admission Test) is the premium entrance exam held by IIMs for admissions into top business schools. The CAT Exam score is accepted as a qualifier in over a 100 Business Schools. These also include the best MBA colleges such as IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, ISB Hyderabad, etc. It is the most popular amongst the MBA Entrance Exams due to the vast number of colleges accepting the CAT Score. The number of colleges means that there is a college available for every student.
During the year 2017, IIMs, for the first time, released the CAT Question Paper and Answer Key, and this practice has continued in CAT 2018 as well. With this transparency leap, CAT exam, which is an official Indian Entrance exam, is now being accepted by international business schools as well. Singapore Management University in 2017 declared CAT score acceptance for admissions into their business programs making it the first international university to open its gates to CAT aspirants.
The CAT Exam is also quite simple in terms of the procedures to be followed. It starts with the CAT 2019 Notification which is expected to be released in the last week of July. The CAT 2019 Notification is announced in all the newspaper dailies and informs the candidate on the CAT 2019 Exam Date and the CAT 2019 Registration Process. Following the release of the CAT 2019 Notification, the candidates must fill the CAT Registration form. This is an essential step for the candidate where they also fill in their preference of the CAT Exam Center. The CAT Registration is followed by the CAT 2019 Exam itself in the month of November. A CAT Mock is released just prior to the CAT 2019 Exam to give the candidate an idea of what to expect in the CAT 2019 Exam. The final stage is the CAT 2019 Result and the selection procedures followed by the colleges to pick the best candidates for their college.
Read below for further details regarding CAT 2019 notification, exam pattern, syllabus, important dates, eligibility criteria, preparation strategy, and more.
The first milestone that every CAT aspirant looks forward to is the CAT 2019 Notification. The CAT 2019 Notification marks the start of the fervent CAT Season in earnest. The CAT 2019 Notification is the time when the serious CAT aspirants start counting down their days for preparation. The CAT 2019 Notification may reveal some details about the CAT 2019 Exam like:
- CAT 2019 Exam Date
- CAT 2019 Exam Registration: Beginning and Deadline
- Number of Centers in CAT 2019
- Any Changes in CAT 2019 Exam Pattern
Some other details about the CAT 2019 Notification and subsequent Registration are:
CAT 2019 Notification: Important Dates
- Official CAT notification: 28th July 2019
- CAT 2019 Registration Begins - 7th August 2019
- CAT 2019 Registration Deadline - 25th September 2019
- CAT 2019 Admit Card Download - 23rd October 2019 onwards
- CAT Exam Date - 24th November 2019
CAT 2019 Notification
CAT 2019 Registration Process
- CAT registration is held exclusively online and is expected to be opened by 2nd week of August 2019.
- Visit www.iim.ac.in.
- Click on the ‘registration' tab.
- Enter details as asked.
- On successful registration you will receive a unique User Id and password via mail/SMS.
- Log in to the official website with given user id and password.
- Complete the application form for CAT exam.
CAT 2019 Online Application
The CAT 2019 online application form is usually divided into the following sections:
- Personal Details
- Contact Details
- Academic Details
- Work Experience
- Choosing IIMs you want to apply for
- Choose Test Centre and Interview City
On completing the information on the form, click ‘Save & Next' option. As the next step, you will be required to upload your photograph and signature in the respective sections. The last step of the CAT 2019 registration process is the payment of the application fee via Credit/Debit Card or Net Banking.
CAT 2019 Application Fee
- The application fee for General category candidates is INR 1800.
- The application fee for SC/ST/PWD category candidates is INR 900.
- The mode of application fee payment is through Credit/Debit Card or Net Banking.
As per the eligibility criteria of CAT 2019 charted by IIMs, candidates should fulfill the following parameters:
- Candidates should have a Bachelor's Degree in any discipline from a recognized university or institute.
- General and OBC-NC category candidates should obtain at least 50% marks in aggregate or equivalent CGPA. For reserved category candidates, the minimum percentage to secure is 45.
- The duration of the graduation programme should be minimum 3 years.
- Final year graduation students are also eligible to apply for CAT 2019 provided they complete their programme within the stipulated schedule.
- There is no age limit for applying or appearing in CAT 2019.
CAT 2019 Eligibility Criteria for Reserved Categories
The CAT 2019 eligibility criteria for reserved categories as decided by IIMs are as follows:
- 15% of seats are kept reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC);
- 7.5% of seats are kept reserved for Scheduled Tribe (ST);
- 27% of seats are kept reserved for Other Backward Classes (OBC);
- 5% of seats are kept reserved for Persons with Disability (PWD). The categories of disability include:
- Any candidate who wishes to apply for this category will be eligible if only he/she suffers from any listed disabilities to the extent of less than 40%, as certified by a medical authority.
- Candidates applying for reserved categories are required to score a minimum cut-off score as per the norms of the IIMs.
a) low vision blindness,
b) hearing impairment,
c) locomotor disability/cerebral palsy
Following the 2018 pattern, CAT 2019 will run for 180 minutes with 60 minutes allotted to each section. There will be 100 multiple-choice and non-multiple choice questions. No movement will be allowed across sections.
The order of sections will remain the same: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (QA).
The use of basic on-screen calculator for computations is allowed.
Find CAT 2018 pattern below for reference:
S.NO |
SECTION |
MCQs |
NoN-MCQs |
TOTAL |
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VRC) |
24 |
10 |
34 |
|
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DI & LR) |
24 |
8 |
32 |
|
Quantitative Ability (QA) |
27 |
7 |
34 |
|
TOTAL |
|
75 |
25 |
100 |
Marking Scheme
- Every correct answer carries 3 marks.
- Every wrong answer carries -1.
- Negative marking do not apply to non-MCQs or TITA (type in the answer) questions.
- The order of attempting the sections is pre-determined.
- Sections start with VARC, followed by DILR, and ends with QA.
Based on the previous years' question papers, the subjects for CAT 2019 can be classified under the following categories:
- Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension
- Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning
- Quantitative Ability
Each of these sections contains different types of questions. A highly-effective CAT preparation strategy includes dense familiarity with all the topics that fall under these categories.
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension
Verbal and Reading Comprehension sections comprises of Reading Comprehension passages. Thorough practice of RC passages will aid in better understanding of longer and complex texts.
Verbal Reasoning questions involve analyzing the form and content of passages. Sometimes the questions herein can surprise the candidates. Previous years' paper contained the following types of questions under Verbal Ability:
- Passage-based questions (5 passages; 3 passages with 6 questions each and 2 passages with 3 questions each)
- Summary-based questions (3 questions)
- Ordering sentences (4 questions)
- Odd-sentence out (3 questions)
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning
Data Interpretation (DI) and Logical Reasoning (LR) consists of charts and graphs of all kinds i.e. line, bar, and pie. These may appear individually or along with tables or other elements.
The questions in the Logical Reasoning sections are fundamentally word problems. However, they may also combine word problems with any of the aforementioned data forms. The form of questions asked in the DILR section may slightly seem complex and hence, consistent practice is the key.
Quantitative Aptitude
The question progression in the Quantitative Ability (QA) section may indeed seem heavy. From fractions to profit and loss to triangles and circles to exponents, etc., the escalation continues. Nonetheless, the calming feature of this section is the uniform pattern.
Questions under the QA section include algebra, arithmetic, geometry, modern math (including set theory, polynomials, probability, progressions, and permutations/combinations), and number systems (e.g. integers, primes, exponents).
The subjects' syllabus of CAT exam is definitely not confined. However, it follows a logical and standard pattern. This only means that once you're very familiar with the pattern, preparation gets more effective. Good luck for CAT 2019!
Visit our CAT 2019 Preparation Strategy page to know how you can follow a highly-effective preparation strategy for CAT devised by our MBA experts.
CAT'18 Exam Analysis: https://www.careerlauncher.com/cat/
Despite the absence of rigid CAT syllabus, our experts have analyzed and provided a tentative CAT 2019 syllabus based on the past CAT trends. While there could be additions of new topics or removal of the old, CAT syllabus is expected to remain same for the year 2019.
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension |
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning |
Quantitative Ability |
|
|
|
Read more
In 2017, IIMs, for the first time released the official CAT 2017 questions and answer key. Based on this continuing trend into 2018 as well, the official CAT 2019 question paper can be expected to be released by the first week of December, 2019.
CAT 2019 Admit Card
The CAT 2019 Admit Card will be released by 23rd October 2019. Candidates can download their admit cards online by logging into the official website with their unique credentials.
CAT Admit Card is one of the most important documents. One must carry a hard copy to the center on the exam day and keep it safe till the end of admission process.
CAT 2019 timeline is similar to that of CAT 2018. The main exam will be held on the 24th November 2019, and with the CAT 2019 Notification released on 28th July 2019. Online application for the exam shall remain open from 7th August 2019 to 25th September 2019.
How to be ready on CAT 2019 exam date
- Carry a print out of your CAT Admit card to your exam center.
- Ensure that the photograph on CAT 2019 admit card is identical to the one uploaded during the online registration.
- Not that CAT Admit Card is only valid on clear and legible printing of admit card, i.e., the photograph and signature must be neatly visible.
- Carry at least one original and valid photo identification card. This ID needs to be produced for verification at the CAT exam center on the day of the exam.
- Photo IDs that are valid and acceptable are: College ID, Employer ID, Driving License, Passport, PAN Card, Voter ID, Aadhar Card, and Identification Affidavit.
- The candidate's photograph and signature on the ID should match the same on Admit Card. The Photo ID card should not be damaged or smudged.
- Locate your allocated CAT exam center and its accessibility a day before the test so there will be no defaults on the exam day.
CAT 2019 Exam Date: Do's and Don'ts
Do's
- Do reach the allocated CAT exam center one and a half hours before the CAT exam is supposed to commence.
- Please carry only your Admit Card & Photo ID Card inside the CAT test hall, nothing else is allowed.
- Do allow candidates with disabilities to get into test center first as they are allowed entry on priority.
Don'ts
- Do not carry your cell phones, electronic gadgets, calculators, stationary items, papers, wallets, or similar things as they are not allowed inside the exam center on CAT exam date.
- Do not wear any jewelry or other metal accessories because you will be asked to remove them before entering the exam hall.
- Do not ask your friends or relatives to accompany you as they will not be permitted inside the test center.
Locating your seat at your CAT exam center
There is Test System Number in your CAT Admit card. This unique number is provided for the purpose of identifying the floor / wing and your designated seat at the exam center.
For any other correspondence with your CAT exam center, you should provide your Registration Number and not the Test System number. Test System number is only needful for seat location/identification during the main exam date.
Inside the CAT exam hall
- Before you enter the exam hall, you should use the washroom as you will not be permitted to go to washroom during the exam.
- You will be given a rough pad and pen for rough work. You should write your name and registration number on the rough pad. This rough pad will have to be returned at the end of the exam.
CAT 2018 Exam Centres
Similar to CAT 2018, CAT 2019 exam centers will be located in over 140 cities across India. The actual number of exam centers may vary depending on the number of participating candidates.
During the exam registration process, candidates will have to select three CAT exam centers in the order of their preference. The final allotting of exam center is decided by the IIMs which are then reflected on the official CAT Admit Card.
CAT 2019 Mock Test
The official CAT mock test is usually released by the IIMs in the last week of October. It is created and shared with the candidates one month prior to the CAT exam. This way, candidates may practice and become familiar with the format and navigation process of the online test. Candidates can also familiarize themselves with the usage of the online calculator and timer. However, it must be noted that the CAT mock test is intended for practice purposes only. The questions therein cannot be considered as an insight to the actual questions due to the absence of qualitative similarity.
CAT 2019 Result
CAT result 2019 is expected to be released in the second week of January, 2020. The official CAT 2019 score card can be downloaded online by entering your unique CAT ID and password on the official website www.iimcat.ac.in. The CAT score card will include your detailed sectional and overall scaled scores and percentiles. The score cards are available online alone, hence, take a print out for further admission processes
Past CAT Trends
The table below contains past exam-result trends as an attempt to lay down the past exam mechanism of CAT.
YEAR |
EXAM |
RESULT |
2015 |
November 29th, 2015 |
January 8th, 2016 |
2016 |
December 4th, 2016 |
January 9th, 2017 |
2017 |
November 26th, 2017 |
January 8th, 2018 |
2018 (latest) |
November 25th, 2018 |
January 5th, 2019 |
Steps to Check CAT Results 2019
Follow these steps to find/check your CAT 2019 results, and to download the rank card:
-
Step 1
Go to the official CAT website www.iimcat.ac.in.
-
Step 2
Enter User Id and Password and login to your account
-
Step 3
Click on 'score card for CAT 2019'.
-
Step 4
Take print out of your CAT Result 2019 for reference/record keeping.
Predict CAT 2019 Percentile with Career Launcher
Although the official CAT result is after almost two months, it is an added advantage and a peace of mind to have an insight on the performance. Keeping this in mind, Career Launcher experts have created a percentile calculator for the purpose of score assessment. The link below is to help you predict/calculate your CAT percentile, so you can begin your college picking plan ahead of time.
CAT 2019 Normalization Procedure
Since CAT is conducted in morning and afternoon slots on a single day, it becomes necessary to normalize the scores of all candidates from both slots. Therefore, IIMs normalizes CAT scores by using a formula similar to that applied for GATE.
The scaled scores for each section along with percentiles are declared along with the result. This is practiced for transparency and for equalizing the scores. This way, no candidates from either slot are left in an advantaged or disadvantaged position.
CAT cut-off is an indication of the minimum percentile score that is expected of a candidate to achieve for getting shortlisted by the participating institutes. While top B-schools are known to have a higher CAT cut-off range, the minimum cut-off varies from institute to institute.
CAT cut-off is generally dependent on certain factors like difficulty level of the exam, number of test-takers, number of seats, etc.
Find the below the tabulated 2018 CAT cut-off of top-tier IIMs for reference:
IIM |
SECTION |
GENERAL |
OBC-NC |
SC |
ST |
PwD (except ST) |
PwD (ST) |
IIM Ahmedabad |
VRC |
70 |
65 |
60 |
50 |
60 |
50 |
|
DI&LR |
70 |
65 |
60 |
50 |
60 |
50 |
|
QA |
70 |
65 |
60 |
50 |
60 |
50 |
|
Aggregate |
80 |
75 |
70 |
60 |
70 |
60 |
IIM Bangalore |
VRC |
85 |
75 |
70 |
60 |
50 |
|
DI&LR |
80 |
70 |
65 |
60 |
50 |
||
|
QA |
80 |
70 |
65 |
60 |
50 |
|
|
Aggregate |
90 |
80 |
75 |
70 |
60 |
|
IIM Calcutta |
VRC |
85 |
75 |
65 |
60 |
60 |
|
|
DI&LR |
80 |
75 |
65 |
60 |
60 |
|
|
QA |
80 |
75 |
65 |
60 |
60 |
|
|
Aggregate |
90 |
85 |
70 |
70 |
70 |
|
CAT 2019 Selection Procedure
The selection procedure differs according to various participating institutes. However, the one uniform feature among all is the preliminary round selection where candidates are shortlisted based on CAT cut-off.
For the second round selection, candidates will have to appear for the Group Discussion (GD) or Writing Ability Test (WAT) or both and Personal Interview (PI) rounds. The new IIMs have in fact started to conduct Common Admission Process (CAP) where the shortlisted candidates from all participating IIMs appear for WAT and PI rounds jointly.
After the end of CAT selection procedure, each IIM release their separate merit lists. The final selection process of B-schools or the CAT selection procedure of participating B-schools is based on multiple criteria such as performance in CAT and GD/WAT and PI rounds and past academic records and or work experience. The criteria or parameters vary from institute to institute. IIMs release their detailed admission criteria after the CAT notification every year.
Other MBA Exams
Apart from CAT, the other MBA exams are XAT, IIFT, SNAP, NMAT, MICAT, TISSNET and a few others.
This diagram gives you a representation of all the important MBA exams and the timeline.