CAT Eligibility Criteria 2021: Check Qualification, Age Limit, Reservation
CAT Eligibility Criteria 2021: The conducting IIM for Common Admission Test (CAT) will prescribe the CAT 2021 eligibility criteria under which the candidates will have to meet certain parameters that have been laid down. Detailed IIM CAT eligibility criteria 2021 are explained here for candidates who will appear for CAT 2021. According to the CAT eligibility criteria, candidates who have completed any Bachelor’s Degree from a recognized University with 50% of aggregated marks (45% for SC/ ST/ PwD) are eligible to apply. Before starting the CAT preparation, candidates should know the complete eligibility criteria so that they do not face any problem while registering for the CAT exam as well. In this article, we discuss the CAT eligibility criteria comprising age limit, academic qualification, category wise reservation, etc.

CAT Exam Dates 2021
Those candidates who are interested in CAT 2021 and fulfill the eligibility criteria must be aware of the CAT 2021 important dates like application starting, ending, admit card availability, CAT exam date, answer key release date, result date, cut off, and so on.
CAT 2021 exam dates
Event | Date |
CAT Registration 2021 starts from | First Week of August 2021 |
Last Date to submit the CAT Application form | Last Week of September 2021 |
CAT Mock Test 2021 | Third week of October 2021 |
Availability of Admit Card | Last Week of October 2021 |
CAT 2021 Exam Date | Last Sunday of November 2021 |
CAT Eligibility Criteria 2021 - Overview
It should also be noted that eligibility for the CAT exam 2021 is very simple and has remained the same for the past several years. If candidates do not meet the eligibility criteria, then will not be able to apply for the CAT 2021 exam.
CAT 2021 eligibility criteria
Particulars | Details |
Academic Qualification | Graduation/ Bachelor’s Degree |
Required Marks in Graduate | 50% (40% for SC/ ST/ PwD) |
Age Limit for CAT 2021 | No Age Restriction |
Work Experience | Not Mandatory |
Reservation | Based on Category |
Detailed eligibility criteria of CAT 2021 is discussed below. There are certain points regarding academic details which form part of eligibility criteria for CAT 2021. Some of the important points are mentioned below:
CAT eligibility concerning Educational Qualification
Eligibility for CAT examination for final year graduate students
CAT eligibility for students with backlogs
CAT eligibility and reservation details
CAT mark calculation and who ineligible for CAT 2021?
Required work experience for CAT Exam 2021
Before going into the eligibility details, it is necessary to know the details about the CAT exam and what this exam is. Below is a brief introduction to the CAT exam. For more information about CAT Eligibility Criteria 2021, see the complete article.
What is CAT?
CAT is normally called a Common Admission Test. CAT is a National Level Entrance Examination which is conducted annually by IIMs to take admission in management programs in various B-Schools. The CAT exam consists of three sections such as Quantitative Aptitude (QA), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC). One should check the latest CAT 2021 exam pattern and syllabus to know the detailed syllabus topics for the exam and prepare accordingly.
CAT 2021 will be held on the last Sunday of November 2021 (Tentative) and the results will be released in January 2022. Individuals wishing to take the CAT 2021 exam should check the latest IIM CAT 2021 Eligibility Criteria before registering for the exam.
Also Check
When and How to Start CAT 2021 Preparation?
CAT Preparation 2021 - How to prepare for CAT without coaching
CAT Eligibility Criteria 2021 - Academic Qualification
The conducting IIM will mention the academic qualifications and the marks which the candidates must secure to be able to appear for the CAT exam.
Eligibility Criteria of CAT 2021
Qualification | Affiliation | Percentage/ CGPA |
Bachelor’s Degree from any University/ Institute | Recognized by UGC | 50% aggregate marks (45% for SC/ ST/ PwD) |
Engineering Degree - B.Tech/ B.E. from any University/ Institute | Recognized by MHRD/ AICTE | 50% aggregate marks (45% for SC/ ST/ PwD) |
Students who appeared in the final year of degree examination | Recognized by MHRD/ AICTE/ UGC | 50% aggregate marks (45% for SC/ ST/ PwD) |
MHRD/ AICTE: The University shall be declared annexed by an Act of the Parliament or the State Legislature of India or shall be treated as a university under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956.
NOTE: The candidates who appeared in the final year of degree examination should submit the certificate from the Registrar/ Principal of the respective institution or university. The certificate must state that they have met all the requirements for equivalent qualification on the date the certificate is issued.
CAT Eligibility Criteria 2021 - Registration with Backlogs
One of the most common questions of students with any academic backlogs in their graduate program is whether they can enroll for the CAT 2021 exam. It should be clarified that CAT aspirants who have academic backlogs during their graduate program can apply and register for CAT 2021 without any problem.
During last year’s CAT registration (i.e. CAT Exam 2020), IIM Indore received many questions from candidates about registering with academic backlogs. In CAT 2021, those with backlogs are expected to apply and come to the exam.
Any candidate who scores above 50% (45% for the reserved category) in the degree (even in supplementary) can apply for CAT 2021.
When completing the CAT 2021 registration form, ask, "Are you in your final year of your bachelor's degree?" Select "Yes" to the question.
CAT 2021 Eligibility Criteria - Reservation Criteria
IIM offers some reservations for different categories of students applying for any business management program. To know CAT eligibility criteria for OBC, MBC, SC, ST, PwD, General, see the table below:
Reservation Criteria
Category | Reserved Percentage |
NC-OBC (Non-Creamy Other Backward Classes) | 27% |
SC (Scheduled Caste) | 15% |
ST (Scheduled Tribe) | 7.5% |
PwD (Person with Disability) | 5% |
This CAT reservation means that a general category candidate has 54% (54.5% accurate seat) seats for her/him. The total number of seats available in the various IIMs is about 4000. Due to the reservation level, the number of seats available to candidates from the general category is over 1900. By adding 20 or more top Institutions, the general category candidates have about 4000 seats to compete.
Also, Check CAT 2021 Cutoff for Top MBA Admission
Reservation Policy for Person with Disability (PwD)
For PwD category candidates, they must bring a PwD certificate issued by a competent authority. Then only they are able to fulfill the CAT exam eligibility criteria 2021 for the PwD category. Individuals with various type of disabilities accepted under the PwD reservation:
Low vision/ blind candidates.
Candidates with hearing impairment.
Candidates with a locomotive disability or cerebral palsy.
CAT Eligibility Criteria 2021 - Marks Calculation
The CAT percentage calculation will be based on the fact that the respective institutions or universities where the candidates have passed their degree will follow their own procedure for calculating the total marks.
For CGPA and grades, marks will be converted into percentages based on the practice certified by the respective institution or university.
In another case, if no institution or university offers any plans for change, the percentage will be calculated by dividing the student's CGPA by the maximum CGPA, multiplying the result by 100.
For example,
If a candidate has a CGPA of 8.8 and a maximum of 10 CGPA, then 8.8/10 = 0.88 and multiplying the result with 100 = 0.88 X 100 = 88%
Quick Links
Check CAT Score vs Percentile 2021
Eligibility Criteria for CAT 2021 - Who is ineligible for CAT?
If the candidate is in the process of completing their professional degree (CS/ CA/ ICWA) without appearing for their bachelor’s degree.
The candidate is pursuing both their bachelor’s degree and a professional degree but has not yet completed both.
If the candidate's score in the degree is less than 50% (45% for SC / ST / PWT candidates), he or she is ineligible to apply for the CAT.
If the degree is not recognized by MHRD/ AICTE/ UGC, the candidate will be considered ineligible for the CAT examination.
CAT Eligibility Criteria 2021 - Work Experience Requirements
Candidates are not required to have any prior work experience.
Even if the CAT Application Form 2021 asks for it, there is no necessary condition to fulfill it.
It should be noted that during the final examination, some weightage may be given by IIMs for this work experience. However, the exact weightage has never been revealed and it will vary from one IIM to another IIM.
CAT Registration 2021
The CAT 2021 application form will be released in online mode tentatively in the first week of August on the official website and candidates will be able to fill it till the third week of September. The conducting IIM will also provide a window to make the necessary corrections in the form if required. Also the candidates will have to choose at least six CAT exam centres 2021 according to preference. Once the candidates have provided all the necessary information in the CAT 2021 application form, uploaded the documents, they would have to pay the necessary fees depending upon the category to which they belong. The fess will have to be paid as per the various modes of payment which have been mentioned.
Quick Links
Know-How to fill CAT Application Form 2021
Check details of CAT 2021 Application Form Correction Window
CAT Eligibility Criteria 2021 - IIM Eligibility Vs CAT Eligibility
When IIMs convene CAT, their eligibility criteria are not the same. There are some minor contradictions that every candidate who wants to study in IIMs should be aware of.
Although there is no age limit for both the CAT exam qualification and the IIM qualification, the two year bachelor’s degree accepted by the CAT exam qualification criteria is not accepted by IIMs and their management programs require a three year bachelor’s degree.
Other than that, there are no discrepancies between the CAT exam qualification and the IIM qualification.
Frequently Asked Question (FAQs) - CAT Eligibility Criteria 2021: Check Qualification, Age Limit, Reservation
Question: Are there any age criteria to apply for CAT 2021?
Answer:
IIM does not recommend any age criteria to apply for CAT 2021.
Question: How do I know if I belong to the NC-OBC category?
Answer:
Candidates can know that they belong to the NC-OBC category by visiting here.
Question: I am pursuing a final year Bachelor’s degree, can I apply for CAT 2021?
Answer:
Yes, the candidates who appeared in the final year examination are eligible to apply for the Common Admission Test 2021.
Question: I have a backlog, can I be eligible to apply?
Answer:
Students who have a backlog, "Are you in your final year of your bachelor's degree?" You must select the Yes option. At the time of completing the IIM CAT 2021 application form.
Question: I am a general category candidate with 49% undergraduate and 51% undergraduate. Am I eligible to apply for CAT 2021?
Answer:
No. Must have 50% or more in your degree.
Question: Is it possible for a candidate to appear in more than one slot in the CAT exam?
Answer:
No, a candidate cannot appear for more than one slot to appear for the examination.
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Questions related to CAT
Is it true that top scorers in cat are called for iima interview irrespective of their academics?
According to my knowledge IIMAhmedabad callstop50scorersfrom eachacademicdisciplineirrespective of their academicrecord.
Good luck!
Which managemnet course is best for Automobile Engineer?
hi,
I assume you are asking about mba or post graduate diploma in management courses. generally mba course or pgdm is of 2 years duration. I have mentioned the stream name with college details of automobile specialization below:
Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science, Chennai- MBA Automobile Dealership Management
Jagannath University, Jhajjar- MBA Marketing and Automobile Management
Vel Tech Business School, Chennai- MBA Automobile Dealerships Management
I am a final year UG student(2018-2021) and I am appearing for CAT 2021. Is this considered as a one year gap?
Aishwarya,
Candidates studying in final year of undergraduation can also apply for the CAT 2021. As this is your final year and you are writing CAT 2021, then it is not considered as one year gap. One year gap means, a period of one year taken by a student as a break between any two levels/stages of study. Example: if you do not give CAT this year and direclty go for job. And after one year you decide to write CAT , then the one year in which you earned work experience will be considered as GAP as you took a break of one year in your academics.
And for information about CAT 2021, visit here:
https://bschool.careers360.com/articles/cat
Thankyou!
I have a low score in CAT (34 percentile) as well as XAT(20 percentile). Should I apply at IIFM, Bhopal? I really like that college but I dont know if I should apply or not!
Dear aspirant,
With this percentile in CAT and too in CAT it is impossible for you to get call from this college as the sectional cut off for each section(overall) 80 Percentile and for each subject it is 50 percentile.
For more information kindly visit the link given below-
https://www.careers360.com/colleges/indian-institute-of-forest-management-bhopal
Which is the best CAT Institute in Hyderabad Time Or CL or IMS
Hello,
Time, CL and IMS are coaching institute for CAT examination.
These three are best institute for preparation. Fees are almost same IMS and TIME. And CL fees are quitly higher than these institutions.
Time is good, because they give very important study materials. They have very good teacher and help in online tests also.
IMS also good as well as Time institutions. It's very good for solutions.
Now come to the CL, Career launch is best. Because their study materials, studying style is different from another institution. Infact they are help you in any time by online also.
This review all over India according, so now it's your choice which institute you have to choose.
All the best.