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CAT Exam Eligibility Criteria 2024: Age limit, Qualification, Reservation

CAT Exam Eligibility Criteria 2024: Age limit, Qualification, Reservation

Edited By Sundararajan | Updated on Mar 18, 2024 02:45 PM IST | #CAT

CAT exam eligibility criteria will be released by the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) along with the CAT notification at the official website iimcat.ac.in. The CAT eligibility criteria 2024 is a list of requirements that one has to fulfill to appear for and clear the CAT exam. Academic qualifications, past academic performance, the CAT age limit, and other related requirements are included in CAT eligibility criteria. More than 3 lakh eligible candidates apply for this entrance exam annually for PGDM and MBA admission at IIMs and 1,200+ B-schools in India. Check out this article to know who can apply for CAT 2024, what the age limit is, etc.

CAT Eligibility Criteria 2024

As per the eligibility criteria for CAT 2024, candidates have to meet certain parameters set up by the conducting body. Candidates before filling out the CAT application form and starting their preparation for CAT exam should, first of all, know who is eligible for CAT exam. Aspirants wishing to appear in this MBA entrance exam should meet the following eligibility criteria for CAT 2024:

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  • Candidates have a bachelor's degree or its equivalent from a recognized university
  • Should secure a minimum of 50% for the open category and 45 % for the SC/ST/PwD category
  • Final year of bachelor's degree are also eligible to apply for CAT exam 2024. However, such candidates will have to submit the certificate of completion from the principal or registrar of their university or institution on or before the date stipulated by the respective IIMs.
  • Candidates with work experience will have some added preference/ weightage. But work experience is not mandatory as per CAT exam eligibility 2024.
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Question: What is the pass mark for CAT?
Answer: According to the pass mark for CAT or the CAT eligibility criteria, candidates who have completed any bachelor’s degree or its equivalents from a recognized university with 50% marks (45% for SC/ST/PwD) can apply for the CAT exam 2024.

Question: Can 12 pass apply for CAT?
Answer: No, a 12th-pass student is not eligible for CAT. Since the CAT exam is an MBA entrance test, so a candidate must have a bachelor's degree.

CAT Age Limit

All MBA aspirants need to know what is CAT exam eligibility and how to match the specified age criteria for CAT exam beforehand. Candidates appearing for this MBA entrance exam can check the CAT exam age limit below.

  • Minimum age eligibility for CAT exam: There is no age limit for appearing in the CAT exam 2024. Candidates, regardless of age, can apply for this CAT exam. The only criteria for CAT exam eligibility is that candidates must have a degree with required marks.
  • CAT maximum age limit: Any person can apply for CAT 2024 at any stage of their career. According to the CAT entrance exam eligibility, there is no maximum age for CAT exam.
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CAT Eligibility Criteria 2024- Academic Qualification

For CAT 2024 exam eligibility criteria IIM mentions the academic qualifications and the marks that the candidates must secure to be able to appear for the CAT exam.

CAT Exam Eligibility for IIM

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 the degree examination

Recognized by MHRD/ AICTE/ UGC

50% aggregate marks (45% for SC/ ST/ PwD)

There is no CAT eligibility criteria 12th marks required for the CAT exam. A bachelor's degree is required with a minimum of 50% after completing the intermediate education.

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 the 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.

Also Check: Download Sample Paper for CAT Preparation

CAT Exam Eligibility Criteria - 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 2024 exam. It should be clarified that CAT aspirants who have academic backlogs during their graduate program can apply and register for the CAT exam without any problem.

Any candidate who scores above 50% (45% for the reserved category) in the degree (even in supplementary) can apply for CAT 2024. When completing the CAT 2024 registration form, ask, "Are you in your final year of your bachelor's degree?" Select "Yes" to the question.

IIM CAT 2024 Eligibility- Reservation Criteria

IIMs will have their own individual selection criteria for admission. They follow the reservation guidelines set by the Government of India. To know the CAT eligibility criteria for OBC, MBC, SC, ST, PwD, and General, see the table below:

Reservation Criteria

Category

Reserved Percentage

NC-OBC (Non-Creamy Other Backward Classes)

27%

SC (Scheduled Caste)

15%

Economically Weaker Sections (EWS)up to 10%

ST (Scheduled Tribe)

7.5%

PwD (Person with Disability)

5%

Reservation Policy for Person with Disability (PwD)

For the PwD category candidates, they must bring a PwD certificate issued by a competent authority. Candidates can avail of the benefit provided for PwD only upon submission of the PwD certification issued by a competent authority. Details of various types of disabilities accepted under the PwD reservation are given below:

  • Low vision/ blind candidates.

  • Candidates with hearing impairment.

  • Candidates with a locomotive disability or cerebral palsy.

CAT Eligibility Criteria 2024 - Marks Calculation

  • The CAT percentile calculation will be based on the fact that the respective institutions or universities where the candidates have passed their degrees will follow their own procedure for calculating the total marks.

  • For the calculation of CGPA and grades as per CAT entrance exam eligibility, 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 and 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

Who is not eligible for CAT 2024?

  • 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 a 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 exam.

  • If the degree is not recognized by MHRD/ AICTE/ UGC, the candidate will be considered ineligible for the CAT examination.

CAT Eligibility Criteria - Work Experience Requirements

  • Candidates are not required to have any prior work experience.

  • Even if the CAT application form 2024 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 2024

The CAT application form will be released in the first week of August 2024. Candidates who fulfill the CAT exam eligibility 2024 can fill out the registration form in online mode. The CAT 2024 form window will be closed in the second week of September 2024. After providing all the necessary information in the CAT application form and uploading the documents, candidates have to pay the necessary fees depending upon the category to which they belong. The fees have to be paid in online.

Quick Links

IIM Eligibility Vs CAT Eligibility

  • When IIMs convene CAT exam, their eligibility criteria are not the same. There are some minor contradictions that every candidate who wants to study at IIMs should be aware of.

  • Although, as per the age criteria for CAT exam, there is no age limit for both the CAT exam qualification and the qualification for IIM admission, the two-year bachelor’s degree accepted as per the requirement for the CAT exam qualification criteria is not accepted by IIMs, and their management programmes 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)

1. Is there any age limit for IIM CAT Exam? Is 12th marks important for CAT?

IIM does not recommend any age criteria to apply for CAT 2024. All the academic records of the candidate play a role in the CAT 2024 exam.

2. How to make sure if I belong to the NC-OBC category?

Candidates can know that they belong to the NC-OBC category by using this link.

3. I am pursuing a final year Bachelor’s degree, can I apply for CAT 2024?

Yes, the candidates who appeared or are appearing in the final year examination are eligible to apply for the Common Admission Test 2024.

4. I have a backlog, am I be eligible to apply?

Yes. 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 2024 application form.

5. When will CAT 2024 application process begin? Which IIM will conduct CAT 2024?

The CAT 2024 application process will be released in the first week of August 2024. IIM Calcutta is expected to conduct CAT 2024 on November 24, 2024.

6. Is it possible for a candidate to appear in more than one slot in the CAT exam?

No, a candidate cannot appear for more than one slot to appear for the examination.

7. Who will prescribe the CAT exam eligibility criteria? Which IIM will set CAT 2024 paper?

IIM Calcutta is likely to specify the CAT exam eligibility criteria 2024. IIM Calcutta will set the CAT 2024 question paper.

8. What is CAT? When can I give CAT exam?

The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a national-level entrance examination which permits aspirants to get into top management institutes. Candidates can give the CAT exam 2024 on November 24, 2024 (expected).

9. I am pursuing graduation from correspondence. Can I apply for CAT 2024?

Yes, candidates pursuing an undergraduate course from correspondence are eligible to apply for CAT 2024 exam.

10. Can I give CAT after MSc?

Yes, those who have completed their master's program are also eligible to apply for the CAT entrance test. 

11. Who can give CAT exam?

According to the CAT eligibility criteria, candidates who have completed any bachelor’s degree from a recognized university with 50% aggregated marks (45% for SC/ST/PwD) are eligible to apply.

12. When should I apply for CAT 2024?

Candidates have to apply for CAT 2024 from the first week of August 2024.

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Questions related to CAT

Have a question related to CAT ?

The Common Admission Test, is a computer based standardized test conducted in India. It is one of the most prestigious and competitive entrance exams for admission into postgraduate management programs, Including MBA, in various Indian Institutes of Management and other top business schools across the country.

To know more about CAT 2024 like exam date, eligibility, syllabus and more, click on the below link.

https://bschool.careers360.com/articles/cat-2024


Both GMAT and CAT exams are considered to be highly competitive. Therefore, it is difficult to measure which one is harder than the other as it depends on the individual strengths ,weaknesses, and personal preferences.

GMAT quant section is often considered to be easier, however, its verbal section is tougher for non-native English speakers. Whereas, CAT quant section is considered to be trickier in comparison to the verbal section. Therefore, students are advised to analyse both CAT and GMAT exam pattern carefully before opting for one.

Hello

Generally admissions are given based on your rank. So based on your overall percentile in JEE your rank could be between 56470 - 63480 approximately.

Unfortunately, Based on the marks you scored, it will be difficult to get admitted into NIT Trichy under OBC category. However there is also a second chance for you to attend for JEE, so I recommend you to take that chance and score better.

You can check the colleges you are eligible for using the below link.

https://engineering.careers360.com/jee-main-college-predictor?utm_source=qna&utm_medium=jee_cp


Hello Aspirant

Congratulations on your score, There are many good B schools at 80-85%ile in CAT and XAT
1)Great Lakes, Chennai
2)IRMA
3) Goa Institute of Management
4) NIBM
5) TAPMI
Do your research about these colleges as to what is their average package, the roles offered.

Colleges like NIBM specialize in Finance, and IRMA has a lot of sales marketing Roles. So ultimately the choice is yours which specialization you want to pursue.

View All

1-radian measures 600. (True/False)

Option: 1

True


Option: 2

False


$111111^2$ = 

Option: 1

123456654321


Option: 2

123454321


Option: 3

123454321


Option: 4

12345654321


1111112 =___________ 

Option: 1

 123456654321


Option: 2

1234554321


Option: 3

123454321


Option: 4

12345654321


159702 is divisible by

Option: 1

7


Option: 2

9


Option: 3

11


Option: 4

6


1600 satellites were sent up by a country for several purposes. The purposes are classified as broadcasting (B), communication (C), surveillance (S), and others (O). A satellite can serve multiple purposes; however a satellite serving either B, or C, or S does not serve O. 

The following facts are known about the satellites: 

1. The numbers of satellites serving B, C, and S (though may be not exclusively) are in the ratio 2: 1:1. 

2. The number of satellites serving all three of B, C, and S is 100. 

3. The number of satellites exclusively serving C is the same as the number of satellites exclusively serving S. This number is 30% of the number of satellites exclusively serving B. 

4. The number of satellites serving O is the same as the number of satellites serving both C and S but not B. 

Question:

What best can be said about the number of satellites serving C? 

Option: 1

Must be between 450 and 725 

 


Option: 2

Cannot be more than 800 
 


Option: 3

Must be between 400 and 800 

 


Option: 4

Must be at least 100 


1600 satellites were sent up by a country for several purposes. The purposes are classified as broadcasting (B), communication (C), surveillance (S), and others (O). A satellite can serve multiple purposes; however a satellite serving either B, or C, or S does not serve O. 

The following facts are known about the satellites: 

1. The numbers of satellites serving B, C, and S (though may be not exclusively) are in the ratio 2: 1:1. 

2. The number of satellites serving all three of B, C, and S is 100. 

3. The number of satellites exclusively serving C is the same as the number of satellites exclusively serving S. This number is 30% of the number of satellites exclusively serving B. 

4. The number of satellites serving O is the same as the number of satellites serving both C and S but not B. 

Question:

What is the minimum possible number of satellites serving B exclusively? 

Option: 1

100


Option: 2

200


Option: 3

500


Option: 4

250


1600 satellites were sent up by a country for several purposes. The purposes are classified as broadcasting (B), communication (C), surveillance (S), and others (O). A satellite can serve multiple purposes; however a satellite serving either B, or C, or S does not serve O. 

The following facts are known about the satellites: 

1. The numbers of satellites serving B, C, and S (though may be not exclusively) are in the ratio 2: 1:1. 

2. The number of satellites serving all three of B, C, and S is 100. 

3. The number of satellites exclusively serving C is the same as the number of satellites exclusively serving S. This number is 30% of the number of satellites exclusively serving B. 

4. The number of satellites serving O is the same as the number of satellites serving both C and S but not B. 

Question:

If at least 100 of the 1600 satellites were serving O, what can be said about the number of satellites serving S? 

Option: 1

At most 475 

 


Option: 2

Exactly 475 
 


Option: 3

At least 475 

 


Option: 4

No conclusion is possible based on the given information 


1600 satellites were sent up by a country for several purposes. The purposes are classified as broadcasting (B), communication (C), surveillance (S), and others (O). A satellite can serve multiple purposes; however a satellite serving either B, or C, or S does not serve O. 

The following facts are known about the satellites: 

1. The numbers of satellites serving B, C, and S (though may be not exclusively) are in the ratio 2: 1:1. 

2. The number of satellites serving all three of B, C, and S is 100. 

3. The number of satellites exclusively serving C is the same as the number of satellites exclusively serving S. This number is 30% of the number of satellites exclusively serving B. 

4. The number of satellites serving O is the same as the number of satellites serving both C and S but not B. 

Question:

 If the number of satellites serving at least two among B, C, and S is 1200, which of the following MUST be FALSE? 

Option: 1

The number of satellites serving C cannot be uniquely determined 

 


Option: 2

The number of satellites serving B is more than 1000 
 


Option: 3

All 1600 satellites serve B or C or S 

 


Option: 4

The number of satellites serving B exclusively is exactly 250 


2839155 is divisible by

Option: 1

2


Option: 2

7


Option: 3

55


Option: 4

None of the above


'a' for which x^{2}-ax+9= 0 can be written as square of a linear factor is

Option: 1

6


Option: 2

-6,6


Option: 3

\left ( 6,\infty \right )


Option: 4

\left ( -\infty,-6 \right )


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