The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) have released the notification for the Common Admission Test 2019 (CAT 2019) on July 28 with the registration window remaining open from August 7 to September 18 with the test scheduled to be held in two shifts on November 24. The result is likely to be declared, tentatively, in the second week of January 2020.

The conduct of the exam, mandatory for admission to flagship post graduate management programs in the 20 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and several other top-rated B-schools, is organised on a rotational basis by the IIMs. This year, the online computer-based test is being held by IIM Kozhikode.

Important Dates

• Registration open on August 7, ends on September 18
• Test to be held on November 24 in two shifts
• The result is likely in the second week of January 2020

How to Apply

CAT 2019 Convener Prof Shubhasis Dey said in a media statement that the test will be held in test centers spread across approximately 156 cities. The candidates will have the option to select four test cities in order of preference.

The cities and centers will be assigned to the candidates only after the last date for registration. Thus, there is no need to rush and block slots and cities in the initial days of registration.

Location and Timing Preferences

While efforts would be made to assign candidates to their first preferred city, if it is not possible, they will be assigned a city following their given order of preference. In the rare case that a candidate is not allotted any of the preferred cities, he/she will be allotted an alternate city. However, candidates will not be able to select the session because it will be assigned in a random manner, he added.

Registration Fee

The Registration fee for CAT Test is

• Rs 950 for SC/ST and PwD (persons with disability) category candidates, and
• Rs 1900 for all other categories

The registration fee is to be remitted only through online payment modes, including

• Credit cards
• Debit cards, and
• Net banking

The candidate needs to pay the registration fees only once, irrespective of the number of institutes he/she is applying for. Fees once paid cannot be refunded under any circumstances.

After submission of the application, candidates will be permitted to download their examination admit card from October 23 onward, till the date of the test.

Test Details

• Test duration: 180 minutes
• Total questions: 100
• Number of sections: 3

Section Details

• Section 1: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehensions (32 Questions)
• Section 2: Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (32 Questions)
• Section 3: Quantitative Ability (34 Questions)

Difficulty Level

The CAT test is stated to be moderate to difficult.

Exam Pattern

Candidates will be allotted exactly 60 minutes for answering questions in each section. However, they will not be allowed to switch from one section to another while answering questions in a section.

Some questions in each section may not be of multiple-choice type. Instead, direct answers will have to be typed on the screen as explained in the tutorials on the test format. You will be allowed to use the basic onscreen calculator for computation.

B-Schools accepting CAT

Apart from the 20 IIMs, about 500 business schools, including FMS, MDI, SPJIMR, IITs, IMI and JBIMS accept CAT scores.

CAT Preparation Tutorials

The tutorials will be available on the CAT website from October 16. Prof Dey said the candidates should work on the tutorials website well in advance to familiarize themselves with all aspects of the test.

Queries regarding CAT 2019

The CAT website contains a section on Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) that addresses some of the commonly asked queries regarding CAT 2019. Candidates could also contact the CAT helpdesk over email or phone, he added.

Eligibility Criteria

You should have a Bachelor’s Degree, with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA (45% in the case of Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Persons with Disability (PwD) categories). Those having completed a professional degree (CA/CS/ICWA) are also eligible.

Candidates appearing for the final year of Bachelor’s degree/equivalent qualification examination and those who have completed degree requirements and are awaiting results can also apply.

If selected, such candidates will be allowed to join the program provisionally, only if they submit a certificate from the Principal/Registrar of their University/Institution (issued on or before the date as stipulated by the respective IIM) stating that they have completed all the requirements for obtaining the Bachelor’s degree/equivalent qualification on the date of issue of the certificate.

Source 1