CAT 2021 Registration will be open online from the first week of August 2021 and continue till the fourth week of September. Tentative date for the exam is the fourth week of November next year. It is a  computer based entrance exam which receives almost 2.45 lakh applications every year is taken by students who wish to continue their masters in a field of management. To be eligible for the exam candidates must have minimum of 50% or equal CGPA in bachelor’s from a recognised university. The process requires candidates to create a login ID, fill up correct details, and pay registration fee. Documents such as scanned copy of passport size photo and signature, and EWS/NC-OBC/SC/ST/PwD certificate are needed for application. 

• As per eligibility criteria reserved categories such as SC, ST, PWD, or DA must have minimum 45% marks in graduation to appear for CAT 2021  
• Registration fee for candidates belonging to general category is INR 1900 while for those belonging to the respective category need to pay only INR 950.
• Candidates can edit certain details like image, signature, marks, in the form before making the payment.
• Documents required for filling the application form are a scanned copy of passport size photo, scanned copy of signature, EWS/NC-OBC/SC/ST/PwD certificate if applicable.
• The form is divided into 5 sections - personal details, academic details, academic performance scores, work experience, and city selection. 
• Candidates can select the preferred course and the exam centre to their convenience. 
• After availability of the admit card, candidates can download the same till the day of the exam. The admit card will have details like exam centre, date, and timing. 

CAT 2021 Important Dates

All important tentative dates starting from notice till result declaration for 2021 CAT aspirants are tabulated below:

Candidates can fill up the form by visiting the official website https://iimcat.ac.in. There is no offline facility for filling the same.

Application Trends Over the Years

CAT (Common Admission Test), conducted by IIMs for admission into their institutions has seen a general increase in the number of students appearing for the same over the past decade. The application trend from 2017 to 2019 has given below:

Documents Required for Filling the Online Application Form

while filling up the application form online, you must keep certain documents handy to ensure that all details entered are correct. The list of documents along with other info is detailed below.

For filling other details like academic results, work experience, 10th, 12th, and bachelors marks you need to keep these documents handy. Make sure that the date of birth and name is filled in correctly, otherwise you might have to register again with a different email and phone number combination. You will be allowed to choose upto 4 options for your preferred city of examination. 

Confirmation Email for Application 

After successful completion of filling up the form and paying online, the candidate will receive a confirmation email of the same. The admit card will have details of the examination such as date, time, and exam centre. 

Image Editing Best Practices

The image of the candidate should be as per the aforementioned format. Few of the things that must be taken into consideration:

• Image should not be more than 6 months old with white background. Dark backgrounds are to be avoided.
• Have a clear resolution of 150px/inch
• Eyes of the candidate must be open
• Eyes, nose, shoulders, and hair must be clearly visible
• The photo should be clicked by a professional photographer at a studio
• The photo should not be rotated
• The candidate must be facing no other direction apart from straight.
• No shadow should fall on the face of the candidate.
• The color of the photo should not be unnatural. 

You can change the size of the image in paint or any online image resizing tool. For using paint, follow these steps:

• Right click on the image select open with paint. 
• In the paint window, select file from the list of tools.
• Select properties.
• A small editing box where you can change the height and of the photo will appear.
• Choose the right dimensions mentioned and click “ok” to save the same.

Note: Failure to comply with these best practices may result in rejection of the image by the authority.

CAT 2021 Form Application Process

Keep all the mentioned documents ready with you along with the bank details and visit the official website. You can use browsers like mozilla firefox, google chrome, or internet explorer version 11 or up. Fields marked with * are mandatory while filling up the details. You do not need to fill the entire form at once as by clicking on the save and exit button saves the data which one can continue to fill later. 

1. Click on the new registration button which will take you to a new tab. Read the instructions and fill in the details like name, date of birth, email, country, and phone number. 
2. After successful completion of filling these details, a popup notice of the user id will be sent to your registered email address and password to your registered phone number will be shown. 
3. On closing the popup, the application form will appear. Click on it and fill in all the personal details. This will require some time as there are 5 sections to be filled. These are:

Personal Details: 

• Father/husband/guardian’s full name 
• Your gender
• Nationality - Choose Indian or mention nationality in the “specify your nationality” field if not indian. 
• Select category (general/ST/SC/PWD/OBC). If categories other than general category, you need to fill in more details regarding the same. 
• Upload photo and signature in the format mentioned above. 
• Enter your address details and alternate communication information.
• Save the entered information by clicking on the save and continue button. 

Academic History: This section requires details of academic performance from 10th standard to bachelor’s or the most recent. Here is the list of pass certificates you need:

• Class 10 examination - enter board name, year of passing, total marks and aggregate marks obtained in percentage
• Class 12 examination - Select type of course (higher secondary or diploma), total marks obtained out of how much, aggregate marks. 
• Bachelor degree details - Out of two options asking if you are in the final year of bachelor’s program or completed it, select the one applicable. Other details like duration of the program, name of institution, name of university, discipline, date of graduation and completion are to be selected. 

Note: if you are in the final year of graduation, enter the marks obtained in the last examination. 

• Other recognised qualifications if applicable like masters. Enter the marks obtained in that field, discipline, percentage of internal and final marks, date of commencement and completion.

Note: If you have more than one professional qualification, enter the highest marks achieved. 

Work Experience: Enter date of joining and release, type of industry and number of months worked in that industry. The total number of months will be calculated automatically. 

Note: Only full time work experience after graduation will be considered by IIMs. Part time jobs, projects, unpaid work, or internships do not qualify as work. If your industry is not listed, select “others”. Save and continue to the next section.

Program Preference: Candidates will be allowed to select the type of program they are interested in this section and the preferred city of interview. Candidates can select upto two cities of their choice for some programs and one for others.

If you have selected PGP/PGDM program in either one of the IIMs listed below, the same city must be selected for interview as well. If you have chosen IIM Ranchi for example, then select Chennai for the interview. The choices of cities are Chennai, Bangalore, Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai.

• IIM Kashipur
• IIM Udaipur
• IIM Raipur
• IIM Tiruchirappalli
• IIM Rohtak
• IIM Ranchi

While choosing the preferred city for the exam, do repeat a city as it does not increase your chances of being allotted in that location. Click on save and continue to fill the next section. 

4. In the city section, candidates can choose upto 4 cities in the preferred order. If you are not allotted either of the 4 cities, the nearest test city will be allotted as cities are subject to availability. Save and continue to the payment section. 

5. In the payment tab, read the details of charges for each type of payment before making the transaction. Enter the captcha and after completing the payment, submit the form. 

Note: Check the data entered carefully before finally submitting the form as after completing the payment, no further changes can be made. 

Candidate Query Form

Candidates can get help regarding the details entered in the application form by filling the query form. After selecting the problem type and stating the details of the issue faced, a grievance number will be generated on submitting the same. You can check the status of the issue by entering your registration and grievance number. 

CAT 2021 Application Fee

Candidates have to pay application fee online along with additional transactional charges which may apply for some forms of payment. The category wise payment details have been tabulated below:

Note: Once payment is made, it cannot be refunded.

What Additional Charges Might Apply?

Processing charges along with the applicable registration fee has to be paid. These charges for each payment method have been tabulated below.

How to Proceed with Payment Step by Step

• After selecting the right payment method (Billdesk or PayU), enter the captcha. 
• Check the declaration box and “I agree” box to proceed with the payment.
• Click on the submit button.
• The payment gateway page will open.
• Enter the payment details.
• A transaction number will be displayed/ generated which you must note down.

Note: After successful completion of payment, you will receive an email confirmation on the same.

CAT Exam Form Correction

Before paying the fee, you can edit certain details like marks entered, work experience, image and signature. Other details like name of candidate, email address, state, and contact number. Follow the instructions given below to edit your form.

1. Enter the official website and click on the “existing user” button. 
2. Enter your login details like password and login id to view your application.
3. Navigate to the different sections of the form and edit the incorrect information.
4. Click on the save and continue button to update the form.

Note: Candidates can also edit data in the form by generating a query form.

Exam Centres in India in Each State

With more than a hundred exam centres scattered across the country, candidates can choose the closest city to their location. The list of exam centres for each state has been tabulated below: 

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CAT Exam Instructions to be Followed in Exam Hall

Certain rules and regulations are to be followed by the candidates once they reach the examination centre. Failure to follow these rules may result in action against the individual.

1. Carry your admit card and ID card without failure. ID proof document can be Aadhar card, Voter ID, Driving license, Passport, PAN card, Employer ID, College ID, Identification affidavit. 

2. Do not carry or wear your shoes once inside the hall. 

3. Avoid wearing jacket, watches, or jewellery 

4. Keep the digital admit card in your phone. It has a Google map link to the exam centre which will let you know the exact location of the centre without any hassle. 

5. The exam is divided into 3 main sections. The candidate may take an hour to complete each as the total time is 180 minutes or 3 hours. PwD candidates will get an additional hour to complete the same. 

6. Examinees must report for the morning examination at 7:30 AM in the morning. No candidates will be allowed to enter the examination centre after 8:45 AM. report at 1:00 PM for the afternoon session. 

7. Admit card printed on A4 sheet with the photo attached must be submitted to the examiner. 

8. The writing pad must be returned to the invigilator with all the pages intact. 

9. Candidate must have a cooperative attitude with the staff. Do not get involved in an argument with anyone in the centre. 

10. Application of henna/mehendi or any writing on any part of the body is prohibited.

11. Do not use the keyboard during the examination, as this will lock your system.

12. Do not carry any gadget or electronic devices like smart watch, calculator, or cell phone.