CAT 2019

CAT 2019 Results, Cut-off, Seat Allocation, and Counselling

CAT Exam 2019 Introduction

• About: Common Admission Test (CAT) is the most popular National level management entrance exam conducted by Indian Institute of Management (IIMs) for admission to 20 IIM's and more than 100 B-schools across India. The exam is conducted and administrated by one of the IIMs on a yearly rotational basis. CAT 2019 will be conducted by IIM Lucknow.

• Purpose: The CAT score helps management course aspirants to get admission in Top Management Colleges in India. The number of applicants for CAT 2019 is expected to be more than 2 lac.

• Frequency: CAT is conducted once every year.

• PG Management Programmes: Through CAT, IIMs offer PGP, PGP-FABM, PGPEM, PGDM, EPGP PGPSM, PGPWE, PGDHRM, PGPEX, and PGPBM.

• Difficulty: CAT is an annual test designed to evaluate an applicant's Quantitative, Verbal/reading, Data Interpretation, and Reasoning Skills. After analyzing CAT previous year papers, it is evident that Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) is always set to be the toughest section in the paper. VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension) section complexity is mostly moderate and QA so far has always been the easiest.

• CAT Percentile: Candidates attempting 63-67 questions with the right responses can expect a decent CAT Percentile. However, the percentile is a relative measure of the performance as it depends on how good/bad other test takers perform.

• CAT can be considered one of the toughest competitive entrance exams conducted in India and has a success rate of 1 in 200.

• Payment: The payment of application fee can be made online via Debit/Credit cards/internet banking / E-Wallet only. The offline payment mode is not entertained.

• Placement: More than 50 institutes offering masters or postgraduate diploma in management across India consider CAT score as the valid criteria for admission, every year.

CAT Exam 2019 Highlights

CAT Exam 2019 Important News

• Starting 2017, CAT test takers have been allowed to raise objections regarding answers once the official answers key is released. It is expected to be the same for CAT 2019 exam.

• Good news! You can now predict your probable CAT percentile and estimate the rank accordingly, with us. Feel free to check CAT 2019 Percentile Predictor.

• For the 6 old IIMs (B, L, A, C, K, I), there will not be any centralized counseling.

• The GD has been replaced with a common written analysis to assess the candidate's communication and comprehension skills. However, this is only applicable for the six new IIMs (Raipur, Rohtak, Ranchi, Udaipur, Trichy, and Kashipur). There is no official confirmation from the other (older) IIMs regarding this.

• Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is the latest addition to the list of non-IIMs accepting CAT score for admissions to its PG Management programmes.  

CAT Exam 2019 Courses:

CAT Exam 2019 Dates (Tentative)

• CAT 2019 Official Notification is expected to be released on 9th August 2019.

• For 2019, conducting authority IIM Lucknow will release the complete schedule on the official CAT Website in due time.

• Application Window: IIM Lucknow will commence registrations from 9th August 2019. The last date to apply for CAT 2019 will be 25th September 2019. 

• Feel free to check CAT 2019 Exam Dates.

CAT Exam 2019 Eligibility

• To be eligible to write CAT, candidates need to have completed their graduation degree with a minimum of 50% aggregate marks. Candidates pursuing the final year of their UG course can also apply for CAT 2019.

• Applicants who have a CA/CS/ICWA degree will also be considered eligible. General category candidates need to have obtained a minimum score of 50% in any of the mentioned degrees whereas reserved category (SC/ST/PWD) candidates must have obtained a minimum of 45% aggregate marks. 

• For CAT there is no restriction for the upper age limit of the candidates. Also, there is no limit in the number of attempts.

• Check the table below for minimum percentage required for the following categories:

Note: During the application process, candidates are advised to provide all the correct information. Failing to do so will result in the rejection of the candidate's application.

• Candidates who successfully make it to the interview have to present the required set of documents. Failing to do so will result in the rejection of the candidate's application.

• Read detailed information about CAT 2019 Eligibility.

CAT Exam 2019 Reservation Statistics:

• There are certain reservations for the seats offered by IIMs for reserved category candidates. The exact count is as shown below:

CAT Exam 2019 Application Form

• CAT 2019 Online Form was rolled out on 9th August 2019. The last date to apply for CAT 2019 was 25th September 2019. Application Process was carried out online on the official website iimcat.ac.in.
• CAT Online Registration Form facts:

  • The registration form is a 5-page document.

  • The application process for CAT every year will be available for a minimum of 45 days.

  • Once a candidate registers for CAT, IIM conducting the exam will send registration ID and password to the candidate which have to be used to login to the official website and complete the application process.  

CAT Registration/ Application Process 2019 :

Necessary Documents to fill the form:

• Academic history details

• Mark sheet of 10^th /12^th/ Degree/Diploma

• Work experience (if applicable)

• Certificates of achievements (if any)

• Scanned image files of your passport size photo and signature

• A valid debit/credit card/net banking/E-Wallet for application fee payment.

How to Apply for CAT Exam 2019:

The application process is a four-step procedure as mentioned below:

Step I: Registration:

• Go to the official website iimcat.ac.in. Register yourself by entering your email id, phone number, and date of birth. Candidates are advised to provide a valid and working mail id & phone number as all further communications will be notified on the same.

Step 2: Fill CAT Application Form:

• This step will ask the candidate to provide the following details: personal details, contact information, academic details, work experience, program preference and exam center preference.

Step 3: Uploading Documents:

• Upload scanned images of your recent passport size photograph, signature and other required documents as asked in the process. Make sure you check the specifications before uploading any of these files. Check image specifications and detailed information regarding CAT 2019 Application Form.

Step 4: Payment of Application Fee:

• CAT 2019 Application Form fees can be paid online using a debit/credit card or net banking. Find category-wise application fees for CAT 2019: 

CAT Application Form Status:

• On successful completion of CAT 2019 Application Process an email, a pop-up message on the screen and a message on the registered mobile number are sent confirming the status of the candidate's application form.

• The application status is “Successfully Submitted” if the application gets accepted or else “Application Rejected” is shown indicating any mistake made during the process.

CAT Application Form Correction:

• Candidates tend to make mistakes while filling the application form.

• Since CAT is a major career deciding exam, the authority facilitates the candidates with an Application Form Correction window during which candidates can make changes to the information provided in their application.

• Get more information about CAT 2019 Application Process.

How to Register for Non-IIM participating institutes in CAT Exam #

Follow the steps given below to register to Non-IIM institutes:

• Step 1: Visit the official website iimcat.ac.in

• Step 2: Navigate to the CAT # link which will be available on the right part of the screen.

• Step 3: Click on ‘Downloading of MOU and the Application Form’

• Step 4: Pay the required fees.

• Step 5: Carefully fill the Application Form and MOU. Then send the scanned copies duly filled-in, signed and stamped along with the required enclosures (mentioned inside application form) through email.

Note: The program brochure can be sent exclusively or separately along with the other required hard copies as stated above.

• Step 6: The signed and stamped MOU (two copies), Application Form (single copy) in original and other supporting documents (hard copies) as specified in MOU and Application Form must be sent duly filled into Admissions Office of IIM Lucknow to its address at CAT Centre, C/o Admissions Office, IIM Lucknow, IIM Rd, Prabandh Nagar, Mubarakpur, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226013.

CAT Exam 2019 Syllabus:

• An official CAT Syllabus is never released by IIMs. Find below the curated syllabus for CAT 2019 based on questions asked from various topics in previous year papers. 

• Syllabus: The CAT 2019 Syllabus is divided into 3 sections which test the Logical Thinking, Verbal Ability, and Mathematical Analysis. There is no General Awareness section and testing.

• Get more information about CAT 2019 Syllabus

CAT 2019 Exam Pattern:

• Marking Scheme: 3 marks will be awarded for each correct answer and 1 mark will be deducted for an incorrect answer.

• Mode of Exam: The CAT 2019 examination will be conducted Online (Computer-based test).

• Type of Questions: CAT paper will consist of 2 types of questions: MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions) as well as non-MCQs.

• Total Questions: There will be a total of 100 questions. 

• Sections: Quantitative Ability, Verbal and Reading Comprehension, and Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning

• Exam duration: Candidates will be provided 3 hours to complete the test which counts to an hour per section.

• Negative marking (MCQs): There will be a total of 75 questions which if answered wrong will incur negative marking.

• Without negative marking: There will be a total of 25 questions which will not incur any negative marking even if answered wrong.

• The exact CAT pattern cannot be predicted and is changed a little every year. So far now, no such change has been notified by IIM

• As per the revised exam pattern, CAT 2019 will consist of 3 sections with a total of 100 questions. You need to ensure high score in each of the sections as there is also a sectional score cut off in IIMs for shortlisting.

• Get detailed information about CAT 2019 Exam Pattern.

CAT 2019 Admit Card:

• CAT 2019 Admit Card will be available for download on the official website 25th October 2019 onwards.

• CAT Hall Ticket will have the applicant's personal details and information regarding the test such as test venue, session, etc.

• The hall ticket will facilitate the candidate's entry into the examination hall provided it is presented with any other valid Govt. ID Proof of the candidate.

• Discrepancies: If any discrepancy is found in the CAT 2019 Admit Card, candidates must notify the authority for corrections. They will be required to contact the CAT Helpdesk using the following details:

  • Toll-Free Number: 1800-266-3549

  • Helpdesk email address: cathelpdesk@iimcat.ac.in

Documents Required along with Admit Card

• Aadhaar Card

• Voter ID Card

• Passport

• PAN Card

• Driving License

• Photo ID issued by current education institute or employer among others.

• Check details regarding the CAT 2019 Admit Card.

CAT Exam 2019 Results

• IIM Calcutta is expected to release the CAT 2019 Results in the 2^nd week of January 2019. The scorecards will be published online along with the results. The candidates will be notified about their percentile via SMS and the score will be valid for 1 year.
• The step-wise process to obtain CAT result is given below: 

1. Visit the official website.

2. Navigate to click on ‘Download CAT Score Card’.

3. You will be redirected to the login page. 

4. Provide your User Id and Password.

5. You will be redirected to the candidate’s account page.

6. Click on the Download Scorecard link and download it for future reference.

CAT Result 2017 Highlights

CAT Exam 2018 Percentile Predictor

• CAT 2019 Results will be announced on 15th January 2020. Candidates can download their score from the official website.

• Candidates can predict their percentile using the CAT Percentile Predictor on GetMyUni. Go to the URL: https://www.getmyuni.com/cat-percentile-predictor

• Once the results have been declared, all participating institutes will release their cut off details for admissions.

• Candidates will be shortlisted based on their performance in CAT (percentile obtained).

• Get more information about CAT 2019 Results.

CAT Exam 2019 Counselling

• Documents to be Submitted: Candidates have to submit the original documents during the CAT 2019 Counselling.

• Counselling Date: The CAT 2019 counselling process will start from 22nd January 2020. 

  • The counselling dates allocated for each candidate depends on their score in CAT 2019 exam. 

• Seat Reservation: According to the Indian Government Policy, seat reservation will be applicable for CAT 2019.

• The CAT selection procedure is a two-step process. Candidates scoring equal or more than the cut-off marks will be invited for GD, WAT and Personal Interview at the colleges they have applied to. Every college will conduct its independent selection process, except for the new IIMs. 

• The ratio of candidates shortlisted for admissions to the number of candidates finally getting admissions 4:1.

• It must be noted that there is no Common Counselling Process for CAT. 

• Candidates shortlisted for PI & WAT- Candidates are shortlisted based on:

• Final Selection- For the final selection, the following things are taken into consideration: 

• Get more information about CAT 2019 Counselling.

CAT Exam 2019 Courses by IIMs:

EFPM and FPM at IIMs:

• Other than diploma in Management, IIMs offer FPM and EFPM which are equivalent to Ph.D. programmes. 

• EFPM stands for Executive Fellow Programme in Management and FPM stands for Fellow Programme in Management.

CAT Exam 2019 Cutoff

• Minimum percentile Cutoff of CAT:

• Get more about the CAT 2019 Cut-Off.

CAT Registration Trend over years:

• CAT Registration over the year is shown in the table below:

CAT Registration Trend:

CAT 2019 Reservation Criteria:

CAT 2019 FAQs

• Q. What is the marking scheme for non-MCQ questions in CAT #exam?

• Ans. There will not be any particular marking scheme for non-MCQ/ TITA questions, but the right responses to these questions will add the score to the overall percentile.

• Q. Is there a marking scheme defined for MCQ type questions in CAT #?

• Ans. 3 marks are awarded for every correct answer and 1 mark will be deducted for every wrong answer.

• Q. What are some of the most important topics in QA section for CAT exam preparation?

• Ans. Check the following:

  • Number system

  • Arithmetic

  • Algebra

  • Geometry

  • Permutation and combination

  • Set theory, trigonometry and

  • logarithms

• Q. What are some of the most important topics in Verbal and Reading comprehension section for CAT exam preparation?

• Ans. Check the following:

  • Fact Inference Judgment

  • Fill in the blanks

  • Grammar

  • Para Completion

  • Para Jumble

  • Sentence Correction

  • Verbal Reasoning

  • Word Usage (Vocabulary)

• Q. How can I check my CAT result online?

• Ans. A simple 4 step process to check the CAT result online is as follows:

1. Visit the official website.

2. Navigate to click on ‘Download CAT Score Card’.

3. You will be redirected to the login page. 

4. Provide your User Id and Password.

5. You will be redirected to the candidate’s account page.

6. Click on the Download Scorecard link and download it for future reference.

• Q. What was the IIM interview cut off last year?

• Ans.

• Q. I am still in my final year of Bachelor‘s Degree. While filling the application form what marks should I enter?

• Ans. Mention the marks according to the last marksheet you received from the University.

• Q. What is the maximum age limit for CAT exam?

• Ans. No, there is no age limit for CAT eligibility.

• Q. Can I write the exam in multiple slots?

• Ans. No, a candidate can write the test only in one-time slot.

• Q. What marks is a dual degree (B.Tech+M.Tech) holder supposed to enter in qualification column?

• Ans. You will have separate columns for providing graduation (B.Tech) marks and post-graduation (M.Tech) marks.

• Q. When is the CAT # exam? 

• Ans. Its scheduled on #. Over 2 lac candidates are supposed to write the online test.

• Q. Can I apply for offline CAT exam?

• Ans. No, there is no provision for an offline exam. CAT was conducted in offline mode until 2009.

• Q. How many seats are offered by the IIMs for admissions through CAT score?

• Ans. There are 4300 seats. It has been the same for the last two years and there has been no official notification regarding any increase in the no. of seats.

• Q. How many candidates have registered for CAT 2019?

• Ans. Approximately 2.3 lac candidates have registered for CAT #

• Q. Are seats reserved in IIMs for female candidates?

• Ans. No, there is no separate reservation for female candidates in IIMs.

• Q. How many institutes in total will use CAT # score to provide admissions?

• Ans. Almost a total of 100 institutes and 20 IIMs will consider CAT 2019 score for admissions to post-graduate management programmes.

• Q. Do I have to apply separately for admission in different colleges?

• Ans. Yes, except for the IIMs any other participating institution will require the candidate's separate application for admission.

• Q. How to prepare for CAT exam?

• Ans. A bachelor’s degree from a recognized institute is compulsory and mandatory for writing the CAT # exam, this must meet the minimum percentage requirement of 55% in the qualifying examination.

• Q. Will candidates scoring less than the cut-off still get admission in the participating institutes?

• Ans. The candidate must clear the minimum cut off. Failing to do so the candidate cannot apply to any IIM. However, a private institute might still call you for an interview depending on their admission policy.

• Q. When will CAT 2019 Admit Card be released?

• Ans. You have to download the CAT # Admit Card from the official website. The admit catd can be downloaded any day until #.

• Q. If i lose my hall ticket at the exam centre, can I still somehow download it there?

• Ans. Yes, you can download it at the exam centre. You need to inform the authorities about the same and they will help you in downloading a duplicate admit card.

• Q. What stationeries should I be carrying on the exam day?

• Ans. None, you need not carry any. A pen and a paper will be given to you at the exam centre for rough work which you must return back to the authorities before leaving the exam hall.

• Q. Is there any travel allowance for reserved category candidates?

• Ans. No traveling allowance will be issued to the candidates irrespective of the fact whether they are from reserved or non-reserved categories. 

• Q. What is the deadline to enter the CAT exam centre?

• Ans. For the morning shift exam, candidates will not be allowed to enter the exam hall post 8:45 AM, for the evening shift candidates, will not be allowed inside the exam hall post 2:15 PM. 

• Q. What are the items banned from being carried at the CAT 2018 exam center?

• Ans. Candidates will not be allowed to carry any of the following items:

  • Mobile Phones

  • Pen, pencil

  • Books/ chits/ sheets/ clips

  • Electronic Gadgets

  • Watches

  • Calculator

  • Stationary

• Q. Is it a fact that candidates are not allowed any bio-breaks during the exam hours?

• Ans. Yes, there will be no-breaks for candidates during exam hours.

• Q. What kind of assistance will be provided to PwD candidates at the exam centre?

• Ans. For PwD candidates, the following priveledges will be extended at the exam centre:

  1. Scribe/ reader- candidates who are suffering from a visual impairment or cerebral palsy will be allowed to bring along a scribe as an assistant, the scribe must have filled or submitted affidavits which ensure scribe’s authenticity. 

  2. Other allowed devices- an abacus without a calculator will be allowed for candidates suffering from a visual impairment or hearing impairment.

• Q. What items are supposed to be carried to the exam centre on the day of the exam?

• Ans. One must carry CAT # admit card, along with a valid Government photo ID proof.

• Q. What are the different ID proofs that can work as valid photo Id proof?

• Ans. Check the following:

  • College ID

  • Employer ID

  • Driving License

  • Passport

  • PAN Card

  • Voter ID

  • Aadhaar Card

  • Identification Affidavit

• Q. During the application form correction window, what all details can be edited?

• Ans. Only the following details can be edited:

  • Programs selected

  • Percentage of marks scored

  • Work experience

  Rest, cannot be edited within the form correction window. So candidates must be really careful while submitting their duly filled in application form.

• Q. What steps are supposed to be followed to correct details in the CAT 2019 Application Form?

• Ans. Follow the steps given below to edit details in the CAT # Application Form:

  1. Open the official CAT website #.

  2. Click on the “existing user” tab.

  3. Log in to the portal with the username and password.

  4. Check the date supplied in the fields.

  5. Edit the information that needs to be corrected.

  6. Click on “save “and continue once the whole form has been edited.

• Q. Will transgenders be allowed to write the exam?

• Ans. Yes, transgenders will be allowed to write the exam. Starting from 2015, transgenders have been allowed to take up CAT by the concerned authorities.

• Q. What is the minimum required eligibility criteria to write CAT # ?

• Ans. A bachelor’s degree from a recognized institute is compulsory and mandatory for writing the CAT #yearexam, this must meet the minimum percentage requirement of 55% in the qualifying examination.

• Q. What are the particular information that must be kept handy before starting to fill the CAT application form?

• Ans. The following information must be kept handy:

  1. Candidate’s name

  2. Candidate’s DOB

  3. A valid email address

  4. Educational history

  5. Mark sheet of the previous qualifying examinations

  6. Additional certificates to be uploaded

  7. Scanned images of the passport size photo

  8. List of IIMs in the order of application

• Q. What are the details to be provided in the CAT Application Form?

• Ans. You will find the following fields in the form:

  1. Personal details

  2. Academic details

  3. Work experience

  4. Programmes

  5. Payment of application fee

• Q. I have worked as a part-time employee with a management firm. Will my experience be counted during CAT Registration?

• Ans. No, part-time job experience will not be counted as work experience, only full-time job experience of graduates will be considered as work experience.

• Q. What are the specifications for the photograph file to be uploaded with the CAT application form?

• Ans. A scanned copy of the photograph and signature will be considered valid if the same meet the following requirements:

  Doc	Size	Specified format
  Recent passport size photograph	not more than 80KB	30mmX 45mm .jpg or .jpeg. minimum resolution of 150 px/ inch.
  Signature	not more than 80 Kb	80mmx 35mm, .jpg or .jpeg. minimum resolution of 150 px/ inch.

• Q. Can I pay the CAT Application Form fee offline using a bank challan or something?

• Ans. No, you cannot, Application Fees can be paid online only using a debit/credit card or net banking. Note that no other mode of payment is valid for CAT 2019 Application Process.

• Q. What are the documents required to be submitted along with the CAT 2019 application form?

• Ans. The candidates must upload the following compulsory documents along with the CAT Application Form:

  • A recent scanned photograph

  • Scanned image of the signature

  • SC/ST/OBC certificate must be signed by competent bodies and must be self-attested, and then scanned and uploaded.

  • PWD/DA certificate must be signed by authorities and self-attested thereof, thus scanned and uploaded.

• Q. Is it required to send a hard copy of the completely filled and submitted the application form to the conducting authorities?

• Ans. No, it will not be required. But candidates are advised to keep a print out of the same with them for future correspondence.

• Q. Can the details in the application form be edited once I have paid the application fees?

• Ans. No, all such edits can be made only before the fees has been paid. Certain information can be edited after the payment of application fee but most of it will be frozen and hence cannot be edited. The system thus provides you with the opportunity to register an account and login multiple times before actually hitting the final submit button.

• Q. What are the details to contact CAT Helpdesk?

• Ans. You can contact the authorities on:

  • Toll-free number: 1-800-266-3549

  • Email ID: cathelpdesk@iimcat.ac.in.

• Q. Are degrees from Open Universities or correspondence recognized and accepted for CAT eligibility criteria?

• Ans. It will be accepted provided it meets any of the following requirements:

  • Any Qualification recognized by Association of Indian Universities, New Delhi, equivalent to a Bachelor’s Degree awarded by UGC recognized University/ Institutions will be regarded as “Equivalent Qualification”.

  • In case the equivalent qualification possessed by the candidate is not covered in those mentioned above, then he/she will have to get an equivalence certificate from Association of Indian Universities New Delhi.

• Q. How many non-MCQ type questions can one expect for CAT #year?

• Ans. The data given below is curated after analysing the previous year paper patternss and close to an exact approximation of the same:

  Section	QA	DI & LR	QA
  Number of questions	34	32	34
  MCQs	24	24	27
  Non- MCQ	10	8	7

• Q. What are the most important points and exam tips regarding CAT 2019 exam pattern?

• Ans. Check the highlight points below:

  • A total of 100 questions divided into three sections.

  • Test duration is 3 hours.

  • It is a Computer Based Test.

  • Test takers cannot switch between sections.

  • The medium of the paper will be English only.

  • Attempt TITA questions carefully.

• CAT 2019 Guidelines:

• ID Proof: Admit Card and ID proof are mandatory for every candidate. Without ID card candidate are not allowed inside the examination hall.

• Report Early: The candidate must reach the exam centre at least 30 minutes before the commencement of the exam as the security checks, identity verification, and check-in may take a considerable time.

• Latecomers Not Allowed: If a candidate reaches the exam centre after the commencement of the exam then the candidate will not be allowed to enter the examination hall.

• No Talking Inside the Examination Hall: The candidate is not allowed to talk to anybody during the examination. If the candidate is found doing the same, it will lead to cancellation of candidature or the candidate will be sent outside the examination hall without any warning.

• Restricted Items: Candidates shouldn't carry any Electronic Watches with a calculator, material printed or written, paper bits, mobile phone, pager or any other device, Calculators, Docu Pen, Slide Rules, Log Tables except the Admit Card, identity proof or any document inside the examination hall.