CAT Exam: Eligibility Criteria 2015

CAT (Common Admission Test) is considered as one of the toughest MBA entrance exams in India. The MBA CAT 2015 Registration will be starting from 6^th August, 2015. Aspiring management students should visit the official website - to apply for the test. Every year one of the 19 IIMs conduct the CAT test. This year Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM Ahmedabad) will be conducting CAT entrance exam 2015 in coordination with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). In 2014, a total of 1,96,988 MBA aspirants registered out of which 1,67,830 appeared for the management entrance test. Unlike in 2014, this year the exam will be conducted on a single day window -- 29^th November, 2015. If you are planning to sit for CAT test this year, here are the IIM CAT eligibility criteria for 2015: CAT academic eligibility requirements

1. A candidate must be a Graduate with a minimum score of 50% marks for General category
2. In case of Scheduled Caste (SC)/ Scheduled Tribe (ST)/Persons with Disability (PWD/Differently Abled (DA) category, must score at least 45% marks or equivalent CGPA
3. If candidates are awarded grades/CGPA instead of marks, IIM would convert the grades/CGPA to percentage of marks based on the rules followed by the institution/university from where the candidate appeared for the bachelor degree exam
4. In case, the respective university/institute has no system of converting grades into marks, then the candidate’s CGPA by the maximum CGPA multiplying the result with 100
5. Candidates appearing in degree final year or equivalent qualification and those waiting results are also eligible to apply. Such candidates need to produce necessary documents on or before 30^th June, 2016

List of equivalent qualifications

1. Bachelor’s degree in Technology/Engineering (4 years after XII/Post B.Sc./Post Diploma) or B.E/B. Tech equivalent examinations, of Professional Services, recognized by UPSC/MHRD/AICTE (e.g. AMICE by the Institute of Civil Engineers in India, AMIE by Institution of Engineers, India)
2. Any degree or equivalent awarded by UGC recognized institutes/universities, which is recognized by Association of Indian Universities, New Delhi

Category wise reserved seats As per the government rules, the following seats are allotted against each reserved category:

1. 15% seats are reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC)
2. 7.5% seats are reserved for Scheduled Tribe (ST)
3. 27% seats are reserved for Other Backward Classes (OBC) (candidates under the non-creamy layer are eligible)
4. 3% seats are reserved for Differently Abled (DA) candidates

The 3 categories of disabilities are -- a)      Low vision blindness b)      Hearing impairment c)       Loco motor disability/cerebral palsy 5. All candidates under the Reserved Category should have the minimum eligibility requirement as stated by IIMs. The reservation quota are given to include more students from SC/ST/PWD/NC-OBC categories in the management programmes offered by IIMs. Important notes for SC/ST, NC (Non-Creamy) - OBC and DA candidates 1. If you are SC/ST, you must meet the following criteria: a)      Your caste/tribe must be listed in Government of India schedule b)      The submitted caste certificate must be in the Government approved format and should clearly state: -          Name of your caste/tribe -          Whether you belong to the Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe -          District and the State or Union Territory of your ordinary residence and -          The appropriate GOI schedule under which your caste/tribe is approved by it as Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe 2.  At the time of CAT online application registration, the SC/ST and PWD/DA certificate must be uploaded. If you fail to upload the caste or PWD certificate then your candidature would be rejected. 3.  If you are a NC-OBC (Non-creamy - Other Backward Classes) candidate, you must produce the certificate duly signed by competent authority and enclose its photocopy at the time of interviews. Also, the certificate must be submitted at the time of joining programmes of any of the IIMs. Failure to do so would consider your candidature as invalid under the NC-OBC category. Age criteria for CAT 2015 There is no age limit set to apply for the CAT exam. However, candidates with good work experience are likely to be preferred for management programmes. As for eligibility, anyone with the minimum education qualification can apply for the Common Admission Test. CAT is a highly competitive management entrance test. Being eligible to apply under General or Reserved category doesn’t guarantee you a seat at any of the IIMs. You would need to work hard and smart to get into management programme in any of the IIMs. On top, the CAT pattern this year has underwent major changes. Stay in tune with us, and we will get you the latest news on CAT exam! In the meantime, if you are looking for CAT coaching classes, post your requirements on UrbanPro. We will help you to connect with the best CAT coaching institutes or best CAT trainers at your preferred location