CAT Form Filling FAQs

1.Am I eligible to apply for the CAT?
These are the Eligibility criteria for CAT:

1. You hold a Bachelor’s Degree, with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA from a government-recognized University (45% in case of the candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC)/ Scheduled tribe (ST) or Persons with Disability (PWD) Category).
OR
2. You posses an equivalent qualification recognized by the Ministry of HRD, Government of India.
OR
3. You are appearing for the final year bachelor’s degree / equivalent qualification examination and have completed degree requirement and are awaiting results.

If you meet any of them, you can apply for the CAT. Please note that if you don’t meet them as yet, then it is suggested that you wait until you do (e.g., until you are in your final year of graduation).

2.Which institutes accept CAT scores?
The 7 IIMs and many other Non-IIM institutes accept CAT scores. Please see the CAT Bulletin for further details on each of these institutes. You can also click here to read about the same: http://www.imsindia.com/CAT2008_details.htm

3.If I clear the CAT, will I be guaranteed an admission into one of these institutes?
No. For the IIMs, there are still two further stages of selection, the Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI). Even after that, it is entirely up to the concerned institute whether they choose to accept a particular applicant or not.

4.Where can I get the CAT application form (CAF)?
From select Axis Bank branches. (Refer CAT notification). You can also click here to read about the same: http://www.imsindia.com/CAT2008_details.htm

5.Where do I need to submit the application form?
Page 1 of the CAT Bulletin clearly mentions the 23 test centres where you can take the CAT. It also provides you with a table mentioning the Test Centre and the respective IIM where you need to submit the application form. E.g., if you have chosen your test centre to be Pune, you will need to submit the application form at IIM Bangalore.

6.Till when can I submit the forms?
The last date for receipt of completed application forms at the respective IIMs is September 5, 2008.

7.How much does the form cost?
The cost of the Form + Bulletin – i.e., the CAT application fee – is Rs. 1300/- for the general Category, and Rs. 650/- for the SC/ST/PWD Category candidates.

8. If I change my mind about appearing for the CAT, will the application fee be refunded?
No, any claims for refund of the CAT application Fee will NOT be entertained.

9.When will the CAT be held?
16th November 2008, 10.00 am to 1.00 pm

10.Can I take the CAT online?
No, the CAT is a paper-_base_d test.

11.What do I need to enclose along with the form? Do I need mark sheets from all my school/college exams or my school leaving certificate?
Only these items should be enclosed along with the CAF:

1) The 3rd copy of Bank’s/IIM’s Pay-in-Slip
2) A copy of Bachelor’s degree certificate/provisional certificate if your degree education has been completed, or a certificate from the college/institution in the proforma given in the bulletin in table 6 that you are in the final year or have completed the final year but are awaiting results (See point 12 for details)
3) A copy of mark sheet indicating percentage marks scored in graduation if your degree education has been completed, or the latest available mark sheet in case you are in the final year or have completed final year but are awaiting results
4) A copy of OBC(Non-Creamy)/SC/ST and/or Disability Certificate, if applicable
5) One additional copy of the photograph with your name and CAT Application Form Number written at the back.

Failure to enclose the above will result in the rejection of your application. Please write your application Form number on these documents. Do not staple, pin or stitch these documents to the application form. Keep them loose along with the application form inside the envelope. Please enclose and send all these in the envelope provided along with the CAF.

12.I am in my final year in a bachelor’s degree course/I have completed my graduation but I am awaiting final year results. So I don’t have my Bachelor’s degree certificate yet. What do I enclose?
You should enclose a provisional certificate, i.e., a certificate from the college/institution in the proforma given in the bulletin in table 6, obtained from an authority such as a Principal/HOD/Registrar/Director, stating that you are in the final year or have completed the final year but are awaiting results, and have obtained at least 50% marks (45% in case of SC/ST/PWD Category candidates) taking all examinations for which results have been declared. Also include a photocopy of your latest available mark sheet.

13.How do I fill the form? Do I use a pen or pencil?
Use only HB pencil for filling all the boxes, except Boxes 13, 14, 15 and 35, for which use a ball-point pen with black ink. Boxes 1, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18/19 and 35 are mandatory and should be filled in compulsorily. Applications with these boxes not filled in will be rejected. requests for reconsideration of such forms will not be entertained by IIMs. Please try to fill all the relevant boxes.

14.How do I write my full name in Box 1 – given name first or surname first?
You need to enter your name as it appears in your School Leaving Certificate. Leave a cell blank between two parts of your name. If your name does not fit in the given space, consider using only an initial for your middle name/any other part of your name that is not you given name or family name. Use the same format for your name in box 13 of the CAF and all other places required in future.
15. I belong a Scheduled Caste (SC)/Scheduled Tribe (ST)/Other Backward Classes Non Creamy (OBC Non-Creamy). What do I have to do?
Mark the appropriate circle in Box 5. For SC/ST, enclose a certificate along with the CAF in the Government approved format, which clearly states:
1) Name of your caste/tribe
2) Whether you belong to Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe
3) District and the State or Union Territory of your ordinary residence
4) The appropriate Government of India schedule under which your caste/tribe is approved by it as Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe.
Failure to enclose a copy of the caste certificate will result in the rejection of your Application Form.
If you belong to Other Backward Classes (Non-Creamy), a certificate that you belong to Non-Creamy OBC Category duly signed by competent authority should be sent along with the CAF. The certificate should be in the format as suggested in Table 7. Failure to enclose such a certificate will result in you not being considered under the reserved Category.

16.What do I need in order to apply under the Category of Persons with Disability?
If you suffer from any of the listed disabilities to the extent of not less than 40%, as certified by a medical authority, you can come under this Category. Darken the circle against the Category of Disability that is applicable to you. Please also enclose a copy of the disability certificate (issued by an government recognized authority) with your Application Form; failure to do so will result in the rejection of your Application Form.

17.Does an internship count as work experience? What about part-time work or volunteer work?
Only paid and full-time work experience, acquired after completing the Bachelor’s Degree, as on August 3, 2008, counts as work experience. Apprenticeship, Article ship, Internship etc., which form an integral part of a course of study, should not be treated as work experience.

18.What if my postal address is going to change soon?
The postal address should be valid at least till November 16, 2008.

19.The only photo I have handy is 2 years old. Will that do?
No. As mentioned in the CAF, the photo has to have been on or after March 15 2008 – in other words, it has to be a recent photo.

20.I have completed my graduation and my university/institution awards letter grades/CGPA (Cumulative Grade Points average) instead of marks. What should I do?
Letter grades or grade points should be converted to percentage of marks. Enclose a photocopy of the certificate from your university/ institution for conversion of Cumulative Grade Points average (CGPA) or grades in percentage score with the application form. Please note that if there is no such equivalence used by your university/institution, a certificate to that effect needs to be enclosed.
You can convert your grade points to percentage yourself using this formula: divide your grade point by the maximum of the scale and multiply it by 100 to get the percentage. For example, if your grade point is 3 on a 4-point scale, the equivalent percentage of marks will be ¾ x 100 = 75.0%.

21.What should I put in box 17, if I have undergone a 3-year Diploma in Engineering studies after SSC (without doing HSC) and have then done/am doing a 3-year Degree course in Engineering?
Record the percentage of marks obtained in the Diploma course in this box.

22.What should I put in box 18, if I have undergone a 5-year Integrated Master’s Degree course after my HSC?
Compute the percentage of marks obtained in the first three years and enter this in the Bachelor’s Degree (If Completed) box. Enter the percentage of marks obtained in the remaining two years in the Master’s degree boxes (Boxes 20 and 21).

23.What if the duration of my course is 4 years instead of 5 years?
Enter the percentage of marks obtained in all 4 years under the Bachelor’s Degree (if completed). If a candidate fulfils his/ her eligibility _base_d on his/her performance in a professional examination (e.g., CA/ICWA) which is considered equivalent to graduation, he/she should indiCATe in the CAT application form marks obtained in that examination as marks obtained in bachelor’s degree.

24.If I have acquired more than one degree either at bachelor’s, master’s or professional course levels, then what should I do?
Choose only one of these degrees for entering the percentage of marks (in boxes 18 to 24), and
the Discipline codes (in boxes 29, 30, 31 and 32).

25.I have passed my HSC exams from a State University instead of HSC Board.
You should enter University Code given in Table 3 as the HSC Board Code.

26.Can I get a different interview centre than the ones listed in the CAF?
No, only the listed centres are valid. The IIMs will not entertain any request for change of interview centre.

27.What if I made any mistake while filling the form?
No corrections will be permitted after submission of the application form. However, in case a candidate identifies any mistake in the submitted form, he/she may buy and submit a fresh form duly filled-in by September 5, 2008.

28.When will I get the Test Admit Card?
Test Admit Cards will be mailed to all eligible CAT applicants by the respective IIMs beginning October 13, 2008. Applicants who do not receive their Admit Cards by October 31, 2008 should contact the admissions Office of the IIM to which they have sent the CAT application Forms, quoting the application Form number and the test centre chosen by them. A list of candidates, whose application forms have been rejected will be put up on the CAT website (www.catiim.in) on October 3, 2008 along with the reason(s) for rejection.

29.When will I get the results?
All the eligible candidates who take CAT 2008 will receive CAT scorecards by mid-January 2009, by mail, from the IIM to which they had sent their CAT application Forms. The scorecard will be valid only for one year.