IIM CAT 2020: This year Common Admission Test (CAT-2020) will be held by Indian Institute of Management, Indore. Official schedule has released on 30th July, 2020. According to the recently announced schedule CAT-2020-21 online registrations start from 05th August. Once the registration begins, interested and eligible candidates can apply for the CAT 2020 examination online at iimcat.ac.in on or before September 16, 2020, until 5 pm. The entrance will be held on November 29, 2020.
CAT 2020 Notification by IIM Indore
CAT is the Common Admission Test for admission to MBA/PGDM programmes in 20 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and other top MBA colleges like FMS Delhi, MDI Gurgaon, SPJIMR Mumbai, IMI New Delhi, IMT Ghaziabad and hundreds of other top MBA colleges in India.
IIM Indore CAT 2020 Highlights
| CAT Particulars | Description |
|---|---|
| Exam Name | Common Admission Test (CAT2020) |
| Conducting Institute | Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Indore |
| Convenor | Professor Harshal Lowalekar, Faculty for Operations Management and Quantitative Techniques |
| Exam type | Computer Based National level exam |
| Exam date | November 29, 2020 |
| Eligibility | No age limit |
| Education | Any graduate with 50% |
| Application Fee | ₹ 2000/- (For General category) ₹ 1000/- (For Reserved category) |
| Registration Mode | Online Process Only |
| Exam Centers | 376 centers across 156 cities (2019). Students have to choose 6 cities instead of 4. |
| Participating Institutes | 20 IIMs, IITs, MDI, FMS, SPJIMR, JBIMS and more than 500 management schools in the country |
| Admission Process | Separate applications to all IIMs and other MBA colleges. |
| Score valid | December 31, 2021 |
| CAT Helpline | Email: cathelpdesk@iimcat.ac.in |
| Official Website | iimcat.ac.in |
Each year, the CAT exam is conducted in the month of November/December, and over 2 lakh individuals appear for this exam to get shortlisted for admission by top IIMs. However, due to the Coronavirus, there is a lingering doubt in the minds of many aspirants that CAT 2020 may face postponement or even cancellation! There is also concern about the placements that IIMs will be able to provide in a seemingly uncertain job market. A CAT expert with over 20 years of experience coaching students answers 10 key questions about CAT 2020.
Schedule of IIM CAT 2020
| Event Name | Date of the Event |
|---|---|
| Date of CAT Notification 2020 | July 29, 2020 |
| CAT 2020 registration starting date | August 5, 2020 |
| Last date of CAT 2020 Registrations | September 16, 2020 |
| Availability of CAT-2020 Admit Card | October 28, 2020 |
| Mock test release date | October 16, 2020 |
| Date of CAT 2020 Entrance | November 29, 2020 |
| Release of candidate’s response sheet | First Week December 2020 |
| Release of CAT answer key 2020 | Second week of December 2020 |
| Result Date of CAT 2020 | First Week January, 2021 |
| Validity of CAT 2020 Score | December 31, 2021 |
Eligibility for CAT 2020
In order to be eligible for CAT, an aspirant must be a graduate degree holder in any stream. Candidates appearing in the final year/semester of their degree program can also apply for CAT 2020.
- Candidates with CA/CS/ICWA degree (Gen: 50% & SC/ST/ PWD: 45%) are also eligible.
- As for CAT Age Limit, there is no minimum/ maximum limit defined. There is also no restriction on the number of attempts.
- The percentage requirement for the exam is different for different categories. It is explained in the table below:
| Category | Percentage Required |
|---|---|
| General and OBC | 50% |
| Scheduled Caste | 45% |
| Scheduled Tribe | 45% |
| Persons with Disabilities | 45% |
CAT Exam 2020 Application Fee
The CAT 2020 Notification has been released. Each candidate has to fill out the CAT 2020 application form (starting from the 5th August 2020) from the official CAT 2020 site by the 16th September in order to appear for the CAT 2020 exam. The CAT 2020 notification has also disclosed the CAT application fee:
| Category | CAT 2020 Application Fee |
|---|---|
| General | ₹ 2000/- INR |
| OBC | ₹ 1000/- INR |
| SC/ST | ₹ 1000/- INR |
CAT Registration Form 2020
IIM Indore will release CAT 2020 application form from August 5. The last date of CAT exam 2020 registration is September 16. Steps to fill CAT application form are given below:
- 1st Step: Generate CAT user id and password
- 2nd Step: Use CAT 2020 Registration Login and fill details
- 3rd Step: Upload required documents and images
- 4th Step: Pay the CAT exam fee through debit card/ credit card or net banking and submit.
List of Documents Required for Registration
- Academic history
- Mark sheets (10th /12th/ Degree/Diploma)
- Work experience (if any)
- Certificates (if any)
- Scanned images of your passport size photo and signature
- Debit/Credit cards, Net banking.
Syllabus for IIM CAT 2020
| Quantitative Ability (QA) | Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) | Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DI & LR) |
|---|---|---|
| Number Systems, LCM & HCF, | Synonyms Antonyms (Vocabulary Based) | Caselets and Tables |
| Profit, Loss & Discount, Percentages | Grammar or English Usage | Bar Graphs and Column Graphs |
| Speed, Time & Distance, Time & Work | Correction in Sentence | Venn Diagrams |
| Simple & Compound Interest | Fill in the blanks | Line Charts & Pie Chart |
| Ratio & Proportion, Averages | Reading Comprehension | Combination of two or more types linked to each other |
| Logarithm, Binomial Theorem | Verbal Reasoning | Number and Letter Series |
| Coordinate Geometry & Mensuration, etc. | Jumbled Paragraph and Close Passage | Calendars, Cubes and Clocks |
| Complex Numbers, Quadratic & Linear Equations | Meaning/Usage Match | Binary Logic |
| Sequences & Series, Surds & Indices,Inequalities | Analogies and Reverse Analogies | Seating Arrangement, Syllogism |
| Probability, Permutation and Combination | Summary Questions | Logical Matching, Connectives. Sequence |
| Set Theory, Functions & Geometry,Mixtures & Allegations, Trigonometry | Facts Inferences Judgements, etc. | Blood Relations, etc |
CAT 2020 Exam Pattern
CAT 2020 Structure: CAT will be a three section test; duration of the test will be 180 minutes (60 minutes for each section).
- Section I: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension
- Section II: Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
- Section III: Quantitative Ability
- 25% No Penalty Questions: Out of 100 questions in CAT 2020, more than 25 questions will not have negative marking. CAT 2020 is divided into MCQ and Non-MCQ type of questions and the Non-MCQs do not carry negative marking. In case any non-MCQ has negative marking, a few MCQs are changed to no negative marking questions.
- 70-75% CAT Questions with Negative Marking: More than 70% questions in CAT 2020 are of MCQ type and will carry penalty of 1/3 negative marking.
CAT 2020 Exam Slots
CAT is usually held in 2 slots, the slot timings are as follows:
| Session | Exam Duration | Reporting Time | Deadline to reach center |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forenoon | 9 am to 12 pm | 7:30 am | 8:45 am |
| Afternoon | 2.30 pm to 5.30 pm | 1:00 pm | 2:15 pm |
IIM CAT 2020 Qualifying Marks
Minimum CAT Score Requirement by IIMs: A Minimum qualifying score between 70 and 90 percentile in CAT 2020 is required by IIMs in each of the 3 sections to shortlist candidates for final admission round.
CAT 2020 Selection Procedure
After the declaration of results and cut- offs, shortlisted candidates appear in the selection process which is held separately by each of the IIMs. The selection procedure through CAT EXAM may consist of a Group Discussion and/or Written Ability Test round and, Personal Interview. In recent years, IIMs have been known to prefer Written Ability Test over Group Discussion.
Personal Interview is also an important part of the selection procedure and can prove to be a decisive factor in selection to IIMs. The final selection is based on performance in CAT and selection procedure rounds.
- Written Ability Test comprises of one or more topics on which a candidate is required to write a brief essay. The time duration assigned to write essay on the given topic varies from IIM to IIM and can be anywhere between 15 minutes to 45 minutes.
- Group Discussion round is less preferred these days but it is wise to prepare for this round as well. In this round, a group of 8-10 candidates is given a topic to discuss. Through this round, a candidate’s performance and group dynamics are assessed.
- Personal Interview round is the final round. In this round, a candidate has to appear before a panel of 4-8 interviewers who test the candidate on their academic background, work experience, hobbies, interests etc.
Courses Offered with CAT 2020
Following are the various management programmes at IIMs in which admission is available through Common Admission Test 2020:
| Name of the IIM | Name of the Course |
|---|---|
| IIM Ahmedabad | PGP, PGP-FABM, ePGP |
| IIM Amritsar | PGP |
| IIM Bangalore | PGP, PGPEM, PGPPM, PGPBA |
| IIM Bodh Gaya | PGP |
| IIM Calcutta | MBA |
| IIM Indore | PGP, PGP-HRM |
| IIM Jammu | PGP |
| IIM Kashipur | PGP, EPGP |
| IIM Kozhikode | PGP, PGP-BL, PGP-F, EPGP (Kochi Campus & IL) |
| IIM Lucknow | PGP, PGP-ABM, PGP-SM |
| IIM Nagpur | PGP |
| IIM Raipur | PGP |
| IIM Ranchi | PGP, PGP-HRM |
| IIM Rohtak | PGP, EPGPX |
| IIM Sambalpur | MBA |
| RGIIM Shillong | PGP, PGPEX |
| IIM Sirmaur | PGP |
| IIM Tiruchirappalli | PGPM, PGPBM, PGPM-HR |
| IIM Udaipur | MBA |
| IIM Visakhapatnam | PGP |
CAT 2020: Important Points
- Low Cost Exam: CAT Registration and CAT exam application fee taken together comes to Rs.100 per IIM for General category and Rs.50/- per IIM for Reserved category. No fee to be paid to apply for any individual IIM
- One Day Exam: CAT exam will be held in single day on Sunday November 29, 2020 in Morning and Afternoon sessions. CAT is a Computer Based Test. Earlier it was held in 15 to 20 days testing window till 2013 by IIMs. Since 2015, CAT exam testing window has been shortened to one day only.
- 45 Days CAT 2020 Registration Window: The CAT Application process opens on August 5 and will close on September 16, 2020
- Dual Degree Accepted: A candidate with dual bachelor’s degree should mention the academic scores of both the bachelor’s degree programme in CAT application form
- Single Fee for MBA Admission: CAT 2020 provides admission opportunity in 20 IIMs with the single point payment of CAT registration fee
- Choice of 50 MBA Programmes in IIMs: CAT 2020 offers a choice of more than 50 management programmes in 20 IIMs without any additional application fee for admission.
CAT 2020 Admit Card
The CAT 2020 Admit Card is one of the most crucial documents for every CAT 2020 Aspirant. It will be released on 28th October 2020 as per the CAT 2020 Notification. The CAT 2020 Admit card can be downloaded at any time till the date of the CAT 2020 Exam.
It is required not only at the CAT 2020 Exam Center but also in some of the procedures post CAT 2020. The CAT Admit Card contains several details such as:
- Name
- CAT 2020 Exam Center
- CAT 2020 Time Slot
- Category
- CAT Registration Number
The personal details have to be carefully examined at the time of release to ensure that there are no mistakes in the CAT 2020 Admit Card. If there are some errors, the authorities should be contacted at the earliest to clarify these mistakes as soon as possible.
CAT Cutoff 2020
The minimum qualifying marks which are required by the candidates to be eligible for next round of selection are referred to as the CAT 2020 cutoff. The minimum percentile is generally referred to as the CAT cutoff 2020. Some of the important factors which are taken into account while determining the CAT cutoff 2020 are the overall difficulty level of the entrance exam, the total number of candidates who appeared for the entrance test, the seats that are offered in different programmes.
| IIM Name | General | NC-OBC | SC | ST | PwD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ahmedabad | 80 | 75 | 70 | 60 | 70 |
| Bangalore | 85 | 75 | 70 | 65 | 60 |
| IIM Calcutta | ≥ 85 | ≥ 75 | ≥ 70 | ≥ 65 | ≥ 65 |
| Lucknow | 90 | 82 | 70 | 65 | 65 |
| Indore | 90 | 80 | 60 | 50 | 50 |
CAT Reservation Criteria 2020
All the IIMs and the management institutes follow the reservation criteria that has been laid down by the candidates. The category wise reservation percentage is given below in the table:
Category wise seat reservation
| Category | Percentage |
| ST (Scheduled Tribe) | 7.5 |
| PWD (Person with Disability) | 3.0 |
| OBC-NC (Other Backward Class – Non-Creamy Layer) | 27 |
| SC (Scheduled Caste) | 15 |
Year Wise CAT Application Statistics
| Year | No. of Registrations | No. of Test Takers |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2,44,169 | 2,09,926 |
| 2018 | 2,40,338 | 2,09,405 |
| 2017 | 231,000 | 1,99,632 |
| 2016 | 2,32,434 | 1,95,000 |
| 2015 | 2,18,664 | 1,79,602 |
| 2014 | 1,96,988 | 1,67,829 |
| 2013 | 1,94,516 | 1,73,714 |
| 2012 | 2,14,000 | 1,95,000 |
| 2011 | 2,05,000 | 1,86,000 |
| 2010 | 2,04,000 | 1,85,000 |