One of the biggest MBA entrance exams, CAT is conducted every year by Indian Institute of Management (IIM) on a rotational basis. CAT is a computer based test held for admissions in elite B-Schools across India. A seat in these institutions promises high pay-packages and a rewarding career in the corporate world. As such, CAT remains one of the most sought after competitive examinations and attracts graduates from all streams. The score is not only accepted by the IIMs, but also by other 100+ top notch B- Schools across the country. Approximately 4,000 seats are offered by the IIMs.
Though the official registration of CAT starts in the month of August and the test takes place in November, we bring you the tentative dates of the commencement of the CAT (based on previous year actual dates) so that you have a fair idea about CAT and plan your preparation accordingly.
CAT 2018 will be conducted on Nov 25, 2018 (Sunday).
The following table gives you the tentative details about CAT 2018.
CAT Important Dates:
| Notification release date | Last week of July 2018 |
| Registration commencement | Second week of August 2018 |
| Last date for Online Registration | Third week of September 2018 |
| Issue of Admit Card | Third week of October 2018 |
| CAT Exam Date | 25th November 2018 |
| Result Announcement | January 2019 |
News alert: For the first time ever, Singapore Management University, an international B-school, has started accepting CAT scores for admissions since last year.
A quick overview of important facts about CAT:
| Name of test | Common Admission Test (CAT) |
| Purpose of test | Qualifying test for admission to 20 IIMs and over 100 B-schools across India |
| Conducted by | IIM Calcutta |
| Exam type | National level |
| Periodicity | Once in a year |
| Score/Percentile Validity | One Year |
| Annual Number of Test Takers | 1,99,632 in 2017 |
| Pattern of Test | MCQs and Non-MCQs |
| Number of Questions | 100 |
| Test Duration | 3 hours |
| Negative Marking | -1 for each wrong answer in MCQs No negative marking for Non-MCQs or TITA |
| Syllabus | Questions from VARC, QA and DI & LR |
| Mode of Conduct | Computer-based (Online test) |
| CAT 2018 Convenor | Prof. Sumanta Basu |
| Application Fees | Rs. 1800 for General/NC-OBC category Rs. 900 for SC/ST/PWD/DA category |
| Reservation of seats in IIMs and B-schools | As per the Government of India regulations |
| Official Website | https://iimcat.ac.in |
A detailed notification for the CAT 2018 may be released in July/ August 2018. (IIMs reserve the right to change the test date in case of exceptional circumstances.)
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