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CAT 2017 Exam Notification Released – Important Dates, IIFT Clash, and other details

Saturday, July 29th, 2017

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CAT 2017 Exam Notification was released today on the official website. The exam will be held on 26th November 2017 in two slots. It will clash with the IIFT 2017 exam unless something changes. The advertisement will appear in newspapers tomorrow i.e. 30th July.

CAT 2017 – Advertisement for tomorrow (30th July)

Original on Official CAT 2017 Website

CAT 2017 – Important dates

Notification Release: July 30, 2017
Registration opens: August 9, 2017
Registration closes: September 20 (5 PM), 2017
Admit Card Issue: October 18, 2017
CAT 2017 Exam: Sunday, November 26, 2017. IIFT Exam is scheduled to be held on the same day
Result declaration: 2nd week of January 2018 (tentative)

CAT 2017 Exam clashes with IIFT 2017 exam

As per the information that has been released till now, the CAT 2017 exam will class with the IIFT 2017 exam. I have been teaching for MBA entrance exams since 2006 and in the past decade, I cannot remember a time when the CAT exam clashed with any of the other major entrance exams like IIFT, XAT, SNAP, etc. This is a first and most probably IIFT will change the date or provide some alternative to students appearing for CAT 2017. IIFT is a good B-school and would not want to lose out on good candidates simply because of a scheduling issue. As an MBA aspirant, I don’t think there is any reason for you to panic. The situation will clear itself out in a couple of weeks if not a few days. You also need to understand that, at the end of the day, they are government institutions and changing the exam date is not going to be an easy process for them. But you also need to keep the faith that these institutions have built their reputation over decades and will not let a small scheduling issue tarnish their image. I sincerely hope that the clarity over the same emerges sooner than later.

Media Release for CAT 2017

Lucknow: Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) will be releasing the notification for the Common Admission Test 2017 (CAT 2017) in newspapers across the country on 30th July, 2017 (Sunday).
According to Prof. Neeraj Dwivedi, Convener, CAT 2017, following are some of the salient features of CAT 2017:

CAT 2017 will be conducted on 26th November 2017 (Sunday) in two sessions.

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Registration for CAT 2017 will open on 9 th August 2017 and will close on 20th September 2017.

CAT 2017 will be conducted in Test Centres spread across approximately 140 Test Cities.

Candidates will be given the option to select 4 Test Cities in order of preference. Test Cities and Centres will be assigned to the candidates only after the last date for CAT 2017 registration and hence candidates need not rush to block slots and cities in the initial days of registration.

We will try our best to assign candidates to their first preferred city. In case it is not possible, they will be assigned a city following their given order of preference. In the rare case that a candidate is not allotted any of the preferred cities, he/she will be allotted to an alternate city. However, candidates will not be able to select the session because it will be assigned randomly.

Candidates must pay the registration fee through online payment modes only, which include credit cards, debit cards, and net banking.

After submission of Application, candidates will be permitted to download their Admit Card from 18th October 2017 onwards, till the date of the test.

The duration of the test will be 180 minutes. There will be three sections:
Section I: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension
Section II: Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
Section III: Quantitative Ability

Some questions in each section may not be of multiple choice type. Instead, direct answers will have
to be typed on the screen. The tutorials will clearly explain this. Also, we will allow a use of a basic on-screen calculator for computation.

Candidates will be allotted exactly 60 minutes for answering questions in each section and they
cannot switch from one section to another while answering questions in a section.

Tutorial to understand the format of the test will be available on the CAT website from 18th October 2017. Candidates are advised to work on the tutorials, available on the website, well in advance.

The website contains a section on Frequently asked Questions (FAQ), which addresses candidates’ queries regarding CAT 2017. Candidates may also contact the CAT helpdesk over email or phone.

Original on Official CAT 2017 Website

CAT 2017 Eligibility

The candidate must hold a Bachelor’s Degree, with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA [45% in case of the candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Persons With Disability (PWD) categories], awarded by any University or educational institution as incorporated by an Act of the Parliament or State legislature in India or declared to be deemed as a University under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956, or possess an equivalent qualification recognized by the Ministry of HRD, Government of India.
Candidates appearing for the final year of Bachelor’s degree/equivalent qualification examination and those who have completed degree requirements and are awaiting results can also apply. However, it may be noted that such candidates, if selected, will be allowed to join the programme provisionally, only if they submit a certificate from the Principal / Registrar of their University/institution (issued on or before the date as stipulated by the respective IIM) stating that they have completed all the requirements for obtaining the Bachelor’s degree/equivalent qualification on the date of the issue of the certificate.
Candidates applying for CAT 2017 should fulfill any one of the following conditions:
Completed Bachelor’s degree with the required percentage of marks*
Completed professional degree (CA/CS/ICWA) with required percentage*.
Should be in the final year of Bachelor’s degree with required percentage*.
SC / ST / PWD candidates should have minimum 45%. For General and NC-OBC candidates, a minimum is 50%.
The percentage of marks obtained by the candidate would be calculated based on the practice as followed by the respective University/Institution. In a case of grades / CGPA, the conversion to a percentage of marks would be based on the procedure as certified by the respective University/ institution. If any University/institution confirms that there is no scheme for converting CGPA into equivalent marks, the equivalence would be established by dividing the candidate’s CGPA by the maximum possible CGPA and multiplying the result with 100.
IIMs may verify eligibility at various stages of the selection process, the details of which are provided at the website www.iimcat.ac. in. Applicants should note that the mere fulfillment of minimum eligibility criteria will not ensure consideration for short listing by IIMs. Candidates must declare and maintain a valid and unique email account and a phone number throughout the selection process.

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Reservations

As per the legal requirements, 15% of the seats are reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) and 7.5% for Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates. 27% of seats are reserved for Other Backward Classes candidates belonging to the “non-creamy” layer (NC-OBC).
For the purpose of being considered for reservations, the applicable Central Government list as on the last date of CAT registration shall be binding. No subsequent changes will be effective for CAT 2017 and any subsequent selection process of the IIMs. For an updated central list of state – wise OBCs eligible for availing the benefit of reservation and information in respect of the creamy layer, visit the website http://www.ncbc.nic.in.
As per the provisions of The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (RPwD Act 2016), 5% seats are reserved for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwD). “Person with benchmark disability” means a person with not less than forty percent (40%) of a specified disability where specified disability has not been defined in measurable terms and includes a person with a disability where specified disability has been defined in measurable terms, as certified by the certifying authority. “Specified disability” means the disabilities as specified in the Schedule of the RPwD Act 2016. The categories of disability are:
a) blindness and low vision
b) deaf and hard of hearing
c) locomotor disability including cerebral palsy, leprosy cured, dwarfism, acid attack victims and muscular dystrophy.
d) autism, intellectual disability, specific learning disability and mental illness
e) multiple disabilities from amongst persons under clauses (a) to (d).
The candidates belonging to the reserved categories need to note the eligibility requirements carefully before applying. It should be noted that while it is the endeavor of IIMs that the candidates belonging to SC/ST/PWD/NC-OBC categories join the Programme in proportions mandated by the law, they have to meet the minimum eligibility criteria and a certain minimum level of performance to be considered for the admission process.
The candidates should read the updated description of selection process followed by each IIM on their respective websites. No change in the category will be entertained after CAT registration; hence, the applicants are advised to give attention while registering.

Note for SC, ST, NC-OBC, and PWD Candidates

If you belong to SC or ST categories, your caste/tribe must be listed in the Government of India schedule. The caste certificate that you submit to IIM should be in the Government approved format and should clearly state: (a) Name of your caste/tribe; (b) Whether you belong to Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe; (c) District and the State or Union Territory of your ordinary residence; and (d) the appropriate Government of India schedule under which your caste/tribe is approved by it as Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe.
A copy of the SC / ST / NC-OB C / PWD certificate(s) must be uploaded at the time of CAT Application registration. Failure to upload a copy of the caste/class certificate will result in the rejection of your CAT registration.
The SC / ST / NC-OBC / PWD certificate(s) must be shown and a photocopy should be submitted at the time of interviews. Moreover, the certificate(s) must be submitted at the time of joining the programs of any of the IIMs. Failure to do so during the post CAT selection process will result in you not being considered under the reserved category.
Original on Official CAT 2017 Website

Selection Process of IIMs

CAT 2017 RESULTS AND SHORTLISTING
Information related to CAT 2017 results will be tentatively available starting the second week of January 2018 on this website. The list of candidates shortlisted for the next level of selection will be made available on the website of the respective IIMs. Each IIM will send interview letters to the shortlisted candidates directly. The criteria for shortlisting vary from IIM to IIM. Please visit the admission hotlinks of the respective websites of IIMs for further information.

ADMISSION PROCESS

Please note that each IIM shortlists candidates for the second stage of selection which may be independent of each other. The process may include Written Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interviews (PI). Performance in CAT 2017 examination is an important component in the admission process. IIMs may additionally use other factors like a previous academic performance of the candidates, relevant work experience and other similar inputs in short listing and ranking of candidates at various stages of the admission process. The processes, academic cut-offs and the weights allocated to the evaluation parameters may vary across IIMs. For more information, refer the admissions policies of IIMs from their respective websites.

ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION

If a candidate is shortlisted for interviews by any IIM, he/she must comply with the following eligibility verification:

Mark sheets and Degree Certificate

A candidate must show all the mark sheets and submit attested copies to prove his/her eligibility at the time of interview. Further, if a candidate is selected for a program, original degree certificate and mark sheets of all semesters/years along with their attested copies must be submitted for verification at the time of joining the program.

Reservation Category Requirements

If shortlisted for interview, SC, ST, NC-OBC and PWD candidates must show the original caste/class and/or disability certificate and submit a photocopy at the time of interview. Further, if a candidate is selected for a program, the original certificate of qualifying degree and attested copy of the same must be submitted for verification at the time of joining a program.

Candidates in the Final Year of Graduation

If shortlisted for interview, candidates appearing for the final bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification examination must show an original certificate from the Principal / Registrar / Director of the university/ institution certifying that the candidate has obtained 50% marks or equivalent (45% in case of the candidates belonging to SC, ST, and PWD category) based on latest available grades/marks. He/she must submit an attested copy of the original certificate at the time of interview.

For the Post Graduate Programmes of IIMs, such candidates, if selected, will be allowed to join the programme PROVISIONALLY, only if they submit a certificate from the Principal / Registrar of their University/institution (issued on or before the date as stipulated by the respective IIM) stating that they have completed all the requirements (the results may, however, be awaited) for obtaining the Bachelor’s degree/equivalent qualification on the date of the issue of the certificate. Their admission will be confirmed only when they submit original mark sheet and qualifying degree certificate of having passed the bachelor’s degree/equivalent qualification referred to in the certificate issued by Principal /Registrar of their college/institute. They must obtain at least 50% marks or equivalent (45% in case of the candidates belonging to SC, ST, and PWD category). They also must submit an attested copy of the mark sheets and qualifying degree certificate.

The deadline for submission of the mark sheet and the certificate is December 31, 2018. NONFULFILLMENT OF THIS CONDITION WILL AUTOMATICALLY RESULT IN THE CANCELLATION OF THE PROVISIONAL ADMISSION. Provisional admission will also be canceled if it is found that the certificate is found to be incorrect subsequently.
Original on Official CAT 2017 Website

Scoring and Equating Process – Normalization of Scores in CAT 2017

CAT 2017 shall be conducted in two sessions. Two different Test Forms shall be administered in two Test Sessions. In order to ensure fairness and equity in comparison of performances of the candidates across different test sessions, the scores of the candidates shall be subjected to a process of Normalization. The Normalization process shall adjust for location and scale differences of score distributions across different forms. After normalization across different forms, the scores shall be further normalized across different sections. The scaled scores obtained by this process shall be converted into percentiles for purposes of shortlisting
For reporting purposes, Scaled Scores for each section (Section I: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Section II: Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Section III: Quantitative Ability (QA)) and Total along with the Percentiles shall be published.
The process of Normalization is an established practice for comparing candidate scores across multiple Forms and is similar to those being adopted in other large educational selection tests conducted in India, such as Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE). For normalization across sections, we shall use the percentile equivalence.
Original on Official CAT 2017 Website

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