CAT 2024 Eligibility Criteria: All You Need to Know (Age Limit, Marks, Dates)

CAT Exam 2024: Eligibility Criteria

1. A bachelor's degree in any field with at least 50% of the possible grades and 45% for SC, ST, and PWD candidates is required for the application.
2. Any institution announced to be considered a university under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956, must accept the candidate's valid undergraduate degree, or the candidate must have an equivalent qualification recognized by the Ministry of HRD, Government of India.
3. The percentage of marks in the bachelor's degree will be calculated according to the common pattern of the relevant university or institution.
4. Candidates who are in their final year of a bachelor's degree program or an equivalent examination, as well as those who have finished their degree programs but have not yet received their results, may also apply. If qualified, these candidates may enroll in the course on a conditional basis. upon presenting a certificate issued by the registrar or principal of their university.
5. For the CAT exam, there is no set age limit. Thus, the candidate may sit for the test at any age.
6. Work experience is not a requirement for CAT exam eligibility. Nonetheless, candidates with and without experience can take the exam. Certain B-schools take work experience into account when admitting students.
7. A candidate may take the CAT exam as many times as they wish during their lifetime.

CAT 2024 Important Dates

The important dates and timelines for CAT exam  2024, which include the CAT registration date 2024, the final date for CAT 2024 applications, the scheduled CAT exam date, and the expected CAT result date, are mentioned below 

CAT Eligibility Criteria: Age limit

The candidates aspiring to take CAT 2024 need to know about the CAT eligibility criteria and how to match the age criteria. candidates appearing for the entrance exam for the MBA can check their age limit listed below 

1. Minimum age limit for CAT 2024: there is no age limit for the candidates appearing for the CAT exam except that the candidate must have a degree 
2. CAT exam maximum age limit: candidate can apply for the CAT exam at any stage of their career there is no maximum age limit for this exam 

CAT Eligibility Criteria: Academic Qualification

The minimum requirement for a student to appear in the CAT 2024 exam is to have a bachelor's degree from a recognized college and university This CAT exam will be offered to candidates who have received pass certifications in any of their bachelor’s degree programs. Meanwhile, the final-year students with an ‘award of grades’ are also eligible to take part in the CAT exam.

Below is the minimum educational qualification according to the CAT Exam Eligibility 2024: 

1. As per CAT eligibility, aspirants should have a degree from a recognized university or have an equivalent qualification recognized by the Ministry of HRD in India.
2. For general and NC-OBC category candidates, the minimum percentage requirement is 50% to 45%.
3. Students' grades, or CGPA, will be turned into the university's or institution's CAT Exam eligibility requirements.

CAT eligibility criteria 2024: graduation marks

The minimum qualification to apply for the CAT exam is graduation check the table below for CAT eligibility criteria and minimum marks required to apply for the CAT exam 2024 for reserved and general categories 

CAT Exam Eligibility Criteria – Registration with Backlogs

One of the most asked questions by candidates with backlogs in their graduate program is whether they can apply for the CAT exam 2024.it is clarified that the students with backlogs in their graduate program can apply for the CAT exam 2024 without any problem and a candidate who scores more than 50%(for general ) in degree and above 45% for the reserved category can apply for the CAT exam 2024

Below are some key points that CAT students with backlogs should read to clear their doubts:

1. Applicants with a backlog in their bachelor's degree are eligible to apply for the CAT 2024.
2. Applicants may also apply to the CAT if they are enrolled in additional examinations.
3. Candidates may apply for the CAT 2024 if they received at least 50% on their graduation exam and additional re-examinations.
4. When asked if you are in your final year of a bachelor's degree, indicate that you are on the registration form for CAT 2024.
5. Applicants must provide a certificate attesting to their completion of a supplemental re-examination from the principal or registrar of their university (or college).
As part of the registration process, candidates belonging to the reserved categories must confirm their eligibility before submitting a caste certificate. After students have finished the registration process, they are unable to change their category at IIMs.

CAT Eligibility 2024: Reservation Details

IIMs have reserved some seats for candidates who are applying to business administration programs based on their category. The reservation details of the IIMs are summarized below:

CAT 2024 eligibility criteria - Reservation Policies for person with disabilities

For candidates with disabilities, they must have a PWD certificate from a competent authority. the benefits that are provided through the reservation can only be claimed when the candidate has the PWD certificate issued by a competent authority. the disabilities that are accepted for PWD reservations are.

1. Low vision/blind candidates.
2. Candidates with hearing impairment.
3. Candidates with a locomotive disability or cerebral palsy.

CGPA Calculation and Grades for CAT Entrance Exam Eligibility

1. The calculation for CGPA and grades for the CAT Exam includes converting marks into a percentage based on the guidelines provided by the respective institution 
2. If there is an institution that does not provide the guidelines for the conversion. the students can calculate the percentage by dividing the students CGPA by the maximum CGPA and multiplying it by 100
3. For example, if a candidate has a CGPA of 8.8 out of a maximum CGPA of 10, the percentage would be calculated as follows: 8.8/10 = 0.88, and multiplying by 100 gives 88%.

CAT Eligibility Criteria - Work Experience Requirements

There is no work experience required for the CAT exam even if the CAT application form asks for work experience it is not necessary to fill it. Some IIMS might give weightage for work experience during the final examination the weightage may vary between different IIMs 

CAT Registration 2024

Registering for the CAT exam is a crucial step in the process of applying to top-tier management institutes in India. The CAT application form was released on August 1, 2024. the candidate who fulfills the CAT eligibility criteria can fill out the registration form and the last date to fill out the registration form is September 13, 2024. After filling out the registration form the candidates have to pay the necessary fees depending on the category of the candidate and the fee has to be paid online.

The registration fee for the CAT exam is generally around INR 2000 for general category students and INR 1000 for reserved category students. However, the fee amount may vary from year to year, so it is essential to check the official website for the updated fee details.