CAT 2017: Official Notification & Website iimcat.ac.in out tomorrow; 10 key points to note

Sunday July 30, 2017 is the special day for CAT 2017 aspirants as tomorrow they will come to know all about the key dates and details for the CAT exam with the release of official CAT notification and launch of CAT 2017 website iimcat.ac.in by IIM Lucknow, the CAT convening IIM this year.

Confirming the date of CAT 2017 Notification release and activation of CAT 2017 website, Prof Neeraj Dwivedi, convener CAT 2017 exam and faculty & admission chair at IIM Lucknow informed  MBAUniverse.com“We are planning to bring out the CAT notification on 30th July. The website is also expected to be activated the same day.”

Important links

• CAT 2017 to be a single-day two-session exam; likely Exam Date is November 26: MBAUniverse.com
• CAT 2017: Registration documents you need for CAT; keep ready - process begins August 1st week
• CAT 2017: IIMs’ hidden help for aspirants to get high scores; will IIM Lucknow follow the trend?

Accordingly, your Sunday tomorrow will no more be the same and it is suggested not to plan any other engagement as the CAT notification followed by activation of CAT official website will consume most of your last day of week end. So better to keep your Sunday free from all other activities and remain busy focusing on key points in CAT notification and CAT website instead of moving out.

Almost all the leading news papers of July 30 are to carry the CAT 2017 Notification release covering about a quarter of the news paper page. The CAT 2017 notification will be an advertisement in short and will contain all the key information points about CAT exam.

Simultaneously with the release of CAT 2017 notification, the CAT official website will be activated. It will contain all the information in detail and will guide you with all the key facts, registration process, exam schedule, structure and pattern of CAT 2017 exam.

CAT Notification & CAT website: 10 things to Note
CAT 2017 exam is convened by IIM lucknow and it is expected to be full of many changes and surprises making the forthcoming CAT 2017 as the first of its kind of examination during past many years. TCS continues to be the testing partner for CAT 2017. High sectional and overall percentile in CAT 2017 will provide admission opportunity in 20 IIMs and other highly ranked B-schools in the country.

IIM Lucknow will release the CAT 2017 Notification on July 30 and the CAT website is also proposed to be launched tomorrow with the release of CAT notification. Below are shared the 10 key points you should diarise before the CAT 2017 registration begins after a week’s time.

1. Programmes offered by IIMs
   There are 20 IIMs along with their programmes mentioned in the CAT notification. You will need to fill up the name of each IIM and its preferred programme in order of preference when you begin to complete the registration process.

   Choosing the preferred programme and preferred IIM is a difficult process and consumes more of your time when you begin completing your registration form. It is advisable to go through the IIM programmes mentioned in the CAT 2017 notification and note down your choice in order of preference so that you may quickly complete the registration process without any wastage of time when it starts after a week’s time.

2. Check for your CAT 2017 Eligibility
   You must check the eligibility criteria to appear in the CAT 2017 exam as published in CAT 2017 notification. Last year CAT allowed the candidates with 2 years of university recognized graduate degree in old pattern as eligible to appear in the exam. The minimum prescribed percentage of marks in bachelor’s degree to appear in CAT is 50%. So ensure this one also. 

   If you are not eligible for CAT 2017, there is no need to go through the entire notification but if you are, you must check for the other information items also.

3. Cross Check CAT 2017 exam date
   CAT 2017 Notification will contain CAT exam date and exam sessions. If you have also applied to IIFT entrance exam or NMAT by GMAC, check whether the dates of CAT 2017 exam clash with other exams. If this is the case, you should immediately utilize the rescheduling facility for  NMAT by GMAC and finalize which exam is more important to you.

   Although CAT exam dates never collide with any other exam date, you cannot take it granted as IIFT has already announced its exam date as November 26, and reliable sources have also informed MBAUniverse.com that CAT 2017 is also expected to be held on November 26. Accordingly, clash in exam date cannot be ruled out.
    

4. Have valid e-mail account & phone number for CAT 2017 
   CAT 2017 official notification will contain clear instructions that CAT applicants will need a valid e-mail account and phone number throughout the CAT 2017 schedule. There will be messages, information and instructions from CAT Centre 2017 on your registered e-mail and phone number. Once you complete your CAT 2017 registration and application process, the flow of messages will begin from IIM Lucknow immediately. So, you need to create the valid e-mail account and remember not to discontinue it till the entire CAT exam process and selection process of IIMs and other B-schools in which you have applied is over.

   Following activities will be promptly informed by way of SMS and e-mail to you by CAT Centre 2017 at IIM Lucknow:​

• Successful completion of CAT 2017 registration after making payment
• Downloading of CAT 2017 Admit Card
• Any instructions and changes regarding CAT 2017 exam, test venue
• CAT 2017 result update and announcement
• CAT 2017 percentile scored by you
   

5. CAT 2017 Registration dates & Process
   Registration for CAT 2017 is to open in the 1^st week of August. Please check for the exact opening and closing dates of CAT registration in the CAT notification. Other details on CAT registration process will be available on CAT official website iimcat.ac.in

   You will be allowed to select 3-4 test centres in order of preference while completing your CAT 2017 registration form from the drop down menu. So before selecting the preferred test cities check the test centres on iimcat.ac.in.
    

6. CAT registration guide and video
   CAT registration guide and registration video will be launched only on CAT website by IIM Lucknow to help IIM aspirants to know about the step by step registration process, how to register for the first time, how to fill up the CAT online application form, required documents and their size, how to upload your image, signature and mandatory documents and how to make payment of CAT 2017 registration fee.

7. CAT 2017 exam Syllabus
   The CAT exam does not have a defined syllabus for CAT preparation.  However, going by the past CAT exam pattern and topics on which questions are asked in CAT exam every year, a candidate can take the clue to prepare for CAT 2017 exam which will amount to preparing as per CAT syllabus.

   Syllabus of CAT exam 2017 is based on the mentioned guidelines and current structure of CAT exam. Past tendencies reflect that CAT exam syllabus and pattern overall tests the candidate on Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension; Quantitative Aptitude; Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning. CAT exam Syllabus covers all the major topics on these test sections..

8. CAT 2017: Revised exam pattern
   Details about revised exam pattern of CAT 2017, its sections, number of questions, type of questions are shared only on CAT website and not in CAT notification. Since the CAT exam pattern is reviewed every year by IIMs, there could be major or minor changes in CAT 2017 exam pattern which could be understood after going through the CAT website.

9. CAT 2017 Mock: Only way to understand question pattern
   Official CAT mock tests are the key source to understand the CAT exam pattern and CAT exam syllabus. The more you practice and study according to this structure and content, the better will be your CAT preparation. The official CAT Mock and other sectional quizzes can be practiced now.  IIM Lucknow proposes to enable next official mock test for CAT 2017 around October 2017 on CAT website.

10. Important Instructions & CAT Admit Card
    All the key instructions in regard to your CAT 2017 admit card, exam day instructions, what to carry and what not to carry are contained on the CAT website. All the CAT aspirants who have registered and wish to appear in CAT 2017 should meticulously follow these important instructions.  

You should note down the key documents you will need during the registration process. Instead of waiting for last few days, it is advisable to gather all the required documents in the beginning, keep operational unique mail id, keep the scanned images of your signature and photograph of required size ready to register for CAT 2017 as early as possible.

If you do this exercise on Sunday tomorrow, you will save your time at the time of filling-up information in the CAT 2017 registration form. Please note you are supposed to complete the registration in 30 minutes else the site will close by default and you will have to login again to complete the details in the online registration form. In case the filled up information is not saved, the entire effort will go waste and you will to begin afresh.

Common Admission Test (CAT) 2017 is the mandatory entrance exam for admission to MBA/PGDM 2018-20 programmes in all the 20 IIMs, FMS Delhi, SPJIMR Mumbai, MDI Gurugram, IMI New Delhi, IMT Ghaziabad, JBIMS Mumbai, TAPMI Manipal and other hundreds of highly ranked B-schools in India. One or other older IIM conducts CAT every year. This year the responsibility to convene CAT is assigned to IIM Lucknow.

Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more updates on CAT 2017  

See Also:

• CAT 2017 Notification: IIM Lucknow to throw more changes and surprises in official release
• CAT 2017 Exam date: Know CAT registration dates, last date to apply; online application process
• CAT 2017: 3 steps preparation plan for IIM A,B,C admission in 2018; know the success strategy
• CAT 2017 in changed pattern: Know all about CAT 2017 exam notification date, registration, pattern, IIM cutoffs
• MBA Ranking 2017: Check MBA Ranking 2017 for top 100 B-schools in India to guide you in MBA admission decision