Announcing no age bar to appear in CAT 2015 and remain eligible for admission to any of 19 IIMs, CAT Centre 2015 has allowed 14 years of education upto graduation. However IIMs need minimum 15 years of education till graduation defying the CAT 2015 eligibility criteria of minimum 14 years of study till graduation.
IIM Ahmedabad while announcing the admission policy for flagship PGP 2016-18 batch has a different eligibility criterion declaring “The bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification obtained by the candidate must entail a minimum of three years of education after completing higher secondary schooling (10+2) or equivalent. “
Now a little older candidate with 2 years of graduation degree obtained in old system, although allowed to appear in CAT 2015 will not be considered for admission at IIM Ahmedabad despite scoring 100 percentile. The academic and age diversity in IIM class rooms may again remain a myth, in case IIMs do not clarify whether they would accept 2 years of graduation degree or stick to 3 or 4 years of graduation.+
No Age Restriction in CAT 2015
Regarding Age restrictions, CAT 2015 FAQs on Registration and eligibility have specific answers
Query: Is there any age restriction for taking the CAT exam?
Ans from CAT Centre 2015: No, there is no age restriction for taking the CAT exam.
CAT 2015 OK with 14 years of education: IIMs not
CAT Centre 2015 in its FAQ section on Registration process has amply clarified on this issue making 14 years of graduation eligible to take CAT 2015. But IIMs do not concur with the eligibility standards in CAT 2015 and therefore have fixed different eligibility norms although they have been convening CAT year after year.
Look at the following queries duly answered by CAT Centre 2015 allowing 14 years of education for obtaining Graduation degree from the recognized Universities/Institutes
FAQ 34: I have done 10+2+2 degree, how should I enter my degree marks, since there is no provision for 2 years duration under bachelor degree?
CAT Centre 2015: You may enter 10th /SSC and 12th /HSC marks in the respective fields. Enter the bachelor degree marks, under bachelor degree field with the duration as 3 years and select year of commencement and completion accordingly.
Note: This pattern and degree should be recognised by UGC, AIU or equivalent bodies for eligibility to CAT 2015.
Now come to next query which is also on 2 years of graduation degree
FAQ 35: I have done 10+1+1+2 degree, how do I enter my degree marks, since there is no provision for 2 years duration under bachelor degree?
CAT Centre 2015:You may enter 10th /SSC, then next 2 years’ marks under 12th/HSC. The remaining 2 years’ marks can be put under bachelor degree field mentioning the duration as 3 years, and select year of commencement and completion accordingly.
Note: This pattern and degree should be recognised by UGC, AIU or equivalent bodies for eligibility to CAT 2014.
Even 100 percentilers in CAT 2015 not acceptable to IIMs
No doubt now the comparatively old aged CAT 2015 aspirants with 2 years of graduation degree can register for CAT 2015 although they will have to mention the duration as 3 years but the question remains whether the 19 IIMs including A, B, C, L would accept their candidature even if they score 100 percentile since they need minimum of 3 years of graduation which means 15 years of study upto graduation while in old system 14 years of study was required upto graduation in humanties, commerce, arts, science among others. The process got changed in 80’s.
CAT 2015 and IIMs have different eligibility norms
In case CAT 2015 changes its criteria and goes back to minimum 3 years of education in graduation, the claim of no age restriction to appear in CAT 2015 would not hold good and there will be an implied hidden age bar in CAT 2015 registration process.
If Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) do not amend their admission eligibility criteria on graduation degree, they will defy their own norms fixed by them to take CAT 2015.
It’s really surprising that not the graduation degree but the periodicity of graduation is taken into account to get into the top rated IIMs. How it could be attributed to be the fault of candidates when well reputed UGC recognized universities awarded 2 years’ graduation degree? In case the graduation is further extended to 4 years of study, would all those who wish to pursue PGDM from IIMs after 10-15 years, not be allowed to appear in CAT at that time.
Does it imply that only engineering/medical/law or other such graduate courses where 4 years of study period is pursued will be applicable? What happens to academic diversity then? Let the Ministry of HRD, IIMs think over it and modify the eligibility norms accordingly or put an age bar in the admission process.
Number of top educators, deans and directors at many highly ranked institutes are the holders of 2 years graduation degree, but to be eligible to take admission in IIMs, you need 3 years of study in graduation.
MBA/PGDM courses are being shrunk from 2 years to 1 year duration to expedite the process of imparting management education, whereas periodicity of graduation in streams of Arts, Science and commerce was increased from 2 years to 3 years and now proposed from 3 years to 4 years.
Since the instructions and guidelines issued in regard to registration for CAT 2015explicitly emphasize that there is no age bar and would accept 2 years of graduation degree, IIMs should also make amendments in their admission policy published on their site and should specifically mention that 2 years of graduation degree will be acceptable to them in admission to their flagship or executive programmes commencing 2016 after declaration of CAT 2015 result.
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