The two parts of registration and application process for CAT 2014 have been posing some confusing technical problems while CAT 2014 aspirants are proceeding to complete their application form.
In fact some petty mistakes, made inadvertently by the aspirants during the speedy or overconfidently filling up the registration form, if avoided can save them from further difficulties. Prof S K Agarwal, Expert on CAT preparation suggests that aspirants should patiently complete the entire registration process after reading and understanding the instructions on CAT 2014 site. He responds and shares tips how to the avoid such petty mistakes made during the registration process by the CAT 2014 aspirants.
First part of registration; check and proceed
CAT 2014 aspirants are facing the problems even in the first part of registration process i.e. creating the profile, although the first part of CAT 2014 Registration process is free and short.
Process is simple
On the CAT 2014 there is a simple icon “Register”. When you login to register click on this icon and rest assured it won’t take you more than 5 minutes to complete this process. When you complete it, please check and then click on submit as later on you won’t be able to make modifications in your name and date of birth.
After submission, you will receive the necessary id and password for CAT 2014 registration immediately after a few minutes on your mobile number as well as on your mail id. So it shouldn’t be a problem to complete the first part of registration process for CAT 2014 as a new user.
Queries & problems related to the first part of Registration
Name not correctly given in the prescribed certificate
Some of the candidates have their surnames appearing before their first names in their 12th standard certificates. They are confused whether to write their names in the order as given in the certificate or should begin with their first name.
According to the instructions for CAT 2014 Registration process name of a candidate ‘should be the same as on your 12th/Diploma/Degree certificates’. So you are supposed to write your name as it appears on the prescribed document.
The silver lining is that if you have a changed name, you may enter your changed name but you have to produce supporting documents for change of name at the time of examination, interview and admission.
In case of difference in writing the name with no supporting documents, you stand the risk of not being allowed to appear in CAT 2014.
Date of Birth not correct in Registration form
While filling up the date of birth, a few candidates found that after submission of this form, it got changed and as per the registration instructions for CAT 2014, no amendment is possible in Date of Birth after making the payment for registration and clicking the submit button.
Please note that format for filling up the date of birth is DD/MM/YYYY in CAT 2014 registration. Besides no candidate has to write it since the calendar icon has to be used to select the correct date. You can change it till you do not click on the submit button. So be careful. Getting to the helpline and writing mail might help to some extent. CAT 2014 aspirants are supposed to thoroughly check each and every item of information, they have filled before clicking on submit button.
Next part is Application form
To login to next part of registration, please go to ‘Existing user login’ and use your CAT 2014 id and password received by you from CAT site.
The page that opens before you contains following more pages in which you have to enter the required information
Queries are more in this part of CAT 2014 registration
A few of the CAT 2014 aspirants are facing problems in uploading their photograph and signature; a few are fighting with Captcha issue as it is not clear how and what to enter or they find it difficult to understand the ‘Captcha image’ and every time new image comes up; some of the aspirants face the problem while filling in their academic details; some while incorporating work experience and some while making payment.
Now it appears that filling up all the pages of CAT 2014 application form has become difficult and one or other issue is coming up. After making an analysis to these problems to great extent, the pack of following solutions is shared to get rid of registration process difficulties. It will help the CAT 2014 aspirants to complete the registration and application process smoothly.
Personal Details
This part of application form will get satisfied with your parents’ name, gender, category, address. The only tricky area is uploading the photograph and signature of required size.
Uploading the category documents; Difficulty in getting it signed from Authorities
The required category certificates are available on the site. Download the Certificate from the CAT Website, fill, and get signatures of appropriate authorities, self-attest and scan as PDF document to upload. This is the prescribed process. Now the CAT 2014 aspirants are unable to find the appropriate authorities to get the same signed. What to do now?
It could be due to varying reasons prevailing in our country. The very first thing is to co-ordinate with the respective authority and a future manager should get this work done without wasting much of his/her time.
However, if you already have a certificate that fulfils the following prescribed criteria, you may upload the same. Please cross check the details given in your certificate and the certificate on CAT 2014 site
a) The certificate should have been issued by competent authority.
b) The name of the caste and caste number should appear in the certificate
c) The Ministry's resolution/order number should be available
d) The certificate should be in Hindi or English only
Unable to upload the photograph
If you have the scanned digital photograph of larger than required size, it will be difficult to upload the same. Hence first of all please check that photo resolution is of minimum 150px. Your photograph should be the recent one, not more than 3 months’ old. Please also note that the ambiguous uploaded digital images will be rejected
Size of Photograph
You are supposed to upload your recent passport size photograph not larger than 80KB. Please also note that only JPEG,JPG formats can be uploaded. The photograph should have dimension of 35mm X 45mm.
If your photo size is larger than the prescribed size, please get it reduced to the required size. In case there is any issue in uploading the digital photograph, please check whether all above has been complied with.
Unable to upload the signature
The scanned image of your signature should be with the dimensions of 1000mm X 35 mm. Again the documents file format should be .jpg or .jpeg and the file size should not be more than 80KB.
The best way is to put your signature on a plain white piece of paper in black ink. Scan the signature part only and get to the required size and then upload. It shouldn’t be a difficulty.
Academics
Queries on filling up this part of registration form are more than on earlier parts.
How to calculate percentage when only grades are awarded
Number of institutes/universities award grades although they specify the range of percentage of marks in award of grades. For example A and A+ may have percentage range 75 to 90 and 90 to 100 respectively. Now the problem is what to write 75 or 90; 90 or 100. A difficulty unresolved by CAT 2014 as well.
But solution to every problem exists. CAT 2014 suggests “If any Board/ Institute/ University awards only letter grades without providing an equivalent percentage of marks on the grade sheet, the candidate should obtain a certificate from the Board/Institute/University specifying the equivalent marks which should be used for filling the online CAT application form. The original equivalence certificate needs to be submitted at the time of interview, if shortlisted for the same.” So even if you are given the range in percentage without exact equivalent percentage, nothing to lose write the same. It can be anywhere between the specified range.
I am 50 years old and want to appear in CAT 2014. When I did graduation it was a two years’ course. How to fill up the registration as it requires minimum 3 years’ graduation.
Yes, CAT imposes no age bar to appear in the test. It was during the decade of eighties’ when number of Universities changed the period of their Bachelor’s degree course from 2 years to 3 years. But CAT 2014 registration application form requires minimum 3 years of bachelor’s degree and has no option specified for 2 years. You have to club either any other bridge course you have done with your bachelor’s degree or immediately connect on CAT 2014 helpline to get this issue resolved.
However while specifying the eligibility, CAT 2014 instruction guide states that “A candidate holding 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 Differently Abled (DA) categories], awarded by any of the Universities incorporated by an act of the central or state legislature in India or other educational institutions established by an act of Parliament declared to be deemed as a University under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956 is eligible”
On that count you are supposed to be eligible to appear in CAT 2014.
Work Experience
I find it difficult to enter the relevant work experience. I am working in the Accounts & finance section of an Automobile company. Should I go for Finance or Automobile
Your company is an Automobile company. So it is better to select that one. The work experience is to be entered in months please remember.
Payment
My payment got deducted but indicated failure. How to rectify
It’s quite possible that at the material time some internet issue might have come up or some wrong details were entered. Your money then will come back to you, the only thing is that you will have to connect to your Bank. The best is to make the payment again with correct details.
I am unable to enter Captcha. Every time I enter new image is placed. Lot of time wasted.
Please see that all the letters and numbers are properly entered without any confusion. Check for the ‘Caps lock’ on/off. Check for the ‘numlock’. Leave no space between two words and letters. Hopefully it will solve your problem.
The above are the most prominent queries being received from the CAT 2014 aspirants. The solutions provided are already there. Aspirants have to be little patient and careful while filling up the registration for CAT 2014.
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