Although the CAT 2018 Application Guide & Video demonstrating the procedure to fill up the online CAT application form and clarifying each and every step systematically to complete the CAT online application form are released by IIM Calcutta, candidates still need step by step guidance to fill in CAT 2018 application form to avoid inadvertent mistakes.
Read How to fill up CAT Application Form Step by Step
IIM Calcutta opened the CAT 2018 online registration process at 10.30AM on August 8, 2018 with certain changes in the CAT application form like increasing the number of pages in CAT application form to six, withdrawing choice of preferred test cities in Delhi NCR, changing the required size of browser to fill up your CAT 2018 application form and many more. Click Here to Read More
Since the CAT 2018 Application Form is changed, the CAT Centre 2018 has suggested the CAT aspirants to go through the important instructions before proceeding to fill up the CAT application form 2018 without making any mistake and avoid losing the CAT 2018 application fee of Rs.1900/-.
5 CAT Application Form Mistakes, You must Avoid
While completing the 1st page of CAT 2018 registration form after login as new user and login again with the CAT 2018 user Id and password does not require any specific skill, you will need to be careful while filling up the CAT 2018 application form while filling up the specific academic details, uploading your signature and photograph, choosing preferred test cities, upload required certificates and make payment.
Enter Correct category details and certificates
If you belong to SC/ST/OBC category or are a PWD candidate in General category, please carefully go through the list of serial numbers of different categories given in the application form. You should mark the correct serial number of the caste/tribe applicable to you. For details of the Caste/Tribe name applicable to you, see the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) website: http://www.ncbc.nic.in/User_Panel/CentralListStateView.aspx.
Download the NC-OBC, SC/ST Certificates from the CAT website, enter the required information and attest signatures from the appropriate authorities, self-attest, and scan as PDF documents to upload the certificates on the CAT website.
If you are a Person with disability (PwD), select yes. Also, select details under PwD Category of disability, Wheelchair Support and Scribe requirement. Download the Person with Disability (PwD) Certificate from the CAT website, enter the required information and attest signatures from the appropriate authorities, self-attest, and scan as PDF document to upload the certificates on the CAT website.
Avoid Mistakes in Academics
You need to enter your education details on the 2nd page of CAT 2018 online application form. The details like percentage of marks obtained and applicable to you are to be entered in all sections. Required details for class 10, 12, bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree and Other Professional Degree need to be entered.
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 or the conversion procedure, and the conversion to percentage of marks would be based on this procedure as certified by the respective board/ University/ institution.
If any board / 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. The original equivalence certificate needs to be submitted at the time of interview, if shortlisted for the same.
Please note that for computing percentages of marks obtained in SSC/10th/Equivalent examination and HSC/12th/Equivalent/Diploma examination, the aggregate marks of all subjects that appear in the mark sheet/grade sheet would be considered irrespective of the Boards regulation.
For graduates and postgraduates, the percentage of marks awarded by the Board/Institute/ University will be treated as final. If the Institute/University does not award the percentage of marks, it will be calculated on the basis of the marks obtained in all subjects listed in the mark sheet.
How to enter academic score in CAT application Form
CAT 2018 online application form provides column with ‘nnn.nn’ space to fill up your aggregate percentage of marks. The first three ‘nnn’ can be used only when you have scored 100% marks otherwise you should use only 2 digits if your percentage of marks is anywhere between 45% and 99.99%.
You must insert the percentage upto 2 decimal digits as provided for in the CAT 2018 online application form. There is no need to prefix ‘0’ before writing your percentage of marks as it will not accept it.
Correct: 97.60; Wrong: 097.60
After inserting the first 3 digits, if you place decimal and try to write 2 decimal digits, the last digit will not be inserted and the message will be to insert 2 decimal digits. To avoid this mistake, it is advisable to write only the correct form of the percentage of marks, as shown here.
In the wake of changes in CAT 2018 application form, the CAT Centre 2018 at IIM Calcutta, the CAT 2018 exam convener has suggested to follow the 5 undernoted important instructions before you start filling up the CAT 2018 application form
1. Check your eligibility for CAT 2018 by referring to the Eligibility document on the CAT 2018 website.
2. Ensure you have a valid and unique email address and mobile number.
3. “*” (asterisk) indicates a mandatory field. The boxes marked with this symbol must be filled in or you will not be allowed to submit your application for CAT 2018.
4. Gather all the information you will need for filling the form beforehand,
5. Keep your Mobile phone near you to verify and login to CAT 2018 registration site with the OTP sent by IIMs on your mobile.
You cannot edit any details on the Application form after you have made the online payment. However, after the last day of CAT 2018 registration process is over, IIM Calcutta will open a limited time window during which you can modify very limited details like Percentage of Marks scored, Work Experience, IIM Programmes Selected.
You will not be able to modify any details entered in CAT application form in the Personal Details section, any details entered in the Academics section except the percentage marks scored, Exam Centre City Preferences. You can only view and print after this.
Common Admission Test (CAT) 2018 is the mandatory exam conducted by IIM Calcutta for admission to management programmes in all the 20 IIMs – old and new. CAT 2018 will also offer the admission opportunity to PGDM/MBA programme in other top management institutes in India like FMS Delhi, IMI Delhi, IMT Ghaziabad, JBIMS Mumbai, MDI Gurgaon, NITIE Mumbai, Management departments of IITs, SPJIMR Mumbai, TAPMI Manipal and other more than 500 B-schools.
2.32 lakh candidates applied for CAT last year. This number may increase this year as during last few years CAT has seen tremendous growth in registration of candidates and test takers. IIMs and other top B-schools along offer admission to more than 50000 students in their different management programmes.
