CAT 2018: The date for computer-based Common Admission Test 2018 (CAT 2018) for admission to Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) has been announced. A notification issued by IIM said the IIM CAT 2018 would be conducted on November 25.

According to the official IIM CAT 2018 website www.iimcat.ac.in, the registration process for CAT 2018 will begin on August 8. Interested candidates can register at iimcat.ac.in. September 19 will be the last date to register for IIM CAT 2018. Candidates will be permitted to download their examination admit card from 24 October till the date of test.

This year, IIM Kolkata will be responsible for conducting the IIM CAT 2018 across 147 cities in two sessions. Candidates will have an option to select any four test cities in order of their preference. According to Prof Sumanta Basu, Convener, CAT 2018, centres will be assigned to the candidates only after the last date for CAT 2018 registration, and hence “candidates need not rush to block slots and cities in the initial days of registration”.

Basu says the authorities concerned will try their best to assign candidates to their first preferred city. In case it is not possible, he adds, they will be assigned a city as per their given order of preference. “In the rare case that a candidate is not allotted any of the preferred cities, he/she will be allotted an alternate city. However, candidates will not be able to select the session because it will be assigned randomly,” says the notification.

IIM CAT admit cards will be issued from October 24 and the IIMC AT 2018 results are expected to be declared in the second week of January 2019.

CAT is a pre-requisite for admissions to various post-graduate and fellow programmes in the IIM institutions across the country. There are 20 IIMs in the country — Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bangalore, Bodh Gaya, Calcutta, Indore, Jammu, Kashipur, Kozhikode, Lucknow, Nagpur, Raipur, Ranchi, Rohtak, Sambalpur, Shillong, Sirmaur, Tiruchirappalli, Udaipur and Visakhapatnam.

The IIM CAT 2018 will test candidates’ proficiency in three parameters: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Ability. The three-hour exam will have an hour allotted for each section, and they will not be allowed to switch from one section to another while answering questions in a section.

“Some questions in each section may not be of multiple-choice type. Instead, direct answers will have to be typed on the screen. The tutorials will clearly explain this. Also, we will allow use of basic onscreen calculator for computation,” says Basu.

A tutorial to understand the format of the test will be available on the CAT website from 17 October. In case of queries, candidates can refer to the website’s section on frequently asked questions (FAQ) or contact the CAT helpdesk over email or phone.

CAT 2018 scores are also allowed to be used by listed non-IIM member institutions, though IIMs have no role in the selection process of non-IIM institutions. A list of such institutions is there on the CAT website.

CAT 2018 REGISTRATION FEE

Rs 950 for SC, ST and PwD category candidates.

Rs 1900 for all other categories of candidates.

* Through online payment modes only, including credit cards, debit cards and netbanking

IIM CAT 2018 DATES TO REMEMBER

Registration opens: August 8, 2018

Registration closes: September 19, 2018 (5 pm)

Admit card download: October 24 – November 25, 2018

Test Date: November 25, 2018

Result declaration: Second week of January, 2019 (Tentative)