CAT is a computer-based test (CBT) and not an Internet-based test (IBT) i.e. a candidate does not take the test on an Internet site. Instead of reading the questions in a paper booklet and darkening the ovals on the answer-sheet, a candidate will read the questions on a computer terminal and choose an answer by clicking on the correct option.

The format of the test is more or less the same except that a candidate reads a question on a computer terminal and clicks on the correct answer, instead of reading on a paper booklet and using a pencil to darken the ovals on an answer sheet.

No. A candidate will have to test on a pre-assigned workstation and will not have a choice to choose his or her workstation, in the testing venue chosen by him/her during the time of registration.

A CAT practice test is available on the website www.catiim.in for candidates to get familiarised with the functionality and navigation of the actual test.

There will be two separately timed sections in the test. The sections are (a) Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation (b) Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning.

There will be 30 questions in each section.

No, each section will be timed separately. Once a section ends, candidates can no longer go back to it.

No, candidates will be presented with the section on Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation first, followed by Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning.

There will be an on-screen timer counting down from 1 hour 10 mins (i.e. 70 minutes) once a section begins. When the time is up, that section will end and you will not be able to go back to it. The second section will then begin and the on-screen timer will start counting down from 1 hour 10 minutes again. Once the second section ends, the test will end.

No, you will not have the ability to end the first section before the first 70 minutes are up. However, you will be given an option to end the second section, and therefore your test, before the second 70 minutes are up. If you choose to end your test before the full duration is up, you will be required to wait at your testing station until everyone is dismissed by the test administrator.

Each of the sections will be 1 hour and 10 minutes (i.e. 70 minutes). Including a 15-minute tutorial before the start of the test which candidates are advised to go through, the total duration of the test will be 2 hours and 35 minutes.

The tutorial provides a series of screens that will orient you to the computer-based CAT. This will give you an opportunity to try the various features, including how to navigate between questions in a section, review questions, etc. The tutorial has a total duration of 15 minutes and candidates are advised to go through it entirely before starting the actual exam sections. For a similar preview, candidates can take a tour of the CAT 2011 Practice Test which will be available on www.catiim.in from 17 August 2011.

The candidate must hold a 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 or declared to be deemed as a University under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956, or possess an equivalent qualification recognized by the Ministry of HRD, Government of India. The percentage of marks obtained by the candidate in the bachelor’s degree would be calculated based on the practice followed by the university/ institution from where the candidate has obtained the degree. In case the candidates are awarded grades/CGPA instead of marks, the conversion of grades/CGPA to percentage of marks would be based on the procedure certified by the university/ institution from where they have obtained the bachelor’s degree. In case the university/ institution does not have any 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. Candidates appearing for the final year of bachelor’s degree/equivalent qualification examination and those who have completed degree requirements and are awaiting results can also apply. IIMs may verify

No. Your fees will not be refunded in case you do not appear for your test as per your scheduled location, date and time.

Candidates will need to bring the following identification documents on the test day:

a. CAT 2011 Admit Card

b. At least one original (not photocopied / scanned copy) and valid (not expired) photo identification. The name on your photo identification must match your name as entered in the CAT application. Acceptable forms of photo identification are limited to Driver's license, Passport, PAN Card, Voter ID, College ID (supported with a valid ATM/Credit/Debit Card with your name), Employee ID, or a notarized Affidavit with Photo, Signature, Date of Birth and Residential Address. Photocopies of the original are not acceptable. Candidates will not be permitted to take the test if photo identification is not presented.

c. A valid document as proof of SC/ST eligibility (if applicable). If you are a Differently Abled candidate and have requested for support during the test, please carry the copy of the authorisation of the support mailed to you by Prometric

Important: Admit Card and one photo identification, mentioned above, are mandatory in order to test.

Note: You will have to store all other personal items at the test centre at your own risk. Please do not bring any other items to the test centre, as they are not permitted into the testing centre.

Your name needs to be exactly identical to the name on your school-leaving certificate.

Note: - If the name has been changed due to events such as marriage, you must show the relevant document mentioned below and submit a photocopy at the time of the test, interview and at the time of joining a programme. Marriage Certificate, Divorce Decree, Legal Name Change Document

None. You will not be permitted to bring any personal items to the test centre, including but not limited to wrist-watch, pen, cellphones, calculators, etc.

The total duration is 2 hours 35 minutes including a 15-minute tutorial. CAT is a multiple choice test, delivered in 2 sections, 70 minutes per section. The actual test will contain 60 questions, 30 questions per section. For further details, refer to Test Duration & Pattern.

No, you will not be given any breaks during the test.

At the test centre, each candidate will be seated at a desk with a computer terminal and he/she will be provided with a pencil, eraser and scratch paper for calculations. Rough work cannot be done on any other paper/sheet, as nothing will be allowed inside the testing room. On completion of the test, candidates will have to hand back all the scratch paper and stationery to the Administrator.

Your raw scores will be calculated for each section based on the number of questions you answered correctly, incorrectly, or omitted. You will be given +3 points for each correct answer and -1 point for each incorrect answer. There will be no points for questions that are not answered. This scoring methodology ensures that candidates are only awarded points for what they know.

The CAT, like virtually all large-scale exams, will utilise multiple forms, or versions, of the test. While all forms are carefully assembled to ensure that the content is comparable, the difficulty of each form may vary slightly. Such minor differences in the overall difficulty level cannot be accurately measured until after all of the forms have been administered and the results analysed. To facilitate this comparison, each form will contain equating blocks comprising a pre-defined number of statistically profiled questions selected from a large item bank. By comparing candidate responses to these equating blocks across multiple forms, the ability level of the individuals can be evaluated and the precise difficulty of the forms calculated. The raw scores are then adjusted, as necessary, through a process called equating. Equating assures fairness for all candidates by allowing accurate comparisons to be made of performance across all of the test forms. Equated raw scores are then placed on a common scale or metric to ensure appropriate interpretation of the scores. This process is called scaling.

Three scaled scores will be presented for each candidate: an overall scaled score and two separate scaled scores for each section. As the two sections evaluate distinct sets of knowledge and skills, scores do not correlate across sections. A high score in one section does not guarantee a high score in another section. Percentile rankings are provided for each individual section as well as for the overall exam score.

No.

CAT 2011 results are expected to be declared on 11 January 2012 on the website www.catiim.in.

More information will be shared by the IIMs after the CAT 2011 results are declared on 11 January 2012.

No. You can only schedule the appointment within the registration window: 17 August – 28 September 2011. No exceptions will be permitted.

No. Vouchers once sold cannot be refunded.

You need to login on the website www.catiim.in or https://iim.prometric.com using your username & password and select “Resend Admit Card”. The Admit Card will be emailed on the email address provided during registration. There is also an option for you to print you Admit Card directly from the website.

If the registration website is not accessible for any reason, please close your Internet browser and try again. You can register for and schedule your test anytime between 17 August and 28 September 2011.

Please contact the CAT Candidate Care on 1-800-103-7383.

Voucher once sold cannot be refunded under any circumstances including but not limited to loss of voucher, inability to read voucher number due to mishandling of the voucher by candidate, candidate being ineligible for taking CAT, CAT not being a prerequisite for a programme, and rejection of candidate registration due to incomplete and/or incorrect information.

Yes, you may login to www.catiim.in or https://iim.prometric.com and select “Edit Profile” to make changes to your personal details such as address. Note that no changes may be made after 28 September 2011.