The Common Admission Test (CAT) is one of the most popular management entrance exams in India conducted once in every year for all the management aspirants looking to get admission in management programmes offered at IIMs and other top B-Schools of the country.

The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) is popular among students, and employers prefer them too when it comes to hiring management graduates.

However, there are many other CAT accepting colleges in India apart from IIMs that provide quality education and good placements. 

The CAT exam is conducted by IIMs only and CAT 2020 was held by IIM Bangalore on December 4 at various centres across the country. As per the official CAT 2020 notification released on July 31, 2020, the number of non-IIM CAT accepting B-Schools were 75. However, this list will be updated as and when more B-Schools register themselves in the list of CAT accepting colleges.

Check details on CAT 2020 

Read: CAT 2020 Cut-Offs for IIMs and Top 25 MBA Colleges

List of Top 25 CAT Accepting Colleges Other Than IIMs

Read: CAT 2020 Percentile Slots and MBA Colleges You Can Opt for!

List of State-wise CAT Accepting Colleges Other Than IIMs

Read: CAT 2020 Result Announced - Here is all that will Follow Next!

Now that the CAT 2020 result has been declared, all the IIMs and other participating institutes are shortlisting candidates on the basis of CAT 2020 Cut-offs. Once the list of candidates is finalised, institutes will send interview letters to the shortlisted ones based on their cut-off directly. In addition, institutes will use the following criteria for shortlisting for candidates.

Eligibility Criteria for Non-IIMs through CAT 2020 Exam

IMI Eligibility Criteria for 2020 Admissions

• To be eligible for admission to the PGDM (HRM) Programme at IMI, Kolkata, one must have a Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 50% aggregate marks or equivalent in any discipline, from a recognized university. However, final selection may be on higher percentage based on the total number of applications received.
• Candidates appearing in the final year of their bachelor’s degree or equivalent are also eligible, provided they furnish the proof of having met the minimum eligibility criteria by September 30, 2020.
• Candidates who are unable to comply with this requirement may be asked to withdraw from the programme. Candidates must complete all academic requirements before joining the programme in order to keep pace with the schedule of the program.
• Candidates with relevant work experience as well as fresh graduates are welcome to apply.

Department of IME, IIT Kanpur Eligibility Criteria for 2020 Admissions

• Overall CAT-2020 score of 85 percentile and above
• 65% and above in Class X and Class XII examinations
• B. Tech., B.Sc. Engineering, BE or B. Arch (Mathematics in Class XII) with aggregate of 65% or a CPI of 6.5 on a scale of 10 from any AICTE recognized institute/university, IITs, NITs & IIITs (or)
• Master of Arts in Economics (with Mathematics as one of the subjects in the UG programme) with aggregate of 65% or a CPI of 6.5 on a scale of 10 from any AICTE recognized institute/university, IITs, NITs, and IIITs

MDI, Gurgaon Eligibility Criteria for 2020 Admissions

• The candidates must have 50% marks or equivalent CGPA in both X and XII.
• The candidates must have a minimum three-year Bachelor’s Degree, with at least 50% marks in any discipline from any recognized University. Also, candidates appearing for the final examination for the Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent examination) can apply on provisional basis.

SPJIMR Eligibility Criteria for 2020 Admissions

• Aspirants need to have Bachelor’s degree or equivalent (10+2+3) in any discipline from a recognised University. Also, candidates appearing for their final term examination can apply on provisional basis.
• Most importantly, candidates should have either CAT/XAT/GMAT valid scores for SPJIMR admissions 2020.
• For admissions, work experience is not mandatory. Fresh graduates and candidates with experience up to 5 years can also apply.

Department of Management Studies, IIT Madras Eligibility Criteria for 2020 Admissions

• Candidates should have a valid score in the Common Admissions Test (CAT), which is conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs).
• IIT graduates who obtain a CGPA of 8 and above on 10 are exempted from CAT score. Their shortlisting will be based on a composite score, with due weightage given to applicant’s CAT score, past academic performance, industry experience and gender.

Selection Procedure for Non-IIMs through CAT 2020 Exam

IMI Selection Procedure for 2020 Admissions

Candidates who have appeared for the CAT 2020 examination or those who have furnished valid GMAT score, and have applied to IMI will be short listed on the basis of information provided in the application form, which may include CAT scores (sectional and overall) or GMAT score, educational background, marks in 10th, 12th, graduation and work experience, if any. Only short listed candidates will be called for the final stage of the selection process.

Department of IME, IIT Kanpur Selection Procedure for 2020 Admissions

A candidate should've appeared for the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2020. List of shortlisted candidates will be released on February 17, 2020, after which candidates are expected to appear for Department of IME, IIT Kanpur interview rounds. Only interview qualification will allow candidates to take admission.

MDI, Gurgaon Selection Procedure for 2020 Admissions

Candidates who appear for CAT 2020 will be short listed on the basis of the details filled in the application form and their CAT 2020 scores. Only the short listed candidates will be called for Group Discussion and Personal Interviews rounds of MDI Gurgaon 2020, during February and March 2020.

Selection Criteria

SPJIMR Selection Procedure for 2020 Admissions

The applicants will be selected for Interview on the basis of their secured CAT Scores, Academic Record, Work Experience and Previous Achievements. Overall Qualifying Score required is 85% and Sectional Qualifying Score required is 70% in CAT exam. The weightage given to Work Experience, Previous Achievements and Academic Record will be declared later.

Once the applicants will be shortlisted on the basis of the above mentioned factors, they will be called for Personal Interview round at SPJIMR 2020. At the end, the final merit list will be based on composite scores, which consider the Work Experience, Previous Achievements, Academic Record, CAT scores and applicants' performance in the two rounds of group interviews.

Department of Management Studies, IIT, Madras Selection Procedure for 2020 Admissions

Candidates from all categories (except NRIs and Foreign Nationals) who are shortlisted based on the composite score will be called to a given location for the personal interview round. The final selection for all categories will be based on the Performance in group task, written communication and personal interview.

Read: CAT 2020: IIM Interview Preparation Tips

Read: Wackiest Questions Asked During CAT Interviews

Read: ‘CAT’ching up with the Changing MBA Trends

FAQs Regarding Admissions through CAT

Q. What are the top 5 CAT Personal Interview questions?

A. Interviewee can be tricked by the interviewer in multiple ways at the time of PI round. However, there are many popular questions that you should be ready to handle:

• Why have you chosen MBA as your career?
• Tell us about yourself?
• How do you see yourself five years from now?
• What do you consider to be your greatest strength?
• Why should we hire you out of all other candidates?

Q. Can I get admission in IIMs with the GMAT score?

A. Foreign candidates of Indian-origin can apply to IIMs with a valid GMAT score instead of a CAT score. Required GMAT score is at least 700. Indian residents outside India fall under the "Overseas Indian candidates" category provided the candidate is an Indian passport holder who has lived, worked or studied outside India, for at least 12 months continuously.

Q. What is the IIM admission procedure for an ST candidate?

A. The procedure for admission to IIMs (and other B-schools) is the same for all categories. It is an entrance test (CAT/XAT/SNAP etc) followed by a personality assessment process. ST candidates may get a call from IIMs if they have a CAT score of 75%ile, but to ensure a call from IIMs, the target score should be over 80%ile. 

Q. Is there ragging in IIMs?

A. There is no ragging in any of the IIMs and top MBA institutes because:

• Many juniors are older than the seniors and have more work experience.
• Unlike most graduation programmes where the pressure to study is not high, studying at IIMs leaves no time for students to get involved in any such activity.
• Besides, the second year puts a lot of pressure on students because they are worried about placements.

Q. What all documents are required to showcase work experience during the selection process of B-schools?

A. Experience letter from HR clearly stating the date of joining, your current role/designation and salary will be required to present.

Read: CAT Score Validity May be Extended to 5 Years

Read: What After CAT? 

If Not CAT 2020, Then What's Next?

As soon as the CAT results are out, an inevitable race of getting into the premier B-Schools of the country begins. However, candidates who haven't scored that well in CAT exam should not get disheartened, as there are many other management exams of top B-schools that aspirants can take in order to fulfill their dream of management education.

While IIMs conduct admissions on the basis of CAT, popular B-Schools such as XLRI, IIFT, NMIMS and Symbiosis hold their own entrance exams. 

The IIFT entrance test and the Symbiosis National Aptitude Test or SNAP have patterns similar to that of CAT. The key difference is that they also have a section on current affairs, for which you simply need to follow the news regularly. Also, the examinations allow you to focus on your section of strength. In CAT, you are given a fixed duration to solve each section.

The XLRI Admission Test or XAT is considered difficult, possibly more than CAT. The flexible pattern and unpredictability of the paper can be challenging. Its difficulty level varies from year to year. 

NMAT is on the same lines as CAT, with the dual advantages of no negative marking and a chance of retest if you are not satisfied with your first attempt.

Some are of the opinion that GMAT may be the game changer in the management sector in India. At present, GMAT management entrance exam scores are accepted for more than 200 programmes at more than 90 business schools in India. Some prominent schools include - ISB - Hyderabad & Mohali; SP Jain Institute of Management & Research - Mumbai; IIM's - IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Kolkata, IIM Lucknow, IIM Indore, IIM Kozhikode, FMS - Delhi; MDI - Gurgaon, IIFT - Delhi & Kolkata; MICA - Ahmedabad; FLAME - Pune; SOIL - Gurgaon and many more.

Important Dates for Management Entrance Exams 2020-17

Read: CAT vs MAT: Differences and Similarities

Read: IIM's Tanoy Dutta on Life Before and After CAT

Candidates who qualified in CAT 2020 exam are recommended to check institutes’ cut-offs and submit their applications on time. MBA aspirants should also keep in mind their choice of course while applying for admission in colleges. In addition, students should check the campus placement history of the institutes before submitting their applications.

Campuswalkin wishes all the luck to applicants!

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