How to Apply for CAT Exam: Step-by-Step Registration Guide
The Common Admission Test, popularly known as CAT, is one of India’s most important management entrance examinations. For thousands of MBA aspirants, completing the CAT exam application is the first formal step towards securing admission to a leading business school.
Although the application is completed online, candidates need to enter a considerable amount of personal, academic, and professional information. A small error in marks, category details, uploaded documents, or contact information can create complications later.
This guide explains how to apply for the CAT exam in a clear, step-by-step manner. It covers eligibility, required documents, photograph and signature guidelines, application fees, test-city selection, and common errors to avoid during the CAT registration process.
What Is the CAT Exam?
CAT stands for Common Admission Test. It is a computer-based management entrance examination conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management.
CAT scores are used for admission to postgraduate management and doctoral programmes offered by participating IIMs. Several listed non-IIM institutions also use CAT scores for their management admissions, although the IIMs are not involved in the selection processes of those institutions.
Completing the CAT registration process does not mean that a candidate has separately applied to every business school accepting CAT scores. Applicants must review the admission requirements and application procedures of individual institutions.
Who Can Apply? CAT Eligibility Criteria
Before beginning the CAT registration process, candidates should confirm that they meet the prescribed eligibility requirements.
Minimum academic qualification
A candidate must hold a recognised bachelor’s degree with:
At least 50% marks or an equivalent CGPA for General, EWS, and NC-OBC candidates
At least 45% marks or an equivalent CGPA for SC, ST, and PwD candidates
The degree must have been awarded by a recognised university or educational institution, or the candidate must possess an equivalent qualification recognised by the Ministry of Education, Government of India.
Final-year students
Candidates appearing for the final year of their bachelor’s degree, as well as those who have completed their degree requirements but are awaiting results, may apply.
However, admission may remain provisional until the candidate submits the necessary completion certificate or other documents required by the respective institution.
Candidates with professional qualifications
Candidates who have completed recognised professional qualifications such as the following may also be eligible:
Chartered Accountancy
Company Secretary
Cost and Management Accountancy
Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of India
The minimum qualifying percentage applicable to the candidate’s category must still be satisfied.
How is CGPA converted into percentage?
Candidates should use the conversion formula prescribed by their university or institution.
When the institution does not have an official conversion method, the CAT guidelines calculate the equivalent percentage by dividing the candidate’s CGPA by the maximum possible CGPA and multiplying the result by 100. Candidates may also be required to produce an official equivalence certificate during later stages of admission.
Documents Required Before Registration
Keep all relevant information and scanned documents ready before opening the application form. This prevents hurried calculations, incorrect entries, and the familiar last-minute hunt through old folders.
Candidates should generally keep the following documents and information available:
A valid and unique email address
An active mobile number
Class 10 certificate or marksheet
Class 12 marksheet or diploma records
Bachelor’s degree semester-wise or year-wise marksheets
Master’s degree information, when applicable
Professional qualification details, when applicable
University-approved CGPA conversion formula or certificate
Valid EWS, NC-OBC, SC, or ST certificate, when applicable
Valid PwD certificate, when applicable
Recent passport-size photograph
Scanned signature
Full-time post-graduation work-experience details, when applicable
Online payment details
Candidates should use an email address and mobile number that they can access throughout the examination and admission process, as these contact details are used for official communication.
How to Apply for CAT Exam: Step-by-Step Process
The CAT exam application is completed online. Applicants first create a user profile, verify their contact details, log in using the generated credentials, complete the application sections and make the payment.
Step 1: Visit the Official CAT Website
Visit the official CAT website and check the current year’s notification, eligibility document, information bulletin, and registration guide.
Candidates should be cautious of unofficial or similarly named websites asking for application fees or sensitive personal information. The official CAT website is the authorised source for registration announcements and applicant login access.
Step 2: Register as a New User
Select the option for new candidate registration.
Enter the basic information requested on the registration page, which may include:
Candidate’s name
Date of birth
Email address
Mobile number
Nationality
Country code, where applicable
Enter your name exactly as it appears on your Class 10 or SSC certificate. Variations in spelling, initials, spacing or surname order may create discrepancies during document verification.
Once the registration form is submitted, some of these basic entries may not be editable. Review every field carefully before proceeding.
Step 3: Verify Your Email and Mobile Number
Domestic candidates are generally required to verify both their mobile number and email address using one-time passwords.
After successful verification, the candidate receives a system-generated User ID and password through the registered communication channels. Overseas candidates may receive the OTP and login details through their registered email address.
Check the spam or junk folder when the registration email does not appear in the inbox immediately.
Store the User ID and password securely. These credentials will be required for completing the form, downloading the admit card and accessing other CAT-related information.
Step 4: Fill in Personal Details
Log in as a registered candidate and open the application form.
Complete the personal-information section carefully. Depending on the application year, it may request:
Full name
Parents’ or guardians’ names
Gender
Nationality
Category
Present address
Permanent address
Alternate email address
Emergency contact number
Disability-related information, where applicable
Applicants claiming reservation benefits must enter the appropriate certificate information and upload valid documents in the prescribed format.
Select the category carefully. The official CAT bulletin states that a request to change the category may not be accepted after registration.
Step 5: Enter Academic Qualifications
The academic section may ask for details relating to:
Class 10 or equivalent examination
Class 12 or equivalent examination
Diploma qualification
First bachelor’s degree
Second bachelor’s degree, where applicable
Master’s degree
Professional qualifications
Enter the board, university, course, year of completion, marks, CGPA, and aggregate percentage exactly as stated in the official records.
For Class 10 and Class 12, candidates may be required to consider all subjects shown on the marksheet when calculating the aggregate. For graduation and postgraduate qualifications, follow the aggregate calculation method prescribed by the relevant university.
Final-year students should enter the marks or CGPA obtained for the semesters or years completed by the application date.
Do not estimate or round off scores casually. Use the decimal places permitted by the form and keep the calculations ready for future verification.
Step 6: Add Work Experience, If Applicable
Work experience is not compulsory for completing the CAT application. Candidates without professional experience can proceed accordingly.
Applicants with work experience should enter only eligible full-time employment completed after graduation. In the latest official registration guide, the following were not counted as eligible work experience:
Internships
Part-time employment
Academic projects
Articleship
Employment completed before graduation
Candidates may need to provide the employer’s name, industry, employment dates and breaks between jobs. Calculate the experience according to the cut-off date mentioned in the current year’s registration guide.
Keep appointment letters, experience certificates, relieving letters and salary records available for future admission verification, even when they are not requested during the initial application.
Step 7: Select Preferred Test Cities
Choose your test cities in order of preference.
In the latest officially published cycle, candidates could select five different test cities. One of the selected cities was allotted, subject to availability. When none of the preferred cities was available, the candidate could be assigned a nearby location.
Place the most convenient city first. Consider:
Travel time
Availability of public transport
Familiarity with the location
Accommodation requirements
Possible weather or traffic disruption
The selected test city is not necessarily the final test centre. The complete venue and reporting information appear on the admit card.
Step 8: Upload Photograph and Signature
Upload a clear passport-size photograph and scanned signature according to the specifications stated in the current registration guide.
For the latest official cycle, the guidelines prescribed:
Photograph within dimensions of 1200 × 1200 pixels
Signature within dimensions of 80 mm × 35 mm
JPG or JPEG file format
Maximum file size of 80 KB for each file
Minimum resolution of 150 pixels per inch
Photograph not older than six months
White background for the photograph
Reserved-category and PwD certificates were required to be uploaded as PDF files.
Use a proper scanner or a high-quality scanning method. Avoid blurred photographs, cropped signatures, shadows, dark backgrounds and heavily compressed images.
Candidates may be required to carry printed copies of the same photograph on the examination day. Keep several copies safely stored.
Step 9: Pay the Application Fee
After completing all sections, preview the application before proceeding to payment.
For CAT 2025, the registration fee was:
₹1,300 for SC, ST, and PwD candidates
₹2,600 for all other candidates
The application fee was payable once, irrespective of the number of participating IIM programmes selected, and was non-refundable. These figures may change for subsequent examinations.
Complete the payment through one of the options available on the application portal. Do not refresh the browser, press the back button or close the window while the payment is being processed.
Save the payment transaction number displayed after a successful transaction.
Step 10: Submit and Download the Confirmation
Before final submission, use the preview option and inspect every section carefully.
Confirm that:
Your name matches your official records
Your date of birth is correct
The selected category is accurate
Academic percentages have been calculated correctly
Work-experience entries are valid
Uploaded documents are clear
Test-city preferences are in the correct order
After successful payment and submission, a confirmation message should appear on the screen. Candidates should also receive an application confirmation email.
Download or print:
The completed application form
Application summary
Payment receipt
Confirmation email
Transaction reference number
After final submission and payment, candidates may only be able to view or print the application. Regular changes to the submitted information may no longer be possible, except for fields specifically permitted during an officially announced correction window.
If you are appearing for the CAT in a short month, then read how to get 99% in CAT in 3 months.
Common Mistakes to Avoid During the CAT Exam Application
Entering a different version of your name
Do not use a nickname, abbreviated surname, or spelling that differs from your Class 10 certificate.
Selecting the wrong category
Check your certificate and applicable category rules before making a selection. Category changes may not be accepted after registration.
Incorrectly calculating academic percentages
Do not ignore subjects or use an unofficial CGPA conversion formula. Follow your board or university’s prescribed method.
Counting internships as work experience
Only eligible full-time post-graduation experience should be entered unless the current guide states otherwise.
Uploading unclear documents
Blurred photographs, incomplete signatures, and unreadable certificates may cause application problems.
Using an old or inaccessible email address
Use contact details that will remain active throughout the examination and admission process.
Choosing test cities randomly
Arrange preferences according to genuine travel convenience rather than selecting cities simply to complete the form.
Waiting until the final day
Heavy traffic, payment failures, and document-upload errors can turn the last few hours into a small digital thunderstorm. Complete the application several days before the deadline.
Skipping the final preview
A five-minute review can catch incorrect marks, misplaced test-city preferences and category errors before they become permanent.
Forgetting to save the confirmation
Download the submitted form, payment receipt and confirmation immediately. Store copies online and offline.
Important Documents Checklist
Use this checklist before beginning the CAT registration process:
Valid email address
Active mobile number
Class 10 certificate or marksheet
Class 12 marksheet or diploma records
Graduation marksheets
Degree certificate, when available
Final-year academic records, when applicable
Master’s degree records, when applicable
Professional qualification records
Official CGPA conversion formula or certificate
Valid category certificate
Valid PwD certificate
Recent passport-size photograph
Scanned signature
Work-experience dates and employer details
Online payment method
Backup copies of all uploaded files
Conclusion
Understanding how to apply for CAT exam is just as important as preparing for the test itself. The application form becomes a central record used throughout the admission process, so every name, mark, date, category and uploaded document must be accurate.
Begin the CAT exam application early, organise your documents beforehand and complete each stage of the CAT registration process patiently. Preview the entire form before paying the fee, save all confirmation records and regularly check the official CAT website for updates.
A careful application may not improve your percentile, but it ensures that an avoidable form error does not stand between you and the business school you are working towards.
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