Important Update on CAT 2023 Eligibility Criteria

Important Update on CAT 2023 Eligibility Criteria: Now 45% or 50% [or equivalent CGPA] is not mandatory.

The CAT Committee on August 18, 2023, made an important announcement that due to the course of the pandemic, they have made an exception for CAT 2023, and now it is not mandatory to have a minimum percentage in order to apply.

This is a relief for CAT 2023 aspirants as the CAT Centre had received several queries from candidates regarding their candidature due to the “promotion/pass” certificate awarded instead of the “marks” certificates in the last two years (pandemic years) of their bachelor’s program.

Till CAT 2020, the application required candidates to meet eligibility criteria of at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA [45% in the case of candidates belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Persons with Disability (PwD) categories]. However, this raised queries in the application process for CAT 2023.

In view of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and resulting disruptions in the evaluations across the country, the CAT Committee has made the following exceptions for CAT 2023:

CAT 2023 eligibility criteria for aspirants who have completed their graduation in 2020 or 2021:

Due to the above-mentioned reasons, and considering that there could be different evaluation patterns adopted by different universities across the country due to the covid-19 pandemic, the CAT Committee has decided to remove the minimum percentage of marks (45% and 50% [or equivalent CGPA] respectively) for appearing for the CAT 2023 exam. This exception is made to ensure parity to candidates who have completed their bachelor’s degrees in 2020 and 2023.

CAT 2023 Eligibility criteria for aspirants who are in the final year:

Candidates with “promotion/pass” instead of “award of marks” certificates in any of the last two years of the bachelor’s program can enter the “Promotion or Pass” option in the application form. This will allow the candidate to complete & submit the CAT 2023 application form despite the requirements of minimum eligibility criteria (45% and 50% [or equivalent CGPA] respectively). This eligibility relaxation is also applicable to those final year students with an “award” of marks.

CAT Application Form | Eligibility Criteria | Registration | MBA Exams Date

CAT 2023 Exam Fees:

CAT Test Structure and Pattern

For CAT 2023, the IIMs have not changed the structure and continue to be a 3-section test.

Refer to the details below:

Common Admission Test (CAT) 2023 Important Dates