Common Admission Test (CAT) is a national-level entrance exam conducts every year by Indian Institute of Management (IIMs) on a rotational basis. Based on the performance of aspirants in the CAT 2027 entrance exam they become eligible to move ahead with the further admission process in prestigious management schools such as IIMs, IITs, SP Jain, MDI, FMS, and many other top B-schools in India. If you are planning to appear for the CAT 2027, your journey starts with two important factors, firstly, meeting the CAT 2027 eligibility criteria and second one, is selecting the best CAT coaching platform which will help you convert your dream into reality.
In this blog, we will walk you through the complete CAT 2027 eligibility criteria, including academic requirements, key documents required, and also show you how iQuanta, India’s most sought-after online CAT coaching platform, can help you in achieving your goals and making it to India’s top IIMs or B-schools.
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What is the CAT Exam?
Common Admission Test (CAT) is a national-level MBA entrance exam conducted annually by IIMs on a rotational basis. CAT scores are accepted not only by IIMs but also 1000 top B-schools across all over India. The CAT exam evaluates aspirant’s aptitude in three key areas which are, VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension), DILR (Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning), and QA (Quantitative Aptitude). With increasing competition, around 2.93 lakhs candidates registered in CAT 2024 against limited 5000 numbers of IIMs seats available. It is crucial to understand the eligibility criteria in advance to start a focused preparation for CAT 2027.
CAT Exam Eligibility Criteria 2027: Overview
The CAT aspirant should hold a 3-year Bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognized university. The CAT exam eligibility criteria for general category is 50% marks in graduation and 45% for the reserved category. As per official CAT exam eligibility 2027, to appear in the CAT, graduation is must. However, final year students can also apply for CAT exam 2027.
Below mentioned are key points related to CAT exam eligibility criteria 2027:
- Candidate should hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent in any stream with a minimum of 50% marks or equivalent CGPA (45% in case of SC/ST/PwD candidates).
- The candidate’s bachelor’s degree must be valid from any university established by an act of the central or state legislature in India or any educational institution 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 in the bachelor’s degree will be calculated based on the standard pattern followed by the concerned university/institution.
- Candidates appearing for the final year of a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent examination, as well as those who have already completed their degree examinations but have yet to receive their results, are also eligible to apply. However, such candidates may join the course on a conditional basis if they are qualified upon presentation of a certificate from their university/institution’s principal/registrar.
- There is no specific age limit for the CAT, so aspirants can take the exam at any age.
- CAT eligibility criteria do not require work experience. However, the exam is open to both freshers and experienced candidates. Meanwhile, some B-schools consider work experience during admission.
- The candidate can appear for CAT any number of times in a lifetime.
CAT Exam Eligibility 2027: Key Highlights
Candidates who intends to give CAT 2027 must meet the eligibility requirements which gets announced by the CAT exam authority on its official website each year. The below table shows the important highlights of CAT 2027:
| Name of the Exam | CAT 2027 |
| Official Website | iimcat.ac.in |
| Mode of Exam | Computer-Based |
| Duration of the CAT Exam | 2 Hours (120 Minutes) |
| Exam Slots | Morning Slot: 8:30 am to 10:30 amAfternoon Slot: 12:30 pm to 2:30 pmEvening Slot: 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm |
| Number of Questions | 68 Questions |
| Total Marks | 204 |
| Marking Scheme | Each Correct Answer – 3 marksEach Incorrect Answer – 1 mark |
CAT Exam Eligibility 2027: Academic Qualification
According to CAT eligibility requirements, the aspirants should hold a Bachelor’s degree from a recognized university. The CAT will be offered to students who have received promotion/pass certificates in any of the last two years of their bachelor’s degree program. Meanwhile, the final-year students with an ‘award of grades’ are also eligible to take the CAT exam. Below is the minimum education qualification as per CAT exam eligibility 2027:
- As per the CAT eligibility, candidates should have a degree from a recognized university or have an equivalent qualification recognized by the Ministry of HRD in India.
- For the general and NC – OBC category aspirants, the minimum percentage requirement is 50%.
- Grades or CGPA awarded to candidates will be converted by the CAT Exam Eligibility standards of the university/institute.
CAT Exam Eligibility 2027: Reservation Details
IIMs have reserved some seats for students applying to business administration programs based on their category.
The reservation details of the IIMs are summarized below:
| Category | Reserved %age |
| SC (Scheduled Caste) | 15% |
| ST (Scheduled Tribe) | 7.5% |
| NC-OBC (Non-Creamy Other Backward Classes) | 27% |
| EWS (Economically Weaker Sections) | Upto 10% |
| PWD (Person With Disability | 5% |
Differently, abled individuals or persons with disabilities are classified in a separate category within reservations. The candidates who wish to take advantage of the caste-based reservation must provide proof of their eligibility in the form of a SC/ST/OBC certificate with their application form. In the final admission process, the original document is required. There is a standard format for caste certificates available on the official CAT website so that some uniformity can be achieved and the certificate can easily be verified.
CAT Exam Eligibility 2027: Work Experience
The CAT entrance exam does not require prior work experience from candidates. The CAT application form includes a section for work experience, but it is not a key requirement. IIMs consider work experience in the later stages of the admission process. Within the CAT exam, however, any experience will not affect the scores or eligibility. The documents needed to prove aspirants work experience are:
- Work experience certificate issued by the company
- Joining letter
- First month and last three month’s salary slips
CAT Exam 2027: Important Documents Required
At the time of CAT 2027 registration, candidates must submit following documents:
- Class 10th & 12th marksheets
- Graduation marksheets or degree certificate
- Category certificates (SC/ST/OBC-NCL/EWS/PWD), if applicable
- Finaly year certificate for students in final year
- Photo and signature (as per prescribed format)
- Government-issued ID proof.
How iQuanta Helps you Crack CAT 2027?
Cracking CAT is not just about eligibility, it is about the right preparation with consistent strategy and expert guidance. This is where iQuanta plays a game-changing role. iQuanta provides personalized learning through its dual-pedagogy approach wherein students will first taught concepts and then through live application based classes, students will simulate real-world CAT scenarios to prepare you for the exam well in advance.
iQuanta offerings for CAT 2027 aspirants are:
- Dual Pedagogy: Application-Based Classes and Live Conceptual Classes
- 24*7 Doubt Solving Assistance
- All Year Practice Sessions
- Assignments
- Full Mocks with Video Solution
- Sectional Mocks with Video Solution
- Non-Engineers’ Quants Videos
- Engineers’ VARC Videos
- CAT LRDI Inception
- AI Mock Analysis
- Peer to Peer Learning
- IIM ABC Practice Sessions (Daily 12 QA, 3 RCs & 3 LRDI Sets)
- 7500 CAT Qs IIM ABC Course
Whether you are a fresher, working professional, or have a weak areas like Quant or VARC, iQuanta offers taregetd support, personalized mentoring, and a community-driven ecosystem that keeps you motivated till your D-day. With abundant options available for CAT preparation where other coaching institutes focus on quantity and are unbothered about quality, iQuanta stands out and is committed to transforming the MBA students’ dreams into reality. This is depicted in the CAT results 2024 where 500+ 99 percentilers were from iQuanta. Considering these factors for choosing a CAT coaching institute, iQuanta is definitely the right choice for you.
Join us and experience the new age of learning, where top-notch content meets advanced technology, expert guidance, and unwavering support. Get ready to conquer the CAT 2027 Entrance Exam with the iQuanta Online CAT Coaching.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, you can apply for CAT exam 2027. But you must clear your backlog and fulfill CAT 2027 exam eligibility requirements before admission.
No, there is no age limit for appearing in CAT exam 2027.
You are eligible with less than 50% in graduation only if you belong to SC/ST or PwD categories (minimum 45%). Otherwise, you are not eligible.
No. But it get considered during the final selection process in various IIMs and top B-schools across India.