CAT Counseling 2024 - Dates, Application, Preparation and Result | CollegeSearch

Common Admission Test (CAT)

Last Date to Apply
13th September, 2025

Avantika Bhardwaj
Avantika Bhardwaj

Table of Content

The Counselling for CAT examination is not conducted by CAT. The Indian Institutes of Management don't conduct common counseling, neither they allot colleges. The selection of the candidate is based on their CAT Result, their Academic Qualification, their relevant Work Experience, their performance in Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI) etc.

The candidates who qualify the examination will receive a personalized call letter from the examination authority. The selection process of 9 new IIMs is conducted by the Indian Institute of Management, Rohtak. Remaining IIMs conducts admission individually.

CAT Score is also accepted by numerous other institutes such as FMS, SPJIM, MDI and many more.

CAT Counselling Procedure:

CAT counselling Process involves following steps:

Step 1: Call Letter:

  • The candidate will receive the call letter from the authorities on their registered email ID.
  • The call letter will include details such as Registration Link, Last Date of Registration, Date-Venue-Slot of WAT and PI.

Step 2: Reporting and Document Verification:

  • The candidate is required to report the allocated venue.
  • The candidate must carry original and photocopies of the required documents.

List of Documents required during Reporting:

  • Class X Mark Sheet and Certificate
  • Class XII Mark Sheet and Certificate
  • Bachelors' Degree Certificate
  • Reservation Certificate, if required
  • Interview Letter
  • CAT Rank Card

Step 3: Choice Locking:

  • Once the document verification is done, visit the official website of the college.
  • Fill the registration form
  • Select and lock your preferences or choice before submitting the registration form.
  • An intimation will be received on the registered email ID or registered mobile number.
  • Confirm the seat and visit the allocated institute to submit the allotment order.

Things to know about WAT, GD and PI:

Once the candidate qualifies CAT examination, the admission in the elite institute depends on their performance in Written Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI).

Written Ability Test (WAT):

  • Most of the Indian Institutes of Management conducts WAT to check the candidates' critical thinking ability and how they formulate or communicate their thoughts.
  • During WAT, the candidate is required to write an essay on the topic provided by the institute.
  • The time duration of WAT varies from 15 minutes to 30 minutes for different IIMs.
  • The structure of the essay is considered but the major task is to complete the essay in the given time.

Important Topics:

  • Media Influence
  • Democracy in India
  • Abolition of Triple Talaaq
  • Should Petroleum be included in GST?
  • Demonetization in India

Group Discussion:

  • Most of the institute conducts WAT instead of GD.
  • In Group Discussion, the candidates are divided into groups of 8-10 and they are asked to present their views on a given topic.
  • The motive of this round is to check how the candidate communicates his ideas clearly.
  • This round determines the candidates' ability in understanding group dynamics and managing a team.

Important Topics:

  • Donald Trump as the President of America
  • Improved performances of Indian players at International Events
  • Impact of GST on Indian economy

Personal Interview:

  • It is a mandatory round of selection procedure and is conducted by all the IIMs and other B-schools for admissions.
  • It carries the weightage of 30 to 40 percent and the interview is taken by the panel of 2-4 interviewers.

Common Questions asked in PI:

  • Tell about yourself.
  • Why you opt for MBA?
  • Why should we select you?
  • What are your strengths and weaknesses?
  • Where do you see yourself in the next 5-10 years?

Weightage of components considered while preparing the final merit list:

CAT Score: 38

  • Bachelors' Marks: 3
  • Class XII Marks: 2
  • Relevant Work Experience: 2
  • Gender: 2
  • Academic Discipline: 3

Top Colleges Accepting CAT

View All

Related Articles

Exam

22nd August, 2025 , 10 min read

Practice Questions for Logical Reasoning for CAT preparation Solved Practice challenging Logical Reasoning questions for CAT here. Understand exam patterns & question types. Prepare for 22 DILR questions. Start solving today! By - Ridhima Jindal Read More >
Exam

11th August, 2025 , 3 min read

CAT 2020 Exam Analysis: Difficulty, Topics & Score Insights Get detailed CAT 2020 exam analysis: slot-wise difficulty, section-wise topics, and scores vs. percentile. Prepare for CAT 2025 with key insights. Explore now! By - Tushar Read More >
Exam

11th August, 2025 , 6 min read

Slot-Wise CAT 2021 Exam Analysis Get the complete CAT 2021 exam analysis for all 3 slots. Dive into section-wise difficulty, good attempts, and detailed paper review for VARC, DILR, and QA. Read now! By - Ridhima Jindal Read More >
Exam

10th August, 2025 , 4 min read

CAT 2025 Preparation: Verbal Ability Questions Prepare for CAT 2025 Verbal Ability with our guide. Get detailed syllabus, practice sample questions, and expert tips to ace the 22-24 question section. Start your prep now! By - Nirek Rishi Read More >
Exam

10th August, 2025 , 3 min read

CAT 2025 Preparation: Geometry Formulas and Guide Master essential CAT 2025 Geometry formulas for the Quantitative Aptitude section. Learn key mensuration, coordinate, and solid figure formulas to tackle this 10-20% weighted topic. Boost your CAT score! By - Nirek Rishi Read More >
More Articles

Related News

Exam

31st July, 2025 , 3 min read

CAT Registration 2025 LIVE Now: How to Fill IIM CAT Application Form? he CAT registration for 2025 has now been officially launched, and thus the window to submit the application for one of India's most sought-after MBA entrance exams has also opened. By - Tushar Read More >
Exam

31st December, 2024 , 2 min read

CAT 2024 Result Controversy - Petition Filed in Delhi High Court, CAT Final Answer Key To Be Released Again? Delhi High Court has received a petition filed against CAT 2024 Result. Candidates claim that IIM Calcutta has released the answer key without considering the objections raised by them. By - Avantika Bhardwaj Read More >
Exam

05th December, 2024 , 2 min read

CAT 2024 Result Date. Check Complete Details Here CAT 2024 Results When? This news contains complete details for the same. Students can check their result from the official website. By - Nawal Read More >
Exam

28th November, 2024 , 4 min read

CAT Normalization Process. Know How is CAT Score Calculated, CAT Percentile Predictor In this news, we will help the candidates understand the meaning of CAT normalization process, CAT Scaled Score, CAT Final Score, and how to calculate the CAT scores. CAT Normalization is a process that is followed by the Indian Institutes of Management to ensure fairness in the scoring process. By - Ridhima Jindal Read More >
Exam

29th November, 2024 , 2 min read

CAT Answer Key 2024 Out at iimcat.ac.in, Check Expected Marks The CAT answer key is expected to release soon on the IIM Calcutta website. The answer key will be provisional and the candidates will be able to raise objections to the CAT response sheet during a window of 2 days. The authorities will examine the objections and then based on the responses the final CAT answer key will be released along with the CAT Results 2024. By - Ridhima Jindal Read More >
More News

Latest Articles on CAT 2025

Practice Questions for Logical Reasoning for CAT preparation Solved

22nd August, 2025

Practice challenging Logical Reasoning questions for CAT here. Understand exam patterns & question types. Prepare for 22 DILR questions. Start solving today!

CAT 2020 Exam Analysis: Difficulty, Topics & Score Insights

11th August, 2025

Get detailed CAT 2020 exam analysis: slot-wise difficulty, section-wise topics, and scores vs. percentile. Prepare for CAT 2025 with key insights. Explore now!

Slot-Wise CAT 2021 Exam Analysis

11th August, 2025

Get the complete CAT 2021 exam analysis for all 3 slots. Dive into section-wise difficulty, good attempts, and detailed paper review for VARC, DILR, and QA. Read now!

CAT 2025 Preparation: Verbal Ability Questions

10th August, 2025

Prepare for CAT 2025 Verbal Ability with our guide. Get detailed syllabus, practice sample questions, and expert tips to ace the 22-24 question section. Start your prep now!

CAT 2025 Preparation: Geometry Formulas and Guide

10th August, 2025

Master essential CAT 2025 Geometry formulas for the Quantitative Aptitude section. Learn key mensuration, coordinate, and solid figure formulas to tackle this 10-20% weighted topic. Boost your CAT score!

More Articles

Other MBA / PGDM Exams

CAT logo
CAT CAT | 30th November, 2025
XAT logo
XAT XAT | 04th January, 2026
MAT logo
MAT MAT | 28th September, 2025
TS ICET logo
TS ICET TS ICET | 08th June, 2025
GMAT logo
GMAT GMAT | Date not available
View All