CAT 2020 Registration 101: Do’s and Don’ts

CAT 2020 registrations have started on 5 August. Naturally, there are innumerable questions on going about the registration process as such. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, there are a lot of uncertainties in addition to the general doubts that need clarification. We will look to clear the air on most of the doubts in a series of articles starting today.

Disclaimer: The readers are requested to follow due diligence while filling their CAT 2020 registration forms. The first and best source to reach out in case of any queries/doubts/clarifications is the CAT 2020 helpdesk.

1) Do not hurry

The human impulse provides the urge to do something quickly, and CAT 2020 registration is no different. Though the registration has started on 5 August 2020, it is going to be open until 16 September 2020 (5.00 PM IST). So it is important to get all your documents and other prerequisites ready before jumping the gun. Do not yield to this rush of wanting to register, as it could backfire.

Remember, one mistake in the application will come to bite you in all stages of the process. Better safe than sorry.

2) Do not be lethargic

Though this might seem contradictory to the previous guideline, it is not.

Being careful and diligent with your CAT 2020 registration process is not similar to postponing it to the last three or four days to the deadline.

Make note of what are the documents you have, what you do not, and make efforts to get all of them – your NC-OBC certificate, EWS proof and so on – ready at the earliest. Any unexpected mishap in the eleventh hour that interferes with your CAT 2020 registration can prove to be game-changing.

3) Pay attention to the minutest of details

Every detail counts when you are filing your registration form for CAT 2020. This means that you should be careful while entering your name, date of birth. marks, percentages, CGPA and everything else.

Your name

The name you fill in should match with your 10th grade marksheet/certificate.

Date of Birth

Be wary of the format mentioned. 07/08/1997, for example, could mean 7 August 1997, OR 8 July 1997 depending upon the format (DD/MM/YYYY or MM/DD/YYYY). A lapse there could prove to be detrimental.

CGPA/Percentages

This is one of the most crucial aspects, where each CAT aspirant has a different doubt on the same topic.

To convert CGPA into percentage, each college/university/institution might follow a different calculation methodology.

If you have even the slightest hint of doubt, contact your college officials to confirm, before proceeding with the registration process. Do not assume that it is going to a multiplication factor of 10 or 9.5 for all the colleges. It is not.

4) The final year vs graduation conundrum

This is the topmost confusion, thanks to the pandemic. “I have not yet officially written my final semester examination since college is closed. I have started working, meanwhile. Am I a student, or would my work experience count?”

If you have not officially written your final examination, you should select “YES” to the question, “Are you in the final year of Bachelor’s Degree?”

There is nothing to fret about this position you find yourselves in. This is not going to make a difference in the CAT 2020 examination as such.

5) The semester-wise marksheets

This goes slightly in tandem with the previous question. “I am currently in my seventh semester, but due to the pandemic (or even otherwise), I have my marksheets only until fifth semester. How should I go about it?”

You can give your marks as per the latest data you have. For the particular question stated above, if you have the data only until fifth semester, it should be fine.

(You can read:

• Part 2 that answers some questions on NC-OBC and EWS guidelines, here
• Part 3 that explains some mistakes that need to be avoided, here
• Part 4 that talks about some of the common doubts, here
• Part 5 that addresses some more of them, here)

Stay safe, and best wishes for CAT 2020!