“In response to disruptions caused by COVID during the Common Admission Test 2020 (CAT 2020) registration period and the continuing difficulty faced by candidates in procuring the documentation necessary for timely registration, the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) have decided to extend the CAT 2020 Exam Registration deadline to September 23, 2020.” – Media Release from the official CAT 2020 website.
2020 has been a highly volatile and precarious year thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic (seriously, please wear your masks!). The events that mark a year and make it…well…a YEAR have all gone out the window, as we cope with the repercussions of this pandemic. CAT aspirants have been wondering whether the exam will take place amidst this scenario, and the IIMs responded by declaring the official dates for this exam.
And now, at a time when obtaining certificates and documentation, timely registration and other procedures for the CAT 2020 Exam are met with mounting constraints, the IIMs have announced more changes. You’ll find the important details regarding these changes as you continue to peruse this article.
But firstly, please, breathe. Yes? Good. Let us jump into this now.
CAT 2020 Exam – Registration Deadline Extension
Due to the numerous difficulties faced by aspirants in procuring documentation and registration, the IIMs have extended the deadline for CAT 2020 from 16th September 2020 to 23rd September 2020 (it’s on a Wednesday).
The registration window for CAT 2020 will close by 5:00PM on 23rd September 2020, and the IIMs have made it very clear that they shall not be extending the date for registration beyond this.
Registration Form Edit Window
After having registered successfully and paid the application fee for the CAT 2020 Exam, a brief edit window will be made available to candidates who have fulfilled the above criteria, post the closure of the registration window. This edit window will allow you to, well, edit the fields mentioned below within your application form. These edits must be made only if required and they must be in accordance with CAT 2020 Registration guidelines.
Here are the fields you can edit within this short edit window:
- Photograph
- Signature
- Test City Preferences
If you haven’t registered already, or are on the fence about whether or not to write this exam, go through this article and try to arrive at a decision. We sincerely hope it helps. If you have already decided to go for the exam at this point, kindly register now and do NOT wait until 23rd September to do so.
CAT 2020 Exam – Pattern Changes
As of now, CAT 2020 is scheduled to be held on 29th November 2020, as reiterated in a media release by the IIMCAT. However, the number of sessions or slots for the CAT 2020 Exam has been increased to 3.
They have assured us that the CAT 2020 process will be conducted taking into account the COVID-19 pandemic. Having said that, they request candidates to regularly check the CAT Website for updates and new information, due to the aforementioned information being contingent upon directions and decisions issued by the Central Govt. and State Governments.
3 Major Changes in the CAT 2020 Exam Pattern:
- Firstly, as we mentioned before, the exam will be conducted in three sessions or slots instead of two.
- Secondly, the duration of the CAT 2020 Exam has been revised to 120 minutes split within our three usual sections:
- Section I: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension
- Section II: Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
- Section III: Quantitative Ability
- Thirdly, the amount of time allotted for each of the three sections, will be 40 minutes. As usual, you will not be allowed to switch between sections while answering the questions in one section.
The IIMs urge us to regularly check the website for updates, and assure us that the relevant sections of the IIMCAT Website will be updated by 20th September 2020, in order to reflect the changes mentioned above.
CAT 2020 Exam – Official Tutorials Announcement
In light of the changes made to their exam pattern and in order for the candidates to understand and acclimatize to the new exam format, the IIMs have announced that CAT Exam tutorials will be made available on the CAT Website by October 2020. Once these tutorials are released, kindly work on them ASAP!
A Final Note:
As jarring as this update is, remember that you must not panic. More information will come, so do check out the CAT Website regularly. Stay calm, vetri namake! Best Wishes. 🙂
Source: Official Media Release for CAT 2020.
Written by Saahil R Bhatt.
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