The Common Admission Test (CAT) 2024, scheduled for November 24, will be conducted in three sessions, each with a unique test form. To ensure fairness and equity in comparing candidates' performances across these sessions, a process called normalisation will be used. This approach adjusts scores to account for location and scale differences in score distributions across various test forms.
The CAT 2024 normalisation process aims to ensure that scores are comparable regardless of any variations between test forms. Once adjusted, these scaled scores will be further normalised across sections and converted into percentiles. These percentiles will then be used to shortlist candidates for subsequent selection rounds, including the Written Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussion (GD), and Personal Interview (PI).
For each candidate, scaled scores will be published for the three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA); along with their overall percentile. This method of normalisation is similar to the one used in the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE), which also compares candidate scores across different test sessions to ensure fair evaluation.
Beyond the CAT percentile, the composite score considers additional factors like Class 10 and 12 marks, undergraduate performance, work experience, and diversity aspects. This holistic approach provides a balanced view of candidates' achievements and potential.
The CAT 2024 scores will be key for admission into postgraduate and doctoral programmes at the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), as well as at numerous non-IIM business schools across India. Over 1,000 MBA institutions, along with the 21 IIMs, accept CAT scores for admission.
