The seven Indian Institute of Management (IIMs) have announced the date for the Common Admission Test (CAT). CAT is the entry point for admission to IIMs as well as all leading business schools and an estimated 300,000 aspirants try their luck at it. To be held on Nov 16, 2008 at 23 centers in India which include Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Kozhikode, Lucknow and others, a total of 102 non- IIM institutes use the CAT scores.   

This year the price of the admission forms has been raised by Rs 200 for the general category and OBC students and by Rs 100 for SCs and STs, taking the price to Rs 1300 and Rs 650.

The sale of the CAT application forms is said to bring in substantial revenue to the IIMs. The V K Shunglu Commission (former Comptroller and Auditor General) noted that IIM Ahmedabad alone made Rs 168.96 lakh from the CAT in 2002-2003, IIM Bangalore made Rs 247.07 lakh, while IIM Calcutta got Rs 283.62 lakh.   

The CAT Bulletins which contains the applications forms are available at select branches of Axis bank, from July 14 till August 8, 2008. The last date for submission of the form is September 5.

In special cases these forms are available directly from the IIMs by August 13, 2008. A dedicated CAT website www.catiim.in has been launched by the IIMs in an attempt to guide students through the admission process. Students can find out the CAT scores, short listing and the final selection as well as the status of their application after their admission form has been received,

The IIMs will continue to conduct a paper-pencil test this year though they had advertised last year for agencies t take the CAT online.

Subrata Mitra, admission chairperson at IIM-Calcutta said, "We are at a discussion stage with several agencies that have evinced interest in taking CAT online. But CAT-2008 is going to be a paper-pencil test this year."