CAT for UG - RTI Report? Coming Soon??
**Could IIMs introduce one common undergraduate entrance test—something students might call a “UG CAT”?** The idea has been discussed, but **no new UG CAT exam has been approved or launched**.
According to a **Hindustan Times report by Sanjay Maurya, updated on 22 September 2026**, minutes of the IIM Coordination Forum meeting held on **14 May 2026** in Ahmedabad reveal deliberations on common UG management admissions, centralised MBA counselling, common fee-refund practices and possible transfers between IIMs. The education ministry circulated the minutes on **17 June 2026**; HT says it received them through an RTI application on **15 September 2026**.
### What was proposed for undergraduate and IPM admissions?
Currently, IIM undergraduate and Integrated Programme in Management (IPM) admissions use multiple routes, including IPMAT, JIPMAT and separate institute entrance tests. Forum members considered whether the number of exams could be reduced to ease the expense and pressure on applicants.
IIM Bodh Gaya, Jammu, Amritsar and Ranchi supported exploring a common exam. Jammu and Bodh Gaya favoured an NTA-conducted test. IIM Indore proposed that additional IIMs could join the existing IPMAT framework, with support from IIM Rohtak. IIM Kozhikode stressed institute flexibility, while IIM Udaipur suggested using existing tests such as JEE, CUET or CLAT.
**That is not an agreement to create CAT for undergraduate students.** A test name, syllabus, eligibility rules, conducting agency, dates and launch year have **not** been officially finalised in this reported discussion. CAT currently remains the entrance test used for postgraduate management admissions.
### Could IIM MBA admissions also get common counselling?
The meeting also examined a shared digital counselling system for MBA seats, potentially reducing repeated seat-booking payments and vacancies. The HT report says IIM Mumbai prepared a prototype and sent it to the education ministry by the end of July 2026. A final decision had **not** been taken at the time of reporting.
Participants also considered more consistent fee-refund rules and operating procedures for transfers between IIMs. Discussion of a common policy should not be mistaken for confirmation that every IIM has adopted one.
### What should students do now?
Students targeting IIM undergraduate or IPM programmes should **continue preparing for the current official exams required by each institute**. Do not replace an IPMAT, JIPMAT or other published admission plan with an unannounced “UG CAT.” MBA applicants should likewise rely on the current CAT and institute-specific admissions policies until an official notice changes them.
**Source: Hindustan Times**, Sanjay Maurya, 22 September 2026 (RTI-based reporting):
### UG CAT 2027, IIM IPMAT and common MBA counselling: What this RTI report means
Searches for **CAT for UG, UG CAT 2027, common IIM undergraduate entrance exam, IPMAT vs UG CAT, JIPMAT merger, IIM common entrance test and centralised IIM MBA counselling** all point to the same essential distinction: the IIM Coordination Forum examined ways to simplify fragmented management admissions, but debate is not notification. Different IIM UG programmes have different academic objectives and entry requirements; any merger or common test would require formal decisions and institute-specific announcements. For 2027 aspirants, the practical advice is to track the official IPMAT, JIPMAT, IIM and CAT admission websites rather than assuming a new exam already exists. The RTI minutes are noteworthy because they show policy discussion at a national level—not because an exam date or new counselling policy has been declared.
### Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
**Q1. Is CAT for UG officially announced?** No. A common UG/IIM entrance test was discussed, but the report does not establish an approved examination named “UG CAT.”
**Q2. Will UG CAT replace IPMAT or JIPMAT in 2027?** There is no confirmed replacement or implementation date. Continue following current official exam notices.
**Q3. Which IIMs supported a common UG test?** The Hindustan Times report identifies Bodh Gaya, Jammu, Amritsar and Ranchi as supporters of a common test. Other IIMs advocated alternative routes or greater flexibility.
**Q4. Is an NTA-run IIM undergraduate test confirmed?** No. NTA administration was suggested by some IIMs; it was not finalised.
**Q5. Is common MBA counselling starting now?** No confirmed rollout was announced in the September 2026 report. A prototype was reportedly submitted for consideration.
**Q6. Should I stop preparing for IPMAT or JIPMAT?** No. Follow the active eligibility, syllabus and selection criteria published by your target IIMs.
**Q7. Does this RTI report change CAT 2026?** No. CAT for postgraduate management admissions is separate from the proposed undergraduate-test discussion.
*Editorial note: This is a November 2026 explainer of a report originally published on 22 September 2026, not a new November government notification.*
Source: Hindustan Times (media report)