CCAT: C-DAC Common Admission Test

Eligibility, Exam pattern, Syllabus and Admission steps for C-DAC ACTS courses.

About CCAT

The CCAT (C-DAC Common Admission Test) is a national-level entrance examination conducted by C-DAC (Centre for Development of Advanced Computing) for admission to its Post Graduate programmes in various domains of Information Technology and Electronics.

The August 2026 official booklet describes 24-week full-time PG Certificate Programmes: 1,200 hours including 300 hours of self-study, carrying 40 credits.

Official Reference

Applications: 25 November–29 December 2026 · C-CAT exam: 9 & 10 January 2027 · Batch starts: 24 February 2027. Dates follow the official ACTS announcement, checked 27 October 2026. Pattern and syllabus below retain the August 2026 booklet baseline; check the new intake booklet for any changes.

CDAC Acts Admission Information

Test Pattern

3 Sections

A, B, and C

50 Questions

Per Section

1 Hour

Per Section

150 Marks

Maximum per Section

Marking Scheme

+3

Correct Answer

-1

Wrong Answer

0

Unattempted

Test Sections & Syllabus

The subject headings follow the official indicative syllabus. The detailed bullet lists are Free Learning editorial study examples, not a complete official subtopic specification or published question weighting. See the source-linked pattern guide.

Section A: Fundamentals
English
  • Synonyms & Antonyms
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Sentence Completion
  • Articles & Prepositions
  • Spotting Errors
  • Idioms & Phrases
  • Active & Passive Voice
  • Sentence Arrangement
Quantitative Aptitude
  • Number System
  • Percentage
  • Profit & Loss
  • Ratio & Proportion
  • Time & Work
  • Time & Distance
  • Simple & Compound Interest
  • Averages
  • Algebra
  • Geometry
Reasoning
  • Analogy
  • Blood Relations
  • Direction Sense
  • Coding-Decoding
  • Series (Number & Letter)
  • Sitting Arrangement
  • Data Sufficiency
Computer Fundamentals & Concepts of Programming
  • Basic Computer Concepts
  • Software & Hardware
  • Number Systems
  • Networking Basics
  • Computer Security

Section B: Programming & Systems
C Programming
  • C Basics & Syntax
  • Operators & Expressions
  • Control Flow
  • Functions
  • Pointers
  • Arrays & Strings
  • Structures & Unions
  • File Handling
  • Memory Management
  • Preprocessor Directives
Data Structures
  • Arrays
  • Linked Lists
  • Stacks
  • Queues
  • Trees (Binary, BST, AVL)
  • Graphs (BFS, DFS)
  • Hashing
  • Sorting Algorithms
Object-Oriented Programming (C++)
  • Classes & Objects
  • Inheritance
  • Polymorphism
  • Encapsulation & Abstraction
  • Templates & STL
Operating Systems & Networking
  • OS Concepts
  • Process Management
  • Memory Management
  • Networking (OSI, TCP/IP)
  • File Systems
Big Data
  • Big Data Fundamentals (5 V's)
  • Hadoop Ecosystem
  • MapReduce
  • NoSQL Databases
Artificial Intelligence
  • AI Fundamentals
  • Machine Learning Basics
  • Neural Networks
  • Natural Language Processing

Section C: Computer Architecture & Hardware
Computer Architecture
  • CPU Architecture
  • Memory Hierarchy
  • I/O Systems
  • Addressing Modes
Digital Electronics
  • Boolean Algebra
  • Logic Gates
  • Combinational Circuits
  • Sequential Circuits
  • Number Representation
Microprocessors
  • 8085 & 8086 Architecture
  • Assembly Programming
  • Interrupts

Course Categories & Required Sections

Section A + B

100 Ques • 300 Marks • 120 Min
PG Certificate in Advanced Computing (PGCP-AC)
PG Certificate in Big Data Analytics (PGCP-BDA)
PG Certificate in Artificial Intelligence (PGCP-AI)
PG Certificate in IT Infrastructure, Systems & Security (PGCP-ITISS)
PG Certificate in Mobile Computing (PGCP-MC)
PG Certificate in Advanced Secure Software Development (PGCP-ASSD)
PG Certificate in HPC System Administration (PGCP-HPCSA)
PG Certificate in FinTech & Blockchain Development (PGCP-FBD)
PG Certificate in Cyber Security & Forensics (PGCP-CSF)
PG Certificate in Robotics & Allied Technologies (PGCP-RAT)

Section A + B + C

150 Ques • 450 Marks • 180 Min
PG Certificate in Embedded Systems Design (PGCP-ESD)
PG Certificate in VLSI Design (PGCP-VLSI)

Important Notes

  • The medium of CCAT examination is English only
  • Candidates must appear for sections as per their selected course category
  • Each section has objective-type questions with four options
  • Negative marking: -1 mark for each wrong answer
  • There is no negative marking for unattempted questions
  • Questions can be attempted in any order within a section