Checked 25 September 2026. From Table 1 of the August 2026 booklet, which matched the February 2026 page. Eligibility is restated in each booklet; check the February 2027 booklet when it is published.
C-DAC does not have one eligibility rule; it has a common criterion that opens every course, and a course-by-course list of other degrees that open some of them. Add a minimum percentage (55% for most courses, 60% for AI), and the question "can I apply?" becomes "which courses can I apply for?" This guide answers that from the August 2026 booklet.
Where other pages get this wrong
The minimum for PGCP-AC is 55%, not 50%.
Commonly published instead: "PG-DAC: 50% marks in the qualifying degree."
The August 2025 booklet did set 50% for PG-DAC and PG-DMC (and 60% for PG-DFBD and PG-DCSF). From the February 2026 batch the rebranded PGCP-AC and PGCP-MC need 55%, and PGCP-FBD and PGCP-CSF came down to 55%. PGCP-AI needs 60%. The rule is applied by your own university's norms for percentage.
August 2026 admission booklet, §2 and Table 1.
The common criterion
Either of these makes you eligible for every course, including the Category III courses PGCP-ESD and PGCP-VLSI:
| Qualification | In these branches |
|---|---|
| Graduate in Engineering or Technology (10+2+4 or 10+3+3) | IT, Computer Science, Electronics, Telecommunication, Electrical, Instrumentation |
| M.Sc or MS (10+2+3+2) | Computer Science, IT, Electronics |
Course by course
| Course | Also eligible (besides the common criterion) | Minimum |
|---|---|---|
| PGCP-AC | Any engineering branch; MCA or MCM; PG in Physics, Maths or Statistics; PG in Management with a graduation in IT, CS or Computer Applications | 55% |
| PGCP-BDA | Same as PGCP-AC | 55% |
| PGCP-MC | Same as PGCP-AC | 55% |
| PGCP-AI | Any engineering branch; MCA or MCM; PG in Physics, Maths or Statistics | 60% |
| PGCP-FBD | Any engineering branch; MCA or MCM; PG in Physics, Maths or Statistics | 55% |
| PGCP-CSF | Any engineering branch; MCA or MCM; PG in Physics, Maths or Statistics | 55% |
| PGCP-ITISS | PG in Maths or Statistics; MCA | 55% |
| PGCP-ASSD | MCA | 55% |
| PGCP-HPCSA | PG in Maths or allied areas; MCA | 55% |
| PGCP-RAT | Graduate in Mechatronics or Mechanical Engineering | 55% |
| PGCP-ESD (Category III) | Common criterion only | 55% |
| PGCP-VLSI (Category III) | Common criterion only | 55% |
Our count from Table 1 of the August 2026 booklet, assuming the minimum marks are met (AI needs 60%). M.Sc Maths/Statistics is 7 or 8 depending on whether HPCSA accepts Statistics as an "allied area".
Check your degree
Which C-DAC courses can you apply for?
Degree by degree
| If you have | What it opens |
|---|---|
| B.E./B.Tech in CS, IT, Electronics, Telecom, Electrical or Instrumentation | Everything, including ESD and VLSI (register for Category III) |
| B.Tech through lateral entry (diploma + degree) | The booklet counts 10+3+3 as well as 10+2+4, so the same as the regular B.Tech in that branch |
| M.Sc/MS in CS, IT or Electronics (10+2+3+2) | Everything — the M.Sc is part of the common criterion |
| MCA | Nine courses: AC, BDA, MC, FBD, CSF, AI (60%), ITISS, ASSD, HPCSA |
| B.Tech Mechanical or Mechatronics | AC, BDA, MC, FBD, CSF, AI (60%) and RAT |
| B.Tech in Civil, Chemical or another branch | AC, BDA, MC, FBD, CSF and AI (60%) |
| M.Sc Physics | AC, BDA, MC, FBD, CSF and AI (60%) |
| M.Sc Maths or Statistics | The Physics list plus ITISS, and HPCSA ("Maths or allied areas") |
| MBA/PG in Management, with an IT, CS or Computer Applications graduation | AC, BDA and MC |
| B.Sc, BCA or B.Com only | Nothing in the published table — e-mail actssupport@cdac.in before applying |
How the minimum marks have moved
| Course | Aug 2025 booklet | Feb 2026 onwards |
|---|---|---|
| PG-DAC → PGCP-AC | 50% | 55% |
| PG-DMC → PGCP-MC | 50% | 55% |
| PG-DFBD → PGCP-FBD | 60% | 55% |
| PG-DCSF → PGCP-CSF | 60% | 55% |
| PGCP-AI | 60% | 60% |
The change came with the rebranding as Post Graduate Certificate Programmes. A candidate with, say, 52% who could apply for PG-DAC in 2025 cannot apply for PGCP-AC now — worth checking before paying the C-CAT fee, which is not refundable.
Sponsorship: the AMRUT scheme
The booklet itself has no scholarship or fee concession. For the August 2025 batch, the Government of Maharashtra's AMRUT sponsored the course fee for open-category, economically weaker candidates domiciled in Maharashtra, under 35, with family income under ₹8 lakh or an EWS certificate: 20 seats each in six courses (120 in all) at centres in Karad, Mumbai, Nagpur, Nashik, Navi Mumbai and Pune, awarded to the top C-CAT ranks among applicants. We found no official notice for a later batch; if you are eligible, watch for one when the February 2027 booklet appears.
Final-year students
You can apply before your degree is complete. The booklet allows provisional admission to candidates who have appeared for their final qualifying examination, on two conditions: all examinations must be over by the course joining date, and proof of passing with the minimum marks must reach C-DAC by the stated deadline — 31 December 2026 for the August 2026 batch, 30 June 2026 for the February 2026 batch. If the proof is late, the admission is cancelled with no refund.
| Batch | Proof of passing due |
|---|---|
| February 2026 | 30 June 2026 |
| August 2026 | 31 December 2026 |
| February 2027 | In the February 2027 booklet (not yet published) |
Documents that prove eligibility
| Document | Why |
|---|---|
| Degree certificate (or provisional certificate) | Shows the qualification and branch that decide which courses you may list |
| Mark sheets for every year or semester | The minimum percentage is checked against them, by your university's norms |
| University conversion rule for CGPA, if applicable | Needed if your marks are in CGPA and the percentage is borderline |
| Proof of passing, for final-year applicants | Due by the booklet's deadline, or the provisional admission is cancelled without refund |
| E-mail to actssupport@cdac.in, for an unlisted degree | Before the application closes, with certificates attached |
C-DAC verifies eligibility after allotment, when you register at the centre and upload the eligibility certificate — 21 August 2026 for the August batch. Finding a problem then costs the ₹15,000 + GST first instalment, so settle any doubt before you pay the C-CAT fee.
Rules that catch people out
Before you pay the C-CAT fee
- The category decides the courses. ESD and VLSI need Category III, and the category cannot be changed after the form is submitted.
- You can list only courses you are eligible for. The counselling system will not accept others, and ineligibility found at document verification forfeits the ₹15,000 + GST first instalment.
- Minimum marks follow your university's norms for calculating percentage.
- An unlisted degree needs an e-mail to actssupport@cdac.in, with certificates, before the application closes.
- No age limit and no reservation, category quota or fee concession in the booklet.
August 2026 admission booklet.
Practise it, don't just read it
Whichever course your degree opens, the entrance is the same: Sections A and B for every Category II course, plus Section C for ESD and VLSI.
The ProSyllabus C-CAT library has topic quizzes for English and Quantitative Aptitude, Logical Reasoning, Computer Fundamentals, C Programming and Data Structures and OOP — the core of Sections A and B. Each question comes with an explanation.
What is the eligibility for C-DAC C-CAT?
A B.E./B.Tech in IT, CS, Electronics, Telecom, Electrical or Instrumentation, or an M.Sc/MS in CS, IT or Electronics, makes you eligible for every course. Other degrees — any engineering branch, MCA, MCM, PG in Physics, Maths or Statistics — open some courses. The minimum is 55% (60% for PGCP-AI).
Can a mechanical engineer apply for C-DAC?
Yes, for PGCP-AC, BDA, MC, FBD, CSF and AI (with 60%), which accept any engineering branch, and for PGCP-RAT (Robotics), which names Mechanical and Mechatronics graduates. Not for ESD, VLSI, ITISS, ASSD or HPCSA.
Can a B.Sc or BCA graduate apply for C-DAC courses?
Not on the published table: a three-year B.Sc or BCA without a listed postgraduate degree is not among the eligible qualifications. An M.Sc in CS, IT or Electronics, or an MCA, is. For an unlisted degree the booklet asks candidates to e-mail actssupport@cdac.in before the application closes.
Is MCA eligible for C-DAC PGCP-AC?
Yes. MCA is eligible for PGCP-AC and eight other courses; it is not eligible for ESD, VLSI or RAT.
What is the minimum percentage for C-DAC courses?
55% for eleven courses and 60% for PGCP-AI, applied by your university's norms, in the August 2026 booklet.
Is there an age limit for C-CAT?
No. The booklet sets no age limit.
Can final-year students apply for C-CAT?
Yes, provisionally, if all their examinations are over by the joining date and proof of passing with the minimum marks reaches C-DAC by the deadline in the booklet; otherwise the admission is cancelled without a refund.
Can a civil engineer apply for C-DAC?
Yes, for PGCP-AC, BDA, MC, FBD, CSF and — with 60% — AI, which accept graduates of any engineering branch.
Is M.Sc Physics eligible for C-DAC?
Yes, for PGCP-AC, BDA, MC, FBD, CSF and — with 60% — AI. M.Sc Maths or Statistics also opens ITISS and HPCSA.
Is a diploma holder with a lateral-entry B.Tech eligible?
Yes. The booklet's common criterion counts engineering degrees of the 10+3+3 pattern as well as 10+2+4, so a lateral-entry B.Tech in a listed branch is treated like any other B.Tech in that branch.
Can I apply for C-DAC with an MBA?
Only if your graduation was in IT, CS or Computer Applications; then the booklet opens PGCP-AC, PGCP-BDA and PGCP-MC to a PG in Management.
Is there reservation in C-DAC courses?
The August 2026 booklet has no reservation, category quota, fee concession or scholarship scheme. Maharashtra's AMRUT sponsored the course fee for 120 EWS students from Maharashtra in the August 2025 batch; check for a current notice.
More in this series
- C-CAT pattern, syllabus and Category II vs III
- The twelve C-DAC courses compared
- Counselling rounds, lock/freeze, fees and withdrawal
- Training centres and seats: C-DAC vs ATCs
- A preparation plan for the January 2027 C-CAT
- C-DAC placements: what the data does and does not show
- C-CAT notice board — official updates
Sources
- official — C-DAC ACTS admission booklet, August 2026 batch (v1.0)
- official — C-DAC PG Certificate Programme admission page
- official — C-DAC admission page for the February 2026 batch (archived 19 Jan 2026)
- official — C-DAC admission booklet, August 2025 batch (archived)
- official — AMRUT sponsorship notification for C-DAC courses (Aug 2025 batch)
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
