PGCP-BDA

ELIGIBILITY

Post Graduate Certificate Programme in Big Data Analytics (PGCP-BDA) is a full-time PG Certificate Program in Big Data Analytics  of 9 Compulsory Modules, aptitude, communication and a Project.

Qualification:

The educational criteria for the PGCP-BDA course are:
1. Graduate in Engineering (10+2+4 or 10+3+3 years) in IT / Computer Science / Electronics / Telecommunications / Electrical / Instrumentation. OR
2. MSc/MS (10+2+3+2 years) in Computer Science, IT, Electronics. OR
3. Graduate in any discipline of Engineering, OR
4. Post Graduate Degree in Management with corresponding basic degree in Computer Science, IT,
Computer Application OR
5. Post Graduate Degree in Mathematics / Statistics / Physics 

6. The candidate must have secured a minimum of 55% marks in their qualifying Examination.

  Note: A candidate seeking admission to PGCP-BDA course must appear for SECTION A and B test papers of C-CAT.
 

Application Form:

C-DAC's application form is common to Post Graduate Certificate Programme in Big Data Analytics (PGCP-BDA) Application forms for all the courses are to be filled online at http://acts.cdac.in (recommended).

C-CAT Application Fee:

Tentative schedule of August 2026 C-CAT

After filling the online C-CAT application form, the examination fee may be paid online through the ‘Make Payment’ step on the main menu of the online application. No cheque or demand draft (DD) will be accepted towards payment of C-CAT examination fee.

Online: The examination fee can be paid using credit/debit cards and net banking through the payment gateway that will be opened upon clicking the 'Online' option of the 'Make Payment' step. Candidates are advised to follow the instructions/steps given on the payment gateway, and also print/keep the transaction details for their records.

SELECTION PROCESS

Admissions to all PG Certificate Programme courses of C-DAC are done through PGCP-AC Computerised Common Admission Test (C-CAT). Candidates have to apply for C-CAT online at www.cdac.in or acts.cdac.in . Every year, C-CAT is usually conducted in July(for Sept admissions) and January (for March admissions).

Candidates will be provided ranks based on their performance in Section A, Sections A+B, Sections A+B+C of C-CAT. Along with the ranks, information on how many candidates are there above him/her in the courses applied will also be indicated.

If a candidate appears for multiple sections, he/she will be provided multiple ranks depending on his/her choice of courses at the time of filling the application form. For example, if a candidate appears for Sections A and B and had chosen courses under Category I and Category II in the application form, he/she shall be provided two ranks: (i) based on the performance in Section A, and (ii) based on the performance in Sections A+B. However, if a candidate appears for Sections A and B but had chosen only courses under Category II in the application form, he/she will be provided only one rank based on the performance in Sections A+B.

Candidates with the lowest 10% performances in Section A, Section B and Section C will not be considered for ranking in any category. Even after the removal of the lowest 10% performers as stated above, if there exist candidates in any category with zero or less than zero marks, then these candidates are also not considered for ranking. The remaining candidates will be ranked based on their performance in Section A (for candidates who have applied for Category I courses), total performance in Sections A+B (for candidates who have applied for Category II courses), and total performance in Sections A+B+C (for candidates who have applied for Category III courses).

If two or more candidates have acquired the same marks in Section A or Sections A+B or Sections A+B+C, then the candidate having more marks in Section A will be given the higher rank. If these candidates have the same marks in Section A also, then the candidate having higher value in the ratio of 'number of correct answers / number of attempted questions' in the specific section required only for that category of courses will be given the higher rank. Candidates who have the same value of this ratio and having the same total marks as well as marks in Section A will be given the same rank.

Admissions to PGCP-AC PG Certificate Programme courses at various training centres will be offered in the order of ranks obtained in C-CAT and based on the preferences of courses and centres given by the candidates. Only those candidates who are in the C-CAT rank-list will be considered for admissions to PGCP-AC PG Certificate Programme courses.

Rank-lists of July 2025 C-CAT are only applicable for admission to the August 2025 intake of PGCP-AC PG Certificate Programme courses. Candidates should note that mere appearance in C-CAT or being in any of the rank-lists neither guarantees nor provides any automatic entitlement to admission. Qualified candidates will have to apply for admission as per the prescribed procedure.
 

Important dates related to admission to C-DAC�s PG Certificate Programmes of August 2026 batch through the C-CAT of July 2026.

COURSE FEE

1. PHYSICAL Mode of Delivery:
The course fee for the fully PHYSICAL mode of delivery is INR. 1,15,000/- plus Goods and Service Tax (GST) as applicable by Government of India (GOI).
The course fee for PGCP-BDA has to be paid in two installments as per the schedule.

First installment is INR. 15,000/- plus Goods and Service Tax (GST) as applicable by GOI.Second installment is INR. 1,00,000/- plus Goods and Service Tax (GST) as applicable by GOI.

2. ONLINE Mode of Delivery:
The course fee of the fully ONLINE mode of delivery is INR. 97,750/- plus Goods and Service Tax (GST) as applicable by GOI.
The course fee for PGCP-BDA has to be paid in two installments as per the schedule.

First installment is INR. 15,000/- plus Goods and Service Tax (GST) as applicable by GOI.Second installment is INR. 82,750/- plus Goods and Service Tax (GST) as applicable by GOI.
The course fee includes expenses towards delivering classes, conducting examinations, final mark-list and certificate, and placement assistance provided

The first installment course fee of Rs 15,000/- + GST on it as applicable at the time of payment is to be paid online as per the schedule. It can be paid using credit/debit cards through the payment gateway. The first installment of the course fees is to be paid after seat is allocated during counseling rounds.

The second installment of the course fees is to be paid before the course commencement through NEFT.

C-CAT PREPARATION

1) From the current academic year admissions to all PG Certificate Programme courses will be made through a common Admission test (C-CAT).
2) C-CAT will be conducted in the form of three test papers labeled as

SECTION - A (English, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning, Computer Fundamentals & Concepts of Programming)
SECTION - B (Computer Fundamentals, C Programming, Data Structures, Data Communications & Networks, Object Oriented Programming, Operating Systems) (C Programming, Data Structures, Object Oriented Programming Concepts using C++, Operating Systems & Networking, Basics of Big Data & Artificial Intelligence)
SECTION - C (Computer Architecture, Digital Electronics, Microprocessors)

Depending upon the choice(s) of the programme(s) made by the candidate he/she will have to either appear in just one test paper (SECTION - A) or two test papers (SECTION - A and SECTION - B) or all the three test papers (SECTION - A, SECTION - B and SECTION - C).

Depending on the course chosen, candidate need to appear for the test papers (relevant sections) as per the table given below:

3) Those Candidates who qualify in C-CAT 2026 (every occurrence) will be offered admission to various PG Certificate Programme courses covered on the basis of their ranks and choices. There is no age restriction to appear in C-CAT 2026.

4) Candidates may choose one of the dates as per their convenience while filling the application. The choice of date once made will not be altered unless approved in writing by C-DAC.

5) C-CAT 2026 will be held on 4th July 2026 and 5th July 2026 Candidates may choose one of the city as per their convenience while filling the application. The choice of date once made will not be altered unless approved in writing by C-DAC.

6) To apply for admission to a desired programme, a candidate is required to qualify in the corresponding test paper(s) and also satisfy the minimum eligibility criteria of the respective academic programme.

7) There is no age restriction for admission to C-DAC�s PG Certificate Programme courses. Candidates who have appeared for the final examination of their qualifying degree in 2026 will also be considered for admission to the above courses. By qualifying in C-DAC's admission tests of July 2026, such university result-awaiting candidates can apply for provisional admission in August 2026, subject to the condition that: (a) All parts of their qualifying degree examination shall be completed by the date of joining the course, and (b) Proof of having passed the qualifying degree with at least the required minimum marks shall be submitted at C-DAC by 31 December 2026.

8) The candidates will be provided ranks based on their performance in Section A, Section A+B, Section A+B+C. If a candidate appears in multiple sections, he/she shall be provided multiple ranks accordingly. For example if a candidate appears in Section A and Section B, he/she shall be provided two ranks, based on performance in Section A and based on performance in Section A and B. A candidate can appear only in those sections which are chosen at the time of filling in the application. A candidate, who has not appeared for a particular section, will not get any position in the merit lists, which span over that section. For each programme a separate merit list will be prepared from the list of candidates opting for that programme. Admissions to various programmes at different centres will be made on the basis of merit in C-CAT 2026 subject to fulfilling of eligibility requirements.

9) Candidates should note that mere appearance in C-CAT 2026 or being in any of the merit list neither guarantees nor provides any automatic entitlement to admission. Qualified candidates will have to apply for admission as per the prescribed procedure. Admissions shall be made in order of merit based on the choice exercised by the candidate and depending on the number of seats available in the programmes at the Admitting Centre(s).

10) With regard to the interpretation of the provisions of any matter not covered in this Information Brochure, the decision of the C-DAC shall be final and binding on all the parties concerned.

The C-CAT will test the candidate's knowledge of the above topics. The candidate must possess good knowledge of C Language in terms of the syntax and its appropriate use. The candidate should carefully study the books recommended herein. However, merely reading language constructs from the book cannot develop programming ability. It is absolutely necessary to actually write one's own code in C Language and implement at least 100 good C Programs on a computer. These programs should be of increasing complexity and should exploit appropriate constructs and advanced features of C. Candidates should solve all the problems given in the recommended books. This will help the candidates in not only mastering the language but also develop good problem solving ability, which is most critical for any successful career.

The applicant should also practice the use of good features of the language, modularize his/her code, put suitable comments to improve readability of the code, make extensive use of library routines and format the programs to express the logical flow clearly.

The candidate should note that the rigorous programming practice as prescribed above is not only required to succeed in the C-CAT but is also required to learn various modules of PGCP-BDA with rapid pace. The rigorous programming practice is in fact the most important prerequisite to undertake the PGCP-BDA Course and possible successful career in the IT industry thereafter. The candidate may avail the facility of online Pre-CAT course. The candidate may also contact the nearest Authorised Training Centre for attending the Pre-CAT course.

SYLLABUS FOR COMMON ENTRANCE TEST (C-CAT)

The C-CAT will be conducted in computerized mode in various cities across India.The C-CAT centres will be allocated to candidates on a first-come, first-served basis of application, depending on the centres' seating capacity.

The C-CAT date and city once selected in the online application form cannot be changed unless approved in writing by PGCP-AC, subject to availability of seats in requested city. All such signed letters of requests with proof of valid reasons should be received at C-DAC ACTS, 5th Floor, Innovation Park, Sr. No. 34/B/1, Panchvati, Pashan, Pune 411008, before the last date of C-CAT application.
CCAT will be conducted in the form of three objective type test papers labeled as

Section – A (English, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning, Computer Fundamentals & Concepts of Programming)
Section – B (C Programming, Data Structures, Object Oriented Programming Concepts using C++, Operating Systems & Networking, Basics of Big Data & Artificial Intelligence)
Section – C (Computer Architecture, Digital Electronics, Microprocessors)

Every section will have 50 objective-type questions of 3 marks each (maximum 150 marks for any one section). Each objective-type question in C-CAT will have four choices as possible answers of which only one will be correct. There will be +3 (plus three) marks for each correct answer and -1 (minus one) for each wrong answer. Multiple answers to a question will be treated as a wrong answer. For each un-attempted question, 0 (zero) mark will be awarded.

 

July 2026 C-CAT SCHEDULE

Schedule of July 2026 C-CAT (The slot timings may vary slightly. The final timings will be printed on the admit cards.)

Important dates related to admission to C-DAC�s PG Certificate Programmes of August 2026 batch through the C-CAT of July 2026.

COMPUTING FACILITIES

Given below is the computing setup that exists at our institute. A minimum of 06 hrs per day computer time on a dedicated client node is to be shared by 2 students. The institute is open 24 hours even on all Sundays / Holidays.

Servers

Windows 2012 Server,
SCO Unix Server with ODT or Fedora or Sun Solaris,
Application Servers / Dummy Servers configured for various modules.

Configuration
Quad Core 1.3 GHz with 8 GBRAM,
Fast Wide SCSI Interface,
1 TB Fast HDD (minimum),
LED Color Monitor (18.5"),
AGP Card with 4/8 MB VRAM,
PCI Network Card 10/100 BaseT UTP Ethernet,
DVD RW Drive,

Clients Machines / Network Nodes
Configuration
Core i7 3.0 Ghz, 8 GB RAM,
1 TB GB SSD IDE,
LED Color Monitor (18.5"),
AGP- 64 Bit VGA Card with 8 MB/4 MB VRAM,
PCI Network Card 10/100 BaseT UTP Ethernet,
Microsoft/Logitech Mouse,
2 serial ports; 1 parallel port,
104 Keys Keyboard.

Network
Network 10/100 BaseT UTP Switches

Communication and Internet
Lease Line 16 Mbps Connectivity.

Printers
HP LaserJet Printer

Additional Lab Equipment / Audio Visual Equipment
Sound cards,
Video cards,
Color Scanner,
Modem 56 KBPS,
Microphones,
Speakers,
Television Set,
Hi-Lumen OHPs,
Video Projection Unit (SVGA/XGA Compatible).

Common Software’s and Operating Environments
SCO Unix OR Fedora and Windows 2008 Server,
Windows IIS Server, etc,.
Suitable CASE Tools
JDK 1.8, JDK, Java Web Server, Eclipse, Jboss,
Oracle 11g,
MS SQL Server 2008
Microsoft Office 2010
Python 3.3.4
MySQL, MongoDB and NOSQL
D3.js, npm Package for nodejs/Tableu software
VMware
Eclipse IDE Juno
Packages of Hadoop & Hadoop Distribution
Wireshark
Intel Parallel Studio XE
R Packages
MPI

EVALUATION METHODOLOGY

The evaluation process forms an important part of the course that leads to conferring the Diploma in Advanced Computing upon the eligible students.
The evaluation is a continuous process that goes on throughout the duration of the course. Normally, evaluation for each module is carried out as soon as the module ends and the results for each module are announced within fifteen days of the end of the module. The final result of the Diploma in Advanced Computing course is usually declared within 15 days of completing evaluation of the final module of the course.
The evaluation will consist of three components: a written test, a laboratory test and ongoing evaluation of lab assignments.

The weight age for each component will normally be:

There may be variation in these ratios for the following modules:

Operating System Concepts, Software Engineering and Data Communication and Networking. A student will have to score a minimum of 40% marks in each component of the evaluation in order to successfully complete any module. A student will have to successfully complete all modules of the course to be eligible for receiving the Diploma in Advanced Computing. The question papers for the theory as well as the laboratory examinations at all the centers will be set by ACTS, Pune. The evaluation of the written and laboratory will be conducted locally by the centers according to guidelines and model answers provided by ACTS, Pune. The lab examination problems will also be provided by ACTS, Pune.

The student will be awarded a grade based on his aggregate score of all modules as per the following scale:

A student who is absent for a test or is unable to successfully clear any module at the first attempt may be allowed to appear for a re-examination at the discretion of the course coordinator. However, his score at the re-examination will be de-rated by 20%. Only one re-examination will be conducted.

A student has to successfully complete all the modules and clear both lab and theory exam in order to be eligible to receive the Diploma in Advanced Computing. Students unable to complete all the modules within the course duration will be awarded a certificate for the modules successfully cleared by him/her. No student will be allowed to appear for any module after completion of the course duration. Performance statements and certificates will be issued to all students by ACTS, Pune within 15 days of completing evaluation of the final module of the course.

COURSE OUTCOME

After completing this course students will be trained in statistics and machine learning using Python. They will make data driven decisions which provide them a competitive advantage in the market, technologies like Hadoop, Spark, Hive, Machine Learning provides a spring board for AI which makes them ready for Industry 4.0. At the end of the course students will be able to work as Data Analysts, Data Engineers. Studying Big Data will broaden their horizon by surpassing market forecast / predictions for Big Data Analytics