CAT
CAT, a national-level MBA entrance exam, is conducted for admissions to 21 IIMs, IITs, NITs, MNITs, and over 100 other institutions across India. The CAT 2025 is expected to be conducted by IIM Kozhikode. The exam is tentatively scheduled for November 30, 2025, and will be held in three sessions.
The official notification for CAT 2025 is expected to be released on July 30, 2025, and the registration process will start on August 1, 2025. The official CAT exam date for 2025 will be announced on the iimcat.ac.in website. The CAT 2025 exam will be conducted across more than 170+ cities in India.
Table of Content
CAT Exam 2025: Important Highlights
Candidates can refer to the table below for some of the major highlights for the Common Admission Test.
| Exam Particulars | CAT 2025 Details |
| CAT Full Form | Common Admission Test (CAT) |
| Conducting Body | IIMs (IIM Kozhikode for 2025) |
| Exam Level | National |
| Exam Frequency | Once a year |
| CAT Exam Date 2025 | November 30, 2025 (Sunday) – Tentative |
| CAT Exam Timings | Session 1: 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM Session 2: 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM Session 3: 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM |
| CAT Exam Fees | INR 2,600 (General category) INR 1,300 (Reserved category) |
| Eligibility Criteria | Graduation with 50% aggregate (45% for SC/ST students) |
| Courses Offered | MBA/PGDM |
| CAT Syllabus | Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), Quantitative Ability (QA) |
| Exam Mode | Computer Based Test (CBT) with MCQs and non-MCQs |
| Number of Test Cities | 170 Cities |
| CAT Exam Website | iimcat.ac.in |
| Exam Duration | 2 hours (120 minutes) with a sectional time limit of 40 min |
| Medium of Exam | English |
| Exam Question Type | MCQ and Non-MCQ questions |
| Number of Attempts Allowed | No restriction on attempts |
| Age Limit | No restriction on age |
| Negative Marking | -1 for every incorrect answer |
| Top Colleges for CAT 2025 | 21 IIMs, IITs, NITs, MNITs, 1200+ Government and Private MBA colleges |
| Exam Helpdesk No. | 1-800-210-1088 (Toll Free) |
| CAT Email | cathelpdesk@iimcat.co.in |
About CAT Exam
The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a national-level management aptitude test conducted by the IIMs for admission to MBA programs offered by its 21 campuses, including NITIE Mumbai, now known as IIM Mumbai. CAT scores are also accepted by over 1,200 B-schools across India. Each year, over two lakh candidates apply for the CAT exam, with 2023 seeing a record 3.30 lakh applications.
The CAT exam is held on a single day in three sessions at approximately 400 test centers across 155 cities in India. The test assesses business aptitude and includes subjects such as Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA), with a difficulty level ranging from moderate to high.
| Section | Number of Questions | Total Marks |
| Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 24 | 72 |
| Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) | 20 | 60 |
| Quantitative Ability (QA) | 22 | 66 |
Around 1,000 institutes in India accept CAT scores for admission. Candidates will need to answer 66 objective-type questions within the given time.
CAT 2025 Exam: Important Events
Candidates can refer to the table below for the upcoming CAT 2025 exam events.
| CAT 2025 Events | Dates |
| Start of CAT 2025 Registration | August 1, 2025 |
| CAT 2025 Registration Deadline | September 13, 2025 |
| Release of CAT 2025 Admit Card | November 5, 2025 |
| CAT 2025 Exam Date | November 30, 2025 |
| CAT 2025 Result Date | December last week 2025 / January first week 2026 |
CAT 2025 Exam: Eligibility Criteria
- Educational Qualification:
- Candidates must have completed a minimum three-year graduation course with at least 50% marks (45% for SC/ST/PwD categories).
- Final year students or those awaiting results can also apply but must provide proof of completion as per the date set by the respective IIMs.
- Candidates with a professional degree (CA/CS/ICWA/FCAI) meeting the required percentage are also eligible.
- Age and Attempts:
- There is no age restriction for CAT applicants.
- There are no limits on the number of attempts for the CAT exam.
- Work Experience:
- Work experience is not mandatory, although some institutes may give preference to candidates with relevant work experience.
- Special COVID-19 Exceptions:
- For candidates who graduated in 2020, 2021, or 2025, the minimum percentage requirements (45% for SC/ST/PwD and 50% for General/OBC-NC/EWS) have been waived due to varied evaluation patterns during the pandemic.
- This exception only applies to the eligibility criteria for writing the CAT 2025 exam, not for the selection criteria of individual institutes.
- Institution Recognition:
- The institution from which the candidate has graduated must be recognized by an Act of Parliament or State Legislature in India, declared to be a University under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956, or possess an equivalent qualification recognized by the Ministry of HRD, Government of India.
Candidates must also meet the specific selection criteria set by the institutions, which may include academic performance, work experience, and performance in the CAT exam. For precise admission policies, candidates should refer to the guidelines of the respective institutions.
IIM CAT 2025 Reservation Criteria
The table below shows the seat reservation percentages for different categories for CAT Exam Eligibility 2025:
| Category | Percentage of Seats Reserved |
| Scheduled Caste (SC) | 15% |
| Scheduled Tribes (ST) | 7.5% |
| Physically Disabled (PwD) | 5% |
| Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) | Up to 10% |
| Non-Creamy Layer Other Backward Classes (NC-OBC) | 27% |
CAT 2025 Exam Pattern
Refer to the exam pattern given below for the students planning to appear for the CAT 2025 exam which will help them in the preparation phase.
| Element | Details |
| Mode of Exam | Online (Computer-based Test – CBT) |
| Duration | 2 Hours (120 Minutes), 40 minutes per section |
| Exam Slots |
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| Total Questions | 66 |
| Section-Wise Questions |
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| Subjects |
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| Language of Question Paper | English |
| Total Marks | 198 |
| Number of Answer Choices | 4 |
| Marking Scheme |
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| Question Type | MCQ and non-MCQ |
CAT 2025 Exam Syllabus
Candidates can refer to the table below for the complete CAT 2025 Exam Syllabus for all the three sections.
| Verbal Reasoning & Reading Comprehension (VARC) | Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation (LR & DI) | Quantitative Aptitude |
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CAT 2025 Selection Process Overview
Shortlisted candidates are then invited for further rounds which may include Written Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussion (GD), and Personal Interview (PI). Each IIM sets its own cutoff percentile and assigns different weights to these components.
Non-IIM Selection Process through CAT: Apart from IIMs, other institutions accepting CAT scores conduct GD/PI rounds for admission to their MBA/PGDM programs. Some colleges admit students solely based on CAT scores without additional assessment rounds.
- Stage 1: CAT Result and IIM Shortlist
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- CAT 2025 results are announced by the organizing authority.
- IIMs release their respective CAT cutoffs for different categories.
- Shortlisted candidates are notified through the IIMs’ official websites and receive interview letters directly.
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- Stage 2: WAT, PI, and GD Rounds
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- Shortlisted candidates participate in Written Ability Tests (WAT), Personal Interviews (PI), and Group Discussions (GD).
- Candidates are evaluated on parameters such as general knowledge, communication skills, and academic performance.
- Stage 3: Final Selection: Eligible candidates undergo final selection based on:
- CAT 2025 score
- Performance in PI, WAT, and GD
- Academic diversity
- Work experience
The weightage for each criteria varies across IIMs and is specified in their admission policies.
CAT 2025 Exam: Top IIM Colleges Fees
Candidates can refer to the table below for the IIM Colleges Fees for the MBA program.
| S.No. | IIM Campuses | IIM MBA Fees (Rs lakh) |
| 1. | IIM Bodh Gaya | 17.00 |
| 2. | IIM Rohtak | 17.90 |
| 3. | IIM Visakhapatnam | 17.82 |
| 4. | IIM Kashipur | 17.30 |
| 5. | IIM Ranchi | 17.50 |
| 6. | IIM Sirmaur | 17.50 |
| 7. | IIM Mumbai | 21.00 |
| 8. | IIM Amritsar | 21.00 |
| 9. | IIM Trichy | 21.00 |
| 10. | IIM Sambalpur | 21.01 |
| 11. | IIM Indore | 21.17 |
| 12. | IIM Ahmedabad | 25.00 |
| 13. | IIM Kozhikode | 22.50 |
| 14. | IIM Shillong | 22.71 |
| 15. | IIM Raipur | 18.00 |
| 16. | IIM Nagpur | 18.90 |
| 17 | IIM Jammu | 18.85 |
| 18. | IIM Udaipur | 22.20 |
| 19. | IIM Calcutta | 23.00 |
| 20. | IIM Bangalore | 24.50 |
| 21. | IIM Lucknow | 26.50 |
CAT 2025 Exam: Courses Offered by IIMs
Candidates can refer to the table below for the courses offered by the IIMs in India.
| IIM | Courses Offered |
| IIM Raipur | PGP, FPM/ PhD, EFPM |
| IIM Udaipur | MBA, PhD |
| IIM Amritsar | MBA, EMBA, MBA-Business Analytics, MBA-HRM, PhD |
| IIM Sambalpur | MBA, PhD, E PhD |
| IIM Kozhikode | PGP, PGP-BL, PGP-F, PGP-LSM, PhD, PhD (PT) |
| IIM Jammu | PGP, PhD |
| IIM Bodh Gaya | PGP, PhD (FPM) |
| IIM Bangalore | PGP, PGPEM, PGPBA, PhD |
| IIM Lucknow | PGP, PGP-ABM, PGP-SM, FPM |
| IIM Visakhapatnam | PGP, PGPEx, PGPDGM, PhD |
| IIM Nagpur | PGP, PhD |
| IIM Indore | PGP, PGP-HRM, FPM |
| IIM Tiruchirappalli | PGPM, PGPM-HR, PGPBM, FPM, E-FPM |
| IIM Mumbai | MBA, MBA in Sustainability Management, MBA in Operations and Supply Chain Management |
| IIM Calcutta | MBA, PhD |
| IIM Ahmedabad | PGP, PGP-FABM, ePGP, PhD |
| IIM Kashipur | MBA, MBA (Analytics), MBA (WX), PhD, EFPM |
| IIM Rohtak | PGP, EPGPX, EPGDSM, PhD, Part-Time FPM |
| IIM Ranchi | PGP, PGP-HRM, PGP (Business Analytics), PhD, EPhD |
| IIM Shillong | PGP, PGPEX, PGPWE, PhD, PhDWP |
| IIM Sirmaur | MBA, MBA (T&HM), PhD |
Expected IIM CAT 2025 Cutoff: Collegewise
Candidates can check the Expected IIM CAT 2025 Cutoff for different IIMs in India.
| IIM | Cutoff Percentiles |
| IIM Ahmedabad |
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| IIM Amritsar |
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| IIM Bangalore |
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| IIM Bodhgaya |
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| IIM Calcutta |
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| IIM Indore |
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| IIM Jammu |
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| IIM Kashipur |
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| IIM Kozhikode |
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| IIM Lucknow |
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| IIM Nagpur |
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| IIM Raipur |
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| IIM Ranchi |
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| IIM Rohtak |
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| IIM Sambalpur |
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| IIM Shillong |
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| IIM Sirmaur |
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| IIM Trichy |
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| IIM Udaipur |
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| IIM Vizag |
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How to Prepare for CAT 2025 Exam
- Quantitative Aptitude: Candidates must do regular practice from the recommended resources like Arun Sharma and Nishit K Sinha CAT books, as they are beneficial, covering essential topics such as profit & loss, time & speed, percentages, and arithmetic.
- Logical Reasoning: Aspirants must practice for the Logical Reasoning section and do questions on Arrangements, Team Formation, and Blood Relations. Take help with the previous year papers, online quizzes, and coaching materials.
- Data Interpretation: Similar to Logical Reasoning, DI requires practice to solve different types of questions effectively.
- Reading Comprehension: Reading Comprehension requires a lot of practice as it accounts for a significant portion of CAT with 16 questions. Candidates can improve their reading speed by regularly practicing passages from the last year papers.
- Verbal Ability: Aspirants can focus on areas that include parajumbles, para completion, and para summary.
- Mock Tests and Previous Year Question Papers: Candidates must take regular mock tests and solve PYQs from the past 5-6 years. These help in understanding the exam pattern, improving time management, and identifying strengths and weaknesses.
By adopting a structured study plan candidates can enhance their preparation for the CAT 2025 exam.
