The CAT 2024 official notification was made public in the month of July on the official website of the CAT Exam: https://iimcat.ac.in/. The scorecard was released on December 19th, 2024 on the official CAT exam website. The CAT exam was administered at 389 test centres across 170 Indian cities. The CAT 2025 exam will be on the last Sunday of November 2025 i.e., 30th November, 2025.

Common Admission Test (CAT Exam)

The Common Admission Test (CAT) conducted nationally by the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) is mandatory for candidates wishing to be admitted to any one of the 21 IIMs.  The IIMs provide admission to the MBA/PGDM courses.  The 21 IIMs have recently been expanded to include NITIE Mumbai as IIM Mumbai. Approximately 2.93 lakh of the 3.29 lakh qualified applicants took the test.

Almost 89% of the aspirants appeared for the CAT entrance test in 2024. In the CAT exam the test-takers are measured on reading comprehension (RC), quantitative ability (QA), verbal ability, and data interpretation and logical reasoning (DI-LR). Moderate to challenging is the range of difficulty for the CAT exam.

Significant Highlights of the CAT Exam

The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a national-level entrance test organised for admission into IIMs and leading B-Schools of India. CAT 2025 was conducted on November 30 in computer-based mode (CBT) with three sessions by IIM Kozhikode .

The exam was of 2 hours duration (160 minutes for PwD candidates) and contained 68 questions in QA, VARC and DILR under a +3/-1 marking scheme. Some of the key highlights of the CAT exam are given below:

CAT Exam Dates: 2025, 2024 and 2023

The CAT exam is held annually on a Sunday in the last week of November. The next CAT 2025 exam on November 30, 2025 and CAT 2024 was held on November 24, 2024. Past exams were on November 26, 2023 (CAT 2023) and November 27, 2022 (CAT 2022).

Programs Offered by the Indian Institute of Management (IIMs)

Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) provide a range of MBA and specialised courses at their campuses. Flagship MBA/PGP programs are standard but certain IIMs offer executive, data science, analytics, supply chain, healthcare and sustainability management programs. 

General management is emphasised by institutes such as IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Calcutta while others such as IIM Indore, Amritsar and Bodh Gaya emphasise sector-specific courses. Executive and online MBAs are also offered at certain IIMs. Programs offered by the IIMs are listed below:

Qualifications/Eligibility for the 2025 CAT Exam

Candidates must pass the CAT exam in order to be admitted to the prestigious Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). However, before appearing for the exam, the candidate should verify the eligibility criteria of the CAT exam. The CAT exam eligibility criteria are given below: 

1. Academic Qualifications

• A graduation degree from a recognised university (UGC-approved).

• Minimum marks required: General, EWS, OBC-NCL -  50% and for SC, ST, PwD - 45%

• Degrees accepted: BE/BTech (AICTE/MHRD-approved), CA, CS, ICWA, FIAI (Certified by respective bodies). Final-year students can apply (if the degree is AICTE, MHRD or UGC-approved).

2. Backlogs & Professional Background

• If they receive the necessary grades for their degree, candidates with backlogs are welcome.

• Although it is not required, IIMs may take work experience into account when making selections.

3. Age 

• No limit is declared regarding the age of the test-taker.

4. Who is ineligible for the exam?

• Those with a professional degree (CS/CA/ICWA) but without a bachelor's degree.

• Both professional and bachelor's degree candidates did not complete their studies.

• Those who possess marks below 50% (45% of SC, ST & PwD).

• Degrees not recognised by MHRD, AICTE, or UGC.

Colleges Accepting CAT Scores

All government colleges in India, including the IITs and IIMs, accept the CAT score. The CAT score is accepted by all private colleges that do not conduct their own entrance exams. However, the ones that conduct may or may not accept depending from college to college. 

Indian Institute of Management (IIMs)

Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) are India's best business schools with their highly sought-after MBA programs. All 21 IIMs use CAT scores for admission such as IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Lucknow, Indore and Kozhikode as well as newer ones like IIM Amritsar, Bodh Gaya and Mumbai. These institutions provide world-class management education and great career prospects. 

Institutes of Technology in India (IITs)

Certain Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) accept CAT results and provide MBA programs. Renowned for their high academic standards these IITs offer top-class management education with an emphasis on technology and innovation.

Other Colleges that take CAT Results

Some of the leading MBA colleges apart from the IIMs and IITs take CAT scores for admission to their management programs. They include FMS Delhi, MDI Gurgaon, SPJIMR Mumbai, IMI Delhi, IIFT Delhi, XIM Bhubaneswar, MICA Ahmedabad, Great Lakes Chennai, TAPMI Manipal, KJSIM Mumbai, BIMTECH Greater Noida, and so on. These institutions provide quality MBA courses and ensure great career prospects for management seekers.

CAT Exam 2025 Syllabus

Important Points of the Pattern for the CAT exam

The CAT exam has 68 questions including 24 from VARC part, 22 from DILR part and 22 from the QA part.  It has both MCQs and non-MCQs with a +3 for correct response and -1 for incorrect response marking scheme (for TITA questions no negative marking). The details are provided below: 

Sectional Weightage for the 2025 CAT Exam

Quantitative Aptitude (QA) receives the highest weightage of 34% while Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation (LR&DI) receives 30% and Reading Comprehension (RC) receives 24%. The least weightage of 10% is received by Verbal Ability (VA). Knowing this ratio allows candidates to concentrate on high-weightage sections.

Part One of the CAT Exam Syllabus: VARC Section

A candidate's English language proficiency, grammar, and capacity for logical thinking are assessed in the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) component of the CAT exam. Year by year the difficulty level of the VARC section is rising.

The IIMs have not defined a syllabus for any section of the CAT Exam. However, the pattern noticed in the previous years is mentioned for all three sections.

The CAT VARC part will have 24 questions including 18–20 questions of MCQs and 4-6 TITA-style questions. RC carries the highest weight among the 16 questions which will be followed by the 8 verbal skill questions.

Part Two of the CAT Exam Syllabus: DI-LR Section

Data Interpretation (DI) areas cover Radar Charts, Pie Charts, Bar Graphs etc. Logical Reasoning (LR) subjects include Word Puzzles, Math Puzzles, Routes & Networks, Scheduling, Seating Arrangements etc. Students need to improve their speed and accuracy to finish this section. It has 20 questions (8 TITA) to be solved in 40 minutes. Since the IIMs have not mentioned a syllabus, these topics have been noticed in the previous years.

Part Three of the CAT Exam Syllabus: QA Section

The syllabus for quant, like all other sections is not defined. In the CAT exam, the candidates will have forty minutes to complete eight TITA-type questions and fourteen multiple-choice questions. They should therefore attempt the CAT quant portion with the correct strategy or else they will not be able to complete it. Some of the topics covered in the QA section of the CAT exam, as noticed,  are given below: 

CAT Registration

The candidates will have to log in on the CAT official website, provide personal and academic information, select their desired exam cities for the exam and upload documents such as a photograph, signature and category certificate (in case of reserved category). 

After filling in personal and academic details, the students are given a list of all the IIMs. They have to select which IIM they have to apply to, followed by selecting their city preference 1, 2 and 3 for interviews. The three IIMs excluded from this list are IIM Vizag, IIM Amritsar and IIM Rohtak. To apply to these three colleges, the student has to specifically go to their official college website, apply and pay a separate registration fee. 

To submit the application form, applicants will have to make an online payment for the application fee. Upon submission, candidates are given a confirmation email and they can download their admit card after it is released. Double-checking all information before submission is crucial because the wrong information can result in disqualification.

Details of CAT Exam Registration 

Documents Needed to Fill Out the 2025 CAT Application Form

The following documents must be supplied in order to register for the CAT exam:

• A coloured passport photo that measures 30 mm in width by 45 mm in height (Format: JPEG/JPG, at least 150 pixels per inch)

• The signature measures 80 mm in width and 35 mm in height. (Format: JPEG/JPG, at least 150 pixels per inch)

• Academic Information Work Experience Certificate (if applicable) Personal Information

• Phone Number, Email Address and Payment Details

• Form V, VI, VII for a PwD certificate.

• EWS, SC, ST and OBC-NC certificates.

• Additional prerequisites include the Authorisation Form, Identification Affidavit, Certificate of Last Year and Scribe Affidavit.

CAT EXAM Fees

Category-wise fees for the CAT registration are given below: 

• For SC/Peron with Disability/ST the fees is  ₹1,300

• For General Category it is ₹2,600

CAT 2025 Registration/Application Process

Application of the CAT exam is a three-step procedure:

• Registration – Go to iimcat.ac.in, enter preliminary details, get an OTP and receive a User ID & Password.

• Application Form – Log in to enter personal, academic and work experience details, choose your favourite IIMs & MBA programs and select six test cities.

• Fee Payment – Pay online using debit/credit cards, net banking or mobile wallets.

Check if all the details are accurate before submission.

Instructions for Exam Day and Admit Card

One of the mandatory documents needed for the test is the CAT admit card 2025. It can be downloaded from the official website () with the help of a User ID and Password.

How Candidates Can Download their 2025 CAT Admit Card

• Log in by visiting iimcat.in Click on "Registered Candidate Login."

• Click on "Registered Candidate Login."

• Provide CAT 2025 User ID & Password.

• Download and print the admit card.

CAT Exam Day Instructions 

Candidates are required to strictly follow the CAT exam day instructions. Some of these instructions are as follows: 

• Take two printouts of your CAT admit card to the exam centre.

• Verify your exam location using the Google link on the e-admit card prior to exam day.

• No requests for changes in the exam centre will be entertained.

• IRIS scan & photo identification will be done at the entrance.

• Make sure the admission card has your signature and photo printed on it.

• Take two pens and mandatory documents; nothing else is permitted.

• For the exam a rough sheet will be given to the test takers which they have to return at the end of the exam.

• Family & friends are not permitted inside the test venue.

• Candidates with medical implants need to carry supporting documents.

• Hand over the signed admit card to the invigilator after the test.

Note: For identification, the candidates need to bring one of the following photo IDs to the test centres:

• Aadhaar Card

• PAN Card

• Voter ID

• Driving License

• Ration Card

• Passport

• Identification Affidavit along with the Admit Card

Shift Wise Activities on the CAT Exam Day

The CAT 2025 test was carried out in three sessions on 30th November 2025. For the exam the students should report at the exam hall according to the timing of the shift. Candidates from PwD will receive additional time.

Items Not Allowed in the CAT Testing Room

• Cell Phones

• Camera

• Smart Watches

• Bluetooth Gadgets

• Earphones/Headphones

• Hand-carry

• Shades 

• Jewellery

• Calculators

• Additional Electronic Devices 

• Food Items 

Answer Key and Result

The answer key of the candidates will be released on the basis of the CAT exam slots. The CAT exam results are visible to the candidates. Candidates can also contest the official CAT Answer Key by using the CAT Objection Window to submit their objections and supporting documentation within the allotted period.

Methods for Candidates to Get Their 2025 CAT Answer Key

1. Go to iimcat.ac.in.

2. Click "Candidate Login" and fill in your password and user identification number.

3. Choose the download answer key option.

4. Download the CAT Answer Key PDF together with the response sheet.

How Candidates Can Get Their Results of the 2025 CAT Exam

1. Visit CAT's official website.

2. Click "Candidate Login" and enter your password and user identification.

3. Look at your CAT scorecard.

4. Save and download the result.

Cut-Off

The top institutes like IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Calcutta require a 99 percentile. Mid-level IIMs tend to have cut-offs ranging from 94-97 percentile and IIMs such as IIM Jammu and IIM Amritsar have lower cut-offs ranging from 90-91 percentile.

Admission Process

The admissions process at IIMs and other management institutes is a multilayered process. Although the CAT score is crucial, academic background, work experience and diversity are also some of the important factors that are considered during the selection process. All IIMs have different selection processes which can be checked on their official websites.

Selection Process for IIMs

The selection process for the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) consists of three rounds. These are:

• Round 1: CAT Results & Shortlisting

• Round 2: WAT-PI-GD Round

• Round 3: Final Selection & Verification

Round 1: CAT Scores & Shortlisting

CAT 2024 results were declared on Thursday, 19th December 2024 by IIM Calcutta. After that IIMs shortlist the candidates for the next round based on their CAT scores. Shortlisted candidates receive an email inviting them with details of further selection processes.

Round 2: WAT-PI-GD Round

The next round of the selection process consists of the following: 

• Writing Ability Test (WAT)

• Personal Interview (PI)

• Group Discussion (GD) (in some institutes)

Given below are some of the parameters of the selection process of the IIMs:

Round 3: Final Selection & Verification

Although the CAT exam score is crucial the other important factors that are considered while selecting the candidates are given below: 

Note: Every IIM has a unique shortlisting process and criteria can differ.