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CAT 2025 Exam Dates & Schedule, Eligibility Criteria, Seats & Admission Process

Author : Lalita Vishwakarma

December 3, 2024

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Overview: The CAT exam 2025 is targeted to be conducted on the last Sunday of November 2025. Registration for CAT 2025 will begin in the last week of July 2025. Continue reading to learn the important events of the CAT 2025 exam!

The Common Admission Test is the most challenging MBA entrance exam in India, and it is conducted annually by one of the IIMs. 

CAT 2024 Slot 1,2 and 3 Detailed Analysis

  • The CAT exam comprises 68 questions (MCQs + TITA) from all three sections, including VARC, DILR, and QA. 
  • Based on the trends followed during the CAT exam 2024, we have mentioned the important events for the CAT 2025 exam.

Continue reading to get CAT exam 2025 full details regarding CAT exam dates, eligibility criteria, fee structure, application process, and more!


Learn More | How to Prepare for CAT Exam in One Year?

CAT 2025 Exam Date & Schedule

The CAT exam's full form is the Common Admission Test (CAT). As per the CAT notification 2025, the exam will be conducted in three sessions on the announced exam date. Important CAT exam 2025 date details are tabulated. 

CAT Exam 2025 Events CAT Entrance Exam Important Dates
CAT 2025 Exam Official Notification July 2025 (Tentatively)
CAT 2025 Registration Date Opens August 2025 (Tentatively)
CAT 2025 Application Form's Last Date September 2025 (Tentatively)
CAT 2025 Exam Admit Card Release Date November 2025 (Tentatively)
CAT 2025 Registration Fees INR 1250 (Reserved categories)
INR 2500 (Other categories)
CAT Exam Date 2025 November 2025 (Last Sunday)
Official Website iimcat.ac.in

Read More | CAT Exam Admission Process 2025

 CAT Percentile Predictor Tool

 CAT Percentile Predictor Tool

CAT 2025 Exam Highlights

Here is everything about the CAT exam 2025 in tabular format:

Particulars Details
CAT Exam Full Form Common Admission Test (CAT)
CAT 2025 Conducting Body Indian Institute of Management
CAT 2025 Exam Level National
CAT 2025 Exam Frequency Once a year
CAT 2025 Exam Date Last Sunday of November 2025
CAT 2025 Exam Timings It will be conducted in 3 Slots
CAT 2025 Registration Fees SC/ST/PwD - INR-1250/-
GEN - INR 2500/-
CAT 2025 Eligibility Criteria Graduation with 50% aggregate (45% for SC/ST students)
Number of Applications in the CAT Entrance Exam 3.29 lakh (in 2024)
3.33 lakh (in 2023)
CAT 2025 Exam Purpose Admission in IIMs, IIFT, SPJIMR, FMS, MDI, IMT and over 1,200 B-Schools in India
Degree Offered Through CAT Exam 2025 MBA/ PGDM
CAT Entrance Exam Sections Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)
Quantitative Ability (QA)
CAT Exam 2025 Mode Online Computer Based Test (CBT) with MCQs and non-MCQs
No. of test cities for the CAT Exam 2025 170 cities (Tentatively)
Website https://iimcat.ac.in/

Note** Candidates must declare and maintain a valid and unique email account and mobile phone number throughout selection.

 CAT Online Coaching

 CAT Online Coaching

Know More | How Many Times CAT Exam is Conducted in a Year?

CAT 2025 Eligibility Criteria

 As per the CAT exam eligibility criteria, the candidate must hold a bachelor’s degree, with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA [45% in case of candidates belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Persons with Disability (PwD) categories], from any recognized University or educational institution. 

Candidates who have finished degree prerequisites, are awaiting results, and are taking the last year of the Bachelor's degree/equivalent qualification test are both eligible to apply.

Note: Applicants should note that as per the official CAT notification 2025, mere fulfilment of the minimum CAT entrance exam criteria will not ensure consideration for shortlisting by IIMs and other B-schools.

Download Free QA Sample Questions for CAT Exam

CAT 2025 Paper Pattern

The CAT exam's full form is the Common Admission Test (CAT). An overview of the CAT entrance exam pattern 2025 can help you start your preparations for the CAT exam in 2025. Ensure you go through the updated CAT Entrance Exam Pattern thoroughly. 

CAT Exam Paper Pattern 2025
Mode of CAT Entrance Exam 2025 Computer Based Test
CAT 2025 Exam Date Duration 120 minutes (40 minutes per section)
CAT 2025 Number of Questions 68 (Expected as CAT 2024)
CAT total marks 204
Language of CAT Question Paper English
Number of Answer Choices 4
CAT 2025 Mode of Paper Online (Computer-based Test)
CAT 2025 Question Types MCQs and Non-MCQs (TITA)
CAT 2025 Section Names 1. Quantitative Aptitude
2. Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension
3. Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation

 CAT Online Coaching

 CAT Online Coaching

Learn More | How Many Students Appear for CAT Exam Every Year

Section-wise Number of MCQ and non-MCQ Questions (as per CAT exam 2023)

The following table gives you an idea about the number of questions asked in each CAT subject or section divided into MCQ and non-MCQ.

Section Number of MCQs Number of Non-MCQs Total Questions
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) 21 3 24
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning 16 6 22
Quantitative Ability 14 8 22
Total 51 17 68

Download Free Geometry Practice Questions Part 1

CAT 2025 Marking Scheme

As per the trends, the CAT 2025 exam will be conducted on the last Sunday of November 2025 and the following will be the marking scheme on the day:

  • Each correct answer will receive +3 marks.
  • A negative mark of -1 will be for every incorrect answer to the objective questions.
  • Non-MCQ-type questions will have NO negative marking.

Learn More | CAT Exam 2025 Shift Timings

Download Free Number Theory Practice Questions by Supergrads

Section-Wise CAT 2025 Syllabus

The CAT exam date 2025 will be conducted in November 2025. The CAT Exam syllabus 2025 is expected to be the same as CAT 2024, which was as follows:

CAT 2025 Exam Sections CAT Exam Syllabus
Quantitative Aptitude Number System, Geometry, Algebra, Mensuration, Time and Work
Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation Seating Arrangements, Blood Relation, Syllogism, Tables, Graphs, Data Caselets
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension Para-Jumbles & Para-Summary, Sentence Completion, Inferences, RC Passages-Based Questions

CAT 2025 Registration Process

The CAT exam registration is crucial once the CAT exam date 2025 and notification are announced. You need to be careful while filling out the registration form.

The application can change for this year's CAT 2025 Exam date. The information below is curated based on the previous year's data. 

What are the CAT exam application fees?

As per CAT 2024, the exam fees for CAT 2025 are expected to be the  same:

  • SC, ST, and PwD candidates must pay an application fee of ₹1250. 
  • The general category must pay an application fee of ₹2500. 

Note* A candidate needs to pay the CAT registration fees only once, regardless of the number of institutes he/she is applying to.

 CAT Online Coaching

 CAT Online Coaching

Steps to successfully register for the CAT Exam 2025

Follow the mentioned steps to register for the CAT exam 2025:

  • Step 1: Registration for User ID and Password 
  • Step 2: Log in to the CAT Official Website
  • Step 3: Fill Application Form 
  • Step 4: Choose your preferred PG programme
  • Step 5: Pick a Test City
  • Step 6: Make the Payment

Download Free VARC Daily Study Plan by Supergrads

CAT 2025 Application Correction Window

The examination authorities will make the edit window live; students must log in using their user ID and password. Please make use of this period if you wish to edit the following: 

  • Photo
  • Signature
  • Test City preferences

What is CAT Exam Steps to Edit its Application 2025?

  • Log in using your user ID and password to edit your application form. 
  • After logging in, click on Go to application to start editing.
  • Please read all the instructions carefully while editing the form. 

Also Check | CAT Exam Preparation Books 2025 

The CAT exam for 2025 will be conducted on November 24. The following table will help you understand how the CAT exam has evolved over the past years.

Year Time (mins) Sections (Abbreviation) Questions per Section Total Questions
2025 (expected) 120 VARC, DILR, QA 24, 22, 22 68
2024 120 VARC, DILR, QA 24,22,22 68
2023 120 VARC, DILR, QA 24, 20, 22 66
2022 120 VARC, DILR, QA 24, 20, 22 66
2021 120 VARC, DILR, QA 24, 20, 22 66
2020 120 VARC, DILR, QA 26, 24, 26 76
2019 180 VARC, DILR, QA 34, 32, 34 100
2018 180 VARC, DILR, QA 34, 32, 34 100
2017 180 VARC, DILR, QA 34, 32, 34 100
2016 180 VARC, DILR, QA 34, 32, 34 100
2015 180 VARC, DILR, QA 34, 32, 34 100
2014 170 QA & DI, VA & LR 50, 50 100
2013 140 VALR, QADI 30, 30 60
2012 140 QA, DI, VARC 21, 9, 30 60
2011 140 VALR, QADI 30, 30 60

Note*

  • VARC: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension
  • DILR: Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
  • QA: Quantitative Ability
  • VALR: Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning
  • QADI: Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation

 CAT Online Coaching

 CAT Online Coaching

CAT Exam Score Accepting IIMs

Here is the list of the top institutes offering MBA:

List of IIMs Establishment Year Score NIRF MBA Ranking (MBA) Programs Offered
Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad 1961 83.32 1 PGP, PGP-FABM
Indian Institute of Management Bangalore 1973 81.16 2 PGP, PGPEM, PGPBA
Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode 1997 77.9 3 PGP, PGP-BL, PGP-F, PGP-LSM, EPGP Kochi
Indian Institute of Management Calcutta 1961 75.07 5 MBA
Indian Institute of Management Mumbai 1963 (renamed in 2023) 74.73 6 MBA, MBA (Operations and SCM) and MBA in SM
Indian Institute of Management Lucknow 1984 74.43 7 PGP, PGP-ABM, PGP-SM
Indian Institute of Management Indore 1996 73.53 8 PGP, PGP-HRM
Indian Institute of Management Rohtak 2009 66.49 12 PGP, EPGPX, EPGDSM
Indian Institute of Management Raipur 2010 64.4 14 PGP
Indian Institute of Management Ranchi 2010 61.27 17 PGP, PGP-HRM, PGP (Business Analytics)
Indian Institute of Management Udaipur 2009 60.93 22 MBA, MBA-DEM, MBA-GSCM, PGDBA
Indian Institute of Management Shillong 2008 60.49 24 PGP, PGPEX, PGPWE
Indian Institute of Management Visakhapatnam 2015 59.2 26 PGP, PGPEX, PGPDGM
Indian Institute of Management Tiruchirappalli 2011 57.67 27 PGPM, PGPM-HR, PGPBM
Indian Institute of Management Nagpur 2015 56.94 31 PGP
Indian Institute of Management Bodh Gaya 2015 56.27 33 PGP
Indian Institute of Management Jammu (IIMJ) 2016 54.64 42 MBA, Executive MBA (Blended Mode), PGP in Health Care Management (Jointly with AIIMS Jammu and IIT Jammu), PGP in Hospital Administration (Jointly with AIIMS Jammu and IIT Jammu)
Indian Institute of Management Amritsar 2015 52.57 47
MBA, EMBA, MBA-Business Analytics, MBA-HRM
Indian Institute of Management Sambalpur 2015 51.47 50 MBA, Executive MBA
Indian Institute of Management Sirmaur 2015 50.92 57 MBA, MBA (T&HM)

Download Free VARC Preparation Tips by Supergrads

CAT 2025 Admit Card/Hall Ticket

The CAT admit card is an official document issued by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) to candidates who successfully registered for the CAT exam in 2025. It is mandatory to carry the CAT Admit Card on the day of the exam as it contains essential details like the candidate’s name, roll number, exam date, time, and venue.

Download Free VARC Sample Questions for CAT Exam

CAT 2025 Selection Process

The CAT exam full form is the Common Admission Test (CAT). Once the CAT exam date 2025 is officially notified, please be aware that IIMs use their own, maybe separate, criteria to shortlist applicants for the interview round. Generally, the IIM selection process is conducted in three parts, viz.,

  • Phase 1- Condution of the CAT entrance exam and shortlisting based on CAT results.
  • Phase 2- Individual conduction of multiple rounds by IIMs like Personal Interview (PI), Writing Ability Test (WAT) and Group Discussion (GD).
  • Phase 3- Verification of Candidates and Final Selection.

Note:

  • IIMs may also shortlist and rank applicants at different stages of the admissions process using other criteria such as the applicant's prior academic performance, pertinent job experience, gender and academic diversity, and other comparable inputs. 
  • There may be differences between IIMs in the procedures, academic cutoffs, and weights given to the evaluation metrics. For more details on the CAT entrance exam, consult the admissions policies of each IIM on their separate websites.

Check | CAT Exam Details About Preparation 2025

Download Free DILR Study Plan by Supergrads

CAT 2025 Reservation Policies

According to regulatory regulations, the following are the reservations given to the candidates applying for the CAT exam 2025 as per different categories.

 CAT exam reservation

 CAT exam reservation

For the CAT exam, "Specified disability" refers to the conditions listed in the RPwD Act 2016's Schedule. The types of disabilities include:

  • Blindness and low vision
  • Deaf and hard of hearing
  • Locomotor disability, including cerebral palsy, leprosy, dwarfism, acid attack victims and muscular dystrophy
  • Autism, intellectual disability, specific learning disability and mental illness
  • Multiple disabilities from amongst persons under clauses (a) to (d)
  • Other 'specified disabilities' mentioned in 'The Schedule' of the RPwD Act 2016

Note: After CAT registration, no change in category will be considered. Applicants are advised to pay attention while registering.

Check | CAT Exam Marks vs Percentile 2025

CAT Exam IIM Minimum Cut-Offs 2025

  • IIM CAT cut-offs are the minimum scores required to be eligible for admission to the Indian Institute of Management (IIM). 
  • The CAT exam cut-offs are determined based on the number of available seats, the number of applicants, and the difficulty level of the exam. 
  • The cut-offs are typically higher for the prominent IIMs such as IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore and IIM Calcutta.

Download Free DILR Preparation Tips by Supergrads

CAT Exam 2025 Cut-Offs (Expected)

Following are the minimum cut-offs released by different IIMs in 2024:

IIM  General OBC EWS SC ST
IIM Ahmedabad 80 75 70 70 60
IIM Bangalore 85 75 75 70 65
IIM Kozhikode  85 75 75 65 55
IIM Calcutta 85 75 75 70 65
IIM Lucknow 90 82 82 65 60
IIM Mumbai 85 75 75 70 65
IIM Indore 90 80 90 60 45
IIM Raipur 94 77 77 60 40
IIM Rohtak 95 78 90 55 30
IIM Udaipur 94 77 77 60 40
IIM Kashipur 94 77 77 60 40
IIM Trichy 94 77 77 60 40
IIM Ranchi 92 74 70 54 40
IIM Shillong 75 75 75 60 50
IIM Visakhapatnam 82 72 72 50 40
IIM Jammu Male- 91 Male- 74 Male- 48 Male- 54 Male- 32
Female- 89 Female- 72 Female- 47 Female- 52 Female- 30
IIM Nagpur 94 77 77 60 40
IIM Amritsar 88 78 88 55 40
IIM Bodh Gaya 92 74 70 54 40
IIM Sambalpur 92 74 70 54 40
IIM Sirmaur 92 74 70 54 40

Check | CAT Exam Documents

IIM Seats Campus Wise 2025 (Expected)

Check the official website for CAT entrance exam fees and other information on the CAT exam. Here is the seat matrix for the management program at each IIM.

IIM campus PGP/MBA seats
IIM Ahmedabad 385
IIM Bangalore 412
IIM Calcutta 462
IIM Lucknow 436
IIM Kozhikode 375
IIM Raipur 210
IIM Udaipur 260
IIM Rohtak 240
IIM Visakhapatnam 60
IIM Trichy 180
IIM Sambalpur` 320
IIM Ranchi 240
IIM Bodhgaya 120
IIM Sirmaur 60
IIM Jammu 120
IIM Amritsar 60
IIM Shillong 120
IIM Kashipur 210
IIM Nagpur 130
IIM Indore 451

Check | CAT Exam Top Colleges 2025

Download Free DILR Sample Questions for CAT Exam

Conclusion

The CAT exam 2025 is essential in applying to a top business school in India. Hence, it is vital to prepare well for the CAT entrance exam 2025 and clearly understand its topics and concepts.

With the proper preparation and focus, a successful CAT exam result can help you achieve your goal of getting into a top business school.

Prepare well now that the CAT exam date 2025 has been officially announced and will be conducted on November 24.

Frequently Asked Questions

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