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CAT 2025 - Exam Date, Notification, Eligibility, Syllabus, Pattern, Registration & Preparation

Updated on 8th July 2025 | 5:27 pm | #CAT2025

CAT 2025: The Common Admission Test, or CAT exam, is the gateway for admissions to MBA programs at top B-schools in India. The official CAT notification is expected to be released towards the end of July 2025. Based on past trends, CAT 2025 exam date is expected to be November 30, 2025, as it is usually held on the last Sunday of November. This year, CAT exam is most likely to be conducted by IIM Kozhikode.

To be eligible to appear for CAT 2025, candidates must possess an undergraduate degree. The minimum grade point average should be 50% (45% for students in reserved categories). The CAT 2025 registration will most probably start in the first week of August 2025. Candidates must register within the given deadline and download the CAT 2025 admit card for details about the venue, time, and slot.

Now comes the CAT exam preparation. While preparing, taking coaching classes, self-study, giving mock exams, and using relevant study materials can help candidates crack the exam better.

Need Assistance With Your CAT Prep? Speak To Our Counselor

CAT 2025 Exam Highlights

CAT, or Common Admission Test, is a management entrance test conducted by the Indian Institute of Management. Candidates who successfully pass the CAT exam in 2025 will be admitted to the top MBA colleges in India. A basic overview of CAT 2025 is given below:

CAT 2025 Exam Highlights

CAT Exam Particulars

Description

Exam Name

Common Admission Test

CAT 2025 Official Website

www.iimcat.ac.in

CAT Conducting Body

The Indian Institute of Management

Frequency

Annually

CAT 2025 Registration Mode

Online

CAT Exam Mode

Computer-based

CAT Exam Medium

English

CAT Exam Timings

Slot 1: 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM

Slot 2: 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM

Slot 3: 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM

CAT Exam Fees

INR 2,500 (General category)

INR 1,250 (Reserved category)

Number of Test Takers

3.29 lakh (in 2024)

CAT Helpdesk

Email: cathelpdesk@iimcat.co.in

Phone: 1-800-210-0175 (Toll Free)


CAT 2025 Exam Dates & Schedule (Tentative)

Based on the important announcements for CAT 2024, we have curated the table below representing the tentative timeline for the CAT 2025 exam dates for your reference. Keep this timeline in mind and kickstart your CAT 2025 preparation as early as possible.

CAT 2025 Exam Date & Schedule

CAT 2025 Important Events

CAT Exam Dates (Tentative Timeline)

CAT 2025 Notification Release

Last week of July 2025

CAT 2025 Registration Start Date

First week of August 2025

CAT 2025 Registration Last Date

Third/Fourth week of September 2025

CAT Form Correction Window Opening

Third/Fourth week of September 2025

CAT Admit Card 2025 Release

First week of November 2025

CAT 2025 Exam Date

November 30, 2025 (Tentative)

CAT Results Announcement

Third/Fourth week of December 2025

CAT 2025 Courses Curated By CAT Experts

CAT Notification 2025

The CAT 2025 exam date is expected to be released in July 2025 with the release of the CAT Notification 2025, which will entail all the important information like CAT 2024 registration window dates, CAT eligibility criteria, CAT exam dates, CAT syllabus, CAT exam fee, and more.

Every year, it is one of the top IIMs, the conducting body for CAT, that prescribes this important information. This year, IIM Kozhikode is expected to be responsible for conducting and executing CAT 2025.


CAT 2025 Eligibility Criteria

CAT 2025 will be open to candidates who meet the criteria. These are the requirements of the CAT eligibility criteria 2025 based on past trends:

  1. Bachelor's Degree: You need a Bachelor's degree from a recognized university in any discipline.
  2. Minimum Marks:
    • General and NC-OBC category: At least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA.
    • SC, ST, PWD/DA category: The minimum requirement is 45% marks or equivalent CGPA.
  3. Final Year Students: If you're in the final year of your bachelor's degree or awaiting results, you can also apply for CAT exam. However, you must complete your graduation with the required percentage by the time of admission.
  4. Professional Degrees: Professional degrees such as CA, CS, ICWA, or FIAI with the required percentage are also eligible for CAT exam.
  5. Age: There is no upper or lower age limit for appearing in the CAT exam.

CAT Registration 2025

The CAT 2025 application form will be out somewhere in the first week of August 2025. Candidates can fill up the application form by following the steps below.

CAT 2025 Application Fee (Tentative)

Category

CAT Application Fee

General, EWS, and NC-OBC

INR 2500/-

SC, ST, and PwD

INR 1250/-


CAT 2025 Syllabus

The conducting body for CAT 2025 does not publish or mention the syllabus for CAT. However, it can be inferred from past year papers that CAT syllabus 2025 contains three prominent sections — VARC, DILR, and QA. The important topics for each section are mentioned in the table below.

Due to the lack of a defined CAT 2025 syllabus, CAT aspirants largely focus on studying school-level mathematics and English. The important topics for each section are mentioned in the table below.

CAT Syllabus 2025

CAT Exam Sections

CAT Syllabus Important Topics

Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)

Reading comprehension, para jumbles, para summary, para completion, odd one out, etc.

Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)

Graphs, charts, and topics, such as arrangements, games and tournaments, set theory, etc.

Quantitative Aptitude (QA)

Algebra, arithmetic, probability, geometry, and modern math.


CAT 2025 Exam Pattern

CAT exam pattern is nothing but the paper pattern for CAT 2025, which is usually released by the conducting authority of CAT. There is no fixed CAT paper pattern authorized by any supreme authority. However, based on past trends, the table below shows the overview of the CAT 2025 exam pattern for your reference:

Key Components

Details

No. of Questions

68

Number of Sections

3

Sections

VARC, DILR and QA

CAT 2025 Exam Duration

2 hours

CAT 2025 Sectional Time Limit

40 minutes

Mode of Exam

Computer-based Exam

Medium of Instruction

English

Types of Questions

MCQ and TITA

CAT Marking Scheme

  • +3 for every right answer
  • -1 for every wrong answer
  • TITA has no negative marking

CAT Marking Scheme 2025

Similar to the previous year's exam pattern, the CAT 2025 marking scheme for both MCQ and TITA questions is different. Here is an overview of the CAT marking scheme 2025-

CAT Marking Scheme 2025

CAT 2024 Question Type

For Correct Answers

For Incorrect Answers

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

+3

-1

Type in the Answer (TITA)

+3

0


CAT Exam 2025 Admit Card

The CAT admit card 2025 is expected to be released in the first week of November 2025. Once the CAT admit card becomes available, you can download it by following the steps given below.


How To Start Preparing For CAT 2025?

The most frequent question that comes to into the mind of the majority of CAT aspirants is, “How To Start Preparing For CAT 2025?”. Here are some preparation tips to help you score well in CAT 2025:

To have a detailed preparation strategy for each section, you can also check: Preparation Tips for CAT QA | Preparation Tips for CAT DILR | Preparation Tips for CAT VARC


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Best Books For CAT 2025 Preparation

Candidates appearing for CAT can use these best books for CAT preparation, for each section of the exam.

Best Books for CAT Preparation

CAT Exam Sections

Best CAT Book

VARC

Past Years' CAT Questions (G.K. Publications), Word Power Made Easy (Norman Lewis), Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (Gautam Puri)

DILR

Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (Gautam Puri), How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT (Arun Sharma), A Modern Approach to Logical Reasoning (R.S. Aggarwal)

QA

NCERT Mathematics Books (Class 6-10), CAT Quantitative Aptitude (Gautam Puri), Quantitative Aptitude For Competitive Examinations (RS Aggarwal)


Free Resources For CAT 2025 Preparation

If you want to prepare for CAT without spending any money, you're at the right place! Open CAT is a FREE CAT resources portal for students interested in taking the exam but prefer to prepare at their own pace and from the comfort of their homes.

If you are a CAT 2025 aspirant who is looking for tests to check your readiness and needs guidance on specific topics, consider signing up for Open CAT and taking your CAT preparation 2025 to the next level.

Did You Know?

More than 30% of CAT toppers are candidates who prepared for the CAT exam using free resources available online.


CAT 2025 Exam Analysis

Based on the trends observed in the CAT 2024 exam, the CAT 2025 exam is anticipated to be of moderate to difficult level. In recent years, all three slots of CAT exam have been deemed highly challenging. The final CAT exam analysis will rely on the feedback of our students and top CAT experts who will take CAT 2025 exam.


CAT 2025 Answer Key

CAT exam response sheet, or CAT answer key, is usually released by the conducting body of CAT 2025 around 8-10 days after the exam. It includes recorded responses for the candidates who appeared, allowing them to get a tentative idea of how they performed in the exam and helping to boost their preparation for further rounds.

Candidates can view and download their recorded responses and answers from the official CAT website at iimcat.ac.in. Students can access their response sheets and question papers. By utilizing the provided answer key, students can estimate their probable scores for the examination.


CAT 2025 Results

The CAT results 2025 will be released on the official website tentatively in the month of December. Soon after the results and cut-offs are announced, the IIMs and other B-schools will begin their interview and discussion rounds for admissions to the 2025-27 batch.

There is no centralized counseling for the CAT exam, as all the IIMs have their own procedure for interviews and further admission rounds.


CAT 2025 Cutoff

Most of the IIMs announce their qualifying CAT cutoff prior to the CAT exam, while the final cutoffs are released after the CAT results are published. The table below showcases the qualifying CAT cutoff 2025 based on the previous years’ cutoff for different IIMs for your reference:

CAT 2025 Cutoff

Name of the Institute

Qualifying CAT Cutoff 

IIM Ahmedabad

85

IIM Bangalore

85

IIM Calcutta

85

IIM Lucknow

90

IIM Indore

90

IIM Kozhikode

85

IIM Amritsar

90

IIM Nagpur

94

IIM Sambalpur

94

IIM Trichy

94

IIM Raipur

94

IIM Ranchi

94

IIM Kashipur

94

IIM Vizag

80

IIM Udaipur

94

IIM Bodhgaya

94

IIM Shillong

75

IIM Sirmaur

94

IIM Rohtak

95

IIM Nagpur

85

IIM Jammu

94

IIM Mumbai

94

Also Check: CAT Score vs Percentile 2025


CAT Exam Centers 2025

The CAT 2025 exam centers list will be released soon before the commencement of the exam. Every year, the exam authorities release a fresh list of CAT exam centers. For the academic year 2025-27, the list of CAT exam centers is as follows:

List of CAT Test Centers

CAT Test Centers 2025

CAT Exam Test Cities 2025

Andaman & Nicobar

Port Blair

Andhra Pradesh

Anantapur, Guntur, Kurnool, Rajahmundry, Visakhapatnam, Chirala, Kadapa, Nellore, Tirupathi, Vizianagaram, Chittoor, Kakinada, Ongole, Vijayawada

Arunachal Pradesh

Itanagar- Naharlagun

Assam

Dibrugarh, Guwahati, Jorhat, Silchar, Tezpur

Bihar

Arrah, Darbhanga, Patna, Aurangabad, Gaya, Purnea, Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur

Chandigarh

Chandigarh-Mohali

Chhattisgarh

Bilaspur CG, Bhilai Nagar, Raipur

Delhi

Other-New Delhi

Dadra and Nagra Haveli Daman and Diu

Silvassa

Goa

Panaji-Madgaon

Gujarat

Ahmedabad, Anand, Gandhinagar, Mehsana, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara, Vapi

Haryana

Ambala, Faridabad, Gurugram, Hisar, Kurukshetra

Himachal Pradesh

Bilaspur-HP, Hamirpur, Kangra, Shimla

Jammu & Kashmir

Jammu, Samba, Srinagar

Jharkhand

Bokaro Steel City, Dhanbad, Hazaribagh, Jamshedpur, Ranchi

Karnataka

Belagavi (Belgaum), Bengaluru, Hubli-Dharwad, Kalaburagi (Gulbarga), Mangaluru (Mangalore), Mysuru (Mysore), Shivamogga (Shimoga), Udupi

Kerala

Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Kannur, Kollam, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad, Thrissur, Trivandrum

Ladakh

Leh

Lakshadweep

Kavaratti

Madhya Pradesh

Bhopal, Gwalior, Indore, Jabalpur, Sagar, Satna, Ujjain

Maharashtra

Ahmednagar, Akola, Amravati, Aurangabad (CS Nagar), Bhiwandi, Chandrapur, Jalgaon, Kolhapur, Mumbai, Nagpur, Nanded, Nashik, Navi Mumbai, Palghar-Boisar, Pune, Raigad, Sangli, Satara, Solapur, Thane, Vasai, Wardha

Manipur

Imphal

Meghalaya

Shillong

Mizoram

Aizawl

Nagaland

Kohima

Odisha

Balasore, Berhampur, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Rourkela, Sambalpur

Puducherry

Puducherry

Punjab

Amritsar, Bhatinda, Jalandhar, Ludhiana- Phagwara, Patiala

Rajasthan

Ajmer, Bikaner, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, Sikar, Udaipur

Tamil Nadu

Chennai, Coimbatore, Kanchipuram, Madurai, Salem, Tiruchirappalli, Tirunelveli, Vellore

Telangana

Hyderabad, Karimnagar, Khammam, Warangal

Tripura

Agartala

Uttar Pradesh

Agra, Aligarh, Bareilly, Ghaziabad, Gorakhpur, Jhansi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Mathura, Meerut, Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, NOIDA-Greater NOIDA, Prayagraj, Varanasi

Uttarakhand

Dehradun, Haldwani, Roorkee

West Bengal

Asansol-Durgapur, Bankura, Burdwan, Howrah, Kalyani-Hooghly, Kolkata, Siliguri


IIM CAT 2025 Selection Process

The IIMs will select candidates based on their CAT 2025 scores for the MBA admission batch of 2026. The admission process includes a Written Ability Test (WAT) and a Personal Interview (PI). Below are the stages of the IIM admission process through CAT:

Note: Most of the B-schools will also consider candidates' marks from Class 10, Class 12, and their undergraduate degree, as well as their work experience, when making selection decisions.


CAT 2025 Helpdesk

As stated before, any discrepancy in the information on the admit card should immediately be corrected by contacting the CAT exam authorities using the helpdesk section on the official website. You can also contact officials using the information below.


Latest Changes In The CAT Exam Over The Years

The CAT exam structure has evolved significantly in the last decade or so, with notable alterations in the number of sections, questions, and duration of the exam. Below is a summary table illustrating these important modifications:

CAT Exam Changes

Year

Number of Questions

Time Duration

Sections

2025 (Expected)

68

120 minutes

VARC, DILR, QA

2024 

68

120 minutes

VARC, DILR, QA

2023

66

120 minutes

VARC, DILR, QA

2022

66

120 minutes

VARC, DILR, QA

2021

76

120 minutes

VARC, DILR, QA

2020

76

120 minutes

VARC, DILR, QA

2019

100

180 minutes

VARC, DILR, QA

2018

100

180 minutes

VARC, DILR, QA

2017

100

180 minutes

VARC, DILR, QA

2016

100

180 minutes

VARC, DILR, QA

2015

100

180 minutes

VARC, DILR, QA

2014

100

170 minutes

VARC, DILR, QA

2013

60

140 minutes

Verbal Ability, QA, DI & LR

2012

60

140 minutes

Verbal Ability, QA, DI & LR

Frequently Asked Questions

The CAT 2025 exam is most likely to take place on the last Sunday of November 2025, i.e., November 30, 2025. The exam will be held in three sessions: from 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM, 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM, and 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM. Based on past trends, the official notification for CAT 2025 is expected to come out in the third or fourth week of July, i.e., July 30, 2025.

The exact dates for the CAT 2025 registration period will be announced after the release of the official CAT notification. However, based on past trends, it is expected to begin in the first week of August 2025. Candidates will be required to complete their registration before the deadline.

CAT 2025 is expected to be executed and conducted by IIM Kozhikode.

In comparison, CAT is an aptitude test aimed at evaluating the logical skills essential for future managers. Regarding difficulty, the CAT is viewed as more challenging than the IIT exam. Furthermore, the CAT is more competitive since it allows students from any educational background to take the exam.

There is no specified limit on the number of attempts a candidate can make for the CAT exam. The CAT is conducted once a year by one of the IIMs. CAT scores are accepted by various IIMs and leading management institutes across the country.

If you are a first-time CAT taker, then it is recommended to start your CAT preparation at least 10-12 months before the exam. This allows students to build a strong foundation, practice extensively, and attempt multiple mock tests to refine their strategy and learn time management skills, which in turn reduces stress and allows ample revision time.

Suggested Readings

IIM Results 2025 How much time is required to prepare for CAT? How to prepare for CAT at home? CAT Previous Year Papers Top B-schools in India Top MBA Careers MBA Specializations in India Free CAT Resources