Updated on 26th May 2025 | 1:12 pm | #CATEligibility
CAT 2025 Eligibility: The eligibility criteria for CAT 2025 consist of a list of certain documents that are required for an aspirant to take the CAT exam. This includes academic qualifications, age limits, work experience, and other related factors. Usually, the IIM responsible for conducting and executing CAT releases the official CAT 2025 eligibility.
These CAT exam eligibility criteria have been more or less similar for the previous few years and are expected to remain the same for CAT 2025 as well. CAT aspirants should be aware of these requirements thoroughly, as failing to fulfill any would result in direct disqualification from the CAT admission process at any given point in time.
Read the article further to have an in-depth understanding of the CAT Eligibility Criteria 2025 and adhere to the same in case you are planning on taking CAT 2025 exam.
Aspirants must meet the following CAT 2025 eligibility requirements to appear for the CAT 2025 exam:
|
Qualification |
Requirement |
|
Age |
NA |
|
Educational Qualification |
Bachelor’s Degree |
|
Marks in Graduation |
50% (General Category) |
|
Work Experience |
Not Compulsory |
|
Reservation |
As per category |
Candidates who aim to get into the top B-schools of the country must ensure that they are meeting the eligibility for CAT exam before aspiring to score well on it. It is very important to know whether you are eligible to take the exam before you plan on writing it. Therefore, below is a more detailed description of the CAT eligibility criteria, which provides an in-depth understanding of the CAT exam and its requirements for your reference.
The CAT Score allows the candidate to be eligible for most of the best B-Schools in India, including the IIMs, which hold the CAT Exam and therefore, it is crucial for candidates to verify their eligibility for CAT exam. To avoid any further disqualification in the admission process, applicants should understand the factors and requirements for CAT eligibility criteria 2025. Here are some things that must be kept in mind:
Before taking the CAT 2025, the candidates must ensure that they meet the requirements for eligibility for the CAT exam.
Here is a brief overview of the CAT 2025 eligibility based on academics:
Also Read: CAT Syllabus | CAT Exam Pattern
In order to qualify for the CAT 2025 eligibility, you must score the following:
Final-year students are often confused about their CAT exam eligibility for the CAT entrance exam. Here are the points these students need to keep in mind when checking their eligibility-
If you fit into the above categories and fulfill the required CAT 2025 eligibility criteria, then you can directly register and fill out the CAT 2025 application form, which will be released in the first week of August 2025.
The number of candidates appearing for CAT shows a massive increase year after year with a major chunk of 60% devoted especially to freshers and 40% for candidates having prior work experience. Thus, the number of final-year students appearing for CAT each year is quite significant. Identifying the CAT Eligibility Criteria is the first step in clearing the CAT exam, and the candidate needs to provide the following documents:
The CAT exam is open to candidates with backlogs in their Bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification. However, they need to clear all of their backlogs before they begin the admission process for their respective management institutes.
Key points regarding CAT registration 2025 for candidates with backlogs:
As the application form for CAT asks about work experience, candidates are often doubtful of its effect on the overall application and exam process. Here is a better understanding of the role of work experience in the CAT exam-
After the CAT Exam Eligibility and the exam are cleared, the goal of every student is to enter the IIMs; the highest-regarded MBA Colleges in India. However, the IIMs are government-run institutions which means they follow the government policies regarding reservations for the underprivileged categories.
According to the CAT 2025 eligibility criteria, the following percentage of reservations has been provided for your reference:
|
Category |
Reservation |
|
Scheduled Caste |
15% |
|
Scheduled Tribe |
7.5% |
|
Other Backward Classes of NC-OBC |
27% |
|
Economically Weaker Section |
Up to 10% |
|
Person with Disability |
5% |
The PwD will include candidates who have the following problems/disabilities:
These conditions make the candidates eligible for the PwD category in all the colleges under CAT exam eligibility criteria. There is, however, a caveat that the candidates should have at least 40% of the handicap mentioned above to be eligible. The candidates with disability are also given 20 minutes more per section, keeping in mind their condition. For candidates with vision-related issues, a scribe will be provided at the center, along with a wheelchair for candidates who have locomotive disabilities or blindness.
It is essential for every student to understand what is CAT exam and the CAT exam eligibility criteria before they start the CAT Preparation in earnest. More importantly, the candidate should be aware of the documents that they may be asked to furnish during the CAT registration process as well as the further admission processes. The documents required for the further processes of different colleges can be easily found online and the candidate would be well advised to keep those documents ready for inspection at the time.
The Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) decide the eligibility criteria for the CAT exam each year.
Yes, a student already studying in an MBA program can still apply for the CAT exam. They do not need to have finished their graduation with a specific percentage to be eligible.
No, the eligibility criteria for MBA programs and CAT are the same, which is graduation. However, different institutes may have different minimum marks requirements. For specialized MBAs (like in Pharma or Agri-Business), a degree in the relevant field is required.
No, there is no age limit for applying to CAT 2025. However, IIMs do focus on your academic performance during the admission process.
Yes, there is no limit on the number of times you can take the CAT exam. You can attempt it as many times as you want.
Yes, you can take the CAT if you had a backlog in previous semesters, but you must clear all backlogs before CAT 2025 exam.
There is no fixed minimum score to get shortlisted by IIMs, but since many candidates apply, a higher score will increase your chances of being considered.
No, there are no specific seats or score reservations for female candidates in the CAT application process. However, many IIMs may provide additional points to female candidates during shortlisting. The final selection is based on exam results and personal interviews.
