CAT 2025 Exam Date (Nov 30) Syllabus, Eligibility, Pattern, Question Paper PDFs, Preparation

What is a CAT Exam?

The CAT Exam (Common Admission Test) is one of India’s most prestigious entrance exams for MBA and PGDM courses, primarily conducted for admissions into IIMs and other top business schools. Preparing for CAT is not just about cracking an exam; rather, it’s the first step toward pursuing an MBA.

More than 2.5 lakh candidates sit for the CAT exam every year, and registrations are mostly higher than that. CAT scores are the first step of screening, and they hugely determine the choice of your B-schools in India. A high CAT percentile will ascertain more options for the best MBA programs in this country.

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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:

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CAT 2025 Exam Dates & Schedule

The table below represents the timeline for the CAT 2025 exam for your reference. The date of CAT registration has ended; however, candidates who have filled out the CAT application form can keep an eye out for other dates.

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CAT Notification 2025

The CAT notification was released on July 27, 2025, on the official website. The CAT 2025 exam is all set to take place on November 30, 2025. The CAT 2025 registration process started on August 1, 2025, from 10:00 AM onwards, and the last date to register for the same was September 13, until it was extended to 20th September 2025.

The CAT Notification 2025 entailed all the important information like the CAT 2025 registration window dates, the CAT eligibility criteria, the CAT exam dates, the CAT syllabus, the 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 responsible for conducting and executing CAT 2025.

Also Read: When will CAT 2025 Notification be released?

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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 recognised 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.

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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 the CAT syllabus 2025 contains three prominent sections — VARC, DILR, and QA. The important topics for each section are mentioned in the table below.

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What is 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:

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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:

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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.

Step 1: Go to the official website of CAT - iimcat.ac.in.

Step 2: Access your CAT account by entering your CAT Login ID and password.

Step 3: Click on the Login Button.

Step 4: After successfully logging in, click on the Download Admit Card option.

Step 5: Download and print your CAT Admit Card / Hall Ticket.

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CAT Registration 2025 (Closed)

Candidates can fill up the application form by following the steps below.

• Select ‘New Candidate Registration’ on the official website and fill in your basic details.
• After submission, you will receive an OTP to verify your registration.
• After the verification is complete, on the email and mobile number registered, you will get a unique ID and password to log in.
• Now you can begin entering the required details in the application form.
• You will also be required to choose the programs of your choice, along with the Interview City.
• You are allowed to pick 6 preferred test cities for the CAT 2025 exam.

CAT 2025 Application Fee (Revised)

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CAT 2025 Preparation Tips

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

• Build a Study Plan: Identify a preparation strategy that suits you and allot hours daily for your CAT study to maintain discipline. Monitor your daily progress and areas of improvement.
• Develop your Basics: Devote time to the topics you are not entirely familiar with, as establishing the basics is essential. Before moving to revisions and tests, ensure that your foundation for all the concepts is strong.
• Practice Regularly: Most sections and topics are dependent on your ability to practice regularly and extensively. Familiarising oneself with multiple types of questions that are frequently asked.
• Preparation Mode: The mode of preparation you choose will also change the strategy you might follow to achieve the goals for the CAT exam. Ensure that you consider your pros and cons before choosing to study by yourself and taking coaching.

Give Mock Exams: Mock exams are an essential and effective way to identify your weaknesses and strengths.

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Resources And Articles On the CAT Exam

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CAT Previous Year Papers PDF

Attempt the CAT previous year question papers to boost your preparation and identify your strengths and weaknesses. Familiarise yourself with the exam pattern and enhance your practice sessions.

Solve the CAT PYQs with Solutions

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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.

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CAT 2025 Courses Curated By CAT Experts

Ace CAT 2025, with a focused 4-month plan to strengthen key areas, refine strategies, and boost preparation for CAT 2025.

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CAT 2025 Exam Analysis

Based on the trends observed in the CAT 2024 exam, the CAT 2025 exam is anticipated to be of a moderate to difficult level. In recent years, all three slots of the 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 the CAT 2025 exam.

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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.

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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.

All the IIMs have their own procedure to follow post the CAT exam, and there is no centralised counselling for the interviews and further admission rounds.

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CAT 2025 Cutoff (Expected)

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:

Also Check: CAT Score vs Percentile 2025

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CAT Exam Centres 2025

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

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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:

• Stage 1: Shortlisting of candidates based on their CAT score
• Stage 2: Candidate evaluation in the WAT-GD-PI round
• Stage 3: Final selection and offer for MBA/PGDM admission

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.

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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.

• E-mail: cathelpdesk@iimcat.ac.in
• Phone: 1800-2108-720 (Toll-Free)