The CAT Exam 2025 will be organized by IIM Kozhikode on 30 November 2025, in a computer-based format in more than 170 cities in India. The CAT registration process opens on 1 August 2025, and the deadline to apply is 20 September 2025. Candidates can download their admit cards from 12 November 2025 until the exam day. The examination will take place in three sessions on a single day. The results for CAT 2025 announced on 24 December 2025.
The CAT exam pattern consists of three sections, and each of them has a time limit of 40 minutes. The total duration for the CAT exam is 120 minutes. In total, there are 66 to 68 questions, each carrying 3 marks, with a negative marking of -1 for incorrect multiple-choice questions (MCQs). The test includes both MCQs and Type In The Answer (TITA) questions, with no negative marking on TITA. The exam language is English, and candidates will be provided with an on-screen calculator. To complete the registration process, applicants also need to pay a fee of INR 2600 for general category candidates and INR 1300 for SC/ST/PwD candidates.
Every year, the CAT exam is conducted in the last week of November for MBA and other postgraduate management courses. This is a computer-based test, which is a total of 2 Hours. During this exam, students will have 40 minutes for each section, which contains mostly MCQs.
CAT 2025 Exam Score Accepted by IIMs
The CAT Exam 2025 is the gateway to getting admission in the IIMs and other top business schools in India. These institutes offer postgraduate and executive postgraduate level management courses for all qualified candidates. Below are the 21 IIMs listed in the table with their offering course:
The CAT exam 2025 is a national-level admission test conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management, Kozhikode. This year, the Common Admission Test 2025 will be held on 30 November 2025 in three sessions at 170 test cities. Candidates who are interested in applying for the CAT exam can visit the official website. The CAT application form was already released on 1 August 2025, with the last date to fill out the registration form being 20 September 2025, till 5:00 PM.
The CAT application process involves completing a registration form, uploading the required documents, and paying a registration fee that ranges from INR 1300 to INR 2600. During registration for the CAT, applicants can select up to 5 preferred test cities for their exam center. After the application process is over, applicants will be able to download their CAT 2025 admit card from the official portal of IIM CAT. The CAT Admit card 2025 will be available to download from 5 November to 30 November 2025. The CAT results 2025 declared on 24 December 2025.
The CAT 2025 is an important exam for those who want to secure admission into PG management courses at top management colleges in India. The exam pattern for CAT 2025 will have 66-68 MCQ-based and TITA questions from three different sections. These sections include Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, and Quantitative Aptitude. Furthermore, the test-takers will be given a set duration of 120 minutes to attempt all the sections. Candidates must also keep in mind that there is a sectional timing of 40 minutes for each section in the CAT exam. Also, there is a negative marking of 1 mark for MCQ questions in the exam.
*TITA: TITA stands for Type in the Answer questions in which candidates are required to properly type the answer in a text box. There are no multiple-choice options given to choose from in this question type.
CAT Exam 2025 Important Dates
The CAT Exam 2025 is on 30th November across various cities in India. The complete exam schedule is given below-
To take the CAT exam, students must meet some eligibility requirements set by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). These requirements are set up to verify that students have an adequate educational background. Although there may be some variability in these requirements from year to year, the overall guidelines focus on students' educational background and possibly other admission requirements. Students who aspire to appear for the CAT exam must carefully review and confirm that they align with these criteria before applying, as failing to meet them could result in disqualification or rejection of the application.
Applicants must have an undergraduate degree with at least 50% or more marks for general category students.
There is relaxation in marks for students who belong to other categories.
There are no upper age limitations for any students.
To check the complete and detailed information about the CAT Eligibility Criteria, check out this article:- CAT 2025 Eligibility Criteria Explained.
CAT Exam 2025 Application Form
The CAT Exam 2025 application form is open from 1 August 2025 to 20 September 2025. Candidates are needed to visit the official CAT website (iimcat.ac.in) to create a login ID by providing details like name, date of birth, nationality, etc. After registration, candidates have to log in using their credentials to fill out the application form carefully with all the required details. They must also upload a recent passport-sized photograph and a scanned signature as per the specifications.
In addition, applicants must select their preferred IIM programs, test city preferences, and pay the application fee, which is INR 2600 for the general category and INR 1300 for SC/ST/PwD applicants. Candidates should submit the form early to secure their preferred test centers, as the seat allotment is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Read More About the CAT Exam 2025 Application Form
The CAT Exam 2025 is divided into three sections: Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), Quantitative Aptitude (QA), and Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC). The exam duration is 120 minutes and is divided equally into 40 minutes per section. It includes both Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) and Type In The Answer (TITA) questions. Each question in the CAT exam is of 3 marks, and there is a penalty of 1 mark deducted for every incorrect MCQ answer. Meanwhile, the TITA questions have no negative marking. The candidate should also know that the sectional order in the CAT is fixed. First, the candidate will start with the VARC section, followed by DILR, and then QA. There is no option to switch between sections.
CAT Exam 2025 Pattern
The Cat 2025 Patterns follow the same pattern as the previous year. That contains 3 sections of 40 minutes each. Each section contains 22-24 questions of 3 marks each. The total question paper is of 198 to 204 marks. These three sections are - Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Quantitative Aptitude, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning. The complete detail about the CAT exam is provided in the following table-
CAT Exam 2025: Section-wise Question Distribution and Marks
The CAT Exam 2025 syllabus has three major sections: VARC, DILR, and QA. All of these sections test specific skill sets essential for successful management studies and admission into the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). VARC focuses on English language proficiency through reading comprehension passages, para jumbles, sentence completion, vocabulary, and verbal reasoning questions.
On the other hand, the DILR section tests candidates’ ability to interpret, analyze, and reason logically with data presented in diverse formats such as tables, bar graphs, pie charts, line graphs, and Venn diagrams. Lastly, the Quantitative Aptitude covers a wide range of mathematical concepts from basic to advanced levels. The detailed CAT Syllabus PDF is given below:
CAT Exam 2025 Syllabus PDF Link: CAT Syllabus 2025 PDF.pdf
CAT Exam 2025 Admit Card
The CAT Exam 2025 Admit Card will be released on 5 November 2025 on the official website iimcat.ac.in. Applicants can download their admit cards till 30 November 2025 by easily logging in with their CAT login credentials. The admit card or the hall ticket for the CAT exam is a necessary document to enter to examination centres. Anyone who doesn't have their admit card with them is not allowed to enter the test center. Candidates must carry a printed copy of an identity proof like an Aadhaar card, PAN card, or a Driver’s license on the exam day, along with the admit card.
Read More About the CAT Exam 2025 Admit Card
The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) will officially release the CAT 2025 answer key after the examination is done on 30 November 2025. The CAT provisional answer key is made available on 4 December 2025. Later, the CAT final answer key was published on the 17 December 2025, while the CAT results aanounced on 24 December 2025.
The answer key will include the correct answers for each section, and candidates can use the provisional answer key to cross-check their responses and calculate an estimated score. If they find discrepancies or errors in the provisional key, they can raise objections through the official CAT website by logging in with their credentials.
The objection process involves selecting the question, specifying the type of objection, providing supporting remarks, and paying a fee. After reviewing all valid objections, the authorities will release the final answer key, which will be used for official score evaluation and result declaration.
Read More about CAT Exam 2025 Answer Key
CAT Entrance Exam 2025 Result
The CAT Entrance Exam 2025 result announced on 24 December 2025. The CAT result are declared online on the official CAT website www.iimcat.ac.in.
All candidates who took the exam can access their results by logging in with their registered email address and password. The result will show the candidate’s marks and percentile, which indicates their performance relative to others. It also includes sectional scores and aggregate scaled scores.
Read More About the CAT Entrance Exam 2025 Result
The CAT Cutoffs 2025 are released by every IIM on their official websites. The CAT cut off for tier 1 IIMs like IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, and IIM Kozhikode remain as high as 98-100 percentile for General, EWS, and NC-OBC categories and 94-100 percentile for SC/ST/PwD categories. Comparatively, the CAT cutoff for tier 2 IIMs like IIM Raipur, IIM Ranchi, IIM Rohtak, IIM Tiruchirappalli, and IIM Udaipur are around 70 to 80 percentile. For tier 3 IIMs such as IIM Kashipur, IIM Nagpur, IIM Mumbai, IIM Amritsar, IIM Sambalpur, IIM Visakhapatnam, IIM Bodhgaya, and IIM Jammu, the percentile range falls between 60 and 70.
CAT Exam 2025 Preparation Tips and Books
The Common Admission Test is one of the most competitive exams that ensures admission to the top management colleges across the country. Here are some helpful cat exam tips for self-preparation:
Start studying six to nine months in advance to cover the vast syllabus and practice rigorously.
Dedicate at least 6 to 8 hours of studying regularly by practising different sections of the syllabus.
Dive into a range of eclectic reading to be aware of different topics for reading comprehension.
Build a vocabulary bag and work on enhancing your grasping power.
Create a notebook for formulas and important concepts.
Try solving available previous year question papers and mock tests to create a balance between theory and practice.
Recommended Books for CAT Exam 2025 Preparation:
Students who have applied for the CAT 2025 exam can refer to the following best-suggested books by the experts in the following table-
Frequently Asked Questions
The Common Admission Test (CAT) is conducted once a year.
The full form of the CAT Exam is: Common Admission Test
While mainly for MBA programs, CAT scores are also accepted by some other postgraduate management courses.
IIMs operate as autonomous public institutions established by the Indian government.
The validity of the CAT score is generally limited to one year.