CAT Exam Date, Registration, Eligibility, Syllabus, Prep Tips & More

Bodmas Education is a leading education consultancy dedicated to helping students secure admission to the top law colleges in India. Whether you're targeting All India Quota (AIQ) or state-level seats, our expert counselling ensures you make the right decision based on your rank, budget, and career goals. Need help? Call us at +91-9899222022 for expert guidance and personalized support.

The official CAT 2025 notification is out! This year, the Common Admission Test (CAT) will be conducted by IIM Kozhikode on Sunday, 30 November 2025. The registration window will open on 01 August 2025 and close on 13 September 2025.

If you are considering pursuing an MBA (Masters in Business Administration) in the top B-schools in India (including the 21 IIMs) this is your chance to prepare for it - your welfare is our concern! This guide will cover everything about the exam - exam pattern, eligibility, syllabus, registration process, cutoffs, and strategy for preparation.

About CAT 2025 Exam

The Common Admission Test, or CAT, is India's most popular management entrance exam, taken by more than 3 lakh candidates. The CAT is accepted by 1300+ management institutes, including all IIMs, IITs, FMS, MDI, etc everywhere in India and CAT 2025 will be conducted in three computer-based shifts in 170+ cities covering about 375 centres.

Every year, more than 3 lakh candidates appear for the exam and it is competitive exam and needs serious attention!

CAT 2025 – Quick Overview

Have Questions? Ask Us!

📞 Contact us today and take the first step toward your dream career! 🚀

We're Here for You

Submit

The Common Admission Test (CAT) 2025 will be conducted by IIM Kozhikode. Candidates planning to appear for the exam should keep track of all important dates to avoid missing any deadlines. 

 CAT 2025 Eligibility Criteria

Candidates must be eligible if they meet these criteria for CAT 2025:

•  Eligible educational qualification: Completion of Bachelor’s degree from a recognized university with minimum 50% marks (45% for SC/ST/PwD).

•  Final-Year Candidates: Eligible to apply. Admission will be provisional pending successful completion of the program.

•  Professionally qualified candidates: Candidates having CA/CS/ICWA may be eligible to apply provided they meet the minimum required percentage in their qualification.

•  Work Experience: Work experience is not a requirement but may be preferred by some institutes.

•  Upper Age Limit: There is no upper age limit for taking CAT.

To register for the CAT 2025 examination, you will need to follow the steps outlined below:

1. Go to the official website – iimcat.ac.in.

2. Click on ‘New Candidate Registration’.

3. Fill in your name, date of birth, email ID and mobile number.

4. Verify registration through an OTP.

5. Log in using CAT 2025 User Id and password that you have received.

6. Provide personal details, academic qualifications, and present work experience.

7. Upload the required documents by filling in, photo, signature, and certificates.

8. Select your preferred IIMs, programs and test cities.

9. Pay the application fees and submit the application.

📎 Necessary Documents:  

• Latest passport size photograph (Not older than 6 months, 30mm x 45mm, JPG, Size ≤ 1 MB)  

• Scanned signature (80mm x 35mm, Size ≤ 80KB, JPG)  

• Caste/Category Certificate (SC/ST/OBC/EWS formats)  

• PwD Certificate (whenever applicable)  

• Academic documents (10th. 12th, Graduation, PG)  

• Work experience details (Till July 31, 2025)  

CAT syllabus is divided into three main sections. Each assesses a unique set of skills:

Note: There is no syllabus and the levels of difficulty vary from year to year, which is a great reason to perform past papers.

CAT Exam Pattern for 2025 – Revised Structure, Scoring, and Sectional Details

The CAT exam 2025 will be a computer-based test (CBT), both MCQs and non-MCQs and a total test duration of 120 minutes. The two hour test will have three sections - VARC, DILR, and QA and each section has a duration of 40 minutes.

Important Points for CAT Exam Pattern 2025

•          The exam will take place in three sessions on the same date.

•          The paper will contain three Subjects:

o          Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)

o          Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)

o          Quantitative Ability (QA)

•          Total Questions: 68 questions (according to last changes; approval from IIM council, this number may change from year to year)

•          Total allotted Time: 40 minutes for each section. (Don't keep switching between sections and trying to manipulate the clock - just focus on each section only when it starts!) 

•          Marking Scheme:

o          +3 marks for each correct response

o          -1 mark for each incorrect response for MCQs

o          No negative marking for non-MCQs (TITA-type questions)

•          Maximum Marks: 204 marks (68 questions × 3 marks)

•          You should not necessarily attempt all questions.

Changes to CAT Exam Pattern

•          Total questions have increased from 66 to 68.

•          DILR now consists of 22 questions (previously 20).

o          CAT 2024 had different mix of 3 sets (4 questions) and 2 sets (5 questions).

•          Overall CAT 2024 difficulty was considered moderate; overall quantum of difficulty at Slot 1 was easy and Slot 3 was tough.

•          DILR and Quant section were much easier relative to CAT 2023.

•          Taking it to be a modest level of difficulty, they suggest CAT 2024 was a reasonable approximation of some level of difficulty of CAT 2021.

📈 As a result, cutoffs should go up, and score versus percentile mapping should shift slightly upward.

Final CAT Admission Cutoff 2024 – Top IIMs (General Category)

The table below outlines the minimum percentile score required for admission into some of the leading IIMs for the 2024–26 batch.

🎯 Use these cutoffs to set a realistic target based on your dream IIM.

Minimum Qualifying CAT Cutoff 2024 – For GDPI Eligibility

The cut-off is the qualifying percentile where a candidate is eligible for the next stage (WAT-GD-PI). This is indicative only of eligibility and does not guarantee a call.

IIM CAP Cutoff 2024 (Common Admission Process)

Nine IIMs follow a common admission process called CAP. For 2024, the CAP cut-off was set at 95 percentile across all institutes.

IIM SAP Cutoff 2024 (Supplementary Admission Process)

Some IIMs conduct SAP rounds post CAP if seats were available. for 2024, the SAP cut-off was 92 percentile.

CAT 2024 Cutoffs – Top Non-IIM Colleges (General – GEM)

Several non-IIM institutes are on par with the top IIMs and have highly competitive cutoffs.

Other reputed options include JBIMS, Great Lakes, TAPMI, GIM, and IIT Roorkee.

CAT Score vs Percentile 2024 (Expected Mapping)

This data helps you set a score benchmark for your target percentile.

Have Questions? Ask Us!

📞 Contact us today and take the first step toward your dream career! 🚀

We're Here for You

Submit

CAT Exam 2025 Hall Ticket

The CAT 2025 hall ticket will be made available via the official website iimcat.ac.in sometime before November 2025. The hall ticket is a necessary requirement for being allowed to participate in the CAT exam, and it must done to access your testing location.

Key Details:

•          The download option for the hall ticket will only be available for approved candidates who have submitted the application fees.

•          You will be required to use your CAT 2025 User ID and password to access it.

•          The hall ticket has the following information:

o          The date of the test and session

o          The test center's information

o          The time the candidate must report and any instructions

•          You will need to check over all the information thoroughly, and if there are any errors, you will need to immediately contact the IIM authorities.

📌 Note: Download a few copies of it and print multiple copies of it well in advance of the day of the exam as to not have any issues late.

CAT Exam 2025 Answer Key

• IIM Kozhikode will announce the provisional answer key and individual response sheets on its IIMCAT website about a week after the exam.
• How to Download 'CAT 2025 Answer Key':
• 1. Go to the website iimcat.ac.in
• 2. Log in using your CAT User ID and password
• 3. Click on 'CAT Answer Key'
• 4. Download the PDF for your slot
•  
• Objection Window
• - Candidates will have a period of 3-4 days to raise an objection.
• - Candidates will submit their objections using the online objection form.
• - IIM will review the objections and issue a final answer key thereafter, with no further objections accepted..

CAT Exam Result 2025

The CAT 2025 result is likely to be released in the last week of December 2025. The result may display section-wise scaled scores, overall score, and percentiles.

Steps to Download CAT 2025 scorecard:

1. Go to iimcat.ac.in

2. Login with your CAT Credentials.

3. Click the result link.

4. Download the CAT Scorecard Pdf

CAT 2025 scores will be valid for one year and should be used to apply to B-schools during the 2026–2028 academic cycles.

CAT 2025 Preparation Tips

With a few months to the exam, now is the time to build a solid prep foundation. Here's how you can:

Preparation Strategy:

• Divide the syllabus into weekly goals.

•  Work on your weak sections while maintaining your strong sections.

•  Take regular mock tests to work on your overall accuracy as well as time management.

•  Solve previous year CAT papers, to familiarize yourself with the pattern that has been changing over the years.

•  Stay up-to-date with current affairs for the GD-PI-WAT rounds after CAT.

•  Stick to a study plan and do regular self-checks.

•  Do TITA (Type In The Answer) questions separately, since you cannot approach them the same way you do other CAT questions.

Mental alertness, consistency, and clarity of the fundamentals will be the game changer.

CAT 2024 Exam Analysis (To Help You Prepare for CAT 2025)

Gaining information from the CAT 2024 paper pattern might help you prepare for 2025. This is a synopsis:

CAT 2024 Section-wise Breakdown:

Observations:

• There were no paragraph jumbles at all.
 • DILR has five sets:
 
 o Three sets of four questions
 Two sets of five questions
 • Compared to 2023, QA was a little simpler.
 • In terms of difficulty, Slot 1 was the simplest and Slot 3 the most challenging.
 • The overall level of difficulty was similar to that of CAT 2021.
 Make use of this information to predict CAT 2025 trends and adjust your mock test approach appropriately.

EXAM CENTERS FOR THE CAT 2025

CAT 2025 will conduct exams across 170+ locations in India. During the registration process, candidates can choose a maximum of 6 preferred locations.

🧭 View the full list of exam centers on their official site – iimcat.ac.in

Now that you know how to navigate the exam pattern, schedule, and strategy, you are well primed for CAT 2025. For more information, resources, and mentorship:

•          Browse relevant articles linked below

•          Attend upcoming CAT prep webinars

•          Download BSchoolZone, your one-stop MBA prep app

Preparing for CAT is not about luck; rather, it is about preparation, persistence, and precision. Now take the next step and keep moving forward.

Bodmas Education presents skillfully structured counselling packages for students exploring admission into Management programs across India. No matter if you are targeting government or private colleges or using the NRI or Sponsorship category, our services guarantee you end-to-end, expert-led counsel, tailored to your rank, budget, and career targets.

💼 Bodmas Management Counselling Packages

Whether you are applying to the best law colleges in the country like NLUs, Symbiosis or Jindal, or premier MBA colleges regulated by AICTE, Bodmas Education will ensure you never miss a deadline, option or opportunity.

📞 Enrol Bodmas Education Counselling package today by contacting Bodmas Education and take the next steps confidently in your Law or Management admissions j

Powered by Froala Editor