CAT 2025: Exam Date (30 Nov), Admit Card (5 Nov), Eligibility, Syllabus, and More

The official notification for the CAT 2025 entrance test in July 2025 has been released on the official website. The CAT 2025 Registration will be available from 1^st August 2025 till 13^th September 2025. The correction window for the entrance test will tentatively open in the Last week of September 2025.

Candidates will be able to download the CAT Admit Card 2025 from 5^th November 2025 onwards till 30^th November 2025. The CAT exam 2025 is scheduled to be conducted on 30^th November 2025 in 3 sessions. The conducting body will likely release the provisional answer key of CAT 2025 on 3^rd December 2025 & the results in the 1^st Week of January 2026 (tentative).

The Common Admission Test, popularly known as CAT, will be conducted by the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Kozhikode in around 170 test cities across India. A major change has been made in the CAT 2025 exam; the total number of questions has been increased from 66 to 68 questions. In the DI & LR section, a total of 22 questions will be asked instead of 20. Moreover, no Parajumbles questions will be asked in the VARC section.

Students who aspire to pursue Management courses like MBA, PGDM, Ph.D, etc. at IIM or other top educational Institutions that accept CAT scores can go through this article. The article comprises detailed information about the CAT 2025 exam like its important dates, registration, syllabus, exam centres, and more.

The Common Admission Test (CAT) 2025 will be conducted by the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Kozhikode. It is a computer-based test conducted for aspirants who desire to get admission in Management programs offered in around 21 IIM Institutes at different locations across India and other top Management educational Institutions. The CAT is an National Level Management Aptitude Test which is conducted once a year for admission in Management courses like MBA, Executive MBA, PGDM, e-PGDM, PGP, EPGP, M.Sc, Ph.D, Executive Ph.D programs, etc.

The major highlights of CAT 2025 are outlined in the table below:

CAT 2025 Exam Date along with all other important dates for candidates are listed in the table below:

Every IIM is independent to prescribe their own eligibility criteria including academic cut-off marks. Before the candidates proceed for the registration, they must ensure they satisfy the requisite eligibility requirements.

The general CAT Exam Eligibility criteria is given below:

• 50% aggregate marks (45% for SC, ST, and PwD category candidates) or an equivalent CGPA in the Bachelor’s degree required from a recognised University.
• Aspirants who have completed Professional degrees like CA / CS / ICMAI / Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of India (FIAI) can also apply for the exam given, they need to ensure that they meet the basic percentage criteria.
• There is no age limit to be eligible for the exam which means candidates at any age can apply for CAT exam 2025.

* Candidates in the final year of Graduation or awaiting results are also eligible to apply. They would get provisional admission only after submitting a Certificate issued by the Registrar / Principal of the respective Institute / University.

* Applicants with prior work experience are preferred during admissions in IIM. However, students with no prior work experience are also eligible to apply for CAT.

Check: CAT Eligibility Criteria 2025

Candidates who are eligible to apply for CAT Exam 2025 can begin with the registration / application process. The aspirants can complete their CAT Registration 2025 from 1^st August 2025 - 13^th September 2025.

CAT 2025 exam will be conducted on 30^th November 2025. Candidates can complete their CAT 2025 registration by following the steps given below:

• Visit the official website i.e., ‘iimcat.ac.in’.
• Look for the ‘New Candidate Registration’ option.
• Enter the required details like candidate’s name, date of birth, contact number, email ID, nationality, etc.
• Fill the CAPTCHA code as shown on the screen.
• An OTP will be sent on the registered contact number for verification.
• The login credentials will be shared on the registered e-mail. Log in using the same.
• Fill in all the required personal and educational details.
• Upload the required documents including the candidate's passport size photograph and scanned signature.
• Select the preferred educational Institution, course, and the test centre.
• Pay the CAT application / registration fee via preferred payment mode.

Check: CAT Registration 2025

Students must have proper understanding about the CAT Exam Syllabus to prepare effectively for the entrance exam.

The syllabus has been divided into 3 major subjects that further comprises the respective list of topics to be studied. The subjects are listed below:

• Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)
• Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)
• Quantitative Aptitude (QA)

* Students can download the CAT Syllabus PDF, prepare a practical timetable & begin their preparation.

The CAT 2025 exam paper includes three sections including Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (QA). There will be both MCQs and Non-MCQ (TITA-Type In The Answer) type of questions asked in the exam.

The applicants can check the below-given table to know about the necessary highlights of CAT Exam Pattern including all three sections:

* Appearing candidates will not be allowed to switch between the sections of the question paper on the actual exam day.

To appear for CAT 2025, the applicants are required to have a valid Admit Card. Candidates who have successfully registered & paid the application fee can download the CAT Admit Card 2025 from 5^th November 2025 till the exam date i.e, 30^th November 2025.

Candidates must note that the CAT 2025 Admit Card is issued only through online mode. The hall ticket comprises crucial details like candidate’s name, examination date & time, session, PwD status, address of the test centre, etc.

Below listed steps needs to be followed to download the admit card for the exam:

• Visit the official website ‘iimcat.ac.in’.
• Navigate the ‘Login’ tab and enter required credentials.
• Look for the ‘Admit Card’ section and click on ‘Download’.

While completing CAT exam 2025 registration, selecting the preferred test centre is a crucial step for aspirants. The CAT 2025 exam will be conducted in approximately 170 test cities out of which students can choose 5 test cities while filling-in the application form.

Check the below-listed state-wise exam centres for CAT exam across India:

* In case the candidates are not allotted any of the selected test cities then, the nearest city will be allotted. Also, the exam conducting authority reserves the right to change / add / remove / cancel the test city centres due to unavoidable reasons.

CAT is a National level exam; candidates must prepare thoroughly to qualify the exam in order to get admission either in IIM or any other top Management educational Institutions accepting the CAT entrance exam score.

Below-listed are some of the CAT 2025 Preparation tips for applicants:

• Aspirants are advised to go through the whole CAT exam syllabus and make a study plan accordingly.
• Understanding the concepts & listing down the doubts are very important for efficient preparation. Students should dedicate enough time for both the aforementioned activities.
• Identify the strengths & weaknesses; prepare strong topics and then try to give time to the weak areas.
• Manage time well and prepare section-wise to ensure that any topic is not missed out.
• It is advised to practise with CAT exam Sample Question papers and practise CAT mock tests.
• Aspiring students are suggested to revise regularly so that concepts become clear with time and there will be no scope for confusion.
• Self analyse to enhance the quality of preparation for the CAT 2025 exam.

Candidates must follow the CAT guidelines on the main CAT exam date 2025. If any student fails to do so, strict actions can be taken by the authorities.

Some of the CAT exam guidelines are listed below:

• Do not bring any kind of prohibited items on the exam day such as food or beverages, any electronic devices, etc.
• Carry CAT Admit Card 2025 and a Photo ID issued by the Government for verification purposes.
• Bring the Medical Certificate and other needed documents if the application is under the PwD Quota.
• Follow the dress code and safety rules prescribed by the authorities.
• Complete the test within the allotted time and do not leave the exam hall in between.
• Arrive early; do not be late in any case otherwise entry will not be allowed inside the centre.

Sample papers or model question papers are basically the CAT previous year question paper with which candidates can get an idea about the CAT Exam Pattern, the type of questions, marking criteria, etc. Previous year's CAT exam question paper help the candidates make their preparation strong and minimise the chances of errors.

It is important to solve previous year’s question papers and practise with these because the chances are high that current year's paper will be more or less based on past year’s CAT question paper. While checking the old papers, candidates will find out that there are questions from three sections including VARC, DILR, and QA. Candidates have the time frame of 120 minutes to solve the MCQ and Non-MCQ based questions. It is better for the candidates to prepare by solving the past year model papers by setting the given time limit. It will help them analyse where they need to speed up and if they are able to solve the paper within 120 minutes.

The previous year papers are curated in a PDF with the previous year questions, the section-wise solutions, etc. Candidates can click this link to download CAT exam Model Question Papers PDF.

Many aspirants appear for the CAT exam every year which makes it tough for students to rank high. Mock Tests are designed to help the candidates make their chances of clearing the exam with the highest percentile. CAT 2025 Mock Test will be released by the authorities on the official website approximately a week prior to issuing the CAT Admit Card. To access the Mock Tests, candidates need to Login on the official website; these practice tests can be accessed from home.

It is advised to the candidates to appear for CAT Mock Tests / Practice Tests so that they can check whether they need to improve & also get familiar with the situation they are likely to face on the actual exam day.

Every year, for the CAT exam, each IIM Institute releases their Institutional Cut-Off Scores. The cut-off is a score benchmark (minimum marks) that educational Institutions set for the students to achieve in order to take admissions in respective programs like MBA or PGDM.

Before processing further for admission after appearing for CAT 2025 exam, candidates must check the cut-off list released by the respective IIMs. After checking the CAT 2025 cut-off, it is advised to check the whole selection process as every Management educational Institution has their own criteria for admissions.

The CAT 2025 Result will probably be announced in the First Week of January 2026 by the exam conducting body i.e., IIM Kozhikode. Candidates are required to visit the exam’s official website ‘iimcat.ac.in’ to check their CAT result 2025. The information about the same will be individually sent to the registered mobile numbers of the candidates. Students must be aware that the CAT 2025 scores will be available on the official website & considered valid till 31^st December 2026.

As every year results, the CAT exam result will be in percentile format. The scorecard will contain section-wise and overall percentile.

To check the results and download the scorecard, below-listed steps need to be followed:

• Log in on the official website i.e.,“iimcat.ac.in”.
• Navigate the tab: 'CAT 2025 result/scorecard'.
• Click on ‘Download’ within the scorecard section.
• Save the CAT Scorecard PDF for further use.

After the CAT exam which will be conducted on 30^th November 2025, the answer key will be released on the official website. It will be uploaded after 3-4 days of the CAT 2025 exam date.

The authorities also provide an option to raise an objection regarding the answer key if the candidates find errors in it. In such a case, applicants can fill an online form through the objection window which remains open for 3-4 days when the answer key is uploaded on the official website. If the authorities find any objections, the answer key will be reviewed and revised.

To download the answer key, candidates need to follow the below-listed steps:

• Visit the official website of CAT and login with accurate credentials.
• Look for the ‘CAT 2025 Answer Key’ option.
• Download the answer key and the students can save it as a PDF.

Every Management College or Institute has their unique process for selection of candidates after declaration of CAT exam results. One of the top Management Institutes, IIM, makes selection for their MBA programs through CAT scores. This is not the only criteria but it is a crucial one. After clearing the CAT exam, students need to pass the Written Ability Tests (WAT) conducted by the Institute and their Personal Interview (PI) round.

For regular MBA programs in most of the IIM Institutes, the admission process would include the below-listed processes:

• Candidates will be shortlisted on the basis of their CAT scores.
• After that, WAT will be conducted which the students need to clear.
• A Personal Interview will be held after this.
• Final selection will be offered to the students based on their merit performances in the aforementioned activities.

Note: If students are found to be providing incorrect details / violating any procedure during the selection process / discrepancy is detected in subsequent years then in such case, such candidates will be immediately disqualified. Additionally, they will not be permitted to appear for the CAT exam in future.

There are various educational Institutions accepting CAT scores for admissions in their MBA or other Management programs as per their admission criteria. The list of IIMs accepting CAT 2025 exam scores with approximate number of available seats is given below:

*IIM Mumbai also offers admission on the basis of CAT scores.

There are various other Participating Institutes of CAT 2025 apart from IIMs. Some of the other top MBA Colleges accepting CAT scores are listed below:

• Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar (XIMB)
• SP Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR), Mumbai
• Jagran Institute of Management Studies (JIMS)
• K J Somaiya Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai
• Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai
• T.A. Pai Management Institute (TAPMI), Manipal
• Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Ghaziabad
• National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management, Hyderabad
• Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (MNNIT), Allahabad
• Department of Commerce, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi
• Indian Institute of Social Welfare & Business Management (IISWBM), Kolkata