CAT Eligibility Criteria 2025: Check Nationality, Age Limit, Aggregate Score & Qualifications

The CAT eligibility criteria 2025 specifies that students desiring to attempt the CAT entrance test must have passed Undergraduation & obtained at least 50% marks (45% for SC / ST / PwD candidates) / an equivalent CGPA. Additionally, aspirants who have completed CA / CS / Fellow of Actuaries of India (FIAI) / ICMAI with requisite minimum qualifying marks can apply. There is no lower & upper age limit prescribed for appearing in the entrance exam.

CAT (Common Admission Test) is an MBA / PGDM / Ph.D Entrance Exam that is held once a year. It is a National Level Management Aptitude Test which will be conducted by the IIM Kozhikode in 2025. Candidates can appear for the CAT Exam to get admission in IIMs and other top Business Schools of India & abroad.

This article includes important information about the CAT Exam Eligibility Criteria such as educational qualification, age limit, work experience, etc.

It is mandatory for the students to meet the CAT exam eligibility criteria before proceeding for CAT 2025 Registration. To get admission in top B-Schools, aspiring candidates need to start the preparation for the CAT Exam.

The details about the same are given in the following table:

* Students with backlogs in Bachelor’s Degree or its equivalent examination can also appear in the CAT 2025 exam. Furthermore, they must have to clear all their backlogs and meet the CAT exam eligibility before starting the admission process for their concerned Institutes.

IIMs adhere to the reservation guidelines established by the Government of India for the students belonging to the SC / ST / NC-OBC / PwD / EWS categories.

The reservation criteria for CAT 2025 can be understood from the following table:

* Once the applicants have entered & submitted their respective categories in the application form, no change in the same will be allowed.

Note: SC & ST students claiming reservation must ensure their caste / tribe is listed in the schedule of the Government of India.

PwD means an individual with a minimum 40% of a specified disability mentioned in the Schedule of the RPwD Act 2016. Following are the categories of disabilities included in the reservation seats:

• Blindness and low vision
• Deaf and hard of hearing
• Locomotor disability including cerebral palsy, leprosy cured, dwarfism, acid attack victims and muscular dystrophy.
• Autism, intellectual disability, specific learning disability and mental illness
• Multiple disabilities from amongst persons under clauses (a) to (d).
• Other ‘specified disabilities’ mentioned in ‘The Schedule’ of the RPwD Act 2016.

The basic CAT and IIM eligibility criteria are the same in terms of academic qualifications. There are some minor differences that the candidates who want to study at IIM must know. According to the CAT eligibility criteria for IIM, to become eligible for admission, students must meet the respective CAT cut-offs released by the authorities of the individual IIMs.

Students should know that they are supposed to fulfil the CAT eligibility criteria 2025 before they complete the CAT Registration and Application Process 2025. The registration link will be available from 1^st August 2025. The last date to complete the CAT 2025 registration & complete the payment of exam fee is 13^th September 2025.

In addition to this, students will be able to modify their signature, photograph, and selected test city centres through the correction window that will probably open in the Last Week of September 2025. Applicants are advised to fill the application form accurately to avoid the chances of getting disqualified during the selection process.