CAT 2025 - The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Kozhikode will conduct the Common Admission Test (CAT) exam 2025 on November 30. The exam conducting body has released the CAT 2025 admit card on November 12, 2025, at iimcat.ac.in.The last date to register for the CAT 2025 exam was extended to September 20, 2025. Earlier, the last date to register was September 13, 2025. However, due to "a significant volume of requests from the MBA aspirants", the IIM Kozhikode decided to extend the dates for the CAT application 2025. The CAT examination is conducted for aspirants who wish to secure admission to MBA programmes. Candidates can find the CAT 2025 notification on the official page at iimcat.ac.in.
For the latest updates on the IIM CAT Hall Ticket, check: CAT Admit Card 2025 Release Date Live
The Indian Institute of Management has released the CAT 2025 application form. According to the official notification, CAT 2025 will be held on Sunday, November 30, 2025. Registrations began on August 1 and continued until September 20, 2025. All the MBA aspirants who are willing to appear for the CAT 2025 exam must check the official website for exam-related updates. The CAT registration 2025 will be considered complete only after the payment of the fees. The exam will be held in three shifts in over 170 cities across India. It will be conducted in three shifts on a single day. The exam conducting body will release the CAT admit card 2025 a few days before the examination. Candidates will not be allowed to appear for the exam without presenting the CAT hall ticket 2025.
Once the CAT 2025 exam is conducted, the exam body will release the CAT answer key 2025 on its official website. The answer key for the CAT 2025 exam will be provisional and subject to challenge in case of any error in the answers. After the challenge window closes, the authorities will release the CAT result 2025 on the website. Candidates will be able to download their CAT scorecards using their login credentials, such as their application number and password.
Latest updates -
- The exam conducting body has released the CAT 2025 admit card on Novemebr 12, 2025, on the official website.
- IIM Kozhikode has revised the admit card release date for CAT 2025. Candidates can now download their CAT 2025 Hall Tickets from November 12, 2025, onwards.
- IIM Kozhikode has extended the CAT Registration 2025 last date to September 20, 2025.
- The last day to apply for the CAT 2025 is September 13. The exam will be held on November 30, 2025.
- The CAT 2025 registration window is open now. The last date to submit the application form is September 13, 2025.
- CAT Exam 2025 will be held on November 30, 2025.
- This year, four leading IIMs - IIM Kashipur, IIM Raipur, IIM Ranchi, and IIM Tiruchirappalli - will conduct a Joint Admission Process (JAP) for admitting candidates for their MBA programme. IIM Raipur will be the coordinator for JAP 2026.
Also Read:
CAT Exam Analysis 2025
IIM Kozhikode will conduct the Common Admission Test 2025 on November 30, 2025. Based on the CAT exam analysis (for the year 2024), the exam was on a moderate level of difficulty. Since last year, the number of questions asked in the CAT exam has increased from 66 to 68.
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Sections
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Number of questions
|
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Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension
|
24
|
|
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
|
22
|
|
Quantitative Aptitude
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22
|
|
Total
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68
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CAT Notification 2025 PDF
IIM has released the official notification for CAT 2025 at the official website. The notification contains details about the CAT 2025 exam, including dates, eligibility, fees, and test centres. Candidates can check and download the official notification from the link provided below:
CAT Notification 2025 - Download PDF
CAT Exam 2025: Highlights
Candidates appearing for the CAT 2025 exam can check the table below to know the major highlights for the upcoming exam.
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Particulars
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Details
|
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Release of Notification
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July 2025
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Application Process Begins
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August 01 2025
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Last Date of Registration
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September 20, 2025
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Admit Card Release
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November 12, 2025 (Revised)
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Exam Date
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November 30, 2025
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Final Answer Key
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December 2025 |
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Result
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To be announced
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No. of Questions
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68
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|
Sections in Exam
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3 (VARC, DILR, and QA)
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|
Exam Duration
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2 hours (2 hr and 30 minutes for PwD Category)
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Section-wise Time Duration
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40 minutes
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CAT 2025 Exam Slots
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3
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Mode of Exam
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Computer-based Exam (CBE)
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Medium of Instruction
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English
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Types of Questions
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MCQ and Answer type
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CAT Marking Scheme
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+3 for every right answer
-1 for every wrong answer
TITA has no negative marking
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CAT 2025: Selection Process for IIMs
The CAT exam 2025 is conducted for admission to the MBA programme at top IIMs and other management colleges. The selection process for various IIMs is different, and candidates must be aware of it. Students can check the IIM selection process below:
- The CAT 2025 results are anticipated to be available by December-end.
- The list of candidates selected for the next level of the selection process will be published on the respective IIMs' websites. Shortlisted candidates will receive interview letters directly from the IIMs.
- Each IIM follows its independent criteria for shortlisting candidates, which may involve assessments like the Written Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussion (GD), and Personal Interviews (PI).
- CAT 2025 exam performance holds significant importance in the admission process, while IIMs may also consider additional factors such as previous academic records, work experience, gender, academic diversity, and other similar inputs in shortlisting and ranking candidates at various stages of the admission process.
- If a candidate is shortlisted for an interview, they must present an original certificate from the Principal/Registrar/Director of the University/Institution, confirming that they have obtained at least 50% marks or equivalent (45% for SC, ST, and PwD candidates) based on the latest available grades/marks for their final bachelor's degree or equivalent qualification examination.
- An attested copy of the original certificate must be submitted at the time of the interview. The deadline for submitting the qualifying degree/equivalent mark sheet and certificate is December 31, 2025. Failure to meet this condition will lead to the automatic cancellation of provisional admission. Additionally, if it is later discovered that the submitted certificate is incorrect, the provisional admission will also be cancelled.
Top Management Colleges:
CAT Exam 2025: Percentile Score Calculation
The procedure outlined below is used to determine a candidate's CAT percentile scores for both the overall and individual sections of the CAT exam 2025. To exemplify the percentile score calculation process, let's take the Quantitative Aptitude (QA) section as an example. This identical process is applied to calculate percentile scores for the remaining two sections, namely, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) and Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) in CAT 2025.
CAT Exam 2025: Application Process
Candidates appearing for the CAT 2025 exam must register on the official website, iimcat.ac.in. The application process generally continues for one month from the date of the release of the application form.
As per the CAT application guide, candidates can register themselves for the exam by following the simple steps mentioned below:
- Individuals must register to generate a unique User ID and Password.
- Log in with the generated User ID and Password to fill in the CAT form.
- Submit the Application form after entering details and making online payments to complete the registration and application process.
CAT Exam 2025 Application Fees
The CAT application fee is INR 2600 for general category candidates. The CAT exam fee is INR 1300 for SC, ST, and PWD candidates. Candidates must pay the application fee while filling out the CAT application form 2025. The application fee can be paid through debit card, UPI, and NET Banking. Interested candidates can check the category-wise application fee for the CAT exam 2025 in the table below:
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Category
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Application Fees
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General
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2600
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OBC/EWS
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2600
|
|
SC
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1300
|
|
ST
|
1300
|
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PwD
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1300
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CAT Exam 2025: Eligibility Criteria
CAT eligibility criteria are prescribed in the official notification. The CAT eligibility criteria pertaining to educational qualification, reservation category requirements, and other parameters are established by the conducting body. There is no age limit to apply for the CAT exam 2025.
CAT Educational Qualification:
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Qualification
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Required Pass Percentage
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Required Affiliation
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Engineering Degree – B.Tech/ B.E.
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50% (45% for SC, ST, and PWD candidates)
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Recognized by MHRD/AICTE
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|
Bachelor’s Degree from any University
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50% (45% for SC, ST, and PWD candidates)
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Recognized by UGC
|
|
Students who are in their final year of a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) are also eligible to take the CAT Exam
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50% (45% for SC, ST, and PWD candidates)
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Continuing graduation from a University Recognized by MHRD/AICTE or UGC
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CAT Exam Pattern 2025
The CAT exam pattern for 2025 has not been officially prescribed, but we can make assumptions based on the previous year's trends. The CAT 2025 exam will likely consist of three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Aptitude.
Analysis of past question papers indicates that the CAT 2025 exam will likely have around 70 questions. Aspirants will have a total of 2 hours or 120 minutes to attempt all three sections. Interested candidates can check the CAT exam pattern 2025 in the table below:
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Sections of Exam
|
No. of questions
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Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
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Type in Type Answers (TITA)
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Time Limit
|
|
VARC
|
24
|
19
|
5
|
40 mins
|
|
DILR
|
20
|
15
|
5
|
40 mins
|
|
QA
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22
|
14
|
8
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40 mins
|
|
Total
|
66
|
48
|
18
|
120 mins
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CAT Syllabus 2025
The CAT notification 2025 clarifies that there is no prescribed syllabus for the exam. However, candidates aiming to take this test should be aware that the CAT syllabus for MBA primarily encompasses concepts from secondary-level education, typically ranging from 10th to 12th grade topics. Despite being based on secondary-level content, the CAT question paper's difficulty level is remarkably high, reflecting the intense competition among test-takers.
To prepare for CAT 2025, aspiring candidates must acquaint themselves with the fundamental concepts of the topics covered in the secondary-level curriculum. The table below provides an overview of the essential topics for all the sections:
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Section
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Important Topics
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Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)
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Para-jumbles & para-summary, sentence completion, inferences, RC passages-based questions.
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Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)
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Seating Arrangement, Blood Relation, Syllogism, Tables, Graphs, Data Case, Others
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Quantitative Ability (QA)
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Number System, Algebra, Geometry, Mensuration, Time and Work
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CAT Admit Card 2025
The CAT admit cards will be released by IIM Kozhikode on its official website. The CAT 2025 admit card will be released a few weeks before the exam. Only candidates who successfully fill out the application form will receive the admit card. Interested aspirants can check the steps below to download their admit card:
- Visit the official CAT 2025 website: iimcat.ac.in 2025
- Click on 'Login'
- Enter registration ID and password
- After successfully logging in to the CAT Admit Card 2025 Download portal, click on the 'admit card' link.
- Click on download and save the admit card on the desktop.
- Take a printout of the CAT 2025 admit card
CAT Cutoff and IIM Seat Intake
CAT cut-off is the minimum score required to be considered for admission to a particular management programme or institution. The cut-off varies each year and is determined by the number of applicants, the difficulty of the exam, and the number of seats available. Candidates are required to aim for a score higher than the cut-off to increase their chances of getting admitted to their preferred programme or institution. This year, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) will also be accepting the CAT score for admission to the MA (HR & LR) programme.
In the table below, candidates can check the expected CAT cutoff for IIMs in 2025.
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Expected CAT Cutoff for IIM (Qualifying)
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IIMs
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Qualifying CAT cut-offs
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IIM Ahmedabad
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85
|
|
IIM Bangalore
|
85
|
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IIM Calcutta
|
85
|
|
IIM Calcutta
|
90
|
|
IIM Indore
|
90
|
|
IIM Kozhikode
|
85
|
|
IIM Amritsar
|
90
|
|
IIM Nagpur
|
85
|
|
IIM Sambalpur
|
93
|
|
IIM Trichy
|
93
|
|
IIM Raipur
|
93
|
|
IIM Ranchi
|
90
|
|
IIM Kashipur
|
94
|
|
IIM Vizag
|
80
|
|
IIM Udaipur
|
93
|
|
IIM Bodhgaya
|
93
|
|
IIM Shillong
|
75
|
|
IIM Sirmaur
|
92
|
|
IIM Rohtak
|
95
|
|
IIM Jammu
|
93
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IIM Seat Matrix 2025
In the table below, candidates aspiring to appear must know the seats available in all IIMs of India:
|
IIM Name
|
Seat intake
|
IIM Name
|
Seat Intake
|
|
IIM Ahmedabad
|
385
|
IIM Kashipur
|
210
|
|
IIM Calcutta
|
462
|
IIM Nagpur
|
60
|
|
IIM Bangalore
|
412
|
IIM Ranchi
|
155
|
|
IIM Udaipur
|
180
|
IIM Kozhikode
|
353
|
|
IIM Shillong
|
120
|
IIM Visakhapatnam
|
60
|
|
IIM Bodhgaya
|
60
|
IIM Raipur
|
210
|
|
IIM Sirmaur
|
60
|
IIM Rohtak
|
180
|
|
IIM Indore
|
550
|
IIM Amritsar
|
60
|
|
IIM Sambalpur
|
140
|
IIM Trichy
|
180
|
|
IIM Calcutta
|
436
|
IIM Jammu
|
45
|
CAT 2025 Cutoff for B-Schools:
Apart from the 20 IIMs, there are 8 IITs and over 200 B-schools that accept CAT scores for admission into various management programs. The table below contains a list of the Top B-schools in India along with the expected CAT 2025 score for securing admissions:
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List of B-schools
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CAT cutoff 2025
|
|
FMS
|
98.20 Percentile
|
|
DMS, IIT Delhi
|
98+ Percentile
|
|
Loyola Institute of Business Administration (LIBA) Chennai
|
90+ Percentile
|
|
SJMSOM, IIT Bombay
|
99+ Percentile
|
|
Institute of Management Technology (IMT) Ghaziabad
|
90+ Percentile
|
|
MDI Gurgaon CAT cutoff
|
95+ Percentile
|
|
National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE) Mumbai
|
95+ Percentile
|
|
SPJIMR CAT cutoff 2022
|
85+ Percentile
|
|
XIMB CAT Cutoff 2022
|
90+ Percentile
|
|
Department of Management Studies, IIT Madras
|
95+ Percentile
|
|
T A Pai Management Institute (TAPMI), Manipal
|
85+ Percentile
|
CAT 2025 Result and Scorecard
CAT results are released in the form of percentile scores. Observing the previous year's results release pattern, it can be expected that the results for the CAT 2025 will be released in January 2025. Candidates who will appear for the exam will be able to check the CAT 2025 results using their login credentials.
CAT Result 2025: Previous Year Toppers List and Statistics
The table below contains the list of last year's CAT Toppers along with their percentile.
|
Overall Percentile
|
Total Numbers
|
Total Gender numbers
|
Total State-wise numbers
|
|
100 percentiles
|
11
|
All Males
|
2 - Delhi
1 - Gujarat
1 - Haryana
1 - Kerala
1 - Madhya Pradesh 2 - Maharashtra
2 - Telangana
1 - Uttar Pradesh
|
|
99.99 percentiles
|
22
|
Male-21 Female-01
|
2 - Delhi
3 - Gujarat
2 - Karnataka
3 - Madhya Pradesh 3 - Maharashtra
1 - Punjab
1 - Rajasthan
1 - Tamil Nadu 1 - Telangana
2 - Uttar Pradesh 3 - West Bengal
|
|
99.98 percentiles
|
22
|
Male-19 Female-03
|
1 - Andhra Pradesh 1 - Bihar
2 - Delhi
2 - Haryana
1 - Karnataka
1 - Kerala
1 - Madhya Pradesh 4 - Maharashtra
2 - Odisha
5 - Rajasthan
1 - Uttar Pradesh 1- West Bengal
|
CAT 2025 Answer Key
IIM releases the CAT answer key after the exam is successfully conducted. The answer key and the response sheet for the CAT exam are likely to be available in the first week of December 2025. However, there is no official confirmation yet. The same will be updated once the CAT answer key 2025 date is officially released.
CAT 2025: Preparation Strategy
Being one of the most competitive examinations in the country, the CAT exam requires thorough preparation. Students must have a preparation strategy aligned with their strengths and weaknesses.
Ultimate Step to Begin Preparation for CAT Exam:
- Understand the nature of the syllabus and the exam pattern thoroughly. Read the in-depth analysis article for the CAT Syllabus and CAT Exam Pattern here.
- Being familiar with the CAT syllabus and exam pattern will help you know which subject needs more focus. Thus, formulate a “Time Management” strategy
- Follow the Time Management routine, and acquaint yourself with the CAT Mock test regularly
