CAT 2025 Exam Date (30 Nov), Admit Card, Preparation Tips, Eligibility

CAT 2025 Exam: Common Admission Test (CAT 2025) date is out, and it is scheduled to be held on 30 November 2025. The CAT 2025 admit card release date is 05 November 2025, and it will be available to download online at the official website @iimcat.ac.in. This year CAT Application Form 2025 process started on 1 August 2025 by IIM Kozhikode, and the last date to submit the registration form was 20 September 2025. The CAT exam will be conducted in 170 cities across various exam centres in India for admission into management programs like MBA and PGDM in top management colleges.

CAT Exam 2025 Latest Updates 

• IIM Kozhikode has scheduled the CAT 2025 exam date as 30 November 2025, and it will be held in multiple exam centres in CBT mode. 
• CAT Admit Card 2025 will be out on 05 November 2025, and it will be available to download online at the official website (@iimcat.ac.in). 

• The CAT 2025 Exam application correction window form has opened on 4 October 2025 and the last date on 7 October 2025.

The CAT 2025 Exam will be conducted in a computer-based test (CBT) mode with sections covering Quantitative Aptitude, Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning, Verbal Ability, and Reading Comprehension. The student is a graduate with 50% (45% for reserved categories) can apply. The CAT scores are valid for one year and are widely accepted by over 1,200 management institutes across India. 

The exam allows qualifying students to secure admission in the top-tier colleges offering quality management programs like MBA and PGDM. Candidates applying for the CAT 2025 exam must note that the application fee for general category candidates is INR 2600, while for candidates belonging to SC/ST and other reserved category candidates, the application fee is INR 1300.

CAT 2025 Exam Highlights

CAT 2025 Exam 

The CAT Exam 2025 for MBA admissions will be conducted on 30 November 2025 by IIM Kozhikode. The registration window for CAT 2025 remained open from 1 August to 20 September 2025. The exam evaluates four key sections Quantitative Aptitude, Verbal Ability, Logical Reasoning, and Data Interpretation. To crack CAT 2025, candidates should prepare with daily practice sessions, regular mock tests, and effective time management strategies.

Students preparing to appear for the CAT 2025 exam must note that the examination will be conducted in three sessions on the same day. The first session will commence at 8:40 AM and will end at 10:30 AM. There will be a two-hour break in between sessions, after which the second session will begin at 12:30 PM and end at 2:30 PM. The third session will be conducted from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM. The candidates can download the CAT Admit Card 2025 will be released on 5 November 2025.

As per the official details, CAT 2025 is going to be an online Computer-Based Test in English mode. Students will have to answer two types of questions, MCQ and TITA. The exact day, date, and time for the CAT 2025 exam are mentioned below.

CAT 2025 Exam Dates

CAT 2025 Exam Admit Card 

The IIM Kozhikode has announced that the CAT 2025 exam admit card release date is 05 November 2025. The applicants are who are registered for the examination can download the hall ticket online from the official website iimcat.ac.in. To download the process required to log in to the official website with their ID and password, and click on “Download Admit Card”. On the day of the examination, applicants must carry multiple hard copies of their admit card to get entry into the exam centre. For further information about the CAT 2025 Admit Card, aspirants can click on the below given link:

Read Also: CAT Admit Card 2025

CAT Exam 2025 Answer Key

The CAT Answer Key 2025 will be released after the exam, which is scheduled for 30 November 2025. The most tentative period for the release of the CAT 2025 exam is the first week of December. Before the release of the final answer key, a provisional answer key will be issued on the official website of IIM Kozhikode. Candidates can download both their provisional answer key and response sheets from the official IIM CAT website, iimcat.ac.in. To gain access to the provisional answer key and response sheet, registered candidates are required to log in to the official website of CAT IIM with their user ID and password. 

The provisional answer key is released to allow the candidates to raise objections to the answers they feel are incorrect. The objections can be raised after the candidates are logged in and the link to ‘Candidate Login for Raising Objection’ is displayed. Once the candidates have downloaded the answer key and their response sheet, they can start with the comparison and raise objections within the limited time window via the online portal. IIM CAT will be reviewing all the objections, and after the completion of the review process, the final answer key will be released.

CAT Exam 2025 Result 

The examination result for the CAT 2025 exam are expected to be out on 6 January 2026 (tentative). The exact date for the CAT Result 2025 will be announced shortly on the official website for CAT, iimcat.ac.in. Candidates appearing for the CAT exam can download their respective scorecards by logging into the official portal with their user ID and password. The CAT exam scorecard will be available until 31 December 2026, in the PDF format. As for the validity of the CAT scorecard, candidates can utilize the scorecard for one year from the release of the result. The CAT 2025 scorecard will only be released online, and no physical or mailed copy will be released. 

CAT Exam 2025 Counselling Process

The CAT counselling process will commence shortly after the results for the CAT 2025 exams are announced. The CAT 2025 results are expected to be out on 6 January 2026 (tentative), with the exam scheduled to take place on 30 November 2025 (Sunday). Once the results are released, here’s how the counselling process goes for CAT applicants. 

• IIMs will first conduct a Written Ability Test (WAT). Only candidates shortlisted based on their cutoffs will be called for WAT. 
• A group discussion round will be conducted following WAT. 
• Finally, a Personal Interview (PI) round will be held. 
• Admissions for the IIMs will be considered with the cumulative scores calculated with CAT and WAT + GD + PI scores. 

CAT Exam Pattern & Marking Scheme

The CAT 2025 exam will be conducted in 3 sections, and students will have 40 minutes to answer each section. The order of the sections is as follows: VARC, DILR, and QA. Students have to follow the order and can’t choose to solve any section first. There will be MCQs and TITA-type questions, and the test will be conducted in an online CBT format. No toggling or juggling between sections is allowed, and all the sections are to be attempted in the fixed order only. For every question answered incorrectly, there is a negative marking of -1.

CAT Exam 2025 Syllabus

As the CAT 2025 exam will be held in three sessions, the syllabus comprises Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Aptitude. There will be a total of 24 questions in VARC, 22 questions in DILR, and 22 questions in QA. 

CAT Exam 2025 Eligibility Criteria 

The CAT Exam Eligibility Criteria 2025 requires candidates to hold a bachelors degree with at least 50% marks (45% for SC/ST/PwD). Students in their final year of graduation can also apply. There is no age limit for CAT 2025 Exam. The exam is open to candidates from any stream, ensuring equal opportunity for all.

General Eligibility

• A student must hold a bachelor’s degree.
• The minimum accepted score for the bachelor’s program is 50% for General candidates and 45% for SC/ST/PwD.
• Applicants must maintain a valid and unique mobile phone number and email account throughout the selection procedure. 

Educational Qualification

• Final-Year Students: Students currently appearing in the final year of their graduation degree or equivalent qualification, or who are waiting for their results, are eligible to apply for the CAT 2025 exam. If they qualified for the CAT 2025 exam, they can join the program provisionally, provided they submit a certificate from the University’s Principal.

Reservation

• A total of 15% seats are reserved for SC candidates.
• For ST candidates, the seat reservation stands at 7.5%.
• For OBC candidates, 27% of the seats are reserved.
• For candidates belonging to the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), the seat reservation is 10%.

CAT Application Form 2025

The CAT Application Form 2025 will be started on 1 August 2025, and the last date to apply on 20 September 2025 at 5:00 PM. The exam is conducted every year by the IIMs, and for 2025, it will be organized by IIM Kozhikode. After registration closes, a CAT correction window will be available for candidates to edit limited details like uploaded images or personal information. To fill the form, students must have a valid email ID, scanned photograph, and signature. The application fee is to be INR 2,600 for General category and INR 1,300 for SC/ST/PwD candidates, payable online. Candidates are advised to prepare these documents in advance for error-free application.

The official website for CAT 2025 applicants is iimcat.ac.in. Before filling out the application form, candidates should carefully check their eligibility criteria for the CAT 2025 exam. The CAT application fee must be paid online using various payment options such as credit card, debit card, net banking, or UPI. The successful submission of the CAT 2025 application form will be confirmed only after the payment of the application fee is completed.

CAT Exam 2025 Cutoff

The CAT cutoff 2025 is released after the announcement of result. It specifies the minimum overall percentile the candidates must have in order to qualify for admission to mainly IIMs and other leading business schools. The CAT cutoffs are calculated based on certain factors such as the difficulty level of the exam, the total number of students who gave the exam, the total number of seats available, and reservations. Cutoffs are generally lower for candidates belonging to reserved categories such as SC/ST/PwD. Old, established IIMs will have a higher cutoff of 98-99%, as compared to newer IIMs, 93-94%.

Top IIM's Accepting CAT 2025 Exam Score

The CAT Exam 2025 offers admission into top IIMs across India. Students can pursue MBA, Business Analytics, HRM, Supply Chain, Digital Enterprise, Healthcare, and more. Each IIM provides unique specializations, helping students build strong careers in management.

IIM Selection Process for CAT 2025

The CAT IIM Selection Process 2025 involves several stages after the CAT exam result are announced. Candidates who qualify the CAT 2025 cutoff are shortlisted by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) for the next rounds, which include the Written Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussion (GD), and Personal Interview (PI). 

IIM follows its own selection criteria based on factors like CAT score, academic performance, work experience, and diversity check the official website. The final merit list is prepared after evaluating all these components. 

Frequently Asked Questions About CAT 2025 Exam 

Q1. How many applications for CAT 2025?

Every year, over 3 lakh candidates register for the CAT exam. The exact number for 2025 will be confirmed after registration closes.

Q2. What is the age limit for MBA in 2025?

There is no age limit for appearing in CAT 2025 or applying to MBA programs at IIMs.

Q3. How many CAT attempts are allowed?

There is no restriction on the number of CAT attempts. Candidates can take it any number of times.

Q4. What is the maximum score in CAT 2025?

CAT is scored out of 300 marks (overall maximum score). However, the percentile ranking is more important for admission.

Q5. When can we apply for the CAT 2025 exam?

Students can start applying for the CAT 2025 exam from August 1, 2025.

Q6. What is the pass mark for the CAT exam?

There is no fixed pass mark. Admission depends on percentile scores. Generally, 90+ percentile is good for top IIMs.

Q7. When is the CAT 2025 exam scheduled for?

The CAT 2025 exam is scheduled for November 30, 2025.

Q8. What is the CAT cutoff for IIM?

The cutoff varies by IIM. For older IIMs, it’s usually 98–99 percentile, while newer IIMs may accept 90–95 percentile.

Q9. What is the result date for the CAT 2025 exam?

The results for the CAT 2025 exam will be out in the first week of January.

Q10. When can we download the admit cards for the CAT 2025 exam?

The admit cards for the CAT 2025 exam will be available to download on November 5, 2025.

Q11. What is the application fee for the CAT 2025 exam?

The application fee for the CAT 2025 exam is INR 2600 for general category candidates and INR 1300 for students from the SC/ST/PwD category.

Read More about CAT 2025 Exam

Cat 2025 Exam	CAT Answer Key 2025
Cat Application Form 2025	CAT Result 2025
CAT Admit Card 2025

CAT 2025 Exam Helpdesk

• Helpline Number: 1800-210-8720 (Toll-Free, available 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM, excluding holidays)
• Email: cathelpdesk@iimcat.ac.in
• Official Website: https://iimcat.ac.in