What is CAT 2025?
CAT stands for Common Admission Test which an entrance exam for MBA admission at IIM and other prominent B-Schools. One of the 20 IIMs will conduct the CAT Exam 2025 is expected to be held on November 24, 2024, in three slots.
The CAT Exam 2025 notification is released on the official website of IIM- iimcat.ac.in.
CAT 2025 registration starts around August 1, 2025.
As per the CAT 2025 Eligibility, here are some of the important points that should be kept in mind:
- Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 50% marks to be eligible for CAT exam.
- The number of attempts is unlimited.
CAT 2025 Exam dates
IIM will announce date of CAT 2025 exam which will be held for a duration of two hours and will contain MCQs and TITAs questions. Three marks are given for a correct answer and 1 mark is deducted for every wrong answer.
CAT Exam Date 2025 (Expected)
| Events | Dates (Tentative) |
|---|---|
| CAT 2024 Official Notification | July 28, 2024 |
| CAT 2024 Application form release date | August 1, 2024 |
| Last date to apply for the application form | September 20, 2024 |
| Last date to submit the fees for the Application Form | September 20, 2024 |
| CAT 2024 Form Correction Window shall open | September 27 to 30, 2024 |
| CAT 2024 Admit Card Release date | November 5, 2024 |
| CAT 2024 Exam date | November 24, 2024 |
| CAT 2024 Answer key release | December 3, 2024 |
| CAT 2024 Result announcement date | Last week of December 2024 |
CAT exam 2025 Exam highlights
Here are some of the Key highlights for a glimpse of the candidates who wish to appear for the CAT 2025 Exam:
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Name of Exam | CAT 2024 |
| CAT Official Website | iimcat.ac.in |
| Frequency of CAT exam | Annually |
| CAT Registration Process | Online |
| Duration of the Exam | 120 minutes |
| CAT Exam Sections | Quantitative Ability (QA) Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) |
| Number of Questions | 66 |
| Medium of CAT Exam | English |
| Courses Offered | MBA/ PGDM in various streams at 20 IIMs, 7 IITs, and other top management colleges |
CAT Exam 2025 Eligibility Criteria
Candidates must meet the following requirements to fill out the CAT Application form, these criteria are given by the conducting body of the CAT Exam 2025 which is the IIM:
- Graduation: Candidate must have a Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent in any field from an accredited university is required for graduation.
- Minimum Grades: Graduates must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 50% (45% for candidates from the restricted category).
- Age: The authorities have not established an age restriction criterion.
- Students in their final year are also eligible to apply for the exam as long as they graduate before the deadline for admission and fulfil the requirements for graduation grades.
- Candidates with professional degrees, such as a CA, CS, or ICWA, may also apply to take the CAT test.
CAT 2025 Application Fee
- Only online payment options are available for CAT application fees.
- Submit the online application form after completing the payment, then download it for your records.
| Category | CAT Application Fee |
|---|---|
| General/ EWS/ NC-OBC | INR 2500 |
| SC/ST/PwD | INR 1250 |
CAT 2025 Syllabus
Here is a detailed breakdown of the CAT Exam 2025 Syllabus:
| CAT Exam Section | CAT Syllabus Topics |
|---|---|
| CAT VARC | Reading Comprehension- Passages of 400-500 words based on various fields like Management, Business, Science & Tech, Economy, Abstract, Literature, Art & Culture Verbal Ability- Para Jumbles, Summary, Sentence Completion, Odd Sentence Out, Antonyms & Synonyms, Error Detection |
| CAT QA | Arithmetic- Profit & Loss, Time & Work, Time Speed & Distance, Mixtures, Ratio & Proportion, Percentage, Averages Geometry & Mensuration- Lines & Angles, Circles, Triangles, Polygons, Area & Volume of 2D and 3D figures Algebra- Quadratic Equations, Series, Inequalities, Functions, Surds & Indices Numbers and Modern Math (P&C, Probability) |
| CAT DILR | Data Interpretation- Caselets, Tabular DI, DI sets based on Charts and Graphs Logical Reasoning- Syllogisms, Puzzles, Critical Reasoning, Blood Relations, Coding-Decoding, Statement & Assumption, Inference, Seating Arrangement, Ranking, Direction sense test |
CAT 2025 Exam Pattern
Here is a detailed overview of the Exam pattern for CAT 2025:
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Mode of Examination | Online |
| Total Duration | 120 minutes |
| Type of Questions | MCQs and TITA-type questions |
| Number of MCQs | 75% |
| Number of TITA Questions | 25% |
| Sectional Duration | 40 minutes |
| Sections | 3- VARC, QA, DILR |
| No. of Questions | 66 |
| Section-wise Distribution of Questions | VARC- 24 QA- 22 DILR- 20 |
| Total Marks | 198 |
| Marks Awarded for Correct Answer | 3 |
| Negative Marking | -1 for every wrong MCQ answer; No Negative Marks for TITA type Questions |
| Medium | English |
CAT 2025 Admit Card
Here are some of the important details about the CAT 2025 Admit card:
- Candidates can check the CAT 2025 admit card On the official website, iimcat.ac.in, also the CAT 2025 Admit Card is made available by November 5, 2025.
- Successfully registered candidates can log in with their registration ID and password to download their CAT admit card.
- The CAT Admit Card is a significant document that includes information on the test site, the time and date of the exam, and crucial instructions for the testing day.
- On the day of the exam, you must bring your CAT admission card with you to the designated testing location.
CAT 2025 Exam Centre
As of CAT 2025 it is expected that there will be a total of 400+ centers which will be located in 150+ cities. Below are some of the important points that are worth condensing:
- While completing the CAT 2025 application form, candidates can indicate their selection for six exam centres.
- CAT exam locations will be assigned to applicants based on the preferences they provide on the application.
- Under no circumstances is the CAT exam centre that is shown on the admission card subject to change.
CAT 2025 Preparation
- Examine past year’s papers to determine which topics carry the most weight, then begin preparing for them.
- You should practice every day and keep up with your review to get ready for the CAT Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning test.
- Work on your areas of weakness and answer 10–15 questions per day.
- Read CAT Topper interviews from past years to learn how to score a 99+ percentile on the CAT test.
- Consult the study materials offered by online study communities and coaching organizations like Unacademy, CATking, Career Launcher, etc.
Here are some tips that are designed section-wise for the better understanding fo the candidates who are appearing for CAT Exam 2025:
| CAT Section | CAT Preparation Tips |
|---|---|
| CAT DILR Preparation | Practice 3-4 LR sets based on puzzles, seating arrangements, and blood relations daily. For DI, refer to Arun Sharma CAT books. Learn and use the basics of arithmetic, numbers, and ratio-percentage conversions to save time. Use a timer when solving a DILR set. Attempt 1-2 sectional CAT 2024 mock test, every week. |
| CAT VARC Preparation | Read an article daily from newspapers, magazines, or online sources. Note down the new words to increase vocabulary. Start CAT VA preparation with the basic concepts of grammar. Join CAT VARC mock test series offered by coaching institutes. Refer to books by Norman Lewis, Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay, and Nishit K Sinha. |
| CAT Quant Preparation | Learn the basics first. Start with Number Systems and other basic concepts like square roots, cube roots, ratio-percentage conversion formulas, simplification, and averages. Maintain one Formula Book and keep on adding new formulas & short tricks for quick revision. Refer to CAT Quant preparation books by Arun Sharma and Nishit K Sinha. Practice 20-30 questions every day. |
CAT 2025 Answer Key
After the test is over, IIM will provide the CAT 2025 Answer Key seven to ten days later. Along with the official solution key for the CAT 2025 test, IIM will also provide the response sheet. Here are some important points related to it:
- The tentative dates indicate that the CAT 2025 Answer Key will probably be made available in first week of December 2025.
- CAT 2025 answer keys will be used to compute candidates’ scores.
- Additionally, IIM will provide a 3- to 4-day opportunity for objections to the CAT test 2025 answer key.
How to check the Answer key CAT 2025
Here is a simple straight forward method that the candidates can follow to check the answer key for CAT 2025 Exam:
- Step 1- Enter your username and password to log in to the official CAT 2025 website.
- Step 2- To get the PDF, click on the CAT 2025 Answer Key link.
- Step 3- Save the PDF of the CAT 2025 answer key for future use.
CAT Result 2025
CAT 2025 Results are expected to be announced in last week of December 2025, along with CAT cutoff marks. Only the official IIM CAT 2025 website will host the online publication of the CAT Result 2025. Candidates must log in using their user name and password to view their results.
Here are some of the key highlights of the CAT 2025 Exam result:
- CAT Results are valid till only one year after the date of its release, .
- You will need to retake the CAT test in 2025 if your CAT 2025 results indicate that you should not be admitted to the 2025–26 cohort.
- Up to December 2025, you may get your CAT scores from the official website.
- Your overall and sectional scores and percentile will be listed on your CAT 2025 result cumulative scorecard.
How can I check the CAT 2025 Exam result
Here is a quick way that the candidates who are appearing for the CAT Exam 2025 can follow to check their result:
- Step 1- Visit iimcat.ac.in, which is the official CAT website.
- Step 2- Select the option to Download CAT 2025 Score Card link.
- Step 3- Use your CAT 2025 username and password as credentials to log in.
- Step 4- From the website, you were directed to, download your CAT scorecard.
- Step 5- Save the PDF of the CAT 2025 result for all upcoming communication.
Also read CAT Normalization Process
FAQs Related to CAT Exam 2025
When will the CAT 2025 be held?
The exact time when the CAT Exam 2025 will be held tentatively on November 24, 2024.
Is there a negative marking in the CAT Exam 2025?
Yes, there is negative marking of 33% for MCQs, meaning that 1 mark is subtracted for each incorrect answer. There is no negative grading for TITA questions.