CAT 2025: Notification, Registration, Exam Date, Eligibility, Syllabus, Exam Pattern, Preparation Tips

CAT 2025 Admit Card Download Link

The registration for 2025 has not yet started. The CAT 2025 Admit Card link will be available once the application process is over. The admit card is expected to be released on November 7, 2025. The link will be updated here once it is released.

Those who are appearing in 2024, the CAT 2024 admit card will be available for download from November 5, 2024.

CAT 2024 Admit Card Download Link: Click Here

CAT Exam Pattern 2025

• Exam Slots : 3 (Morning, Afternoon, Evening Sessions)
• Total Questions: 66 questions
• Total Marks: 198 marks
• Total Time Allotted: 120 minutes
• Total Sections: 3 (VARC, DILR and QA)
• Time Allotted in Each Section: 40 minutes 
• Questions per section: VARC- 24; DILR- 20; QA- 22
• Type of Questions: MCQs and Descriptive Questions
• Marks Awarded for Every Correct Answer: +3
• Marks Deducted for Every Wrong Answer: -1
• Negative marking: Only for MCQs

CAT Syllabus 2025

There is no definite syllabus provided by the conducting authority of CAT 2025. It is advised to aspirants to practice their Class 10th standard Mathematics and English subjects to score well. However, based on the CAT previous year trends, here are few of the topics that are frequently sighted in the test papers. 

Verbal Ability Reading Comprehension (VARC)

• Parts of speech
• Fill in the blanks
• Grammar
• Para Jumbles
• Reading Comprehension
• Sentence completion
• Jumbled paragraphs
• Synonyms and Antonyms 

Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)

• Syllogisms
• Coding-Decoding
• Binary Logic
• Direction Sense
• Seating Arrangement
• Venn Diagram
• Blood Relations
• Data Interpretation (Tables,  Bars and Line Graphs, Pie Charts) 
• Data Sufficiency
• Puzzles
• Family Tree
• Assumptions
• Clocks and Calendars

Quantitative Aptitude (QA)

• Geometry
• Work and Time
• Percentages
• Speed and Distance
• Ratios and Proportion
• Algebra
• Mensuration
• Square Root and Cube Root
• Number System,
• Simple Interest and Compound Interest
• Mean, Mode, and Median
• Binomial Theorem
• Geometric Progression
• Surds and Indices

What are the Best Resources for CAT?

Every student has their own way of approaching when it comes to CAT preparation. CAT 2025 is just a month away, so to help kick start the preparation here are some of the resources that are considered to be the best for CAT 2025. This resources are selected based on the previous year CAT trend analysis:

VARC

• Word Power Made Easy
• Wren and Martin
• Verbal Ability and RC’s for CAT by Nishit Sinha
• For Reading Comprehension: The Economic Times, The Hindu, The Guardian

DILR

• How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT by Arun Sharma 
• Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning by Gautam Puri

QA: 

• NCERT (Class 8th to 10th)
• Quantitative Aptitude by Gautam Puri 
• Quantitative Aptitude by RS Agarwal

CAT 2025 Cutoff

The cutoff is expected to be the highest for IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore and IIM Calcutta within the range 99-100 Percentile. Candidates can expect the CAT 2025 cut off after the results are out. Each institution will release its CAT 2025 cutoff based on factors like seat availability, students applying for that particular institute and so on. Candidates who have met the CAT cutoff 2025 need to appear and qualify the GD-PI round to confirm their admission. The expected CAT cut-off for 2025 is mentioned below:

CAT Cutoff 2025 (Expected) – IIM’s

Institutes	Expected Cutoff Range (Percentile)
IIM Ahmedabad	99-100
IIM Amritsar	95-98
IIM Bangalore	99-100
IIM Bodh Gaya	91-94
IIM Calcutta	99-100
IIM Indore	97-99
IIM Jammu	89-92
IIM Kashipur	93-95
IIM Kozhikode	97-98
lIM Lucknow	97-99
IIM Mumbai	96-98
IIM Nagpur	95-96
IIM Raipur	93-95
IIM Ranchi	93-95
IIM Rohtak	94-96
IIM Sambalpur	95-96
IIM Shillong	89-92
IIM Sirmaur	94-97
IIM Tiruchirappalli	93-95
IIM Udaipur	91-93
IIM Visakhapatnam	91-94

CAT 2025 Cut Off (Expected) – Non- IIM’s

Institutes	Expected Cutoff Range (Percentile)
FMS Delhi	98-99
IMT Ghaziabad	95-97
K J Somaiya Institute of Management	86
Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies (JBIMS)	96
Goa Institute of Management (GIM GOA)	85
T. A. Pai Management Institute (TAPMI Manipal)	80
Loyola Institute of Business Administration (LIBA Chennai)	70
International Management Institute (IMI Delhi)	90
SP Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR Mumbai)	95-99
XIM University Bhubaneshwar	91
FORE School of Management (FORE New Delhi)	85
IFMR Graduate School of Business (IFMR Chennai)	80
Institute of Rural Management (IRMA Anand)	80
Mudra Institute of Communications (MICA Ahmedabad)	80
Xavier Institute of Management & Entrepreneurship (XIME Bangalore)	70
Management Development Institute (MDI Gurgaon)	97-99

MBA Colleges Accepting CAT Score: Percentile Analysis 

CAT allows you to take admission to the top b-schools in India. A CAT score above 95 is said to be the best giving you a wide range of options, be it specialisations or top management institutes, to choose from. With a CAT score between 95-80 percentile, you can land in institutes like IIM Shillong, IIM Jammu or top non-IIM colleges like LIBA Chennai, MICA Ahmedabad and so on. For MBA colleges in Tier-2 and Tier-3, CAT score between 80-60 is accepted. 

MBA Colleges Accepting CAT Score: Cut off 50-60 Percentile

What if your score is between 50-60 percentile? There are many colleges that accept CAT scores within that range. However, to make sure you have a smoother admission process you need to focus on your work experience, certifications, academic performance and so on. CAT score is just a part of the evaluation process, therefore, performing well in the GD-PI round will give a significant boost to your overall score. Meanwhile you can also apply and appear for the contemporary entrance exams like CMAT, XAT, MAT, etc. Aspirants can have a look at the MBA colleges accepting CAT 50-60 percentile below:

• AIMS Bangalore (Acharya Institute of Management and Sciences)
• Bennett University, Greater Noida
• IBA Bangalore (Indus Business Academy)
• DY Patil B School Pune
• IMM Delhi (Institute of Marketing & Management)
• IIEBM Pune (Indian Institute of Education and Business Management)
• ITM Navi Mumbai (Institute for Technology and Management)
• GIBS Bangalore (Global Institute of Business Studies)
• SBR Bangalore (International School of Business and Research)
• Siva Sivani Hyderabad (Siva Sivani Institute of Management)
• UBS Mumbai (Universal Business School)
• GNIOT Noida (Greater Noida Institute of Technology)
• ISME Bangalore (International School of Management Excellence)
• EIILM Kolkata (Eastern Institute for Integrated Learning in Management)
• Doon Business School, Dehradun
• Lexicon MILE Pune (Lexicon Management Institute of Leadership and Excellence)
• UPES Dehradun (University of Petroleum and Energy Studies)
• Alliance University, Bangalore
• Asian Business School, Noida
• Jaipuria Noida (Jaipuria Institute of Management)
• NDIM (New Delhi Institute of Management, Delhi)
• Amity University
• BIBS Kolkata (Bengal Institute of Business Studies)
• Santi Business School, Gujarat.

CAT 2025 Selection Process

For every IIMs and non-IIMs, the selection process will vary. It is therefore advised for shortlisted candidates to directly scheck the CAT selection process of the particular institute. In case you have no particular institute in mind, here is the general CAT 2025 admission process that is common across all b-schools in India. The IIM selection process for CAT 2025 is as follows: 

• Once the exam is over and the results are out, all the details regarding admission through CAT 2025 will be released by IIM Kozhikode.
• Each IIM will shortlist candidates based on the CAT 2025 cutoff and the merit list will be updated in the respective official website.
• Letters for attending GD-PI rounds will be sent to the shortlisted candidates on their registered email address.
• GD-PI rounds usually comprises Writing Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interviews (PI).
• The cumulative scores of interview rounds, CAT test score and other parameters like academic performance, diversity, work experience, etc will determine the candidate’s eligibility for admission.
• Those who obtain a valid scores in the final round will be granted admission. 
• However, for those students who have been granted provisional admission need to submit their degree certificates on or before December 31, 2026.

How to prepare for GD-PI after CAT 2025?

Many students face difficulty while appearing for the GD-PI round. However, with the right preparation, you can ace them in no time: 

• Stay Updated: Read up on current affairs, especially business news. 
• Sharpen Your Communication: It’s not just about what you say, but how you say it. Practice speaking clearly and confidently.
• Mock GD-PI: Join mock sessions with friends or professionals. Real-time practice will help you think on your feet.
• Know Yourself Well: Be ready to answer questions about your background, goals, and why you want an MBA.
• Stay Calm: Confidence and composure are two great weapons. Don’t rush; think before you speak.

Last but not least, prepare in a smart way. You’ll walk out of that GD-PI room feeling like a winner!

CAT 2025 Exam Analysis

If we look at the difficulty level of the exam, the previous three year CAT exam analysis shows that the three sections were in-between difficult and moderate-to-difficult. In 2024 and 2025, the difficulty level exam is suppose to be moderate to difficult. The table below highlights the CAT exam analysis in detail:

Year	CAT Conducting IIMs	VARC	DILR	QA
2025	IIM Kozhikode	Moderate (Expected)	Moderate to Difficult (Expected)	Moderate (Expected)
2024	IIM Calcutta	Moderate (Expected)	Difficult (Expected)	Moderate to Difficult (Expected)
2023	IIM Lucknow	Difficult	Difficult	Difficult
2022	IIM Bangalore	Moderate to Difficult	Difficult	Moderate to Difficult
2021	IIM Ahmedabad	Moderate to Difficult	Moderate to Difficult	Moderate to Difficult

CAT 2025 Exam Centres

It is being said that over 4 lakhs candidates will register for CAT in 2025. As of now, CAT exam centers are located in 170 cities, out of which candidates can choose any five cities as their preferred test cities. However, the numbers are not fixed and might be changed by the authorities. All the notification regarding the same will be updated here:

Important Links:

CAT AnswerKey 2024: Click Here

CAT 2024 Result Link: Click Here 

CAT AnswerKey 2025

CAT 2025 Result Link

FAQs