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

CAT 2025 Exam Date, CAT 2025 Eligibility, CAT 2025 Registration, CAT Admit Card 2025, CAT Syllabus 2025, CAT Exam Pattern 2025

Updated on 23rd October 2024 | 1:33 pm | #CAT2025

Based on past trends, the CAT 2025 exam is expected to be held on the last Sunday of November 2025. The official notification is expected to be released towards the end of July 2025. In a brief overview, here is what the CAT 2025 will entail:

  • The Common Admission Test is the gateway for admissions to the MBA programs at top B-schools in India.
  • Candidates must possess an undergraduate degree to be eligible for CAT 2025. The minimum grade point average should be 50% (45% for students in reserved categories).
  • To appear for the exam, candidates must register within the given deadline and download the CAT 2025 admit card for details about the venue, time, and slot.
  • Taking coaching classes, giving mock exams, and relevant study materials can help candidates prepare for the exam.

Need Guidance With Your CAT 2025 Prep?

What Is CAT Exam 2025?

CAT, or Common Admission Test, is a management entrance test conducted by the Indian Institute of Management. Candidates who successfully pass the CAT exam in 2025 will be admitted to the top MBA colleges in India.

It is one of the most popular and is considered one of the toughest among all the top management entrance exams in India. The CAT 2025 will allow students to apply for the batch of 2025-27. However, the CAT exam does not guarantee admission to the IIMs, as each institute has its own admissions process, including interviews and discussions.

A basic overview of CAT 2025 is given below:

Details

Description

Exam Name

Common Admission Test

Official Website

www.iimcat.ac.in

Conducting Body

The Indian Institute of Management

Frequency

Annually

Registration Mode

Online

Mode of Exam

Computer-based

Medium of Exam

English


CAT Notification 2025

The CAT 2025 exam date is expected to be released in July 2025 with the release of the CAT 2025 Notification that entailed all the important information like CAT 2024 registration window dates, CAT eligibility criteria, CAT exam dates, CAT syllabus, CAT exam fee, and more.

Every year it is one of the top IIMs, the conducting body for CAT, that prescribes these important information.


CAT 2025 Exam Dates (Tentative)

Based on the important announcements for CAT 2024, we have curated the table below representing the tentative timeline for the CAT 2025 exam dates for your reference. Keep this timeline in mind and kickstart your CAT 2025 preparation with a bang.

CAT 2025 Important Events

CAT Exam Dates (Tentative Timeline)

CAT 2025 Notification Release

Last week of July 2025

CAT 2025 Registration Start Date

First week of August 2025

CAT 2025 Registration Last Date

Third/Fourth week of September 2025

CAT Form Correction Window Opening

Third/Fourth week of September 2025

CAT Admit Card 2025 Release

First week of November 2025

CAT 2025 Exam Date

23rd November 2025 (Tentative)

CAT Results Announcement

Third/Fourth week of December 2025


CAT Eligibility Criteria 2025

CAT 2025 will be open to candidates who meet the criteria. These are the requirements of the CAT eligibility criteria for 2025 based on past trends-


CAT Syllabus 2025

The conducting body for CAT 2025 does not publish or mention the syllabus for CAT. However, based on previous year's papers and a general pattern some important topics stand out more than others. CAT syllabus 2025 contains three prominent sections, namely:

Due to the lack of a defined CAT 2025 syllabus, CAT aspirants largely focus on studying school-level mathematics and English. The important topics for each section are mentioned in the table below.

CAT Exam Sections

Important Topics

Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)

Reading comprehension, para jumbles, para summary, odd one out, etc.

Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)

Graphs, charts, and topics, such as arrangements, games and tournaments, set theory, etc.

Quantitative Aptitude (QA)

Algebra, arithmetic, probability, geometry, and modern math.


CAT Exam Pattern 2025

Due to the pandemic, the exam pattern for the CAT exam has been changing. In 2019, the exam had 100 questions across 3 hours, which was reduced to 76 in 2020 and 66 in 2021. Here is the tentative overview of the CAT 2025 exam pattern:

Mode of Examination

Computer-based

Medium of Examination

English

Slots for Exam

3

Total Questions

66

Questions Per Section

VARC: 24

DILR: 20

QA: 22

Time Allotted

120 minutes (40 minutes per section)

Type of Questions

MCQs and TITA (Type in the Answer)

Marks Awarded for Correct Answer

+3 for every right answer

Marks Deducted for Wrong Answer

-1 for every wrong answer

No negative marking for TITA


Start Early, Stay Ahead With CAT 2025 Online Coaching

Preparation for the CAT exam is a long-term commitment. A serious CAT aspirant must start preparation in advance to have a strong hold over the basics and stay ahead to get into the league of 99+ %ilers. Give your CAT 2025 preparation a headstart by enrolling in our CAT 2025 Online Classes.

Enroll Now!

CAT 2025 Registration Process

Registrations for the CAT 2025 exam will be online on the official CAT website- iimcat.ac.in. Based on the process of previous years, here is an expected understanding of the fees and documents required for registration-

CAT Application Form 2025

The CAT 2025 application form will be out in somewhere first week of August 2025, candidates can fill up the application form by following the steps below.

List of Documents Required for CAT 2025 Registration 

While filling out the CAT application form 2025, you must also upload the required documents in the given format-

Note: You will be required to present your mark sheets and degrees in person.

CAT Application Fee 2025 (Tentative)

The CAT 2025 application fee must be paid at the time of enrollment; without paying the fee, the CAT 2025 registration process will not be completed. The details are as follows:

There has been a revision in the CAT 2024 application fee, which is expected to carry over to CAT 2025, as given below for your reference:

Category

CAT Application Fee

General, EWS, and NC-OBC

INR 2500/-

SC, ST, and PwD

INR 1250/-


CAT Admit Card 2025

The admit card for CAT 2025 is expected to be released in the first week of November 2025. Here are a few details that must be kept in mind for the same-


MBA After Graduation With CAT 2025

If you are currently completing your undergraduate and contemplating pursuing an MBA, you might be considering appearing for the most common entrance exam, CAT. Yet, with over 2 lakh aspirants, you have to start preparing and staying ahead of the competition as early as possible. So, starting your preparation well in advance can let you prepare at your own pace without compromising on your studies in college.

Before you begin preparing, here are some factors you can consider to understand where you stand in your CAT 2025 preparation journey.

Once you have an understanding of where you stand and where you wish to reach, you will be able to better align yourself and begin preparing for CAT 2025.


How To Start Preparing For CAT 2025?

MBA is one of the most sought-after master’s degrees, and the 2 lakh+ candidates applying for CAT is a testimony to this statement. So to stay ahead of the competition, candidates must study and strategize effectively. 

The most frequent question that comes into the mind of the majority of CAT aspirants is, “How To Start Preparing For CAT 2025?”. Here are some preparation tips to help you score well in CAT 2025:


Attempt FREE CAT Mock Tests

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Free Resources For CAT 2025 Preparation

If you want to prepare for CAT without spending any money, you're at the right place! Open CAT is a FREE CAT resources portal for students interested in taking the exam but prefer to prepare at their own pace and from the comfort of their homes.

If you are a CAT 2025 aspirant who is looking for tests to check your readiness and need guidance on specific topics, consider signing up for Open CAT and take your CAT preparation 2025 to the next level.

Did You Know?

More than 30% of CAT toppers are candidates who prepared for the CAT exam using free resources available online.


Books for CAT 2025 Preparation

A plethora of books are available in the market for CAT preparation 2025. There are no specific books suggested by any supreme authority conducting CAT; however, many coaching centers and authors also publish various preparatory materials for the CAT exam which you can access by enrolling in these CAT 2025 online coaching classes.

Candidates appearing for CAT can use these best books for CAT preparation, for each section of the exam.

CAT Sections

Book

VARC

Past Years' CAT Questions (G.K. Publications), Word Power Made Easy (Norman Lewis), Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (Gautam Puri)

DILR

Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (Gautam Puri), How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT (Arun Sharma), A Modern Approach to Logical Reasoning (R.S. Aggarwal)

QA

NCERT Mathematics Books (Class 6-10), CAT Quantitative Aptitude (Gautam Puri), Quantitative Aptitude For Competitive Examinations (RS Aggarwal)


CAT Answer Key 2025

CAT exam response sheet, or CAT 2025 answer key, is usually released by the conducting body of CAT 2025 around 8-10 days after the exam. It includes recorded responses for the candidates who appeared, allowing them to get a tentative idea of how they performed in the exam and helping to boost their preparation for further rounds.

Candidates can view and download their recorded responses and answers from the official CAT website at iimcat.ac.in. Students can access their response sheets and question papers. By utilizing the provided answer key, students can estimate their probable scores for the examination.


CAT Results 2025

The CAT results 2025 will be released on the official website tentatively in the month of December. Soon after the results and cut-offs are announced, the IIMs and other B-schools will begin their interview and discussion rounds for admissions to the 2025-27 batch.

There is no centralized counseling for the CAT exam, as all the IIMs have their own procedure for interviews and further admission rounds.

Suggested Readings

CAT Previous Year Papers IIM Admission Process Top MBA Careers MBA Specializations in India

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