CAT Eligibility Criteria 2025: Overview
Aspirants must meet the following CAT 2025 eligibility requirements to appear for the CAT 2025 exam:
|
Qualification |
Requirement |
|
Age |
NA |
|
Educational Qualification |
Bachelor’s Degree |
|
Marks in Graduation |
50% (General Category) |
|
Work Experience |
Not Compulsory |
|
Reservation |
As per category |
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Candidates who aim to get into the top B-schools of the country must ensure that they are meeting the eligibility for CAT exam before aspiring to score well on it. It is very important to know whether you are eligible to take the exam before you plan on writing it. Therefore, below is a more detailed description of the CAT eligibility criteria, which provides an in-depth understanding of the CAT exam and its requirements for your reference.
Check Your CAT Exam Eligibility Criteria For CAT 2025
The CAT Score allows the candidate to be eligible for most of the best B-Schools in India, including the IIMs, which hold the CAT Exam and therefore, it is crucial for candidates to verify their eligibility for CAT exam. To avoid any further disqualification in the admission process, applicants should understand the factors and requirements for CAT eligibility criteria 2025. Here are some things that must be kept in mind:
Educational Qualifications To CAT Eligibility 2025 - Educational Qualifications
Before taking the CAT 2025, the candidates must ensure that they meet the requirements for eligibility for the CAT exam.
CAT Academic Criteria 2025
Here is a brief overview of the CAT 2025 eligibility based on academics:
- The candidate has to pass their Bachelor's degree with at least 50% (for General Category and NC-OBC). The percentage required for SC/ST and Differently Abled (DA) candidates is 45%.
- For the Degree to be counted, the University that has awarded the degree has to be recognized by the MHRD.
- If the University awards grades or CGPA instead of marks, the conversion factor given by the University has to be used. If there is no conversion factor specified by the University, the CGPA has to be converted into a percentage by direct conversion i.e, divide the CGPA received by the highest CGPA possible and multiply the result by 100.
- Candidates who have completed their professional degrees with over 50% (45% for SC/ST/PwD) are also eligible for CAT.
Also Read: CAT Syllabus | CAT Exam Pattern
Marks Calculation To CAT Eligibility Criteria - Marks Calculation
In order to qualify for the CAT 2025 eligibility, you must score the following:
- Universities/ institutes follow their own criteria for assigning marks on graduation. The calculation of the CAT marks will be based on this process.
- If the university awards grades or CGPA instead of marks, the conversion method provided by the university has to be used to convert the marks to percentages.
- In case the university has no methodology for converting marks/ CGPA to percentage, it is to be done through direct conversion. It means that the candidate should divide the achieved CGPA by the highest CGPA possible and multiply the result by 100.
Final Year Students To CAT Exam Eligibility Criteria For Final Year Students
Final-year students are often confused about their CAT exam eligibility for the CAT entrance exam. Here are the points these students need to keep in mind when checking their eligibility-
- Final-year students of all bachelor's degrees are eligible to apply for the CAT exam.
- However, if selected for further stages, these students are required to clear their bachelor's with the required percentage and provide proof for the same at the time of selection.
- If the candidate is unable to meet this requirement, their results in the further admission processes will be rendered null and void.
CAT 2025 Eligibility Criteria For General And NC-OBC Candidates
- Candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent from a university or educational institution recognized by the Government of India.
- Candidates must have scored a minimum 50% aggregate in graduation (or equivalent) in any stream.
- Candidates must be in their final year of graduation or waiting for their results' arrival.
- Candidates must have professional degrees like CA/CS/ICWA with a minimum 50% aggregate.
CAT Eligibility Criteria 2025 For SC, ST and PwD Candidates
- Candidates belonging to SC/ST/PwD categories must have scored a minimum 45% aggregate in graduation (or equivalent) in any stream.
- Candidates must be in their final year of graduation or waiting for the arrival of their results.
- Candidates with professional degrees like CA/CS/ICWA and a minimum 45% aggregate are also eligible to apply.
If you fit into the above categories and fulfill the required CAT 2025 eligibility criteria, then you can directly register and fill out the CAT 2025 application form, which will be released in the first week of August 2025.
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Enroll Now!Documents Required For Final Year Students Based On CAT Eligibility Criteria 2025
The number of candidates appearing for CAT shows a massive increase year after year with a major chunk of 60% devoted especially to freshers and 40% for candidates having prior work experience. Thus, the number of final-year students appearing for CAT each year is quite significant. Identifying the CAT Eligibility Criteria is the first step in clearing the CAT exam, and the candidate needs to provide the following documents:
- An additional document, since the candidate does not possess their final degree certificate with the total grade obtained. The document must be signed by the Principal/ Head of Department/ Registrar/Director of the Institute verifying that the candidate has over 50% marks in the course on the date the certificate is issued.
- Post their admission to any of the B-Schools, the candidates will be required to furnish their final certificate from their graduation to continue in the institute.
CAT 2025 Eligibility Criteria For Registration With Backlogs
The CAT exam is open to candidates with backlogs in their Bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification. However, they need to clear all of their backlogs before they begin the admission process for their respective management institutes.
Key points regarding CAT registration 2025 for candidates with backlogs:
- Candidates who have completed their Bachelor’s degree and have a backlog are eligible to apply for the CAT 2025.
- Candidates who are taking supplementary re-examinations are also eligible to apply for the CAT.
- Candidates with at least 50% in their graduation and supplementary re-exams may apply for the CAT 2025.
- In the registration form for CAT 2025, answer yes to “Are you in the final year of your Bachelor’s degree? ”
- Candidates should present a certificate from the principal/registrar of their university (or college) showing that they have taken a supplementary re-examination.
- 6. Candidates from the reserved categories should ensure their CAT 2025 eligibility criteria before submitting a caste certificate during the registration process. After completing the registration process, IIMs do not allow the students to change their category.
CAT Eligibility Criteria 2025 - Additional Requirements For Candidates With Work Experience
As the application form for CAT asks about work experience, candidates are often doubtful of its effect on the overall application and exam process. Here is a better understanding of the role of work experience in the CAT exam-
- Candidates appearing for the CAT entrance exam are not required to have prior work experience.
- Though the CAT application form has a section for work experience, this condition is not a prerequisite.
- Work experience has some weightage in the later stages of the admission process in IIMs. However, within the CAT exam, having any experience will not affect the scores or eligibility.
CAT Exam Eligibility and IIM Eligibility: Is There A Difference?
Even though the IIMs convene the CAT exam, both bodies have different eligibility criteria for the CAT exam and IIM admission. In this field, there are some minor contradictions that every candidate should be aware of the following:
- There is no age limit for either CAT Exam eligibility or IIM eligibility.
- To be eligible to appear for CAT exam, one should have a 2-year bachelor’s degree. However, it is not accepted by the IIMs; they only admit a candidate if he or she possesses a 3-year bachelor's degree in the required fields.
- Though CAT does not require work experience, IIMs allot some weight to work experience, although it is not mandatory either.
Apart from this, there are no contradictions between the CAT Exam Eligibility and the IIM Eligibility.
Who Is Ineligible To Appear For CAT Exam?
- A candidate who did not appear for their bachelor's degree and failed to meet the qualifications for CAT exam eligibility.
- A candidate with marks less than 50% in their graduation for General Category & NC-OBC and less than 45% for SC/ ST/ PWD does not qualify the eligibility for CAT exam.
- A candidate pursuing both their bachelor's degree and a professional degree but has yet to complete either fails to meet the CAT eligibility criteria.
- A graduation certificate from a university not recognized by the UGC/ AICTE/ MHRD does not match the CAT eligibility criteria 2025. The candidate will be considered ineligible to appear for the CAT Exam.
CAT Reservation Criteria 2025
After the CAT Exam Eligibility and the exam are cleared, the goal of every student is to enter the IIMs; the highest-regarded MBA Colleges in India. However, the IIMs are government-run institutions which means they follow the government policies regarding reservations for the underprivileged categories.
- Consequently, the CAT entrance exam also follows the reservation criteria.
- There is a separate category for the Differently Abled Individuals or Persons with Disability in the reservations.
- To avail the Caste Based Reservation, the candidates need to provide proof in the form of the SC/ST/OBC Certificate in the application form. Following this, the original document may be required during the final admission process.
- The standard formats for the caste certificates are provided on the official CAT website so that there is some uniformity and verification of the certificate can be done relatively easily.
According to the CAT 2025 eligibility criteria, the following percentage of reservations has been provided for your reference:
|
Category |
Reservation |
|
Scheduled Caste |
15% |
|
Scheduled Tribe |
7.5% |
|
Other Backward Classes of NC-OBC |
27% |
|
Economically Weaker Section |
Up to 10% |
|
Person with Disability |
5% |
CAT 2025 Reservation Criteria For Person With A Disability
The PwD will include candidates who have the following problems/disabilities:
- Candidates with hearing impairment
- Candidates with low vision/blindness
- Candidates with a locomotive disability or cerebral palsy, leprosy cured, dwarfism, acid attack victims and muscular dystrophy
- Autism, intellectual disability, specific learning disability and mental illness
- Multiple disabilities from amongst persons under clauses (a) to (d)
- Other ‘specified disabilities’ mentioned in ‘The Schedule’ of the RPwD Act 2016
These conditions make the candidates eligible for the PwD category in all the colleges under CAT exam eligibility criteria. There is, however, a caveat that the candidates should have at least 40% of the handicap mentioned above to be eligible. The candidates with disability are also given 20 minutes more per section, keeping in mind their condition. For candidates with vision-related issues, a scribe will be provided at the center, along with a wheelchair for candidates who have locomotive disabilities or blindness.
Conclusion
It is essential for every student to understand what is CAT exam and the CAT exam eligibility criteria before they start the CAT Preparation in earnest. More importantly, the candidate should be aware of the documents that they may be asked to furnish during the CAT registration process as well as the further admission processes. The documents required for the further processes of different colleges can be easily found online and the candidate would be well advised to keep those documents ready for inspection at the time.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to the CAT exam eligibility, a candidate must have completed their graduation or be in the final year of their undergraduate degree. So, no, a 12th pass is not eligible to sit for CAT 2024.
Yes, a student who has completed their graduation with a minimum of 50% for the general category (45% for the reserved category) is eligible to take the CAT exam. The university awarding the degree should be recognized by the MHRD. As long as these requirements are met, the type of degree does not make a difference when appearing for CAT.
Yes, you are eligible for CAT and can appear for an interview when selected for further admission rounds. The eligibility criteria, according to the official CAT notification, is as follows:
- Minimum of 50% in graduation (45% for SC, ST, and PwD).
- The university giving the degree must be recognized by MHRD.
- A candidate holding a professional degree with 50% (45% for SC, ST, and PwD) is also eligible.
Yes, a student already pursuing an MBA degree at a B-school is eligible to appear for the CAT exam. The eligibility criterion only requires a student to have completed their graduation with the minimum percentage to appear for CAT. Thus, as long as the requirement is met you can give the exam even while already doing an MBA.
Candidates holding a professional degree such as Chartered Accountancy, CS, ICWA or Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of India can appear for CAT if they meet the required score of 50% for General, NC-OBC, and EWS or 45% for SC, ST and PwD categories.
Yes, a candidate who has completed MBBS can appear for CAT and get admission into an IIM. The eligibility criteria for CAT is that a candidate must hold a bachelor's degree. So as long as the condition is met, the candidate can appear for CAT. After CAT, when the candidate receives calls for further admission rounds at an IIM, various factors will be taken into account while creating the final merit list. The candidate can also get points for profile diversity.