CAT 2025: Eligibility, Syllabus, Exam Pattern, and Preparation Strategy

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.

• Check the syllabus and exam pattern to identify the areas that would require your attention the most and topics you are confident in attempting.
• Assess your current level of knowledge. Your base preparation will help you establish which subjects you must focus on, and which topics are your strengths.
• Choose whether you wish to take classes or study by yourself. Weigh the pros and cons of all the options available and make a decision based on your goals.
• Identify your dream B-school and see what the CAT cut-off requirements are for the institute to get a call and make it to further admission rounds.

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.

Based on the past trends, here are the tentative dates for CAT 2025-

CAT, the Common Admission Test, is the most popular MBA entrance exam as it offers admissions to the top B-schools including the IIMs. CAT 2025 will allow students to apply for the batch of 2025-27.

The CAT exam, however, does not guarantee admission to the IIMs, since each institute has its own admissions process, including interviews and discussions.

Given below is a brief understanding of CAT 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-

• A bachelor's degree from any discipline with a minimum score of 50% is required for the General and NC-OBC categories. For SC, ST, and PWD candidates, the required score is 45%.
• Candidates in the final year of completing their bachelor’s degree can also appear for the exam. However, candidates must complete their graduation with the required scores. If conditions are not met, the admission will stand cancelled.
• If a candidate holds a professional degree such as CA/ CS/ ICWA/FIAI, they are eligible for the CAT exam.
• CAT 2025 has no age limit, however, a bachelor’s degree is required.

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-

Registration Process-

• Select ‘New Candidate Registration’ on the official website and fill in your basic details.
• After submission, you will receive an OTP for verification of the registration.
• After the verification is complete, on the email and mobile number registered, you will get a unique ID and password to log in.
• Now you can begin entering the required details in the application form.
• You will also be required to choose the programs of your choice along with the Interview City.
• You are allowed to pick 6 preferred test cities for the CAT 2025 exam.

Uploading Documents-

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

• Photo
• Signature
• NC-OBC/SC/ST certificate
• PwD certificate

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

Pay the Application Fee (Tentative)-

You must pay the application fees to complete the registration process.

• The fee can be submitted online only.
• You will also have the option to preview the application before making the payment and submitting the application form.
• You will receive a confirmation email a few minutes after paying successfully.

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

• Registered candidates will be able to access and download the admit card by logging into their account from the official website.
• Details such as the test center, date, and time of the exam will be provided on the admit card.
• Candidates have to carry their admit cards for the exam on the day of the examination.

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 exam pattern for CAT 2025-

Due to the lack of a defined syllabus for the CAT exam, CAT aspirants largely focus on studying school-level mathematics and English. Based on the same conclusion, given below is the tentative syllabus for the three sections of the exam-

MBA is one of the most sought degrees for master’s 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. Here are some preparation tips to help you score well in CAT 2025-

• Build a Study Plan: Identify a preparation strategy that suits you and allot hours on a daily basis for your CAT study to maintain discipline. Monitor your daily progress and areas of improvement.
• Develop your Basics: Devote time to the topics you are not entirely familiar with as establishing the basics is essential. Before moving to revisions and tests, ensure that your foundation for all the concepts is strong.
• Practice Regularly: Most sections and topics are dependent on your ability to practice regularly and extensively. Familiarizing with multiple types of questions that are frequently asked.
• Preparation Mode: The mode of preparation you choose will also change the strategy you might follow to achieve the goals for the CAT exam. Ensure that you consider your pros and cons before choosing to study by yourself and taking coaching.
• Give Mock Exams: Mock exams are an essential and effective way to identify your weaknesses and strengths. Free CAT Mock Exams are a good way to check your abilities.

The CAT results 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.