CAT 2025 Exam Overview Key Dates and Comprehensive Guide

The Common Admission Test (CAT) is one of the most coveted entrance exams in India for
aspirants seeking admission to top-tier business schools, including the prestigious Indian
Institutes of Management (IIMs). Every year, lakhs of students register for CAT, competing for
a chance to pursue MBA and other management programs at some of the best B-schools in the country.

1. CAT2025:ExamOverview,KeyDates,and
ComprehensiveGuide
TheCommonAdmissionTest(CAT)isoneofthemostcovetedentranceexamsinIndiafor
aspirantsseekingadmissiontotop-tierbusinessschools,includingtheprestigiousIndian
InstitutesofManagement(IIMs).Everyyear,lakhsofstudentsregisterforCAT,competingfor
achancetopursueMBAandothermanagementprogramsatsomeofthebestB-schoolsinthe
country.
ForCAT2025,candidatesmuststayinformedabouttheapplicationprocess,keydates,exam
format,eligibilitycriteria,andpreparationstrategies.Thiscomprehensiveblogwillprovideyou
witheverythingyouneedtoknowtobeginyourjourneytowardacingCAT2025.

2. WhatisCAT?
TheCommonAdmissionTest(CAT)isacomputer-basedtest(CBT)administeredbythe
IIMsannuallyonarotationalbasis.ItevaluatescandidatesontheirQuantitativeAbility(QA),
VerbalAbilityandReadingComprehension(VARC),andDataInterpretationandLogical
Reasoning(DILR)skills.CATiswidelyregardedasoneofthetoughestMBAentranceexams
inIndia,withanacceptancerateoflessthan2%forthetopIIMs.
CATscoresarenotlimitedtoIIMadmissions.Over1,200B-schoolsacrossIndiaacceptCAT
results,includingreputedinstitutionssuchasFMSDelhi,SPJIMRMumbai,XLRI

3. Jamshedpur,andMDIGurgaon.Theexamisconsideredagatewaytocareerexcellencein
managementandleadershiprolesacrossindustries.
CAT2025KeyDates(Tentative)
WhiletheofficialdatesforCAT2025willbeannouncedinJuly2025,here’satentativetimeline
basedonpreviousyears’schedules:
Event TentativeDate
ReleaseofCAT2025NotificationJuly2025
StartofOnlineRegistrationFirstweekofAugust2025
LastDateforRegistrationThirdweekofSeptember2025
AdmitCardRelease LastweekofOctober2025
CAT2025ExamDate November2025(LastSunday)
ResultsAnnouncementSecondweekofDecember
2025
CandidatesareadvisedtoregularlyvisittheofficialCATwebsite(www.iimcat.ac.in)forupdates
andnotifications.
EligibilityCriteriaforCAT2025
BeforeapplyingforCAT2025,it’scrucialtoensurethatyoumeettheeligibilitycriteria.Here’sa
detailedlookattherequirements:
1.EducationalQualification
●Candidatesmustholdabachelor’sdegreeorequivalentqualificationinanydiscipline
fromarecognizeduniversity.
●Aminimumof50%marks(orequivalentCGPA)isrequiredforgeneralcategory
candidates,while45%marksaresufficientforSC/ST/PwDcandidates.
●Final-yearundergraduatestudentscanalsoapply,providedtheycompletetheirdegree
requirementsbeforethespecifieddeadline.
2.ReservationPolicy
TheIIMsfollowthegovernment-mandatedreservationpolicy:
●27%seatsforOBC(Non-CreamyLayer).
●15%seatsforSCcandidates.

4. ●7.5%seatsforSTcandidates.
●10%seatsforEWScandidates.
●5%seatsforPwDcandidates.
3.AgeLimit
●ThereisnoagelimitforCATaspirants.
Ifyoumeetthesecriteria,youareeligibletoapplyforCAT2025.
CAT2025ExamPattern
UnderstandingtheexampatternisacriticalpartofpreparingforCAT.Belowisadetailed
breakdown:
1.NumberofSections
CAT2025willlikelyconsistofthreesections:
1.VerbalAbilityandReadingComprehension(VARC).
2.DataInterpretationandLogicalReasoning(DILR).
3.QuantitativeAbility(QA).
2.Duration
●Thetotalexamdurationis120minutes(2hours).
●Eachsectionisallotted40minutes,andcandidatescannotswitchbetweensections
duringthetest.
3.MarkingScheme
●Foreverycorrectanswer:+3marks.
●Foreveryincorrectanswer:-1mark.
●Nonegativemarkingfornon-MCQs(Type-In-The-AnswerorTITAquestions).
4.ExpectedQuestionDistribution
Section No.of
Questions
TimeAllotted
VerbalAbility(VARC)24–26 40minutes
DataInterpretation(DILR)20–22 40minutes
QuantitativeAbility(QA)24–26 40minutes
Total 66–70 120minutes

5. CAT2025Syllabus
CATdoesnothaveafixedsyllabus,butitcoverstopicsfromhighschoolmathematics,logical
reasoning,andEnglishcomprehension.Here’sabreakdownofeachsection:
1.VerbalAbilityandReadingComprehension(VARC)
●Topics:Readingcomprehension,parajumbles,sentencecompletion,vocabulary.
●Focus:Testslanguageproficiency,comprehensionskills,andverbalreasoning.
2.DataInterpretationandLogicalReasoning(DILR)
●Topics:Graphs,tables,puzzles,seatingarrangements,bloodrelations.
●Focus:Assessesanalyticalskillsandabilitytoderiveconclusions.
3.QuantitativeAbility(QA)
●Topics:Arithmetic,algebra,geometry,numbersystems,modernmath.
●Focus:Measuresquantitativeaptitudeandproblem-solvingability.
HowtoRegisterforCAT2025
Theregistrationprocessissimpleyetcritical.Followthesesteps:
1.CreateanAccount:VisittheofficialCATwebsiteandregisterusingyouremailID,
phonenumber,andpassword.
2.FilltheApplicationForm:Providepersonaldetails,academicqualifications,andwork
experience(ifany).
3.UploadDocuments:
○Passport-sizedphotograph.
○Scannedsignature.
○Categorycertificate(ifapplicable).
○Final-yearstudentsneedtosubmitacertificatefromtheirinstitution.
4.ChooseTestCities:Selectuptosixpreferredtestcities.
5.PayApplicationFee:
○₹2,400forGeneral/EWS/OBCcandidates.
○₹1,200forSC/ST/PwDcandidates.
Double-checkyourapplicationformbeforesubmissiontoavoidmistakes.
HowtoPrepareforCAT2025
1.CreateaStudyPlan

6. Startearlyandallocatetimetoeachsectionbasedonyourstrengthsandweaknesses.For
instance:
●VARC:Dedicatetimetoreadingnewspapersandsolvingcomprehensionpassages
daily.
●DILR:Practicepuzzlesandcaseletsregularly.
●QA:Focusonhigh-weightagetopicslikearithmeticandalgebra.
2.TakeMockTests
Enrollinareputableonlinetestseriesandsimulaterealexamconditions.Mocktestshelp
identifyareasofimprovementandimprovetimemanagementskills.
3.AnalyzeYourPerformance
Post-testanalysisisasimportantastakingthetestitself.Identify:
●Accuracylevels.
●Commonmistakes.
●Topicsthatrequiremorepractice.
4.RefertoHigh-QualityStudyMaterial
SomeofthebestbooksforCATpreparationinclude:
●VARC:"HowtoPrepareforVerbalAbilityandReadingComprehension"byArun
Sharma.
●DILR:"LogicalReasoningandDataInterpretationforCAT"byNishitK.Sinha.
●QA:"HowtoPrepareforQuantitativeAptitudeforCAT"byArunSharma.
5.StayConsistent
Consistencyanddisciplinearekey.Even2–3hoursofdailyfocusedstudycanyieldexcellent
resultsovertime.
CAT2025ExamDayTips
1.ArriveEarly:Reachtheexamcenteratleast1hourbeforethereportingtime.
2.BringEssentialDocuments:
○Admitcard.
○Government-issuedphotoID(Aadhaar,Passport,etc.).
3.FollowInstructions:Listencarefullytotheinvigilatorsandadheretotherules.
4.ManageTimeWisely:Allocateyourtimeeffectivelyacrossquestionstomaximize
accuracyandavoidnegativemarking.
WhatHappensAfterCAT2025?

7. 1.ResultDeclaration
CAT2025resultswillbeannouncedinDecember2025.Scoresarevalidforoneyear.
2.ShortlistingforGD/PI
IIMsandotherB-schoolswillshortlistcandidatesbasedonCATscores,academicprofile,work
experience,anddiversityfactors.
3.FinalAdmission
ThefinalselectionincludesacombinationofCATscore,performanceinGD/PI/WAT,andoverall
profileevaluation.
Conclusion
CAT2025isyoursteppingstonetosomeofthebestMBAprogramsinIndia.Successinthis
examrequirescarefulplanning,consistenteffort,andsmartstrategies.Withtherightresources
andguidance,youcansecureaseatatyourdreamB-school.Keepcheckingtheofficialwebsite
forupdates,andstaytunedformorepreparationtipsandresources.
GoodluckwithyourCAT2025journey!