CAT 2025 Exam Details: Fees increased but is the syllabus also updated? Know the complete details of CAT exam pattern and marking scheme.
CAT 2025 Exam Details: The wait of students dreaming of making a career in the management sector is over. CAT exam is conducted every year for admission in the masters course of the top management colleges of the country. Notification has been released for CAT 2025 exam. In such a situation, if you also want to appear in this exam, then you can see the complete details of CAT exam here.
CAT 2025 Exam Details: The application process for CAT exam will start from 1 August 2025. To participate in this, candidates have to apply on the official website of CAT 2025 - iimcat.ac.in. If you are also dreaming of doing MBA from a top management college like IIM, then now is the time to fulfill it. Let us know the complete details of the exam.
What is the CAT Exam? What is the CAT exam?
CAT i.e. Common Admission Test is the most prestigious management entrance exam in India. This exam is conducted every year for admission to MBA or PGDM courses in IIMs (Indian Institutes of Management) and other top B-Schools. Lakhs of students appear for this exam every year and only a few thousand get seats in top institutes.
Who Conducts CAT Exam: Who conducts CAT exam?
CAT (Common Admission Test) is a national level computer based exam conducted for admission to MBA and Management programs. It is conducted every year by one of the IIMs on a rotational basis. For example, CAT 2024 was conducted by IIM Calcutta, while CAT 2023 exam was conducted by IIM Lucknow.
How many Marks in CAT: How many marks is CAT exam?
| Section | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks |
|---|---|---|
| VARC (Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension) | 24 | 72 |
| DILR (Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning) | 20 | 60 |
| QA (Quantitative Aptitude) | 22 | 66 |
| Total | 66 | 198 |
The CAT exam is of total 198 marks. It has a total of 66 questions, which are divided into three sections:
What is CAT Exam Pattern: What is the CAT exam pattern?
The exam pattern of CAT is computer based (CBT). The total duration of the exam is 120 minutes (2 hours), in which 40 minutes are allotted for each section. The candidate is given only one section at a time and there is a sectional time limit.
This computer based test is divided into three sections – VARC, DILR and QA. The time allotted for each section is 40 minutes, making the total exam duration 2 hours. Some questions in this exam are multiple choice (MCQ), while the answers to some questions have to be typed by the candidates (TITA – Type In The Answer).
What is CAT Exam Eligibility: Who can give CAT exam?
For CAT exam, the candidate must have at least 50% marks in graduation from any recognized university (minimum 45% for SC/ST category). Students studying in the final year are also eligible for CAT. There is no upper age limit for this exam. Students of any stream like Science, Commerce or Arts can appear in CAT exam.
Which Subjects in CAT Exam: Which subjects in CAT exam?
| Section | Topics |
|---|---|
| VARC (Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension) | – RC Passages – Para Jumbles – Sentence Completion – Odd One Out |
| DILR (Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning) | – Charts, Graphs, Tables – Logical Puzzle – Seating Arrangement – Caselets |
| QA (Quantitative Aptitude) | – Arithmetic – Algebra – Geometry – Number System – Mensuration |
CAT 2025 Exam Date: When will the CAT exam be held?
Candidates registering for CAT 2025 will be able to download their admit card between November 5 and November 30, 2025. The exam will be announced in the first week of January 2026. This year the exam will be conducted in about 170 cities. Candidates will get the option to choose 5 exam centers of their choice. The allocation of the exam center will be done on the basis of availability.
How many attempts in CAT: How many times can you give the exam?
There is no set limit for taking the CAT exam. You can take it as many times as you want, as long as you meet the eligibility criteria. Your new score in each attempt is considered valid. There is no upper age limit, so students, graduates or working professionals can try for better scores by appearing in CAT multiple times.
Which IIMs Admission by CAT: In which IIMs will you get admission?
Through CAT 2025, admission is available in 21 premier Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) across the country. These include IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Lucknow, Indore, Kozhikode, Raipur, Ranchi, Rohtak, Tiruchirappalli, Udaipur, Kashipur, Amritsar, Shillong, Jammu, Nagpur, Visakhapatnam, Bodh Gaya, Sambalpur and Sirmaur. Apart from this, admission is also available in hundreds of other top B-Schools of the country like FMS, MDI, SPJIMR, and IMT on the basis of CAT score.
How many Application Fees for CAT: How much is the application fee?
There is a possibility of increase in the application fee for CAT 2025 this time. The fee can be increased from Rs 2500 to Rs 3000 for the general category and from Rs 1250 to Rs 1300 for SC, ST, PwD category. This change can have a slight impact on the pocket of the candidates, so interested students should prepare for it in advance so that there is no problem in registration.
