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CAT 2025: Complete Guide to Exam Dates, Eligibility, Syllabus & Preparation

Updated: 1 September 2025, 5:44 pm IST

Introduction 

The CAT (Common Admission Test) is one of India’s most difficult exams, as affirmed by past trends. In 2024, there were only 14 100-percentilers among the 2.93 lakh candidates who appeared. This indicates the high level of competition and difficulty of the exam, along with the need to plan and prepare thoroughly. 

Read this detailed guide to learn about the important dates, eligibility criteria, syllabus, registration process, exam format, and more for thorough preparation for CAT 2025. 

 

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CAT Exam: Purpose and Important Dates 

The CAT is an entrance examination conducted annually at the national level for securing admission to postgraduate, doctorate, or fellow programmes at different IIMs (Indian Institute of Management). CAT scores are also accepted by non-IIM institutions, provided they are registered as official member institutions. 

  •  

  • Important Dates: 

 

Here are the important dates for CAT 2025: 

 

Date 

Event 

Registration Starts 

1st August, 2025 (10:00 a.m. onwards- Indian Standard Time) 

Registration Closes 

13th September, 2025 (till 5:00 p.m.- IST) 

Admit Card Download 

5th November to 30th November, 2025 

CAT 2025 Exam Date 

30th November, 2025 

Declaration of Results (tentative) 

January 2026, first week 

What are the Eligibility Criteria for CAT 2025? 

Before filling in the application form, you should know the following CAT eligibility criteria for 2025 and ensure you meet them: - - - 

 

  • Educational Qualifications 

 

A bachelor’s degree awarded by an accredited institution or university, with the following minimum requirements: 

 

Category 

Minimum Marks 

  • Unreserved 

  • NC-OBC (Non-Creamy Layer Other Backward Classes) 

  • EWS (Economically Weaker Section) 

50% 

  • PwD (Persons with Disabilities) 

  • SC (Scheduled Caste) 

  • ST (Scheduled Tribe)  

45% 

  •  

  • Professional Degrees 

The following professional degrees are accepted, provided the minimum marks are met. 

  1. CA (Chartered Accountant) 

  2. ICWA (Institute of Cost and Works Accountants) 

  3. CS (Company Secretary), or 

  4. An FIAI (Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of India) 

  • Final Year Students 

You can apply even in your final year of study, but admission remains provisional until proof of degree completion is submitted. 

  •  

  • Age Limit for CAT 

None 

What is the CAT 2025 Syllabus? 

The CAT exam has no fixed syllabus. You can take the mock test to understand the exam pattern and question types. Regularly check the CAT website for updates on mock tests. The section-wise syllabus of the CAT 2025 exam to help you plan your preparation strategy is as follows: 

  • VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension) 

VARC Topics 

Tense Errors 

Antonyms 

Idioms 

Clause Types 

Paragraph Completion and Interpretation 

Sentence Correction 

Subject-Verb Correction 

Foreign-origin Words in English 

Phrasal Verbs 

Syllogisms 

Jumbled Paragraphs 

Grammar 

Parts of Speech 

Sentence Completion 

Phrases Modifiers 

Preposition 

Sentence Completion 

Reading Comprehension 

Article Usage 

Analogies 

One Word Substitution 

Verbal Reasoning 

Word Usage in Context 

-- 

 

  • DILR (Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning) 

DI Topics 

Pie Charts 

Tables 

Quant-based DI 

Line and Bar Graphs 

 

 

LR Topics 

Circular Arrangements 

Cubes 

Linear Arrangements 

Venn Diagrams 

Selection 

Network Flow Diagrams 

Distribution 

Binary Logics 

Games and Tournaments 

Blood Relations 

Direction Sense 

Assumptions 

Seating Arrangements 

Data Sufficiency 

Puzzles 

Coding-Decoding 

Data Structure 

Statements 

Series 

Clocks and Calendars 

Sets and Caselets 

-- 

-- 

-- 

-- 

  •  

  • QA (Quantitative Aptitude) 

Logarithms 

Probability 

Trigonometry 

Profit and Loss 

Permutation and Combination 

Mean, Median, Mode 

Linear Equations 

Quadratic Equations 

Number System 

Binomial Theorem 

Simple and Compound Interest 

Ratio & Proportion 

Time-Speed-Distance 

Partnership 

Surds and Indices 

Inequalities 

Mensuration 

Geometry 

Work and Time 

Geometric Progression 

Percentages 

Cube and Square Roots 

-- 

-- 

-- 

 

Also Read:- How Students Use AI for Exams & Career Planning

What is the CAT 2025 Exam Format? 

IIM-Kozhikode will be administering the CAT 2025 exam, whose format is as follows: 

 

Exam Component 

Details 

Total Marks 

204 

Total Questions 

68 

VARC Questions 

24 

DILR Questions 

22 

QA Questions 

22 

Mode 

CBT (Computer-Based Test) 

Total Duration 

120 minutes 

Sectional Duration 

For non-PwD candidates: 40 minutes 

For PwD candidates: 53 minutes and 20 seconds 

Marks Awarded for Correct Answer 

+3 

Marks Deducted for Incorrect Responses in MCQ (Multiple Choice Questions) 

-1 

Marks Deducted for Incorrect Responses in TITA (Type in the Answer) 

None 

Number of Sessions 

Three sessions, as follows: 

  • Morning Session: 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. 

  • Afternoon Session: 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. 

  • Evening Session: 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. 

 

CAT 2025 Registration Process: Steps, Fee, and System Requirements 

Registering for the CAT 2025 exam requires you to follow a few quick, simple steps as follows: 

  • Visit the official website. 

  • Fill in the necessary details to get your user ID and password. 

  • Use the user ID and password to log in to complete the application process. 

  • Pay the application fee online, according to your category, to submit your application successfully. 

 

Note: No corrections are allowed once the registration process is complete. Thus, you should be careful throughout the entire process: 

  •  

  • Application Fee 

Here is the category-wise application fee: 

Category 

Application Fee 

  • General 

  • NC-OBC 

  • EWS 

Rs. 2600 

  • SC 

  • ST 

  • PwD 

Rs. 1300 

  •  

  • System Requirements 

There are certain system requirements for a smooth application process completion, including: 

Browser Requirements 

Minimum Device Requirements 

  • Mozilla (version 122-141) 

  • Google Chrome (version 114-138) 

  • Microsoft Edge (version 114-137) 

  • Android version 4.0 

  • iOS version 11 

CAT 2025 Preparation Tips 

Here are some preparation tips to help you effortlessly ace the exam: 

  •  

  • Create a Balanced Study Plan 

 

A proper study plan, dedicating sufficient time to each section, getting enough sleep, and taking breaks are crucial. 

  •  

  • Attempt Mock Tests 

Taking mock tests on reliable platforms and analysing your performance in them will help you understand your strong and weak areas. 

  •  

  • Practice Time Management 

To improve your response speed, practise regular time management using a timer or timed mock tests. 

  •  

  • Avoid Monotony in Preparation 

Prepare topics from each section daily to ensure variety in preparation and reduce monotony. 

  •  

  • Solve Past Papers 

Past papers help assess your knowledge level and understand the question paper pattern. 

  •  

  • Revise Regularly 

Revisiting the topics studied is essential for strong conceptual clarity and better recall. 

 

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Conclusion 

Clearing the CAT exam requires an in-depth knowledge of the syllabus, its format, and other essential requirements. With the detailed, important information mentioned here, you have all the prerequisites in one place for a structured preparation strategy. Additionally, the tips listed will help boost your chances of clearing the CAT 2025 exam. 

 

If you prefer a merit-based admission system, you can check out the management programmes offered by Amity University Online. 

 

Stay updated with our latest Webstories:- https://amityonline.com/webstories/

Author
Shalini

Author

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