CAT 2025
An MBA from a reputed institute significantly boosts job prospects, offering roles in leadership, consulting, finance, marketing, analytics, and more. Students often get placed in high-paying jobs in top national and multinational companies.
CAT is the primary entrance exam for admission into the prestigious Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and over 1,200+ top business schools in India. These institutes offer high-quality MBA and PGDM programs that open doors to excellent career opportunities.Preparing for CAT helps students improve quantitative aptitude, data interpretation, logical reasoning, and verbal ability. These skills are not only important for the exam but are also valuable in the real business world.
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Key Details at a Glance
- Notification Release : The official CAT 2025 notification was released on 27 July 2025.
- Conducting Institute : This year, IIM Kozhikode is conducting the exam.
Registration Window
- Starts : 1 August 2025 at 10:00 AM IST
- Ends : 13 September 2025 at 5:00 PM IST
- Admit Card Release : From 5 November 2025 onward.
- Exam Date : Sunday, 30 November 2025 (conducted in three sessions across ~170 cities).
- CAT Answer Key Release Date : December 3, 2025 (Tentative)
- Expected Result Date : First or second week of January 2026.
Exam Structure & Eligibility
SECTION | TIME | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
VARC | 40 min | 24 | 24 | 24 |
QA | 40 min | 22 | 22 | 22 |
DILR | 40 min | 20 | 20 | 22 |
- Mode & Sections : Computer-Based Test comprising three sections:
- Format : Around 66–68 questions—a mix of MCQs and TITA—with 40 minutes per section. No section switching allowed.
- Marking Scheme : +3 for correct, –1 for incorrect (no negative marking for TITA).
Eligibility
- Bachelor’s degree (≥50%, or ≥45% for SC/ST/PwD) from a recognized institution.
- Final-year undergraduates can apply. No age limit.
- Purpose : Used by all 21 IIMs and 1,000+ other MBA programs across India.
Application Fees & Requirements
- Fees : ₹2,600 for General/EWS/NC-OBC; ₹1,300 for SC/ST/PwD
Document Uploads
- Recent passport-size photograph & signature
- Class 10 & 12 mark sheets
- Graduation certificate
- Category/PwD certificates (if applicable)
- Work-experience proof (optional)
- Correction Window (Tentative) : 22–25 September 2025 (for limited edits like photo, test centre, and signature)
Syllabus
CAT Syllabus 2025 for Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)
VARC is the first section of the CAT exam and has to be attempted first. It is divided into 2 sub-parts – VA and RC. The sectional time limit for the VARC section is 40 minutes. The detailed CAT 2025 syllabus for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) can be checked below.
CAT Verbal Ability
| Topic | Description |
| Para Jumbles | Arrange jumbled sentences to form a coherent paragraph. |
| Para Summary | Choose the best summary of a short paragraph |
| Odd One Out (OOO) | Out of 5 sentences, find the one that does not belong in the paragraph. |
| Sentence Elimination (Occasional) | Identify a sentence that breaks the logical flow in a paragraph. |
CAT Reading Comprehension
Topics | Description |
Philosophy & Psychology | · Consciousness and perception · Moral dilemmas and ethics · Freud, Jung, or Eastern philosophical thoughts · Behavioral science and decision-making |
Economics & Business | · Globalization and trade · Economic theories (Keynesian, neoliberalism) · Business ethics, capitalism, and sustainability · Market structures, demand-supply models |
Science & Technology | · Artificial intelligence, climate change · Evolution, genetics, neuroscience · Technological disruptions · Environment and biodiversity |
Politics, Sociology & Law
| · Governance, democracy, and freedom · Social justice, inequality, feminism · Caste, class, and religion debates · International relations and public policy |
Literature & Art
| · Literary criticism and interpretation · Comparative analysis of authors · Modern vs traditional art forms · Language evolution and linguistics |
History & Culture | · Colonialism and post-colonialism · Civilization comparisons · Cultural transformations over centuries |
Abstract/Opinion-Based | · Essays on truth, time, human nature · Editorial-style arguments · Paradoxical or ambiguous themes |
Content Structure of a CAT RC Passage
CAT passages usually have:
- Word count : 250–450 words (occasionally longer)
- Number of Questions : 3–5 per passage
Types of Questions :
- Direct (factual)
- Indirect (inference, tone, purpose)
- Application (assumptions, strengthen/weaken)
Question Distribution (Recent CAT Trend):
Section | Number of Questions |
Reading Comprehension | 16 (4 passages, 4 Qs each) |
Para Jumbles | 3 (TITA) |
Para Summary | 3 (MCQ) |
Odd One Out | 2–3 (TITA) |
CAT Syllabus 2025 for Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)
DILR is the second section of the CAT exam which has to be solved after the VARC section. This section is divided into parts – DI and LR. The sectional time limit for this is 40 minutes. Candidates can find the detailed CAT syllabus 2025 for DI & LR below
1. Overall Difficulty
- Moderate to Very High : Difficulty fluctuates year to year, but the trend since 2015 has been more reasoning-heavy and less formula-based.
- Even easy : looking sets can be traps; tough sets may be solvable quickly if spotted early.
The main challenge is set selection — choosing 3–4 right sets can make or break your score.
2. Structure in CAT
- Usually 20 questions (varies slightly each year)
- Around 4 to 6 sets with 4–6 questions each.
- Mix of MCQs and TITA (Type in the Answer) questions.
| CAT DILR Syllabus 2025 | |
| DATA INTERPRETATION | LOGICAL REASONING |
| Venn Diagrams | Selection |
| Graphs | Arrangements |
| Tables-Based DI | Case-based LRs |
| Routes and Networks | Games & Tournaments |
| Mathematical Puzzles | Binary Logic |
| Maxima-Minima | Coin Picking |
| Charts | 2D and 3D LR |
| Networks and Diagrams | Truth and Lie |
| Caselets | Conditional LRs |
| Quant-Based DI | Puzzles |
CAT Syllabus 2025 for Quantitative Ability (QA)
QA is the last section in the CAT question paper and the sectional time limit for this is 40 minutes. Take a look at some of the important topics from CAT 2025 QA section:
1. Difficulty Level
Moderate to High – Questions are not just about applying formulas; they test logical thinking, speed, and accuracy.
Even basic topics are twisted into application-based problems.
2. Question Structure
Around 22 questions (varies slightly each year).
No fixed chapter weightage – but arithmetic often dominates.
MCQs and Non-MCQs (TITA – Type in the Answer)
CAT Quant Syllabus 2025 | ||||
Arithmetic | Algebra | Geometry | Modern Maths | Number system |
Averages | Linear Equations | Mensuration | Probability | Properties of Numbers |
Percentages | Quadratic Equations | Co-ordinate geometry | Permutations and Combinations | Divisibility |
Profit & Loss | Inequalities | Lines & Angles | Set Theory | Factors |
SI and CI | Polynomials | Polygons | Venn Diagrams | HCF & LCM |
Ratios & Proportions | Functions & Graphs | Triangles | Series and Progressions (AP, GP) | Remainders |
Mixtures & Alligations | Logarithms | Quadrilaterals |
| Base System Conversions |
Time, Speed & Distance | Surds & Indices | Circles |
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Time & Work | Maxima-Minima | Coordinate Geometry |
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The CAT score is accepted by IIMs and many other top B-schools in India for MBA/PGDM admissions.
Here’s a clear list for you:
IIM | Tier I | Tier II | Tier III |
Older IIM |
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Ahmedabad |
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Bangalore |
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Calcutta |
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Lucknow |
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Indore |
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Kozhikode |
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NEW IIMS |
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Shillong |
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Rohtak |
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Ranchi |
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Raipur |
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Trichy |
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Udaipur |
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Kashipur |
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Nagpur |
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Visakhapatnam |
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Bodh Gaya |
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Amritsar |
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Sambalpur |
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Jammu |
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Sirmaur |
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2. Top Non-IIM Institutes Accepting CAT
These are well-known for quality placements and academics:
Delhi / North India
FMS Delhi – Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi
MDI Gurgaon – Management Development Institute
IIT Delhi – Department of Management Studies (DMS)
IMI New Delhi – International Management Institute
FORE School of Management, Delhi
Mumbai / West India
SPJIMR Mumbai – SP Jain Institute of Management and Research
JBIMS Mumbai – Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies
NITIE Mumbai – Now IIM Mumbai (Specializes in operations/analytics)
KJ Somaiya Institute of Management
Bangalore / South India
IIT Madras – DoMS
IIT Bombay – SJMSOM
IIT Kharagpur – Vinod Gupta School of Management (VGSoM)
IIT Kanpur – DoMS
TAPMI Manipal – T. A. Pai Management Institute
IFMR GSB, Krea University
East India
IIT Roorkee – DoMS
XIM University (XIMB) – Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar
IMI Kolkata
Goa Institute of Management (GIM)
3. Other Notable Colleges Accepting CAT
Great Lakes Institute of Management (Chennai & Gurgaon)
LIBA – Loyola Institute of Business Administration, Chennai
MICA Ahmedabad (CAT + MICAT)
BITS Pilani – Department of Management
Tip:
For IIMs & FMS, you need a very high CAT percentile (97–100).
For good IIT B-schools & MDI, 95+ percentile is competitive.
For institutes like KJ Somaiya, TAPMI, GIM, a percentile of 85–90 can be enough.
If you want, I can make you a CAT percentile vs. target college chart so you’ll know exactly which score range gets you which colleges. That way you can set your preparation goal more clearly.
