Are you Ready for CAT 2025? Start Your Preparation Now
Common Admission Test 2026 ( CAT )
CAT 2026 Registration Window
3 Aug '26 - 15 Sep '26
CAT 2025 exam preparation will require long terms planning and a good number of months. If you plan to appear for the CAT exam 2025, you should start preparation by March 2025. Check here key CAT preparation strategies for VARC, QA and DILR.
CAT 2024 preparation
Common Admission Test or CAT, the gateway to IIMs and all other top MBA entrance exams in India is not easy to crack. The difficulty level is high and competition is tough. Over 3 lakh MBA aspirants appear for the CAT every year, but a very small number of them score 99.99 plus percentile, the ideal score to bag a seat at the top IIMs. Understandably, one needs to prepare hard and smart. Most importantly, one needs to start CAT preparation early. A minimum of nine months are required to prepare for the CAT exam.
If you are planning to appear in the CAT 2025, you need to start your preparation now. The CAT 2025 exam will be held on November 30, 2025 and if you start exam preparation from now, you will have ample time cover its vast syllabus and practice a good number of mock tests. Many candidates would have already enrolled for CAT 2025 coaching classes. So, decide now and start your CAT 2025 preparation.
- CAT Syllabus 2025
- CAT Sectional Break Up
- How to Prepare for CAT 2025: Section wise Tips
- CAT Mock Test for Practice
CAT Syllabus 2025
Before starting CAT 2025 exam preparation, know the CAT syllabus and topics included. CAT syllabus includes Quantitative Aptitude, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning and Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension.
| CAT Section |
Syllabus and Topics |
|---|---|
| Quantitative Aptitude |
Geometry, Algebra, Arithmetic, Mensuration, Trigonometry, Modern Math and their sub topics |
| Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning |
Data Structure, Data Sufficiency, Tables, Pie Charts, Graphs, Series, Coding-Decoding, Family Tree, Blood Relation, Seating Arrangement, Assumptions |
| Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension |
Reading Comprehension, Fill in the Blanks, Para Jumble, Para Completion, Vocabulary, Grammar |
Commonly asked questions
CAT exam is conducted by any one of the top 6 Indian Institute of Management on rotation basis. Each of the top IIM conducts the exam after a gap of five years. The responsibility to conduct the CAT 2024 was given to IIM Calcutta. For CAT 2025, IIM Kozhikode will be the exam convening institute. IIM Kozhikode will be responsible for preparation and conduct of the exam without glitches, in collaboration with TCS for test labs and centres. The institute will design the question papers, exam pattern and guidelines, as well as manage the conduct of exam and preparation of admit card, answer key and result. CAT Conducting Indian Institute of Management Over the Years:
2024: IIM Calcutta
2023: IIM Lucknow
· 2022: IIM Bangalore
· 2021: IIM Ahmedabad
· 2020: IIM Indore
· 2019: IIM Kozhikode
· 2018: IIM Calcutta
· 2017: IIM Lucknow
· 2016: IIM Bangalore
· 2015: IIM Ahmedabad
· 2014: IIM Indore
· 2013: IIM Indore
· 2012: IIM Kozhikode
· 2011: IIM Calcutta
· 2010: IIM Lucknow
· 2009: IIM Ahmedabad
CAT 2025 notification will be released online as well as offline. The online notification of CAT 2025 exam will be released at iimcat.ac.in website and the offline notification will be issued in all the national dailies – Hindi, English and Vernacular. Aspirants can either check the notification and CAT 2025 exam dates online at the official website or in the newspapers (to be published in the last week of July 2025).
CAT Sectional Break Up
In order to make a CAT 2025 preparation plan, you not only need to know your strong and weak areas with respect to CAT syllabus, but you also need to know the weightage of topics. Knowing which topic will have more questions will help you in making your study plan more focused. Given below is the sectional break-up of the latest CAT question paper (2023). This will give you an idea of which topics carry more weightage.
| CAT Sections |
Number of questions |
Topic wise break up |
Difficulty level |
|---|---|---|---|
| VARC |
24 |
4 passages having 4 questions each, 2 para jumble questions, 2 para summary questions, 2 para completion questions and 2 odd one out questions |
Moderate |
| DILR |
22 |
5 sets of 4-5 questions each |
Moderate to difficult |
| Quantitative Aptitude |
22 |
7 Algebra questions, 7 Arithmetic questions, 3 Geometry questions, 4 Number System questions, 1 Modern Maths questions
|
Difficult |
| Total |
66 |
-- |
-- |
Also Read:
How to Prepare for CAT 2025: Section wise Tips
CAT VARC Preparation: The VARC section is dominated by Reading Comprehension (RC) passages. Out of 24 questions, there are usually 14-16 questions on RC. Which means, your English comprehension should be strong. For that, start early. Start reading English novels, books, newspapers from now on and spend at least an hour every day reading. Keep a dictionary by your side and check the meaning of any new word or idiom that you come across. Keep making a note.
Practicing sample RC passages is a useful way of preparing for CAT VARC. Since you will need to answer the questions in limited time, you will need develop speed reading. You will also need to develop the skill of finding answers from the passages quickly. This is possible only if you practice time bound VARC test prep.
CAT DILR Preparation: There are a total of 20 questions in DILR - 10 from Data Interpretation and 10 from Logical Reasoning. In CAT 2024, however, there were 22 questions. To prepare for this section of CAT exam, you will need to have a good analytical aptitude. DI is all about tables and bars, so will require mathematical calculations. Logical Reasoning, on the other hand is about puzzles and patterns which require logical deduction and keen observation. In this section too, practice is the key. Apart from strengthening your fundamentals, you will need to practice a lot. Get the best sample question series for CAT DILR and devote a good number of months on it.
CAT Quantitative Aptitude Preparation: This is the section, with the potential of 100 percentile. The topics included in CAT Quantitative Aptitude are advanced level Class 9 and 10 Mathematics, so it is not something completely new. For candidates from Engineering and Technical studies background, CAT Quants will be a more familiar field, however, for candidates from non-Engineering background it could be a challenge. So, start with basics. Go back to NCERT Mathematics books for conceptual clarity. Then take up CAT books for Quantitative Aptitude. Again, the key here is practice. You need to practice a huge number of sample papers and mock tests to be quick in solving questions.
Commonly asked questions
Every candidate must carry a blue/black ball point pen and a few copies of their passport size photo to the exam centre. They must not carry any stationary item other than the pen. Candidates who have diabetes can carry fruits as per medical prescription. No other item will be allowed inside the exam venue. Candidates must not carry bags or valuables as there will be no arrangement for depositing while candidates appear for the exam. Candidates must also not carry notebooks or rough paper to the CAT exam centre. Any candidate found with an unauthorised item will be disqualified.
On CAT exam day, candidates have to follow a number of guidelines like cooperating with the exam centre staff during identification process, etc.:
CAT exam day dos:
- Reach examination centre at the reporting time mentioned on your CAT admit card. 2.
- Carry two copies of the CAT admit card, one photo ID card, passport size photos
- PwD candidates should carry relevant certificates and documents.
- Carry a blue/black ball point pen for signing attendance sheet
- Cooperate with test centre staff and follow instructions
- 7. While entering answers, use only computer mouse.
- Do not touch keyboard as doing so will lead to screen locking.
CAT exam day don'ts:
- Do not carry items such as bags, purses, pencil box, beepers, wrist watch, calculators, mobile phones, electronic devices, scanners, cameras, wireless/Bluetooth transmission or any such communication devices.
- Don't wear closed shoes, jewellery made of metal, jackets, clothes with pockets, mehendi on palms. Socks are allowed inside it.
- Don't wear caps, hoodies or jackets/shirts with pockets
- Don't be late for exam. Entry gates will be closed 15 minutes before the commencement of exam.
- No candidate will be allowed to enter the exam centre after that.
- Don't cheat or indulge in mal practice. You can be disqualified due to any such ACT.
- Don't create a ruckus inside the test lab
- Don't leave your seat until the exam duration gets over and the invigilator announces exit.
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CAT Mock Test for Practice
Shiksha has created free CAT mock test for practice. CAT 2025 aspirants can try these to check their control on CAT topics and preparation level:
| CAT_Mock_Test_1 | CAT_Mock_Test_1_Solutions |
| CAT_Mock_Test_2 | CAT_Mock_Test_2_Solutions |
Read More:
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 4 days ago
As of September 2026, IIM Indore has not announced the CAT form correction dates. Past trends indicate that the application form correction window opens a few weeks after the registration window is closed.
Check: CAT Correction Window 2026
B
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 4 days ago
Yes, candidates are facilitated with a window to edit exam form once the CAT registration concludes. However, candidates will only be able to edit photo, signature, and test city preference using CAT correction window. IIM Indore will announce the dates for CAT form correction window once the regist
J
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 4 days ago
IIM Indore has not announced the last date extension for CAT 2026 yet. However, past trends indicate CAT registration extends by a few days. If CAT 2026 registration is extended, candidates will find an update on the official website.
S
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 5 days ago
Yes, both Oral Extempore Presentation and PI round are mandatory for candidates who apply forAlliance School of Business MBA admission with CAT results.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 5 days ago
Yes, in recognition of outstanding performance in CAT, MSB awards special scholarships as follows:
- INR 1,50,000 for students securing a minimum 90 percentile
- INR 1,00,000 for students securing a minimum 85 percentile
- INR 75,000 for students securing a minimum 75 percentile
G
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
Students pursuing PGDM from Jaipuria Institute of Management Jaipur and having 65% CAT score can get scholarship of INR 1.50 lakh. Students must have documents proving their eligibility to avail the scholarship benefit.
N
Guide-Level 15
Answered a week ago
Yes, you can strongly aim for interview calls from IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Calcutta if you have a stellar high school profile and a high CAT score. Top IIMs calculate interview shortlists using strict mathematical formulas. These formulas evaluate your CAT score, Class 10 marks, Class 12 marks
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
Yes, you can and should attempt previous year papers and mock tests as part of your preparation for CAT 2026. You can attempt it on official CAT website.
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
Students interested in MBA at any of the Symbiosis Institutes need to take the Symbiosis National Aptitude (SNAP) Computer Based Test which will be conducted at designated test centres.
However, the institute does offer special pathways to Indian students allowing them to register for classes even i
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 weeks ago
Yes. Candidates can apply for Executive MBA course at IIM Kashipur Dehradun campus, without CAT or GMAT score, because the institute also accepts candidates score in EMAT exam, which is conducted directly by IIM Kashipur.
A
Contributor-Level 9
Vipra Shrivastava is MA in English Literature from Delhi University with extensive experience in content writing of over 14 years. She has been handling content for Management, Accounting and Commerce streams for 8
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