Is the CAT syllabus difficult?

Yes, CAT syllabus is difficult to crack if you do not have enough time. There are three subjects in CAT- VARC, DILR and Quantitative Aptitude. Most of the candidates find RC passages tough to crack. In Quants, Arithmetic, Algebra and Geometry pose significant challenge during preparation. In DILR, Reasoning questions often turnout to be tricky and confusion.

Which CAT slot has the toughest question paper?

There is no pattern to which CAT question paper can be the toughest. The CAT question paper of every slot has unique questions. The examination body strives to maintain the same difficulty level of the paper across all slots but it may happen that a question can be more difficult from another. It is seen that, to keep the uniqueness of the question paper intact, the examination authority also changes the topic wise weightage a little bit across the exam slots. In most of the previous years, it is seen that the morning slot of the CAT exam is tougher than the rest two. However, candidates must not worry about the difficulty level of the slots as, the scores of all the candidates are normalised on a common scale to root out the possibility of advantage or disadvantage to any student due to difference in difficulty level. To know how the CAT scores are normalised, read this article: https://www.shiksha.com/mba/articles/understanding-cat-normalization-process-blogId-9386.

How many DI questions are asked in CAT?

Data Interpretation or DI is a sub part of CAT's second section DILR. This section has 20 -22 questions (until 2023, the totla number of DILR questions was 20, and in 2024 the number of questions was 22). Both Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning questions have equal number of questions. Candidates must make sure that they prepare for both topics well as the weightage is equal and if they are ill prepared for either of the two, their score will get affected.

Is there any fee charged for CAT form correction?

No, the candidates do not have to pay any fee for CAT form correction. The facility is provided to candidates free of cost. However, if they have made an error in a field that will not be available for editing during form correction, then they will have to fill a fresh form before the submission deadline and pay the CAT application fee again. So, candidates must review the CAT application form before submitting to check whether they have filled all the information correctly or not. Once submitted, the form will not be editable but of photo, signature and test city.

Which documents are required for filling CAT application form?

Candidates need the following documents while filling the CAT application form: A recent passport size photo (color against white background) Scanned signature with black pen on white paper Any photo ID card like PAN card, Aadhaar Card, Voter ID, Passport Class 10 marksheet Class 12 marksheet Graduation marksheet Permanent address proof Work experience documents Reserved category students need to upload Category Certificate along with the CAT application form. The Certificate is available on the CAT website. Candidates can download, fill it, get it attested by competent authority and upload it as PDF with the CAT application form. The PwD category students also have to fill the PwD form and Scribe affidavit along with the exam application form. This is necessary for getting scribe facility and PwD facility at the test centre. The CAT application form is same for students from all categories. Those belonging to a particular category (SC/ST/PwD) will be required to mention it in the relevant field of the CAT form.

What is the process to select CAT test city for exam centre allotment?

There are over 170 cities where CAT exam is held. These 170 cities are spread across India consist of metropolitan cities, capital cities, Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. Candidate can select up to five cities for allotment of test centre. The process of test city selection is a part of CAT application process. In the CAT application form, there is a field in which candidates have to select the cities. They need to select the city of preference in order of 1 to 5. The examination authorities will try to allot the test centre in the city of first preference. Thus, candidates must fill all the five cities carefully. They must choose their home city of city of current residence as the first preference. The test city option can only be changed during the form correction window. After that, the request for change of the city will not be accepted by the exam authorities.

How many CAT mock tests to practice to score 99 percentile?

Experts recommend that aspirants must practice at least 40 CAT mock tests to score above 99 percentile well in the exam. Most of the CAT test takers take up to 50 mock tests of various types and difficulty level. CAT toppers in previous years have practiced even up to 80 mock tests during their preparation. However, candidates must decide the number of CAT mock tests depending on their control and confidence on topics as the exam day comes closer. Mock tests are the best way to judge your performance viz. The important topics of CAT. The more one practices CAT mock tests, the more accurate they get in solving questions from all subjects. It is very important to know which formula to apply to which type question to solve the problem accurately. Mock tests help candidates in this aspect which is why practicing mock tests is most important in CAT preparation.

Why is CAT considered a difficult MBA entrance exam?

The CAT is conducted as a difficult MBA entrance exam because it is the main national level test for MBA Admission in India. Over 2 Lacs candidates appear for it every year. Thus, the competition is high. The question paper is set by the IIM. Even though the score is accepted by over 1300 colleges the top colleges accept above 90 percentile. The Iims have cut offs above 95 percentile. It has been seen that out of the total number of test takers which is usually around 2 Lacs, only about 20 candidates are able to score 99-100 percentile. The difficulty level of CAT is the highest among all the MBA entrance exams in India. It is conducted for 2 hours and has 66 questions in total to solve. However, the difficulty level of all the questions from VARC DILR and Quantitative Aptitude is high. The VARC has tough and long Reading Comprehension passages. The Data Interpretation tables and charts are dense and calculation intensive. Logical Reasoning questions are also on the tougher side. Moreover, there is sectional time limit of 40 minutes for each section. Candidates have to complete a section in the given time limit only.

What are the best resources for CAT Quantitative Aptitude preparation?

The best resources for Quantitative Aptitude preparation is sample papers and previous years' CAT question papers. Since both Quantitative Aptitude is all about Mathematics, it can only be mastered by having enough practice. But only solving question papers and practice papers will not be enough. You will need to first be thorough with the topics and their concepts/formulae. For that refer to books like Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by Abhijit Guha, Quantitative Aptitude for CAT by Nishit Sinha and Quantitative Aptitude Quantum CAT by Sarvesh Sharma. Sectional mock tests for Quants are also very important for preparation.

What is the marking scheme of CAT?

CAT has 68 questions. Each question carries three marks. There is negative marking of minus one for incorrect attempts. There is no deduction of marks for unanswered questions. Total marks in 204.

From where can I download CAT question papers?

CAT question papers are released within a week of the exam in the form of a PDF as a response sheet and answer key. Candidates who have appeared for the test are able to access the CAT question paper and answer key. The question paper of every slot is released on the same day along with candidate response sheet and official answer to all question. If any candidate needs previous year CAT question papers for preparation purpose, then they can download them from Shiksha website. We have hosted last five years' CAT question papers for aspirants to download and practice. These official CAT question papers are available for download free. You can download the CAT question paper PDFs at this link: https://www.shiksha.com/mba/cat-exam-question-papers Candidates must check and practice the latest CAT question paper to know the latest exam pattern and difficulty level.

Is CAT score accepted by international B-Schools?

CAT score is a national level test and is not accepted by B-Schools outside India. For pursuing MBA in foreign countries GMAT score is accepted. Indian B-Schools accept GMAT score for admitting foreign/NRI/PIO students. CAT is also accepted for Executive MBA, PhD, FPM and other such management programmes in top colleges in India. Similarly, GMAT is also accepted for admission to domestic students in to Executive MBA and such programmes.

How are CAT toppers determined?

CAT toppers are determined on the basis of candidate percentiles. Those whose overall percentiles are 100 and 99.99, they are declared the toppers of CAT exam. To calculate CAT percentiles, raw scores of every CAT candidate is normalized on the same scale and the following formula is applied: P = (R/N) * 100 where, P= Percentile score R= Rank of the candidate arrived at on the basis of scaled CAT score or the total number of test takers ranking below a particular candidate. N= Number of candidates who appeared in CAT exam (all three sessions)

What after CAT result declaration?

After the declaration of CAT results, IIMs and other top MBA colleges start the candidate shortlisting process. The institutes fix CAT cut offs category wise and invite applicants to appear for Written Ability Test, Group Discussion GD and Personal Interview PI rounds for MBA Admission. In case of IIMs, the institutes release PI shortlist form which the candidates have to fill before a certain deadline. In the PI form, candidates have to mention their personal, academic and professional details along with CAT score. Depending on the application received and the range of CAT scores the institutes the shortlist candidates for What-GD-PI. The What-GD-PI round is conducted by the institutes individually in March and April in online or offline mode. With the result of What-GD-PI and candidates' overall profile, the institutes finalise the list of students for admission. Offer of admission letters to selected candidates are sent via email in May.

I appeared for CAT exam in the second slot. Will my result be declared on the same day as that of the first slot?

Yes, the CAT results for all the exam slots are announced on the same day.

What is the validity of CAT score?

CAT score is valid for one year at the IIMs and top B-Schools. In some tier 3 and government institutions, CAT score of previous two years are also acceptable. Many B-schools including IIMs have an option of deferment of admission, wherein you can confirm your admission and pay the nominal fee but join the batch in the next year. It is advised that candidates take admission in the same year as their CAT attempt so that they don't have to reappear next year. Given the competition in MBA space, it is difficult to get a good college whether you have a low score or average score. So, incase one is getting a good college, they should take admission and not drop a year to appear for CAT again.

I have done BCom from correspondence college. Can I apply for CAT?

Yes, you can apply for CAT. The main criteria of eligibility for CAT is graduation from a recognised university. So, whether the education mode is full-time or correspondence, if the university is recognised by the UGC, the candidates will be eligible to appear for the CAT exam.

What is the CAT result date 2025?

CAT result 2025 was announced on December 24, 2025. It usually gets declared by December 19-20, but this year it has been delayed a bit. The CAT 2025 result cum scorecard will be available for download at iimcat.ac.in.

When is IIM Shortlist released?

IIM shortlist of top IIMs is released in the first week of January soon after CAT result declaration. All IIMs release their shortlist one by one after that in the same month. By the end of January, all 21 IIMs release their MBA/PGP shortlist. The WAT-PI shortlists for admission is released individually by the institutes but for the CAP participating IIMs. For them, the CAP conducting IIM releases the PI shortlist form and guidelines on behalf of rest of them.

How much weightage does CAT score have in IIM shortlist?

CAT exam score has the weightage of about 40-60 per cent in IIM shortlist. The weightage varies for each IIM but is in the range of 40-60 per cent. Rest of the weightage is divided between academics, gender and work experience. However, in the final shortlist, weightage of CAT score is less than that of WAT-PI.

Are CAT cut offs announced along with the CAT result?

CAT cutoffs are usually not announced with the CAT result. The CAT cutoffs are also not released to the public. They are published after a few days of the result announcement when the IIMs and other colleges start their shortlisting process. The IIMs opens their shortlisting window based on the CAT cut-offs two to three days after the result announcement. The CAT percentile of candidates shortlisted for the Written Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussion (GD), and Personal Interview (PI) can be considered the cut-off for that IIM. For example, if a candidate with a CAT percentile of 99 belonging to the General category is selected for the WAT/GD-PI of IIM Calcutta, then the CAT cut-off for IIM Calcutta is 99 percentile. Only those candidates who make it to the WAT/GD-PI round of IIMs will get to know the cut-offs.

Do IIMs send CAT admit card by post?

CAT admit card is not sent to any candidate by post. Every candidate has to download their CAT hall ticket from the IIMCAT website by using their login credentials created at the time of exam registration. The announcement of release of CAT admit card is done by the exam convening IIM about 10-15 days before the exam. The CAT admit card release date is also shared beforehand so that candidates can download their admit cards in time.

What are the details mentioned on CAT admit card?

The CAT admit card is a main document of identification of the candidate. It is the proof that the candidate has fill the examination form and is eligible to appear in the exam. To help in candidate identification, the following details are mentioned on every candidate's CAT admit card. Candidate's name Candidate's roll number Candidate's gender Candidate's category Candidate's date of birth Candidate's signature Candidate's photo Candidate's address Examination year Examination date Examination slot Examination timings Reporting time Test centre address Google link to locate test centre Along with these details, other information such as exam day guidelines, examination process in the test lab, items to carry, items not to carry, activities prohibited, dress code and entry process are also mentioned on the CAT admit card.

Will CAT exam 2025 also be conducted in three shifts?

Yes, CAT 2025 exam will be conducted in three shifts. The exam was earlier conducted in 2 shifts, but since 2020, the CAT is conducted in three shifts - morning, afternoon and evening. In CAT 2025 too, there will be three slots which will be allotted to applicants in no particular order. CAT exam slot timings will be - First shift: 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM, Second shift: 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM and Third shift: 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM.

Does every CAT accepting college conduct GD/PI?

Yes, the CAT accepting MBA colleges conduct either GD/PI or WAT/PI. Since MBA is a professional course about business and team management, personality assessment round is essential to ensure that the aspirant has the flair for management which can be polished during the programme. Communication skills, problem solving ability, management and leadership are essential qualities for MBA thus, every B-School conducts GD/PI or WAT/PI.

What is IIM CAP process?

IIM CAP is a common selection process for newer Iims. Under the CAP candidates eligible for admission to the nine new Iims - IIM Bodhgaya, IIM Kashipur, IIM Sambalpur, IIM Sirmaur, IIM Jammu, IIM Ranchi, IIM Trichy and IIM Udaipur are shortlisted for What-PI round by a single IIM, the one who is given the responsibility to conduct the CAP round in a particular academic year. CAT cut offs, admission parameters and their weightage are same for all CAP Iims. The participating Iims send the list of candidates shortlisted by them for the What-PI process to the institute conducting CAP. The CAP conducting IIM conducts the What-PI round for all the participating Iims. The IIM CAP conducting institute then share the What-PI scores and results of the candidates with the participating institutes. Those institutes then prepare the final shortlist for admission. Those who are selected for admission are informed by the Iims via email. The offer of admission is sent to selected candidates which they have to accept within the given time limit. For more details of IIM CAP, read this article: https://www.shiksha.com/mba/articles/what-is-iim-cap-know-admission-process-selection-criteria-and-participating-institutes-blogId-51225.

What if I do not make it to IIM shortlist? Do I still stand a chance to get admission?

No, the students who don't make it to the IIM shortlist of a particular year, they will not be considered for admission. Such candidates can appear for CAT again the next year and try for admission. If a candidate doesn't make it to the first shortlist, they can wait for the second shortlist to release in which they might be selected.

How is IIM shortlist prepared by the institutes?

IIM shortlist is prepared on the basis of CAT cut off, class 10 score, class 12 score, graduation score, work experience (if any). To encourage diversity in the classroom the IIMs award extra points to female and transgender candidates at the time of shortlisting as well as final selection.

What is the age limit to appear for CAT?

There is no age limit to appear for CAT. The CAT exam is open for fresh graduates as well as working professionals. Since CAT is accepted by over 1300 B-schools across India for their full-time as well as executive MBA or online professional courses, a lot of working professionals appear for the CAT to pursue such courses. CAT score is accepted by Iims for full time MBA, executive MBA and FPM programmes. Other top MBA colleges in India also shortlist candidates for executive MBA or part-time MBA on the basis of CAT score. The minimum age limit for has to be 20 years as the minimum qualification for CAT exam graduation. Any candidate who has completed Graduation with 50 per cent aggregate (45 per cent for SC/ST candidates). Any candidate in final year of Bachelor's degree course can appear in CAT exam. Any candidate having a professional degree like CA/CS/ICWAI with a minimum of 50 per cent in aggregate.

I have not completed graduation but I am pursuing CA. Am I eligible to apply for CAT exam?

No, you are not eligible to apply for CAT exam until you complete your CA course and clear ICAI CA exams . In case of absence of graduation degree, candidates are required to complete the professional degree before applying. The minimum score for applying for CAT on the basis of professional degree course in 50 per cent ( 45 per cent for SC/ST/PwD candidates).

What is IIM Shortlist?

IIM shortlist is the list of CAT test takers who make it to the second phase of IIM admission process, which is Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI). The IIM shortlist is the list of candidates who are eligible to participate in the WAT-PI rounds of IIMs for MBA admission.

How many candidates scored 100 percentile in CAT 2024?

14 candidates have scored 100 percentile in CAT 2024, out of a total of 2.93 Lacs candidates. Out of 14 toppers, 1 is a woman candidate. Check below CAT 2024 result data: Check the below table for data and statistics of CAT 2024 test takers and toppers. CAT Toppers Gender and Discipline State 100 percentiles 14 - Nos Female - 1 Male - 13 Engg – 13 Non-Engg – 1 Andhra Pradesh 1 Delhi 2 Haryana 1 Kerala 1 Maharashtra 5 Odisha 1 Rajasthan 1 Telangana 2 99.99 percentiles 29 -Nos. Female - 2 Male - 27 Engg – 25 Non-Engg - 4 Chandigarh 1 Delhi 4 Gujarat 2 Haryana 1 Karnataka 3 Kerala 1 Madhya Pradesh 1 Maharashtra 5 Odisha 1 Punjab 1 Rajasthan 3 Tamil Nadu 1 Telangana 1 Uttar Pradesh1 Uttarakhand 1 West Bengal 2 99.98 percentiles 30-Nos Female - 1 Male - 29 Engg – 20 Non-Engg -10 Bihar 1 Delhi 2 Gujarat 2 Haryana 4 Karnataka 4 Madhya Pradesh 3 Maharashtra 3 Tamil Nadu 2 Telangana 3 Uttar Pradesh 2 West Bengal 4

What is the average number of CAT 100 percentilers every year?

On an average, about 10-15 CAT aspirants score 100 percentile. Given below is the data of CAT 100 percentilers of last 3 years: Exam year CAT 100 percentilers State wise numbers CAT 2024 14 1- Andhra Pradesh 2- Delhi 1- Haryana 1-Kerala 5- Maharashtra 1- Odisha 1- Rajasthan 2- Telangana CAT 2023 14 1 – Andhra Pradesh 1 - Delhi 1 – Gujarat 1 – Jammu & Kashmir 1 - Karnataka 1 - Kerala 4 – Maharashtra 1 – Tamil Nadu 2 - Telangana 1 - Uttar Pradesh CAT 2022 11 2 - Delhi 1 - Gujarat 1 - Haryana 1 - Kerala 1 - Madhya Pradesh 2 - Maharashtra 2 - Telangana 1 - Uttar Pradesh

What if I have a very good CAT score but poor academic record?

If you have a very good CAT score but poor academic record it is quite likely that you may not be shortlisted for top IIMs as the institutes prefer candidates with overall consistency in academics. Class 12 scores holds a lot of importance in shortlisting of candidates for WAT-PI.

Are CAT cut offs announced along with the CAT result?

CAT cutoffs are usually not announced with the CAT result. The CAT cutoffs are also not released to the public. They are published after a few days of the result announcement when the IIMs and other colleges start their shortlisting process. The IIMs opens their shortlisting window based on the CAT cut-offs two to three days after the result announcement. The CAT percentile of candidates shortlisted for the Written Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussion (GD), and Personal Interview (PI) can be considered the cut-off for that IIM. For example, if a candidate with a CAT percentile of 99 belonging to the General category is selected for the WAT/GD-PI of IIM Calcutta, then the CAT cut-off for IIM Calcutta is 99 percentile. Only those candidates who make it to the WAT/GD-PI round of IIMs will get to know the cut-offs.

How can I check my PI status in IIM shortlist for MBA?

The candidates can check their admission status in IIM shortlist of each institute on their respective websites. The IIMs releases their shortlist on different days in the month of January. Once the shortlist is announced, candidates can check their status on the institute's website by using their CAT login ID. Such candidates can fill the PI form for participating in the WAT-PI round. If shortlisted, they are invited by the institute via email.

How to challenge CAT answer key?

The CAT examination body allows candidates to challenge the official answer key. In case a candidate feels any answer shared by the examination body is incorrect, they can challenge it by filling an objection form which is released on the same day as release of the CAT answer key and candidate response sheet. The candidates can fill the objection form by using their CAT login ID and password. Check below: 1. Visit the official website of CAT exam 2. Click on 'Login' 3. Enter CAT login ID and password to sign in 4. Go to 'Objection' tab 5. Click on plus sign to add an objection 6. Check the question number from the PDF of the question paper 7. Enter relevant details 8. Upload supporting document 9. Pay objection fee through credit/debit card or net banking The objection fee is INR 1,200 per objection. Candidates can raise any number of objections. The CAT answer key objection fee will be refunded to only those candidates whose objections will be accepted. Objections that have been submitted once cannot be edited.

CAT 2025: Result (Declared), Cutoffs, Toppers, Top Colleges, Question Paper, Pattern

12.9K Students Q&A

Updated on Dec 29, 2025 15:02 IST

By Vipra Shrivastava, Senior Manager - Content

CAT result 2025 was released on December 24, 2025. The result of 2.58 lakh candidate swas declared at iimcat.ac.in website by IIM Kozhikode. Candidates can download their CAT 2025 result through login. CAT 2025 toppers list been released. 12 candidates have scored 100 percentile and 26 candidates have scored 99.99 percentile. Most of the CAT 2025 toppers are from engineering background.

IIM PI shortlists 2026 will be released from first week of January onwards.IIM CAP and IIM JAP cut offs have been released. IIM Rohtak has started registration for PI shortlisting. The exam was held on November 30 in three sessions. Read all about CAT 2025 exam.

CAT Exam Result and Scorecard 2025

CAT 2025 Exam Dates & Schedule

Take a look at the table below for the complete schedule of CAT 2025 exam

Dates	Past Exam Dates
24 Dec ' 25	CAT 2025 result announcement
08 Dec ' 25 - 10 Dec ' 25	CAT 2025 answer key challenge
To Be Notified	CAT 2025 answer key release
View More Past Events (4)

CAT 2025 Exam Highlights

IIM CAT Cut Offs

CAT Answer Key 2025

What is CAT Exam?

CAT 2025 Syllabus and Pattern

CAT Exam Preparation 2025

CAT Question Paper PDFs Download (Previous Years)

CAT 2025 Admit Card

CAT Registration 2025

CAT Eligibility Criteria 2025

For queries regarding CAT Registration, Application and Payment Processing, Document uploading please call only on 1-800-210-0175 (Toll Free) Monday to Saturday 9:00AM to 6:00PM (excluding National holidays).
Email: cathelpdesk@iimcat.co.in

For Academic queries like eligibility, category and PwD certificate , please contact CAT Centre office with contact details as follows. (
Monday to Friday excluding holiday, from 9:30am to 5:30pm
Phone: +91 495 2809219 | +91 495 2809696
Email: cat2025_helpdesk@iimk.ac.in

CAT 2025 CENTRE
C/o Admissions Office
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT KOZHIKODE
IIMK Campus P.O, Kozhikode, Kerala,
PIN - 673 570