General Overview

The Common Admission Test, widely known as CAT, is a national-level management aptitude examination conducted in India. Its primary purpose is to facilitate admissions into postgraduate management programs, most notably the Master of Business Administration (MBA), offered by a multitude of esteemed business schools and management institutes across the nation. The significance of CAT is underscored by its acceptance as the principal shortlisting criterion for all 21 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). Beyond the IIMs, CAT scores are recognized by over 1,300 other business schools in India, encompassing prestigious institutions such as the Faculty of Management Studies (FMS) Delhi, S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR) Mumbai, Management Development Institute (MDI) Gurgaon, and Institute of Management Technology (IMT) Ghaziabad. This broad acceptance makes CAT one of the most pivotal entrance examinations for individuals aspiring to pursue management education in India.

Exam Pattern and Section Wise Break Down

Feature	Details
Exam Mode	Computer Based Test (CBT)
Total Duration	120 minutes (2 hours)
Total Number of Questions	68 (approximately, can vary slightly)
Total Marks	204 (if 68 questions, 3 marks per question)
Number of Sections	3
Sectional Time Limit	40 minutes per section (candidates cannot switch between sections)
Order of Sections	Fixed: 1. VARC, 2. DILR, 3. QA
Marking Scheme	+3 marks for each correct answer
	-1 mark for each incorrect Multiple Choice Question (MCQ)
	No negative marking for incorrect Non-Multiple Choice Questions (TITA – Type In The Answer)
	No marks for unattempted questions
Question Types	Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) and Non-MCQs (TITA)

Section	Number of Questions	Time Allotted	Marks
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)	24	40 minutes	72
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)	22	40 minutes	66
Quantitative Ability (QA)	22	40 minutes	66
Total	68	120 minutes	204

This section wise break down is based on CAT 2025.

Important Highlights

Particulars	Details
CAT Full Form	Common Admission Test
Conducting Institute for 2025	Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (Expected)
Exam Level	National
Exam Frequency	Once a year
Exam Mode	Computer-Based Test (CBT)
Medium of Exam	English
Number of IIMs Participating	21
Courses Offered through CAT	MBA/PGDM, Executive MBA, PhD, FPM
Score Validity	1 year
Eligibility Criteria	Graduation with 50% aggregate (45% for SC/ST/PwD)
CAT Exam Fees (Indicative)	INR 2,500 (General category) and INR 1,250 (Reserved category)
Official Website	iimcat.ac.in

Registration and Attendance Statistics

Year	Total Registered	Total Appeared (Number)	Males Appeared	Females Appeared
2020	227,835	190,143	123,593	66,548
2021	229,969	191,660	124,579	67,079
2022	255,501	222,184	144,417	77,763
2023	328,000	255,000	165,750	89,250
2024	329,000	258,000	167,700	90,286

This data is based on approximation and might not be accurate.

Important Dates

Event	Tentative Date/Period
CAT 2025 Official Notification	Last week of July 2025
CAT 2025 Registration Starts	First week of August 2025
CAT 2025 Registration Ends	First to Third week of September 2025
CAT 2025 Admit Card Release	October 2025 / November 2025
CAT 2025 Exam Date	November 30, 2025
CAT 2025 Provisional Answer Key	Early December 2025
CAT 2025 Result Date	First week of January 2026
CAT 2025 Exam Timings (3 Slots)	Slot 1: 8:30 AM – 10:30 AM Slot 2: 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM Slot 3: 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM

This data is based on approximation and might not be accurate.

Syllabus

QA
Arithmetic	Algebra	Geometry	Modern Maths	Number System
Percentages	Linear Equations	Lines and Angles	Permutation and Combination	Properties of Numbers
Profit and Loss	Quadratic Equations	Triangles	Probability	Factors and Multiples
Simple and Compound Interest	Inequalities	Quadrilaterals	Set Theory	HCF and LCM
Ratio and Proportion	Functions and Graphs	Circles	Venn Diagrams	Divisibility Rules
Averages	Logarithms	Polygons	Binomial Theorem	Remainders
Mixtures and Alligations	Surds and Indices	Mensuration		Factorials
Time, Speed and Distance	Polynomials	Coordinate Geometry		Base Systems
Time and Work	Maxima and Minima	Trigonometry		Cyclicity / Unit Digit
Partnership	Sequences and Series

VARC
Reading Comprehension	Verbal Ability
Main Idea	Para Jumbles
Inference	Para Summary
Specific Details / Facts	Odd Sentence Out
Author’s Tone / Style	Para Completion
Application / Extension of Idea	Fill in Blanks

DILR
Data Interpretation	Logical Reasoning
Tables	Arrangements
Bar Graphs	Puzzles
Line Charts	Grouping/Team Formation
Pie Charts	Networks/Routes
Caselets	Games/Tournaments
Venn Diagrams (Data)	Logical Conditions
Mixed Graphs	Venn Diagrams (Logic)
Data Sufficiency	Binary Logic
Calculation-based	Quant-Based LR
Maxima/Minima Sets	Miscellaneous Puzzles

Topic-wise Question Distribution

Section	Category	CAT 2022	CAT 2023	CAT 2024
QA	Total	22	22	22
	Arithmetic	8-9	8-9	8-10
	Algebra	7-8	7-8	7-8
	Geometry & Mensuration	3-4	3-4	3-4
	Number System	1-2	1-3	1-2
	Modern Mathematics	1-2	0-1	1-2
DILR	Total	20	20	22
	Data Interpretation (DI)	10 (2 sets)	10 (2 sets)	10-12 (2-3 sets)
	Logical Reasoning (LR)	10 (2 sets)	10 (2 sets)	10-12 (2-3 sets)
VARC	Total	24	24	24
	Reading Comprehension (RC)	16	16	16
	Verbal Ability (VA)	8	8	8
OVERALL EXAM TOTAL		66	66	68