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The CAT 2025 eligibility criteria are released by IIM Kozhikode on their official website iimcat.ac.in on July 31, 2025. Candidates who wish to appear for the CAT exam 2025 can check the CAT eligibility criteria 2025 online at iimcat.ac.in. The eligibility criteria of CAT 2025 is a list of requirements to be fulfilled to appear for the CAT exam. Academic qualifications, past academic performance, the CAT age limit, and other related requirements are included in the CAT 2025 eligibility criteria for MBA. An MBA aspirant who has completed their bachelor's degree can apply for the CAT exam. There is no fixed age limit to attend the CAT exam. Check out this article to know who can apply for CAT 2025, CAT eligibility criteria for MBA, CAT exam age limit, etc.
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The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a highly competitive entrance exam in India, primarily for admission to prestigious management programs such as the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and other top business schools. The CAT exam is the gateway to some of the best management programs in India, and thorough preparation is key to achieving a high percentile.
As per the eligibility criteria for CAT 2025, candidates have to meet certain parameters set up by the conducting body. Candidates, before filling out the CAT application form and starting their preparation for CAT exam, should, first of all, know who is eligible for the CAT exam. Aspirants wishing to appear in this MBA entrance exam should meet the following eligibility criteria for the CAT exam:
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The Common Entrance Test (CAT) does not impose any restrictions on the number of times a candidate can write it. If you meet the CAT eligibility criteria for a particular year, you can appear for the CAT exam as many times as you want.
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Question: What is the pass mark for CAT?
Answer: According to the pass mark for CAT or the CAT eligibility criteria, candidates who have completed any bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from a recognised university with 50% marks (45% for SC/ST/PwD) can apply for the CAT exam 2025.
Question: Can 12 pass apply for CAT?
Answer: No, a 12th-pass student is not eligible for CAT. Since the CAT exam is an MBA entrance test, so a candidate must have a bachelor's degree.
Question: Who is not eligible for CAT?
Answer: Those who have completed their graduation but unable to secure 45% marks in the same are not eligible to apply for CAT entrance exam.
Question: How many students appeared for CAT 2025?
Answer: Around 3.29 lakh eligible candidates attended the previous year's CAT entrance exam for PGDM and MBA admission at IIMs and 1,200+ B-schools in India.
Question: How many attempts for a CAT?
Answer: There is no limit on the number of CAT exam attempts set by the authorities. A candidate can attempt the CAT entrance test as many times as they want.
All MBA aspirants need to know what is CAT exam eligibility and how to match the specified age criteria for the CAT exam beforehand. Candidates appearing for this MBA entrance exam can check the age limit for CAT exam below.
Check out the CAT notification to know more about CAT 2025 eligibility.
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For CAT 2025 exam eligibility criteria, IIM mentions the academic qualifications and the marks that the candidates must secure to be able to appear for the CAT exam.
CAT Exam Qualification | Affiliation | Percentage/ CGPA |
Bachelor’s Degree from any University/ Institute | Recognised by UGC | 50% aggregate marks (45% for SC/ ST/ PwD) |
Engineering Degree - B.Tech/ B.E. from any University/ Institute | Recognised by MHRD/ AICTE | 50% aggregate marks (45% for SC/ ST/ PwD) |
Students who appeared in the final year of the degree examination | Recognized by MHRD/ AICTE/ UGC | 50% aggregate marks (45% for SC/ ST/ PwD) |
There is no CAT eligibility criterion; 12th marks are required for the CAT exam. A bachelor's degree is required with a minimum of 50% after completing intermediate education.
MHRD/ AICTE: The University shall be declared annexed by an Act of the Parliament or the State Legislature of India or shall be treated as a university under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956.
NOTE: The candidates who appeared in the final year of the degree examination should submit the certificate from the Registrar/ Principal of the respective institution or university. The certificate must state that they have met all the requirements for equivalent qualification on the date the certificate is issued.
Also Check: Download Sample Paper for CAT Preparation
The minimum education qualification required to apply for the CAT 2025 exam is a graduation. Check out below the CAT eligibility criteria and minimum marks required for general and reserved category candidates.
| Academic qualification for the CAT exam | Required affiliation | Required pass percentage |
| Bachelor’s/ Graduation Degree in any stream from any University | Recognized by UGC | Candidates belonging to General/ EWS/ NC-OBC category should have secured 50% marks and 45% for candidates belonging to SC/ ST/ PwD category |
| Engineering Degree – BTech/ BE | Recognized by MHRD/AICTE * | |
(CA/CS/ICWA/Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of India (FIAI) | Certificate-granting organisation | |
| Students in their final year of graduation (or its equivalent) are also eligible to take the CAT exam | Graduation from a University which should be recognised by AICT/ MHRD or UGC |
One of the most common questions of students with any academic backlogs in their graduate program is whether they can enrol for the CAT 2025 exam. It should be clarified that CAT aspirants who have academic backlogs during their graduate program can apply and register for the CAT exam without any problem.
Any candidate who scores above 50% (45% for the reserved category) in the degree (even in supplementary) can apply for CAT 2025. When completing the CAT 2025 registration form, ask, "Are you in your final year of your bachelor's degree?" Select "Yes" to the question.
IIMs will have their own individual selection criteria for admission. They follow the reservation guidelines set by the Government of India. To know the CAT eligibility criteria for OBC, MBC, SC, ST, PwD, and General, see the table below:
Category | Reserved Percentage |
NC-OBC (Non-Creamy Other Backward Classes) | 27% |
SC (Scheduled Caste) | 15% |
| Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) | up to 10% |
ST (Scheduled Tribe) | 7.5% |
PwD (Person with Disability) | 5% |
For the PwD category candidates, they must bring a PwD certificate issued by a competent authority. Candidates can avail of the benefit provided for PwD only upon submission of the PwD certification issued by a competent authority. Details of various types of disabilities accepted under the PwD reservation are given below:
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| Candidate's category | Reserved seats for CAT |
| PwD | 5% |
| ST | 7.5% |
| SC | 15% |
| OBC (Non-creamy) | 27% |
| EWS | Upto 10% |
The CAT application form will be released on August 2, 2025. Candidates who fulfilled the CAT exam eligibility 2025 can fill out the registration form online mode. After providing all the necessary information in the CAT application form and uploading the documents, candidates pay the CAT exam fees depending upon the category to which they belong. The fees have to be paid online.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Candidates can know that they belong to the NC-OBC category by using this link.
Yes. Students who have a backlog, "Are you in your final year of your bachelor's degree?" You must select the Yes option at the time of completing the IIM CAT 2024 application form.
The CAT 2024 application process has commenced on August 1, 2024. IIM Calcutta will conduct CAT 2024 on November 24, 2024.
Candidates have to apply for CAT 2024 on August 1, 2024.
According to the CAT eligibility criteria, candidates who have completed any bachelor’s degree from a recognized university with 50% aggregated marks (45% for SC/ST/PwD) are eligible to apply.
IIM does not recommend any age criteria to apply for CAT 2024. All the academic records of the candidate play a role in the CAT 2024 exam.
Yes, the candidates who appeared or are appearing in the final year examination are eligible to apply for the Common Admission Test 2024.
No, a candidate cannot appear for more than one slot to appear for the examination.
On Question asked by student community
Hello,
Here you can get study material for CAT :
https://bschool.careers360.com/download/ebooks/cat-quantitative-aptitude-questions-answers-pdf
Hope it helps !
Hello aspirant,
A timetable is essential if you are preparing for the CAT in addition to your college coursework. It will give you an idea of how long it will take you to finish your syllabus and then set aside the appropriate amount of time for revision and mock exams.
Hello Nikita,
To get into any of the top IIMs, such as IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Lucknow, Kozhikode, or Indore, a good percentile in CAT is required, although academics play a vital role too. Let's break it down below:
CAT Score: 98+ percentile is an excellent score and makes one
Hello!
Prep for CAT 2024: Application Pattern
Syllabus: Focus on those areas that fall under the syllabus; for instance, Quantitative Aptitude, Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension, and Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning.
Books: Stick to standard books from renowned authors, say, Arun Sharma for Quant, Norman Lewis in vocabulary, and
I understand your situation, Aishwarya. Preparing for the CAT while balancing your final year of engineering can be challenging, especially without coaching. However, with dedication and the right approach, it's definitely possible to crack the exam.
Here are some tips to help you get started:
1. Assess Your Strengths and
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