Common Admission Test (CAT)

The CAT is India’s most prestigious MBA entrance exam, conducted by IIMs annually. It tests candidates in three key areas—Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Ability—to assess aptitude for business management. The exam is computer-based, has multiple slots, and features both multiple-choice and input-based questions. Scores are accepted by 21 IIMs and over 1000 other management institutes across India.

• Notification: Late July 2025
• Registration: Aug 1 – Sep 13, 2025
• Form Fees: ₹2,600 (Gen); ₹1,300 (SC/ST/PwD)
• Exam date: Nov 30, 2025
• Result Declaration: Expected mid-January 2026

• Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs)
• Faculty of Management Studies (FMS) Delhi
• Management Development Institute (MDI) Gurgaon
• SP Jain Institute of Management Research (SPJIMR) Mumbai
• IITs offering MBA programs

• Mode: Computer-based
• Duration: 120 minutes (40 minutes per section)
• Questions: 66–68 MCQs & TITA (Type-in-the-Answer)
• Marking Scheme: MCQs: +3 marks (correct), –1 mark (incorrect); TITA: +3 marks (correct), no negative

Sections:

1. Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)
2. Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)
3. Quantitative Ability (QA)

• Practice sectional mock tests with strict timing to build speed and accuracy.
• Focus on VARC by reading editorials, practicing para jumbles, and vocab building.
• Solve puzzles, seating arrangements, and DI sets daily for DILR.
• Strengthen core math concepts and practice mixed-topic quantitative problems.
• Analyze mistakes rigorously after every mock to improve weak areas.