CAT 2025 Highlights: Updates on analysis, answer key, IIM admission, cut-off

The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Lucknow administered the CAT 2025 exam in three shifts on Sunday, November 26. The first shift of CAT 2025 was held between 8:30 am and 10:30 am, the second shift began at 12:30 pm and ended at 2:30 pm, and the third session ended at 6:30 pm. 

While the first slot of CAT 2025 was judged to be moderate due to the large number of students who took the exam, the afternoon and evening shifts of CAT 2025 were found to be moderate to difficult.

In CAT 2025, applicants have 40 minutes to complete each session. Most candidates thought the QA and DILR sections were simple, but the understanding section was difficult and time-consuming.

What is CAT? 

The CAT, or Common Admission Test (CAT Full Form), is a national-level MBA exam administered on a rotating basis by IIMs. The CAT 2025 admission exam will kick off the shortlisting process for MBA candidates who want to study at IIMs. As a result, it is critical to begin the CAT 2025 study with full concentration in order to pass the exam with a high score.

The CAT exam 2025 is one of the most demanding exams for those seeking a career in management. The CAT exam 2025 is clearly the most popular exam among both students and teachers because of its unusual format and the fact that graduates or undergraduates from any background can take it.

CAT Exam Highlights 

Components	Important Details
Full form	Common Admission Test
Short name	CAT 2025
Exam mode	Online
Application process	Online
CAT 2025 official website	https://iimcat.ac.in/
Conducting IIM	IIM Lucknow
CAT Exam level	National
CAT 2025 fees	Other Candidates: INR 2400/- SC/ST/PWD: INR 1200/-
Question paper	66 questions (Tentative), containing both MCQs and TITA
CAT 2025 exam date	26 November 2025 in 3 slots

CAT Answer Key 

The official CAT answer key 2025 will be available 3-4 days after the exam. The CAT 2025 answer key release date has not been declared by IIMCAT, however, it is expected to happen on December 2, 2025.

Tentative official CAT 2025 answer key procedure

• Step 1:  Go to the CAT 2025 official website, iimcat.ac.in.
• Step 2:  Select the "Candidate Login" tab.
• Step 3 - Enter your CAT registration ID and password, then click the "Submit" button.
• Step 4 - To download the CAT answer key PDF, click on the "Download PDF" option.
• Step 5: Download the response sheet from the "Candidate Response" tab.

Note: In the CAT official answer key 2025, correct responses will be highlighted in green, while erroneous ones will be highlighted in red, accompanied by the cross symbol.

IIM CAT Cut-Off

Following the announcement of the CAT result, which is expected in the first week of January 2025.

• The IIM for SC CAT cutoffs for admission to premier MBA institutes such as MDI, SPJIMR, and FMS Delhi Cutoff, among others, range from 90 to 99 percentile.
• For IIM admission, there are two sorts of CAT cut-offs: qualifying cut-off and final cut-off.
• CAT test qualifying marks-  Graduation with a minimum of 50% for the general category and 45% for students from the reserved category.
• Other CAT-accepting institutes establish a minimal CAT cut-off in order to shortlist students for MBA/PGDM admission.

CAT Cut Off category-wise

Category	VARC	DILR	QA	Total
General	85	85	85	90
EWS	77	77	77	82
NC-OBC	77	77	77	82
SC	55	55	55	65
ST	50	50	50	60
PwD	50	50	50	60

CAT Eligibility Criteria 

The official notification will be issued. Applicants who want to take the CAT exam in 2025 have to start with their eligibility and then apply. 

CAT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Age	As per the norms of CAT, there are no age limits.
Nationality	Indian
Educational Qualification	Bachelor's degree General & OBC :  A Bachelor's Degree with a minimum of 50% grades or an equivalent CGPA is required. Candidates who have earned a professional degree (CA/CS/ICWA) with a minimum of 50% marks  Candidates from a SC/ST/PWD community: SC/ST/PWD candidates must have a bachelor's degree with at least 45% marks.  Candidates in their last year of graduation are also eligible for the CAT 2025 exam. Candidates who have earned a professional degree (CA/CS/ICWA) with a minimum of 45% marks  Final Year Students: General/OBC: Candidates in the last year of their graduation are also eligible to apply for the CAT exam 2025. When the results are announced, they must receive a minimum of 50%. SC/ST/PWD: Candidates in this category must have a minimum of 45% in their final year of graduation after the results are announced.

CAT SYLLABUS FOR 2025

• The CAT 2025 question paper will cover VARC, DILR, and Quantitative Aptitude themes.
• Quantitative Aptitude themes include Geometry, Algebra, Arithmetic, Mensuration, Trigonometry, Modern Math, and their subtopics.
• Data Interpretation issues include data structure, data sufficiency, tables, pie charts, graphs, and their subtopics.
• Logical Reasoning subjects include series, coding-decoding, family tree, blood relation, seating arrangement, assumptions, and their subtopics.
• Reading comprehension, filling in the blanks, para jumble, para completion, vocabulary, grammar, and subtopics are all VARC topics.

CAT VARC Syllabus 2025 

Fill in the blanks	Para completion and inference	Verbal logic
Verbal reasoning	Subject-verb agreement	Para jumbles
Sentence completion	Foreign language words used in English	Different usage of the same word
Grammar	Reading comprehension	Idioms
Syllogisms	Analogies	Antonyms
Jumbled paragraphs	Sentence correction	One word substitution
Parts of speech	Preposition	Types of clauses
Phrases modifiers	Errors in tenses	Articles usage

DILR Syllabus 2025

Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) is the second portion of the CAT question paper and must be completed after the VARC section. Candidates will have 40 minutes to complete this part. This section has 20 questions, with 10 on Data Interpretation and 10 on Logical Reasoning. 

Blood Relations	Clocks and Calendars	Syllogism
Series	Statements	Venn Diagram
Proposition	Data Arrangement	Data Structures
Direction Sense	Family Tree	Tables
Coding-Decoding	Binary Logic	Pie Charts
Assumptions	Seating Arrangement	Data Sufficiency
Puzzles	Sets & Caselets	Bars & Line Graphs

Topics & Weightage for CAT DILR 

CAT DILR Syllabus	No. of Questions	Level of Difficulty
Data Interpretation	4	Easy
Data Interpretation	4	Moderate
Logical Reasoning	6	Moderate to difficult
Logical Reasoning	6	Easy to Moderate
Overall	20	Moderate to difficult