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CAT

Common Admission Test

About

A computer-based standardized test administered by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) for admission to post-graduate management programs (MBA or PGDM). The test consists of three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Ability. It is conducted once a year and used by various business schools in India.

Content

The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a computer-based standardized test started in January 1977 by the Indian Institutes of Management. It is conducted once a year (usually on the last Sunday of November) across 170 cities and towns in India. The exam duration is 2 hours (40 minutes per section). Candidates receive +3 marks for correct answers and -1 for incorrect answers (no negative marking for TITA questions). Score validity is 1 year. The exam is held in three sessions (Morning, Afternoon, Evening) in a single day.

Conducting Body
Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), on a rotational basis; since 2014, conducted with the help of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)
Frequency
Once a year (usually on the last Sunday of November)
Mode
Computer-based test
Official Website
Visit website

Syllabus

Three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA). The exam consists of 68 questions in total with a maximum score of 204 marks. Includes both Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) and non-MCQ/TITA (Type-In-The-Answer) questions.

Accepted by Colleges

Faculty of Management Studies – University of Delhi

New Delhi, Delhi, India

Public business school

Indian Institute of Foreign Trade

South West Delhi, Delhi, India

Public Business School, Deemed-to-be-University

Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

Public Business School

Indian Institute of Management Bangalore

Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560076, India

Business school (Institute of National Importance)

Indian Institute of Management Calcutta

Joka, Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Public business school

Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode

Kozhikode, Kerala, India

Public business school

Indian Institute of Management Lucknow

Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India

Public business school

Management Development Institute

Gurgaon, Haryana, India

Private business school

Shreyans Prasad Jain Institute of Management & Research

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Private business school

Admission Timeline

  • Admit Card Download

    5 Nov 2027 – 30 Nov 2027 • 2027

    Estimated

  • CAT 2025 Exam Date

    30 Nov 2027 • 2027

    Estimated

  • Registration Closes

    13 Sept 2027 • 2027

    Estimated

  • Result Declaration

    1 Jan 2027 – 7 Jan 2027 • 2027

    Estimated

  • Admit Card Download

    5 Nov 2026 – 30 Nov 2026 • 2026

    Estimated

  • CAT 2025 Exam Date

    30 Nov 2026 • 2026

    Estimated

  • Registration Closes

    13 Sept 2026 • 2026

    Estimated

  • Result Declaration

    1 Jan 2026 – 7 Jan 2026 • 2026

    Confirmed

  • Admit Card Download

    5 Nov 2025 – 30 Nov 2025 • 2025

    Confirmed

  • CAT 2025 Exam Date

    30 Nov 2025 • 2025

    Confirmed

  • Registration Closes

    13 Sept 2025 • 2025

    Confirmed

  • Registration Opens

    1 Aug 2025 • 2025

    Confirmed

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