What is CAT?
CAT is a common admission test conducted by IIMs for admission to the MBA/PGDM/PGP program. A few other top business schools are now accepting CAT scores for admission to their management programs. Now the All India Council of Technical Education has authorised six examinations for applying to admissions in MBA/ PGDM programs in Indian B Schools approved by AICTE. These are CAT, CMAT, XAT, MAT, ATMA, and GMAT. Of the above six tests, CAT is considered as the most popular MBA entrance exam.
This is the national-level management entrance test conducted by the Indian Institute of Management for admission into 20 IIMs and 125+ Business schools pan-India. Based on CAT scores, IIMs provide admission to almost 4400 candidates in various management programs. Around 2.25 lakh students write the CAT exam every year.
| Event | Details |
| CAT 2025 Notification | July 27, 2025 |
| Registration | August 1 - September 20, 2025 |
| Admit Card | November 5 - 30, 2025 |
| Exam Date | November 30, 2025 |
| Result | First week of January 2026 |
| Exam Pattern | 3 Sections: VARC (24 questions), DILR (20-22 questions), QA (22 questions) |
| Duration | 120 minutes (40 minutes/section) |
| Question Types | MCQs and TITA |
| Marking | +3 for correct, -1 for wrong MCQ, no negative for TITA |
Here is the list of Top MBA colleges that accept CAT scores above 80 percentile, along with their Cut-offs.
Taxila Business School
- Highest PlacementRs 22 Lakh / PA
- Average PlacementRs 12.50 Lakh / PA
- SpecializationTriple Specialization with Business Analytics compulsory.
- Ranking10th All India.
- RatingAAA+
CAT General Cut-off: Top MBA colleges that accept 80 to 100 percentiles
CAT General Cut-off: Top MBA colleges that accept 80 to 100 percentiles.
| Approx. CAT cut-off Percentile | Institutes | |||||||||
| CAT Percentile 99.0+ | IIM-A, IIM-B, IIM-C, IIM-L, IIM-I, IIM-K, IIM-S, FMS, MDI-PGPM, IIT- B, JBIMS | |||||||||
| CAT Percentile 96.0+ | SPJIMR, IIT-D, NITIE-PGDIM, MDI-PGP HR/IM, IIM-RH, IIM-RN, IIM-RP, IIM-KS, IIM-UP, IIM-T | |||||||||
| CAT Percentile 94.0+ | IIT-KH, IIT-KN, IIT-M, IIT-R, IISc-B, IIM-BG, IIM-N, IIM-V, IIM-Asr, IIM-Sam, IIM-Srm, MDI-M, IIM-A (ABM), IIM-L (ABM) | |||||||||
| CAT Percentile 91.0+ | MICA, IMT-G/N, IMI-D, FSM, IRMA, TAPMI, KJSIMSR, UBS-CHD, BIM, NIRMA, PUMBA | |||||||||
| CAT Percentile 86.0+ | WIMDR-M, LBSIM, LIBA, IMI-K/B, GLIM, BIMTECH-PGDM/IB, IBS-ICFAI, MFC-DU, IFMR, MIB-DU, MHROD-DU, IMT-H | |||||||||
| CAT Percentile 80.0+ | Taxila, MISB, ISBM-P, AJKMCRC, WIMDR-B, BIMTECH-Retail/Insurance, IIFM, MBE-DU |
Here in the above list, you will find that almost all the top 30 MBA colleges accepting CAT scores are apart from the IIMs.
What is the structure of the CAT exam?
CAT is a CBT means only a computer-based test of three hours. The exam is divided into three sections:
- Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)
- Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)
- Quantitative Aptitude (QA)
There are a total number of 100 questions with minimum qualifying marks for each section. Besides the sectional cut-offs, one is required to pass the overall cut-off of the exam.
There is no specific syllabus for CAT. The syllabus is predicted on the basis of previous years’ test analysis and the topics covered. From 2015, the outline of the exam has remained almost the same, with 25 non-MCQs & 75 MCQs. Multiple choice questions, MCQs, have a one-third negative marking per question, and there is no negative marking for non-MCQs. There has been a little change in the test pattern with the addition of TITA (type in the answer) questions. The number of TITA questions differs from exam to exam.
Normally, the CAT score is in force for one year, except for the institutes offering delayed admission, taking into account the work experience of the candidate. The detailed scores are a result of scaling and normalisation based on the performance of candidates appearing in multiple sessions. A Couple of business schools base their cut-offs on the basis of CAT percentiles.
Who can appear for the CAT exam?
Almost all the colleges accept the CAT score. There is no age limit for writing the CAT. Applicants are required to hold a Bachelor’s/ equivalent degree with at least 50% marks (for the general category) and 45% (for the reserved category). The final year students can also appear for the exam. It’s good if you score well in CAT, but what if your CAT score is low?
Which colleges/institutes accept CAT scores?
During 2019, 115 B-schools accepted CAT scores, out of which 114 are in India and one is in Singapore. Besides from 20 IIMs, the CAT participating Institutes include other public and private Institutes.
A few more from the top colleges to apply after the CAT exams are:
- Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad
- Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore
- Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Calcutta
- Indian Institute Of Management, Lucknow
- S. P. Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR) Mumbai
- Management Development Institute (MDI) Gurgaon
- Indian Institute Of Management (IIM) Kozhikode
- Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Indore
- Taxila Business School Jaipur
- International Management Institute (IMI) New Delhi
- Faculty of Management Studies (FMS), New Delhi
- Institute Of Management Technology (IMT) Ghaziabad
- National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE) Mumbai
- Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Trichy
- Rajiv Gandhi Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Shillong
- Xavier Institute of Management (XIM) Bhubaneswar
- Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Kashipur
- Department of Management Studies (IIT Delhi) New Delhi
- SIMSREE Mumbai
- Jamnalal Bajaj (JBIMS) Mumbai
- Shailesh Mehta school of management, IIT Bombay
- Vinod Gupta school of management (VGSOM), IIT Kharagpur
Citywise Top MBA Colleges Accepting CAT Scores, with Average Packages and Fees in India
| City | Institute Name | Avg. Package (LPA) | Fees (Lakh) |
| Delhi | Faculty of Management Studies | 34.01 | 2.00 |
| Mumbai | IIM Mumbai | 25.40 | 21.00 |
| Pune | Symbiosis | 28.16 | 24.20 |
| Ahmedabad | IIM Ahmedabad | 35.68 | 33.00 |
| Calcutta | IIM Calcutta | 35.07 | 31.00 |
| Jaipur |
Taxila Business School School supplies |
11.50 | 9.50 |
| Bengaluru | IIM Bengaluru | 35.31 | 24.50 |
| Indore | IIM Indore | 30.21 | 11.04 |
| Lucknow | IIM Lucknow | 32.23 | 20.30 |
| Ghaziabad | Institute of Management Technology | 17.35 | 21.53 |
| Hyderabad | Indian School of Business | 33.25 | 49.50 |
| Chennai | Great Lakes Institute of Management | 15.10 | 20.80 |
| Surat | Auro University | 4.75 | 7.15 |
| Bhopal | IIFM | 10.00 | 11.80 |
| Rohtak | IIM Rohtak | 18.73 | 17.29 |
| Ranchi | IIM Ranchi | 17.50 | 17.50 |
| Vadodara | Faculty of Management Studies | 5.00 | 0.82 |
| Udaipur | IIM Udaipur | 20.09 | 21.43 |
| Varanasi | Banaras Hindu University | 11.30 | 0.50 |
| Kanpur | IIT Kanpur – Management Studies | 18.20 | 5.76 |
| Kashipur | IIM Kashipur | 18.10 | 17.30 |
| Rajkot | Marwadi University | 6.00 | 1.50 |
| Shillong | IIM Shillong | 18.76 | 22.71 |
| Amritsar | IIM Amritsar | 16.51 | 14.78 |
| Kharagpur | Department of Management Studies – IIT Kharagpur | 22.13 | 11.60 |
| Jodhpur |
School of Management & Entrepreneurship – IIT Jodhpur
|
13.03 | 8.79 |
| Navi Mumbai | ITM Business School | 8.65 | 10.45 |
| Gwalior | Atal Bihari Vajpayee Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management | 20.56 | 3.20 |
| Coimbatore | Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham | 7.25 | 5.40 |
| Dhanbad | Department of Management Studies – IIT Dhanbad | 16.45 | 3.00 |
|
Kota
|
Om Kothari Institute of Management and Research | 5.00 | 11.50 |
| Guwahati | IIT Guwahati | 6.90 | 5.40 |
| Bhubaneshwar | XIMB | 19.60 |
List of IITs Accepting CAT score 2025
| CAT colleges | Name of the Department |
| IIT Delhi | Department of Management Studies |
| IIT Bombay | Shailesh Jha Mehta School of Business |
| IIT Kharagpur | Vinod Gupta School of Management |
| IIT Madras | Department of Management Studies |
| IIT Roorkee | Department of Management Studies |
| IIT Dhanbad | Department of Management Studies |
| IIT Kanpur | Department of Management Studies |
Subsequently, after the declaration of CAT results, IIMs and other Business Schools shortlist the candidates for the second round – WAT (Written ability test), GD/CD (Group/case discussion) /Group Exercise, and Personal Interview.
The final selection list at the Business school is based on candidates’ performance in the CAT examination selection rounds and profile.
Which non-IMs accept CAT scores?
IITs, Taxila Business School, FMS Delhi, XLRI Jamshedpur, Great Lakes Institute of Management, and more…
What is a good CAT percentile for IIMs?
- For older IIMs (A, B, C, L, I, K) – 99+ percentile.
- For newer IIMs (Udaipur, Kashipur, Ranchi, Trichy, etc.) – 92–96 percentile
Do IITs also accept CAT scores?
Yes. IITs like IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Madras, IIT Roorkee, IIT Dhanbad, IIT Kanpur, and IIT Guwahati accept CAT for their management programs.
Is CAT tougher than XAT or CMAT?
CAT is considered one of the most competitive exams because of its high difficulty level and limited seats in IIMs. However, toughness may vary depending on the candidate’s strengths.