CAT Eligibility Criteria 2025 Revised? Everything You Need to Know

CAT eligibility criteria 2025 specify the qualifications and conditions that candidates must meet to appear for the CAT 2025 exam. Eligibility criteria cover essential aspects such as academic qualifications, age restrictions, work experience, and other important requirements for candidates. Generally, the IIM conducts this exam and executes the release of the CAT eligibility 2025.

 

The CAT eligibility criteria have remained unchanged for the past few years and are expected to stay the same for 2025 as well. You must check these requirements thoroughly. If you fail to fulfill any of these requirements, that could lead to direct disqualification from the admission process.

CAT Eligibility Criteria 2025: Academic Qualification

Candidates appearing for the CAT 2025 exam must meet specific educational qualifications and achieve the required minimum marks to be eligible:

CAT Exam Eligibility 2025 - Educational Qualification

CAT Exam Educational	Affiliation	Percentage/CGPA
Engineering Degree -B.Tech./BE from any University/Institute.	Recognized by MHRD/AICTE	50% aggregate marks and 45% for ST/SC/ PwD category candidates
A student who has appeared for their final-year degree examination.	Recognized by MHRD/AICTE/UGC
Bachelor's Degree from any University/Institute.	Recognized by UGC

CAT Exam Eligibility 2025 - Graduation Marks

Academic Qualifications	Required Affiliation	Percentage Required
A Bachelor's or Graduation degree in any discipline from a recognized university	Recognized by UGC	Applicants from the General, EWS, and NC-OBC categories are required to secure at least 50% marks, whereas candidates belonging to SC, ST, and PWD categories must secure a minimum of 45%
Engineering Degree-B Tech/BE	Recognized by MHRD/AICTE
CA/CS/ICWA/Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of India	Certificate-granting Organization
Candidates who are in the final year of their undergraduate program are permitted to take the CAT exam.	The degree should be obtained from a university accredited by AICTE, MHRD, or UGC.

CAT Exam Eligibility Criteria: Registration with Backlogs

Many students worry about this, but having backlogs during your graduation does not stop you from applying for CAT 2025.

• Candidates must achieve a minimum of 50% marks in their bachelor's degree to be eligible for the CAT 2025 exam. Candidates from reserved categories, including SC, ST, and PwD, must secure at least 45% marks.
• It's okay if you had backlogs and cleared them later (like in retake or make-up exams). Applicants qualify if their final marks satisfy the 50% criterion, or 45% for those from reserved categories. When you fill out the CAT 2025 application form, you will see a question asking "Are you in the final year of your bachelor's degree?" Answer this question by selecting "yes".

CAT Exam Eligibility Criteria 2025: Equivalent Degrees

• If a student's bachelor's degree marks use grades or CGPA, we will use the percentage conversion method that their university normally uses.
• If the university says they don't have a specific method for this conversion, we will calculate the candidate's CGPA by the maximum possible CGPA, and multiply the result by 100.

CAT Exam Eligibility Criteria 2025: Marks Calculation

If your academic scores are in CGPA format, you must convert them into a percentage to determine your CAT eligibility:

• For the CAT exam, your percentage is calculated based on the rules your specific college or university uses to convert your grades (like CGPA) into a percentage. They have their own approved method.
• If your university lacks a standardized process for converting CGPA to a percentage, CAT will handle the conversion on your behalf.
• In another case, if no institution or university offers any change plan. To convert CGPA into a percentage, divide the acquired CGPA by the highest possible CGPA and then multiply by 100.
• Suppose a candidate has a CGPA of 8.8 and a maximum of 10 CGPA, then 8.8 / 10 = 0.88, and multiplying the result by 100= 0.88 x 100 = 88%

CAT Eligibility Criteria 2025: Age Limit

According to the CAT 2025 eligibility criteria, applicants of any age can apply, as there is no maximum age limit. However, if you are thinking of applying for the upcoming CAT 2025, make sure to check the other eligibility details since there is no age limitation.

CAT Eligibility Criteria 2025: Age Limit	Details
Lower Age Limit	Not Applicable
Upper Age Limit	Not Applicable

CAT Eligibility Criteria 2025: Work Experience

You don't need a job history to apply for the CAT 2025 exam. The CAT application 2025 form might ask about your past jobs, but if you haven't worked anywhere, you don't have to fill out that section. Later, during the final selection, some IIMs may give weightage for your work experience if you have any, but no one knows exactly how much they consider it. The expected weightage will be different for each IIM.

IIM CAT 2025 Eligibility: Reservation Criteria

After clearing the CAT 2025 exam, every aspirant aims to secure admission to the IIMs, the most prestigious MBA institutions in India. Since the IIMs operate under government administration, they adhere to policies that include reservation quotas.

Category	Reserved percentage
ST	7.5%
SC	15%
NC-OBC	27%
EWS	Up to 10%
PwD	5%

CAT 2025 Eligibility Criteria: General & NC-OBC Category Applicants

The CAT 2025 eligibility criteria for general category candidates specify the academic qualifications, minimum marks, and other essential criteria for taking the exam:

• You must have a bachelor's degree, or a similar qualification, from a university or college that the Government of India approves
• You must have scored at least 50% overall in your bachelor's degree (or similar qualification), whatever subject you studied.
• If you are currently in your final year of a bachelor's degree program or have completed your exams but are awaiting your final results, you can still apply.
• Suppose you have a professional qualification like Chartered Accountant (CA), Company Secretary (CS), or Cost and Management Accountant (ICWA), that also counts. You must have scored at least 50% overall in those exams.

CAT 2025 Eligibility Criteria: SC, ST, & PwD Category Applicants

The eligibility requirements for reserved category candidates appearing for CAT 2025 outline below:

• Graduates or individuals with an equivalent degree in any field must have at least 45% aggregate marks to meet the eligibility criteria.
• Final-year graduates and those awaiting their results are still eligible to apply.
• Candidates with professional qualifications like CA, CS, or ICWA, who have secured at least 45% aggregate marks, fulfill the eligibility requirements for application.

Who is Not Eligible to Apply for the CAT 2025 Exam?

Here are some reasons, why you might not be eligible for the CAT exam 2025:

• Your graduation marks are too low. You need at least 50% overall (or 45% if you are SC, ST, or PwD).
• You don't have a bachelor's degree. This also includes not having an equivalent professional degree like CA, CS, or ICWA, which is fully finished.
• You haven't finished your bachelor's degree yet. This means you are still studying for it (including if you are in the final year) or you are still studying for a professional degree like CA, CS, or ICWA.
• Your degree is not valid. Your bachelor's degree (or an equivalent professional degree like CA/CS/ICWA) must be approved by the main government education bodies (UGC, AICTE, or MHRD).

IIM Eligibility VS CAT Eligibility

If you want to take the CAT exam to get into an IIM, it's important to know their rules aren't the same. There are some minor differences that every candidate needs to know.

• There are no age restrictions for appearing in the CAT exam or gaining admission to an IIM.
• Applicants who have completed a two-year bachelor's degree qualify to apply for the CAT exam. However, the IIMs themselves do not accept a two-year degree for their MBA programs. A three-year bachelor's degree is needed for admission.

Read More:

• CAT Exam Reservation 2025
• How is XAT Different from CAT?
• Is CAT Preparation Enough for XAT 2025?

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the qualifying marks for CAT 2025? +

Ans: The CAT doesn’t have a fixed passing score. Instead, the exam uses a percentile-based system, where your performance is compared to that of other candidates who took the same exam. A higher percentile indicates a better performance, improving your chances of admission to top management schools.

How many attempts for a CAT 2025? +

Ans: Candidates can take the CAT 2025 exam as many times as they wish, as there is no restriction on the number of attempts. You can take the CAT exam multiple times to enhance your score and boost your chances of securing admission to a leading business school. The CAT exam authority does not place any limits on the number of times a candidate can attempt the exam. You can retake the exam every year as long as you meet the eligibility criteria.

Who is not eligible for CAT 2025? +

Ans: Candidates who have not completed a bachelor's degree or its equivalent, failed to achieve the minimum required percentage, or hold a degree not recognized by UGC, AICTE, or MHRD may be ineligible.

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