Has CAT 2025 Registration Dropped by 46,000 — or Has It Surpassed Last Year’s 3.29 Lakh?

Has CAT 2025 Registration Dropped by 46,000 — or Has It Surpassed Last Year’s 3.29 Lakh?

Himanshu ShekharUpdated on 24 Sep 2025, 10:17 AM IST

The official CAT 2025 registration number are yet to be released, but social media is buzzing with speculation. A lot of social media posts are hinting towards a drop in the CAT 2025 registrations. As per these posts, the number of CAT registrations have dropped by 46000 compared to last year. On the other hand, some CAT coaching experts are stating that the number of CAT 2025 registration has surpassed last year's CAT registration number. According to one such social media post, the number of CAT registration 2025 stood at 3,42,598, as of September 20, 2025 (4:37 PM).

Has CAT 2025 Registration Dropped by 46,000 — or Has It Surpassed Last Year’s 3.29 Lakh?
Has CAT 2025 Registration Dropped by 46,000 — or Has It Surpassed Last Year’s 3.29 Lakh?

CAT Registration & Exam-Day Attendance Statistics Over the Years

Last year, 3.29 lakh candidates registered for the CAT exam, out of which 2.93 lakh appeared—resulting in an approximate participation rate of 89%. The table below shows both the CAT registration numbers and the count of candidates who actually took the exam.

Year

Number of candidates registered for CAT exam (Lakh)

Number of candidates appeared for CAT exam (Lakh)

Attendance Rate (%)

2024

3.29

2.93

89

2023

3.28

2.88

87.8

2022

2.55

2.22

87

2021

2.3

1.92

83.4

2020

2.27

1.9

83.4

2019

2.44

2.09

85.9

From the data above, it is evident that a significant number of candidates who register for the CAT exam actually appear for it. The gap between CAT registration and appearance is usually due to personal reasons, last-minute cancellations, or changes in the aspirants’ career plans. However, with the growing demand for management education, we can expect a rise in CAT 2025 registration numbers.

Expected Number of CAT 2025 Registrations

CAT registrations have been steadily rising over the past few years. For 2025, experts anticipate that over 3.5 lakh candidates are likely to register for CAT 2025. This prediction is based on current trends, which show consistent growth in the number of applicants each year. The table below has the number of CAT 2025 registrations up to the last date, based on numbers circulating on the internet and social media.

CAT 2025 Registration Dates

Number of CAT Registration 2025

CAT 2025 registration till September 8, 2025

2,00,013

CAT registration till September 10, 2025

2,27,750

CAT 2025 registration till September 11, 2025

2,45,350

CAT registration till September 12, 2025

2,65,709

CAT registration till September 13, 2025

2,95,045

CAT 2025 registration till September 20, 2025 (Till 12:11 PM)

3,35,927

CAT registration till September 20, 2025 (Till 4:37 PM)

3,42,598

CAT 2025 registration closed on September 20, 2025, at 5:00 PM. IIM Kozhikode is expected to open the CAT 2025 application correction window tentatively in the last week of September 2025. During this correction window, candidates will be able to update certain details such as their photograph, signature, and test city preferences.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: When will CAT 2025 registration start?
A:

CAT 2025 registration began on August 1 and eligible candidates can register for CAT 2025 till September 13, 2025.

Q: How many candidates registered for CAT 2024?
A:

Last year around 3.28 lakh candidates registered for the CAT exam out of which 2.93 lakh candidates appeared for the same.

Q: What is the last date to register for CAT 2025?
A:

The last date to register for CAT 2025 is September 13, 2025. However, candidates can expect the extension of five days or a week.

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Questions related to CAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CAT ?

Hello,

Here are some top colleges accepting XAT and CAT exams :

Top colleges accepting CAT:

  • IIMs (All Indian Institutes of Management)

  • FMS Delhi

  • SPJIMR Mumbai

  • MDI Gurgaon

  • IIT Bombay (SJMSOM)

  • IIT Delhi (DMS)

  • IIFT

  • IMT Ghaziabad

  • JBIMS Mumbai

Top colleges accepting XAT:

  • XLRI Jamshedpur

  • XIMB Bhubaneswar

  • IMT Ghaziabad

  • Great

Hi there,

A female candidate with a CAT percentile of 67.97 and low sectional scores should target private and tier-2/3 B-schools that accept overall CAT scores in the 60–70 percentile range and have flexible sectional criteria.

Some suitable options include AIMS Institute Bangalore, Doon Business School Dehradun, Christ Institute of

Hi there,

Yes, you are eligible for XISS Ranchi with a CAT percentile of 67.60.

According to recent admission trends, the CAT cutoff for the PGDM in Human Resource Management for the general category has been around 60 percentile. For other programs such as Marketing, Finance, and Rural Management, the

Hi there,

Careers360 offers a wide range of eBooks and study materials to assist with CAT preparation. You can access past CAT question papers with solutions to understand the exam pattern and difficulty level. Additionally, there are quantitative aptitude handbooks, cheat sheets, and section-specific practice sets for arithmetic, algebra, and

Hi there,

The minimum eligibility criteria for a general candidate to receive a call from IIM Sambalpur are as follows:
VARC: 65%ile
QUANTS: 65%ile
LRDI: 65%ile
Overall: 90%tile
Keep practising and aim to improve your score. You can also focus on other management exams where you may secure a strong