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CAT exam fees have increased again this year. The CAT 2025 official notification was released in the form of a newspaper advertisement on July 27, 2025. The increased CAT 2025 exam fees are mentioned in the same notification. This year for the CAT exam, aspirants belonging to the unreserved category will have to pay Rs 2600, and for reserved category candidates, the CAT registration fee is Rs 1300. It is also official now; IIM Kozhikode will set the CAT 2025 question paper, and the exam will be held on November 30, 2025 (Sunday). Along with the CAT exam fee hike, the CAT notification also mentions all the key dates about CAT 2025.
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Candidates from the general category now pay Rs 2600, up from Rs 2500 in the previous year, while applicants in the reserved category will pay Rs 1300, up from Rs 1250 in 2024. The modest yet significant fee hike, about a 4% increase for both category groups, adds a layer of financial consideration for CAT 2025 aspirants. Read this piece by Careers360 to know “how much have CAT exam fee has increased over the past five years.”
As mentioned above, the CAT application fee for 2025 has been increased to Rs 2600 for General/EWS/NC-OBC candidates and Rs 1300 for SC/ST/PWD candidates.
On July 27, 2025, IIM Kozhikode released the official CAT 2025 notification in the form of a newspaper advertisement, confirming the CAT exam date as November 30, 2025, with CAT registration starting from August 1, 2025.
Here we have compiled CAT exam fee data from the past few years that shows a steady upward trajectory in CAT application fees.
CAT exam year | Category (General/ EWS/ NC-OBC Fee) | SC/ST/PWD fee |
2020 | Rs 2000 | Rs 1000 |
2021 | Rs 2200 | Rs 1100 (+10%) |
2022 | Rs 2300 (+4.5%) | Rs 1150 (+4.5%) |
2023 | Rs 2400 (+4.3%) | Rs 1200 (+4.3%) |
2024 | Rs 2500 (+4.2%) | Rs 1250 (+4.2%) |
Here we have listed a comparison of the CAT exam fee of past five years category wise.
General/ Unreserved category- CAT exam fee increased from Rs 2000 to Rs 2600, which is a total raise of Rs 600 or 30%.
Reserved category (SC/ST/PWD)- CAT registration fee increased from Rs 1000 to Rs 1300 which is a total raise of Rs 300 or 30%.
Affordability Concerns- In social media groups, several CAT aspirants have expressed frustration over raising CAT exam fee costs, highlighting the strain caused when applying to multiple MBA entrance exams or colleges.
Transaction Charges- On top of the CAT application fee, candidates have to pay additional charges depending on the payment mode.
Credit cards: 1.2% (2.85% for AmEx)
Debit cards: 0.75–0.90%
Net banking: Rs 20 fixed
UPI: generally no fees
Non-Refundable Nature- The CAT exam fee is non-refundable, even in case of CAT application form corrections. Online minor details can be edited such as photo, signature, CAT exam centre are allowed without full repayment.
The CAT exam fee has steadily increased, moving from Rs 2000/ Rs 1000 in 2020 to Rs 2600/1300 in 2025. That is a consistent annual hike of Rs 4 to 10%, resulting in a 30% rise over five years. That usually places additional financial pressure on CAT aspirants.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The CAT fee hike of Rs 100 for the general category and rs 50 for the reserved category is a part of a routine annual revision that helps cover inflation and administrative costs.
No, the CAT application fee is non-refundable. Once paid, it cannot be refunded under any circumstances, even in the event of CAT exam cancellation or application error.
Reserved category candidates (SC/ST/PWD) will have to pay an CAT application fee for Rs 1300 for CAT 2025, up from Rs 1250 in 2024 which is a increase of Rs 50.
For CAT 2025, the CAT application fee for General/ EWS/ NC-OBC category candidates has been increased from Rs 2500 to Rs 2600, reflecting a Rs 100 hike over the previous year.
The official CAT 2025 notification was released by IIM Kozhikode on July 27, 2025, in the form of a newspaper advertisement. The official website launch for CAT 2025 is awaited and can be released anytime soon.
On Question asked by student community
Hello Amgothu
With 305 marks in ICAR PG and being from ST category, your chances of getting an AIEEA (CAT) seat is good, especially in plant sciences and less competitive subjects
Hello
As you said you by mistakenly done that, you don't need to get worry regarding that ,
Just inform the help desk and carry the correct certifications , the state certificate will not disqualify you .
The steps you can follow is -
1. You can check if the correction window is available or not
2. Contact the CAT desk immediately.
Hope this helps
In CAT registration, you cannot create a new user ID with the same mobile number, even if you use a different email ID. Each mobile number and email can be linked to only one account. If you already registered once, the system will not accept a duplicate with that number. To register again, you must use a new mobile number and new email ID. If you lost your old login, you can recover it through the forgot password/user ID option on the CAT portal.
Yes, you can fill the CAT form even if you currently have a backlog. CAT eligibility requires you to be in your final year of graduation or already graduated backlogs don’t stop you from applying.
While filling the form:
Enter the aggregate percentage/CGPA of marks you have obtained up to the latest semester for which results are declared (in your case till 4th semester).
There will be an option to mention that you have a backlog.
If you clear the backlog later, you’ll just need to show the updated marks during admission.
Hello Aspirant,
Yes, you can apply for the CAT exam as a final-year student. You must declare your backlog on the online application form. You do not write about it on the final-year student certificate; that document is to certify your enrollment status. You must clear all backlogs before the final admission process to any MBA college.
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