CAT Exam Age Limit 2025: No Upper Age Restriction to Apply for IIM Admissions

CAT Exam Age Limit 2025: No Upper Age Restriction to Apply for IIM Admissions

Ongoing Event

CAT Application Date:01 Aug' 25 - 20 Sep' 25

Himanshu ShekharUpdated on 16 Sep 2025, 11:56 AM IST

CAT Exam Age Limit: IIM do not specify the age eligibility for the CAT entrance exam. Candidates belonging to any age group can appear for the CAT 2025 exam. The Common Admission Test (CAT) is the biggest MBA entrance exam for admission to the best MBA/PGDM colleges nationwide. It is the exam through which candidates can join the prestigious IIMs (Indian Institute of Management). To apply for the CAT, the candidates must satisfy the eligibility criteria specified by the CAT conducting body, IIM Kozhikode.

This Story also Contains

  1. CAT Exam Age Limit for MBA Admission
  2. CAT Age Limit for General Category
  3. CAT Age Limit for OBC
  4. CAT Age Limit for SC/ST/EWS and PwD
  5. CAT Age Limit for IIMs
  6. CAT Age Limit for Working Professionals
CAT Exam Age Limit 2025: No Upper Age Restriction to Apply for IIM Admissions
CAT Age Limit

CAT Exam Age Limit for MBA Admission

According to the CAT eligibility criteria, there is no upper age limit for applying for the CAT exam. The latest age limit for the CAT exam eligibility criteria to be met by all the CAT aspirants for applying for the CAT 2025 is given below.

  • A bachelor's degree in any stream or its equivalent from a recognised university.
  • Should secure a minimum of 50% marks or equivalent CGPA for the open category and 45% marks for the SC/ST/PwD category, giving a relaxation of 5%.
  • The final-year students of bachelor's degrees are also eligible to apply for the CAT exam. However, such candidates will have to submit the certificate of completion from the principal or registrar of their university or institution on or before the date stipulated by the respective IIMs.
  • Candidates with work experience will be given some added preference/weightage. However, work experience is not mandatory as per the CAT exam eligibility 2025.
  • There is no upper age limit for the CAT exam 2025. Candidates, regardless of age, can apply for this CAT exam.

CAT Age Limit for General Category

There is no CAT age limit for applicants from the General category. This means that anyone can appear for this entrance exam at any age, provided they make sure that they fulfil the CAT educational qualification and other eligibility.

CAT Age Limit for OBC

Similar to the General category, there is no age limit for the applicants belonging to the Other Backwards Classes non-creamy layer (NC-OBC) category. Candidates must ensure that they fulfil the educational qualification to be able to sit for the CAT exam 2025.

CAT Age Limit for SC/ST/EWS and PwD

There is no fixed age limit for candidates belonging to SC, ST, EWS and PwD sections. All can appear provided they fulfil the educational criteria.

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CAT Age Limit for IIMs

Candidates taking the CAT exam aim to get into IIMs, as they are considered to be the best management institutions in the country. Everything about the IIMs is a league apart, from infrastructure to placements to the extended worldwide alumni network. Age limit can be a question for candidates wanting to go for IIM. As a matter of fact, the IIMs do not have any prescribed age limit.

Also Read: MBA Admission Process 2025-27

CAT Age Limit for Working Professionals

Working professionals aspiring to take the CAT exam might wonder if age is a barrier to their dream MBA. To their knowledge, there is no age limit for the CAT entrance exam specified, even for working professionals. IIMs have special MBA programs for working professionals. The work experience of the working professional works as an added advantage for their application to the IIMs and other top MBA/PGDM colleges.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Is 70 a good score in CAT?
A:

A 70 percentile in the CAT exam is considered to be a moderate score that is not ideal for the top-tier IIMS. However, they can still provide access to a good number of reputable Tier 2 and Tier 3 schools with solid MBA programs. 

Q: How many CAT attempts are allowed?
A:

There is no limit to the number of times you can attempt the Common Admission Test (CAT), as the CAT exam authority does not have any restriction on the number of attempts. One can appear for the exam as many times as needed to achieve the desired score.

Q: Is 70 a good score in CAT?
A:

A 70 percentile in the CAT exam is considered to be a moderate score that is not ideal for the top-tier IIMS. However, they can still provide access to a good number of reputable Tier 2 and Tier 3 schools with solid MBA programs. 

Q: What is the maximum age limit to give CAT?
A:

There is no maximum age limit for a candidate willing to take the CAT exam. As long as the candidate meets the prescribed CAT eligibility criteria specified by the exam conducting body they are good to go.

Q: How many CAT attempts are allowed?
A:

There is no limit to the number of times you can attempt the Common Admission Test (CAT), as the CAT exam authority does not have any restriction on the number of attempts. One can appear for the exam as many times as needed to achieve the desired score.

Q: Is there a limit on CAT attempts?
A:

No, there is no limit on the number of CAT attempts as the candidate can appear for the exam any number of times. 

Q: Can I give a CAT exam at the age of 40?
A:

Yes, anyone at the age of 40 can take the CAT exam, as there is no upper age limit. Although the candidate must hold a standard qualification to be eligible to apply for the CAT exam. Many people in their late 30s or 40s take the CAT exam for their professional and personal growth. 

Q: How many times can I give the CAT exam?
A:

There is no restriction on the number of attempts that a candidate has for the CAT exams. That means a candidate can give as many attempts as they want for the CAT exam. To get admission through CAT, a candidate must qualify for the CAT cutoff required by the college.

Q: What is a good score for CAT?
A:

A good CAT score will depend on the college that a candidate aims for. If the goal is to pursue an MBA from IIMs then a good score would be percentile between 98-99.9. Other than IIMs a percentile between 90-99 would be considered good enough.

Q: What are the eligibility criteria for CAT?
A:

The eligibility criteria for CAT specify that a candidate must have a bachelor’s degree in any stream from a UGC-recognized college with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA (45% for reserved category candidates). Final-year students are also eligible given they satisfy the eligibility criteria at the time of admissions.

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Questions related to CAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CAT ?

Hello Aspirant,

Since your payment status shows "S" , it means your payment is successful. The "payment unsuccessful" message on the form is likely a temporary system error or a delay in updating.

Do not make another payment.

Making a second payment could cause a double debit, which is difficult to get a refund for. You should:

  1. Wait 24-48 hours for the status to update automatically.

  2. Download and save a copy of your form and a screenshot of the "S" payment status as proof.

  3. Check your bank statement to confirm the money has been debited.

  4. If the issue is not fixed after 48 hours, contact the official CAT helpdesk immediately with your transaction details.

Hello

The CAT 2025 exam is a national-level MBA entrance test for IIMs and top B-schools in India. It will be held on 30th November 2025 in computer-based mode across ~170 cities.
The registration is open from 1st August to 13th September 2025 on iimcat.ac.in .
Admit cards will be available from 5th November 2025 onward.
Graduates with at least 50 marks (45 for SC/ST/PwD) are eligible to apply.
The exam tests English, Reasoning, and Quantitative Aptitude in three timed sections.

Yes, you can pursue an MBA at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU), Lucknow, through the CAT exam.

Eligibility Criteria:

  • Educational Qualification: A bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks (45% for SC/ST/PwD candidates) from a recognized university.

  • Entrance Exam: A valid CAT score is required for admission.

Admission Process:

  1. Application: Register online through the BBAU admission portal.

  2. Entrance Exam: Appear for the CAT exam and obtain a valid score.

  3. Counseling: Shortlisted candidates will be called for counseling based on their CAT scores.

  4. Document Verification: Submit necessary documents for verification.

  5. Fee Payment: Complete the fee payment to confirm admission.

Course Details:

  • Duration: 2 years (full-time).

  • Specializations: Finance, Marketing, Human Resource Management, among others.

Placement Opportunities:
BBAU has a strong placement record, with top companies recruiting MBA graduates.

For more details and to apply, visit the  official BBAU MBA admission page

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