CAT Admit Card Date:12 Nov' 25 - 30 Nov' 25
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.
MBA aspirants can expect CAT percentile above 99 for admissions to the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), based on analysis of previous years' trends. IIM Bangalore and IIM Kozhikode are likely to admit students having CAT 2025 percentile between 97 and 99.
This Story also Contains
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
No, there is no limit on the number of CAT attempts as the candidate can appear for the exam any number of times.
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.
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.
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.
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.
On Question asked by student community
Hello
You can get all the papers on the Careers360 website. To access the paper and download it for practice, just visit here:
https://design.careers360.com/articles/nift-cat-2024-question-paper-with-solutions
Hope it will help you!!
Hello dear candidate,
Yes, you have a very good chance of getting a BPT seat with 488 out of 600 and TS EAMCET rank of 14,000 under the ST category.
As the cut off of BPT for ST category students are generally between 25,000 to 45,000 ranks, depending upon the college and you have TS EAMCET rank of 14,000.
Thank you.
If you got 802 marks in Telangana Intermediate and belong to the ST category, you have a fair chance to get admission in a BPT course in 2025, but it depends on the college and cut-off. Most BPT colleges in Telangana ask for 12th marks in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, and some also use the TS EAMCET rank for admission. The cut-off for ST students is usually lower than for general students, but it changes every year. It is better to check the previous year’s cut-offs of the colleges you want to apply to.
Hello, Getting shortlisted for IIM Lucknow or IIT Bombay (SJMSOM) with your profile is challenging, primarily due to your 58% in Class 10th, which significantly impacts the composite score calculation for both institutes. While your 98 percentile CAT score is excellent, and your 24 months of work experience, B.Com (Hons) background (providing academic diversity, especially for IIM-L), and KVS National player status are valuable additions, top IIMs and IITs heavily weigh consistent academic performance. Your 74% in 12th is also on the lower side. IIM Lucknow places substantial weight on 10th and 12th marks, making a call quite difficult despite your strengths. You likely have a relatively better, though still uncertain, chance at IIT Bombay, as their weighting might be slightly less penalizing for past academics compared to IIM-L, and your high CAT score is a major factor. However, the low 10th score remains a significant hurdle for both prestigious institutions.
I hope you found this information helpful and for study related queries you can ask in careers360 app, Have a great day and!
Hey,
You already have a strong profile with the score of 58% in Class 10, 74% in Class 12, and 80% in graduation, but admission in IIT Bombay, Shailesh J Mehta School of Management is quite competitive, especially if you are in general category because the cutoff for general goes to 98.5-99%. Your CAT percentage is impressive but your 10th marks might reduce your score during the shortlisting process. If you perform well in Written Ability Test and Personal Interview, and present your commerce background you still stand a fair chance. But it would also be wise if you have some backups like MDI Gurugram, IMT Ghaziabad, IMI Delhi, where your marks and profile will fit well in their selection range.
Admissions Open | Globally Recognized by AACSB (US) & AMBA (UK) | 17.8 LPA Avg. CTC for PGPM 2025
Ranked Under 100 B-Schools in India by NIRF | AACSB Member | AICTE Approved | Highest CTC 26 LPA | Average CTC of the Top 25% Students is 13 LPA
Ranked No. 3 Business School in India and no.35 in world by Financial Times MiM 2025 Ranking | Highest CTC: INR 89 LPA
Among top 6% B-Schools globally to be accredited by AACSB | 7000+ Alumni Network
UGC Approved Programs | 100% Placement Record | Up to 100% Scholarships | Highest CTC 21.32 LPA
AACSB, NBA & SAQS Accredited | H-CTC 41.55 LPA | Merit Based Scholarship