CAT Attempt Limit 2025: How Many Times Can You Take the CAT Exam?

CAT Attempt Limit 2025: How Many Times Can You Take the CAT Exam?

Team Careers360Updated on 30 Nov 2025, 09:18 AM IST

The CAT attempt limit is not specified. The CAT (Common Admission Test) is held once every year for admission to IIMs and other top-rated MBA/PGDM colleges. CAT 2025 will be held on November 30, 2025. Candidates can attempt the CAT 2025 on the day in three slots. There is no specific CAT attempt limit, which is a relieving factor as the CAT exam itself puts a bit of pressure on the aspirants. Moreover, there is no CAT attempt age limit. The CAT attempt limit might not be there, but the candidates should go for a CAT exam a maximum of 2 (3 in rare cases), as it does take a toll on the personal and professional life of the candidate.

LiveCAT 2025 Answer Key (OUT) LIVE: IIM CAT objection facility from December 8; cut-offs, score vs percentileDec 6, 2025 | 7:13 AM IST

A score of 70 percentile in the CAT exam is considered a moderate to good score, which opens the door to a wide range of tier-2 and tier-3 MBA colleges, but it is unlikely to get into the top IIMs.

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CAT Attempt Limit 2025: How Many Times Can You Take the CAT Exam?
CAT Attempt Limit

CAT Attempt Limit for Different Categories

For candidates belonging to different categories, there is no CAT attempt limit specified. There is no CAT attempt limit for the general category as well. The eligibility criteria, however, differ slightly for different categories. The CAT eligibility criteria for various categories are given in the table below.

Category

CAT Eligibility Criteria

CAT Exam Attempt Limit

General

Bachelor’s Degree with 50% marks or equivalent CGPA from a UGC-recognised institute.

Unlimited

SC/ST/PwD

Bachelor’s Degree with 45% marks or equivalent CGPA from a UGC-recognised institute.

Unlimited

CAT Attempt Limit for IIM Admission 2026-28

The IIMs have not prescribed any CAT exam attempt limit as part of their eligibility criteria. The candidates across all age groups are shortlisted based on their CAT 2025 percentiles. To get shortlisted, candidates need to have a CAT percentile at par with the CAT cutoff for a particular IIM. For final selection, the candidate needs to perform well in the group discussion (GD) and personal interview (PI) rounds.

Candidates with work experience in significant roles have the chance to make their profile stand out among other applicants. Work experience is not mandatory as per the eligibility criteria of the IIMs.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: How many times can CAT be taken?
A:

The CAT exam can be taken by the candidates for any number of times they wish to. There is no specified number of CAT attempts limit barring a candidate. The CAT exam is held once every year by one of the IIMs. The CAT score is accepted by different IIMs and top management institutes across the country.

Q: What is the validity of the CAT score?
A:

The validity of the CAT score is one year from the date of declaration. The valid CAT score for admission will be acceptable by a college for a given academic year only. For the next year, candidates will be required to take the CAT exam for a valid CAT score.

Q: What is the fee for the CAT exam?
A:

The registration fee for the CAT exam is Rs. 2400 for General Category candidates and Rs. 1200 for candidates belonging to reserved categories. The CAT exam fee can be paid online through various modes like credit/debit cards, net banking, and UPI.

Q: Which is the best IIM in India?
A:

IIM Ahmedabad is considered to be the best IIM in India. It has the highest CAT cutoffs among the peer IIMs. As per the NIRF ranking, IIM Ahmedabad bagged the number one spot for colleges in the management category.

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Questions related to CAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CAT ?

Hello,
If your CAT admit card shows your surname first followed by your first name as entered in the form, it is correct. You do not need to worry about this format as long as it matches the details you provided. Ensure all other information on the admit card is accurate and carry it to the exam along with the required identification documents.
Hope this helps you.

Hello,

If your CAT admit card has a different date of birth than your Aadhaar card, you should get it corrected immediately . Here’s what you can do:

  1. Check the CAT website : Log in to your candidate portal and look for the option to correct personal details.

  2. Contact the CAT helpdesk : Email or call them explaining the issue. Attach a copy of your Aadhaar card as proof.

  3. Do not ignore it : The date of birth must match your ID, otherwise you may face problems at the exam or during admission.

Usually, the CAT authorities allow corrections before the exam, so act quickly.

Hope it helps !

Hello,

Here are Documents Required for CUSAT CAT (NRI Quota):

  1. Academic Documents includes (Class 10-mark sheet, Class 12-mark sheet, Transfer Certificate)
  2. NRI Sponsorship Documents
  3. Other Supporting Documents (Candidate’s passport, Proof of residence abroad)

To know more access below mentioned link:

https://engineering.careers360.com/articles/cusat-cat-application-form

Hope it helps.

To get admission into the MBA program course 2026 to 2028 at Great lakes institute of management Gurgaon you need to check about the specific eligibility criterias and the admission process

follow the link given below by careers 360 to get the detail admission process overview into the MBA program at Great lakes institutes of management Gurgaon

https://www.careers360.com/colleges/great-lakes-institute-of-management-gurgaon


You can get the previous year's CUSAT CAT papers in pdf format sample papers from careers360 article. Follow the link given below from careers360 to get the the CUSAT CAT previous years question papers.

Link- https://engineering.careers360.com/articles/cusat-cat-sample-papers