CAT Admit Card Date:12 Nov' 25 - 30 Nov' 25
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. 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. The CAT attempt limit might not be there, but the candidates should go for a CAT exam maximum attempt of 2 (3 in rare cases), as it does take a toll on the personal and professional life of the candidate.
For candidates belonging to different categories, there is no CAT attempt limit specified. The eligibility criteria, however, differ slightly for different categories. The CAT eligibility criteria for different 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-recognized institute. | Unlimited |
SC/ST/PwD | Bachelor’s Degree with 45% marks or equivalent CGPA from a UGC-recognized institute. | Unlimited |
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 having 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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
On Question asked by student community
Hello
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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.
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