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CAT 2025 Reservation Policy: Category-Wise Seats, Fees, Eligibility & Documents Required
CAT 2025 Reservation: CAT 2025 reservation policy follows the regulation of the Indian government. According to that 27% of IIM MBA seats are allotted for OBC candidates, 15% for SC, 7.5% for ST, and up to 10% of seats are reserved for EWS candidates. Meanwhile, 5% of seats are reserved for PwD candidates according to the CAT 2025 reservation policy set by the Ministry of Education, Govt. of India. Indian Institute of Management follows the CAT reservation policy for offering IIM MBA seats. Read this article to know about the CAT exam reservation policy, CAT reservation fees and CAT reservation documents.
LiveIIM CAT 2025 Result (OUT) LIVE: MBA admission criteria for IIMs; CAT score weightage, cut-offsDec 26, 2025 | 11:01 PM ISTRead More
IIM Kozhikode will retain its three-stage admission process for the MBA (PGP) 2026–28 batch, with CAT 2025 scores carrying a final weightage of 35 percent. The minimum overall CAT cut-off for general category candidates remains at 85 percentile, with sectional qualifying scores required in VARC, DILR, and QA. Shortlisting of candidates will be based on CAT performance, academic record, and personal interview rounds.
CAT 2025 Reservation Criteria
This Story also Contains
- CAT Reservation 2025 : Documents Required
- CAT 2025 Reservation : List of Documents
- CAT 2025 Reservation Fees
- IIM Admission Reservation Criteria 2025
- CAT Reservation 2025 for General Category
- CAT 2025 Reservation for OBC Category
- CAT Reservation 2025 for SC/ST Category
- CAT Reservation 2025 for PWD Category
- CAT Reservation 2025: Eligibility Criteria
- IIM Admission 2025-2027: Category wise Class Composition
The reservation in the CAT 2025 exam, IIM reservation policy and list of documents are available on the CAT 2025 official website, iimcat.ac.in and also mentioned in the CAT notification 2025. The category-wise CAT 2025 reservation certificates needed to be submitted for the CAT reservation 2025 verification.
CAT 2025 Reservation Policy and Certificates
Category | Reserved Percentage | CAT 2025 Reservation Certificates |
NC-OBC (Non-Creamy Other Backward Classes) | 27% | NC-OBC Certificate |
SC (Scheduled Caste) | 15% | SC/ST Certificate |
ST (Scheduled Tribe) | 7.5% | |
Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) | up to 10% | EWS Certificate |
PwD (Person with Disability)* | 5% |
|
*Based on the physical disability, candidates can download and fill out any one of the forms to avail of the seats under the CAT exam reservation for the PwD category.
Check out: IIM Admission Criteria
CAT Reservation 2025 : Documents Required
To verify the category of the applicants, it is necessary to submit the relevant documents as proof of category certificate and income certificate. The certificate must be collected from the government officials. A copy of the category/caste certificates must be submitted at the time of document verification in front of the admission cell of the institution. The candidate must carry the original CAT reservation 2025 documents for verification. If the candidates fail to submit the CAT exam documents, the admission process of the candidates will be cancelled.
CAT 2025 Reservation : List of Documents
Candidates must be ready with the following CAT exam reservation documents to apply for the CAT 2025 and further rounds of the admission process. The below documents are to be uploaded at the time of CAT 2025 registration in the prescribed size and format.
- ID proof
- OBC Certificate (applicable for OBC candidates only)
- SC Certificate (applicable for SC candidates only)
- ST Certificate (applicable for ST candidates only)
- EWS Certificate (applicable for economically backward candidates only)
- Disability certificate (applicable for specially challenged candidates only)
- Income certificate
- Identification affidavit
- Scribe EducationalQualifications Affidavit
- Academic certificates
- CAT authorisation form
Browse for the Reservation in CAT 2025 Cut off Marks (Category-Wise)
CAT 2025 Reservation Fees
As per the CAT 2025 registration policy, there are no additional fees to be paid for the CAT registration to apply under any category. Based on the category where candidates are in can fill out the CAT application form. The below table the CAT registration fees to be paid by the candidates from various categories.
Category | CAT 2025 Exam Fees |
General/OBC/EWS | Rs. 2600 |
SC/ST/PWD | Rs. 1300 |
Also Read: How to fill out CAT 2025 application form
IIM Admission Reservation Criteria 2025
Indian Institute of Management reserves seats for the reserved candidates from SC, ST, OBC, EWS and PWD categories. Based on the IIM reservation policy, candidates from these categories also get reservations in the CAT cut off marks and a relaxation of 5% of marks in the bachelor's degree to get shortlisted for the next rounds of IIM Admission criteria.
See also: IIM Fees for MBA
CAT Reservation 2025 for General Category
There is no reservation for the general candidates in applying for the CAT exam, CAT 2025 cutoff marks and MBA admission criteria. As per the Government of India reservation policy, the candidates from the general category are not eligible for any reservation in getting seats at IIMs. General candidates can get the IIM MBA admission straightforwardly only without any reservation in the CAT exam.
CAT 2025 Reservation for OBC Category
CAT 2025 exam reservation for the OBC candidates is 27%. The reservation policy for the non-creamy layer backward class is mentioned in the CAT notification 2025. CAT reservation for OBC category is fully dependent on the central list of state-wise OBCs eligible for the reservation. For the latest updates on the Central Government list of OBC candidates, applicants can visit the official website of National Commission for Backward Classes - ncbc.nic.in. before filling out the NC OBC Certificate for CAT 2025.
CAT Reservation 2025 for SC/ST Category
The CAT reservation 2025 for SC and ST categories is 15% and 7.5% respectively. The candidates who meet the MBA eligibility criteria and submit the SC/ST certificate documents will get the benefits of IIM admission under the SC/ST category. Candidates from SC or ST categories can use the same certificate as proof to submit before the authorities of IIM MBA admission for reservation in CAT exam.
CAT Reservation 2025 for PWD Category
As per the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 Government of India, candidates with disabilities irrespective of any category will get 5% of seats for the IIM MBA admission. Based on the physical disability of the applicant, candidates can fill out the certificate from the CAT official website and attest it by the notified medical authority. The physical disabilities considered for the CAT exam under the CAT 2025 reservation policy for PwD category are below:
- Blindness or low vision
- Deaf
- Locomotor disability
- Autism or intellectual disability
- Other disabilities are mentioned under 'The Schedule' of the RPwD Act 2016.
CAT 2025 College Predictor
Use CAT 2025 College Predictor to check your chances for IIM and top MBA calls based on CAT percentile, profile, work experience and cut-off trends.
Use NowAlso Read:
- MBA Admission Guide for PwD: Eligibility, Cutoff, Fees, Selection Criteria
- IIM Admission Guide for PwD Candidates: CAT 2025 Exam, Seat Intake, Eligibility, Cutoff, Selection Criteria
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CAT Reservation 2025: Eligibility Criteria
To apply for the CAT exam, the applicants must fulfil the minimum CAT eligibility requirements as mentioned below. The candidates who failed to meet the MBA eligibility requirements will not be allowed to attend the CAT 2025 exam.
- Candidates from the general category must have a 3 year bachelor’s degree from an approved university with 50% of the minimum aggregate of marks.
- As per the reservation in CAT exam, Candidates from the reserved category are eligible to apply for the CAT exam with 45% marks from a bachelor’s degree as minimum aggregate.
IIM Admission 2025-2027: Category wise Class Composition
| IIMS | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | PwD |
| IIM Ahmedabad | 189 | 20 | 103 | 57 | 30 | 16 |
| IIM Bangalore | 201 | 50 | 138 | 77 | 39 | 20 |
| IIM Calcutta | 233 | 9 | 130 | 72 | 35 | - |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What are the CAT reservation percentages for different categories of candidates?
A:
The CAT 2024 exam follows the reservation criteria set by the Government of India. The CAT reservation policy says 27% for OBC, 15% for SC, 10% for EWS, 7.5% for ST and 5% for PWD.
Q: What documents are required for CAT reservations 2024?
A:
Candidates who meet the CAT reservation criteria will get the favours in the CAT registration and IIM admission process. It is mandatory to submit the valid and latest documents given by the government authority to verify the candidate's category, income certificate for EWS and disability certificate for PwD applicants.
Q: How does the CAT reservation policy affect CAT cut off and IIM MBA admissions?
A:
Reserved candidates have to meet low CAT cut off marks compared to the general category. However, candidates from all categories must obtain minimum qualifying marks for the CAT exam. The CAT reservation policy is considered while releasing the shortlist and final IIM MBA admission offer letter.
Q: Can a candidate apply under both OBC and EWS categories for CAT 2024?
A:
No, the applicants can do the CAT registration 2024 only under one category.
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Have a question related to CAT ?
HELLO,
With an overall 98.54 percentile ( QA/DILR 97.55, VARC 94.89) and strong academics 9/9/0, you have a good profile. As a B.Tech candidate you can expect calls from :-
- IIM Shillong
- IIM Udaipur
- IIM Trichy
- IIM Ranchi
- IIM Raipur
- IIM Kashipur
- IIM Nagpur
- IIM Indore is Boderline
Hope this will help you !
Hello aspirant,
Your kid has a good profile even in the general category with a BTech from IIT Delhi, three years of excellent job experience in a leading industry, and a 96 percentile in the CAT. He has a strong chance at reputable MBA schools like IIM Shillong, IIM Udaipur, IIM Trichy, IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, and others, depending on interview performance and profile match, even though the top IIMs often require higher percentiles.
Thank you
Hope it helps you
With an overall CAT percentile of 82.71 in CAT 2025 as a general category candidate, along with section-wise percentiles of 80.56 in VARC, 75.81 in DILR and 84.56 in QA, your chances at top IIMs are limited, as most older IIMs usually shortlist general category candidates at much higher percentiles. However, this percentile still keeps you eligible for admission calls from several Tier-2 and Tier-3 MBA colleges across India, especially those that consider overall performance, academic background and work experience along with CAT scores. You can expect calls from institutes such as IMT Nagpur, IMI Bhubaneswar, FORE School of Management (some programs), TAPMI Manipal (borderline), Great Lakes Institute of Management (Chennai or Gurgaon for PGPM/PGDM variants), K J Somaiya (depending on cut-offs), GIM Goa (through CAT or other exams), and state-level universities that accept CAT scores. Additionally, many good private universities and autonomous B-schools consider candidates in the 80–85 percentile range and conduct their own GD-PI rounds. To improve your chances, you should apply widely, prepare well for interviews, and highlight your academics, work experience, certifications and extracurricular achievements, as final selection is not based on CAT score alone.
All the best.
With an overall CAT 2025 percentile of 82.71, you are unlikely to get calls from the IIMs (including new or baby IIMs), as most of them generally shortlist candidates at 90+ percentile, even after considering category and profile factors. However, this percentile is still quite decent and opens doors to many good Tier-2 and Tier-3 MBA colleges in India that offer solid academics, reasonable placements, and good industry exposure.
At around 80–85 percentile, you have a strong chance of getting shortlisted by institutes such as IMI Bhubaneswar, IMT Nagpur, IMT Hyderabad, XIME Bangalore/Chennai, TAPMI Manipal (borderline, profile-dependent), IFMR GSB Krea University, FORE School of Management (certain programs), GIM Goa (specialised programs), LIBA Chennai (borderline), K J Somaiya Institute of Management (profile-based), Great Lakes Chennai/Gurgaon (PGDM – profile matters a lot), and Welingkar Mumbai (especially through profile + GDPI). Many reputed state universities and private institutes like PUMBA Pune, Delhi School of Management (DTU – if accepting CAT that year), BIMTECH (some programs), NDIM Delhi, ITM Navi Mumbai, and Jaipuria Institute of Management campuses are also realistic options.
Your sectional percentiles (VARC 80.56, DILR 75.81, QA 84.56) are fairly balanced, which works in your favor, as several colleges apply sectional cut-offs around 60–70 percentile. Final selection will depend not only on CAT score but also on academic background, graduation marks, work experience, diversity factors, and GD-PI performance. If you have work experience, it significantly improves your chances at colleges like Great Lakes, FORE, IFMR, and Welingkar.
In summary, while top IIMs are not achievable at 82.71 percentile, you can still secure admission into reputed mid-tier MBA colleges that provide good ROI and career growth if you perform well in the GD-PI process. It is advisable to apply broadly, focus on profile-based institutes, and prepare seriously for interviews to convert the best possible calls.
With 84.91 percentile in CAT (General, male, no work experience), top colleges like IIMs, IITs, FMS, MDI, etc. are not possible. You may get calls from private institutes such as IMT Nagpur/Hyderabad, IMI Bhubaneswar, XIME, SDMIMD, Welingkar (some programs) and similar colleges. Universities like Amity or LPU are also options.
It’s better to choose carefully, as placements and ROI may be average. Reattempting CAT or trying XAT/CMAT could improve options.
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