Great Lakes - PGDM & PGPM Admissions 2026
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CAT Application Date:01 Aug' 25 - 13 Sep' 25
Are you preparing for CAT 2025? Stop it right now!! CAT 2025, which is scheduled for November 30, 2025, is the top management exam in India. The acceptance of CAT goes beyond 22 IIMs in India, as Non-IIMs like FMS, SPJIMR, JBIMS, etc accept the CAT score for the MBA admission. But in recent years, a decline in Indian MBA value has been noticed. Even top institutes like IIM Indore experienced a decline in average package from Rs. 29.57 in 2024 to Rs. 25.68 in 2025. Though the MBA average packages 2025 have witnessed a dip, MBA fees in India are on the rise. In India, top B-schools' fees range from Rs. 14 lakhs to Rs. 33.50 lakhs. The poor ROI of MBA in India leads to another question: Is an MBA still worth it or not? Moreover, within this scenario of the declining value of MBA, CAT as a gateway to the MBA programmes is under scrutiny too. Factors like less frequency of CAT, the CAT 2025 difficulty level, the high CAT cutoffs are forcing candidates to think about alternatives to the CAT exam, non-CAT MBA colleges and even why CAT may not be the right choice for them. Read ahead to know about MBA and CAT exam disadvantages, and is the CAT exam worth it for you?
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One of the major reasons for not choosing an MBA through CAT is the higher CAT cutoff for the GEM (General -Engineering- Male) over the years. Here are some of the disadvantages of the CAT 2025 exam for the GEM students.
IIMs are now instituting policies to encourage people from different backgrounds to provide a diverse learning environment, and with already existing reservations, the cutoffs for the GEM (General Engineering Category) are getting even higher.
Among all the categories CAT exam disadvantages affect the GEM category. Most severely. Reportedly, many GEM candidates with great academic records who have scored above 99 percentile are not even getting calls from Old IIMs.
However, IIM Ahmedabad looks at different academic categories even among general students. So a BA graduate is not directly competing with an Engineer here, but the number of GEM candidate applications are still high making the competition extremely difficult.
In recent times, though, Engineers maintain their dominance among all the streams in the IIM Batches, still the difference in numbers between engineers vs non-engineer students in IIM is getting closer.
CAT, being one of the most revered management examinations, happens only once a year. In 2025 CAT is scheduled to take place on November 30, 2025. However, there are other exams that allow you to take multiple attempts in a year like XAT, SNAP, and NMAT. SNAP 2025 provides management aspirants to appear for the SNAP exam thrice in the academic year.
On the other hand, NMAT 2025 allows candidates to appear for the NMAT test as well as the NMAT 2025 retests. As other management entrance examinations provide more opportunities to appear for the exam more than once, management candidates might appear for the exams like XAT 2026, NMAT 2025 or SNAP 2025 rather than CAT 2025.
Going by the trend of the past years, more than 3.5 lakh students are expected to appear for the CAT 2025. On the other hand, 1.4 lakh students appeared for XAT last year, while around 1.4 lakhs students registered for the SNAP as well. NMAT 2024 had a registration of around 75 thousand candidates last year. As evident from the numbers, at the national level, CAT 2025 has the highest number of registrations, making it the most competitive management examination among all. One should not appear for the CAT 2025 to avoid the highest competition.
Other than national-level exams, there are also state-level exams like MAH CET (Maharashtra), TSICET 2025 (Telangana), KMAT (Karnataka), etc. They can get you into top Non-CAT MBA colleges. These exams can help you land a good state-level management institution.
Rather than appearing for CAT 2025, one can also take exams that are accepted across various countries, like GMAT. GMAT 2025 is less competitive and opens way more doors than CAT. In addition to prestigious foreign institutions, which provide much better ROI than India, GMAT is also accepted by IIMs and other top B- B-Schools. And unlike the CAT, which only happens once a year, you can take the GMAT multiple times in a year, and save a lot of time. However, the GMAT exam's higher registration fee might pose difficulty for certain candidates.
Career options without CAT or MBA are also a viable option for management aspirants who wish to improve their skills and build a profile. They can also help you land a great package. After gaining some significant work experience, you can also look forward to the option of an Executive MBA. CAT is not for everyone and ultimately, the decision depends on your personal circumstances and aspirations. However, it is important to carefully weigh the pros and cons of the whole process and then reach a decision.
One of the reasons people appear for the CAT 2025 is that it opens gates of top B-Schools and IIMs. However, the IIMs fees is very costly and this also becomes a major reason for dropping CAT exam.:
Old IIMs fees range from Rs. 20.75 lakhs to Rs. 33.50 lakhs.
New IIMs fees range from Rs. 14 lakhs to Rs. 26.18 lakhs.
Baby IIMs fees range from Rs. 15.05 lakhs to Rs. 19.50.
And especially in the case of Baby IIMs ROI is low to moderate.
The fee structure of other Top B schools like SPJIMR, MDI Gurgaon is also quite expensive. The MBA fee of SPJIMR is around Rs. 31.5 L and the MBA fees of MDI Gurgaon is around Rs. 26.13 L
With declining mba average packages, ROI of MBA in India now seem a little bleak.
However, there are some exceptions to this like FMS Delhi. FMS Delhi fees is around Rs. 2.32 L and it provides an exceptional ROI.
Though the MBA fees in India are on rise in recent years a major decline in the average salaries of IIMs has been witnessed.Which has more and more people asking the questions that if success without MBA is possible? And is the CAT exam worth it?
IIM Kozhikode average CTC dropped by ~9.6%, from Rs. 31.02 LPA in 2023 to Rs. 28.05 LPA in 2024.
IIM Indore experienced a decline in average placements from Rs. 29.57 CTC in 2024 to Rs. 25.68 LPA.
And other IIMs also experienced similar fluctuations.
However, IIM Calcutta has maintained its average package.
According to a recent RTI-based report, in the 2024 MBA batch at IIM Trichy, 59 students (~1 in 6) remained unplaced, and only 104 secured offers above Rs. 20 lakh per annum. This also raises serious concerns about placement effectiveness at some newer IIMs.
With some of the most prominent Indian Business Schools facing difficulty in getting their students placed with high packages, it is even harder for institutions to get their MBA students placed with great packages.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, many students crack CAT on their own, especially with a wide range of study materials available online. However, many students also prefer to take coaching for a more structured preparation and doubt-solving.
Time duration of preparation varies depending on the candidates’s starting point and aptitude. However, 6-12 months, dedicating 2-5 hours daily is considered the average time required for the preparation of the exam
Absolutely, Many professionals have succeeded in their careers without an MBA through alternate degrees, certifications, entrepreneurship, or strong work experience.
No, unfortunately not. Even after scoring 90+ percentile admission is not guaranteed to an IIM, as many other factors are also considered while granting a seat at IIMs like academic scores, work experience, category, and personal interview performance.
No, While CAT is the main exam for the IIMs and other top business schools, there are other exams that you can take to get into top business schools as well like GMAT, XAT, SNAP, NMAT etc
On Question asked by student community
Hello,
Thank you for your question!
KL- MAT syllabus: Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning, English/Verbal Ability, and General Awareness (similar to MAT/CMAT pattern).
CAT scores are valid in many private universities including KL University, but always check the year’s admission notification.
CAT vs other exams: CAT is toughest (IIMs + top B-schools), while MAT/CMAT/ATMA are relatively easier and accepted by many mid-level private universities.
Hello it will clear your doubt!
Hello Aspirant,
I saw a cat. The cat found an old map inside a drawer of the king's palace.
Here's why:
"a cat": It's the first time we mention the cat, so it's indefinite.
"The cat": Now we're talking about that specific cat we just mentioned, so it's definite.
"an old map": It's the first time we mention a map, and "old" starts with a vowel sound, so "an."
"a drawer": It's one of possibly many drawers, not a specific one known to us yet.
"the king's palace": This is a specific, unique place, so "the."
Hello Kapish
You can find the last 5 year questions of DILR for CAT at Careers360 website. Moreover, you can find the previous year papers of all the subjects i.e. DILR, Quants and VARC. I am attaching the link through which you would be able to access the same.
Here's the link:
CAT Previous Year Papers by CAREERS360
Sample paper of DILR:
CAT Sample Paper (DILR) by CAREERS360
Thank You!!!
Hello Divya,
Yes, candidates with an online BBA can sit for both CAT and GMAT provided that the degree is from a recognized (UGC approved in India or accredited abroad) institution. The leading B-schools in both India and abroad do not look down upon online degrees as long as the degree is from a recognized body, they will mostly be looking at your test scores, academic performance, work experience, and profile holistically. What matters is the legitimacy of the institution and how you showcase your abilities, not whether your degree was obtained online or in-person.
Yes, someone with an online BBA can sit for both CAT and GMAT, provided the degree is from a UGC recognized university. Top B-schools in India (like IIMs) and abroad generally accept online degrees if they are valid, and you won’t be marked down just because it’s online. What matters more is your entrance exam score, academic record, work experience, and overall profile.
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