CAT 2025: How the exam changed in five years and what top IIMs now look for in MBA aspirants
Anu Parthiban | November 16, 2025 | 04:41 PM IST | 3 mins read
IIM CAT 2025: The final selection process for MBA admissions at IIMs still heavily relies on the interview round. Know the sectional cut-offs and final selection process for top IIMs.
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Download EbookThe Common Admission Test (CAT 2025) has gone through structural changes in over five years – mainly in exam duration and question count. While the initial selection process for IIM admissions through CAT scores remains almost the same, Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) have moved to more stricter shortlisting rules to maintain balance between CAT scores, academic records, and encourage diversity.
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While older IIMs heavily rely on the interview round, institutes like IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Bangalore have introduced CAT sectional cut-offs, making the competition tough even for a candidate with a 95-99 percentile.
MBA aspirants seeking admission in IIMs are required to first qualify the CAT to be conducted by IIM Kozhikode on November 30. The CAT question paper will have three sections - verbal ability and reading comprehension (VARC), data interpretation and logical reasoning (DILR), and quantitative aptitude (QA).
The number of questions is expected to be around 66-68 and the exam will be conducted in three slots — slot 1 from 8:30 am to 10:30 am, slot 2 from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm and slot 3 from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm.
But the CAT exam was not always conducted in this pattern. Take a look at what changed in the last five years.
What changed in the CAT exam?
The exam pattern of CAT underwent a major change in the year 2020, when students and working professionals struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic. The IIMs held the exam in two shifts for nearly a decade. However, the major change was increasing the slots from two to three in 2020, and introducing section-wise timings.
The CAT question paper had 100 questions carrying non-MCQs and multiple-choice questions (MCQs). While Quantitative Ability and Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) carried 34 questions each, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) consisted of 32 questions.
The number of questions was brought down to 76 in 2020 and to 66-68 in 2025.
|
Year |
Duration |
Total Qs |
Section Split |
Marking Scheme |
|
Before 2020 |
3 hours |
100 questions |
VARC - 34 QA - 34 DILR - 32 |
+3 marks for correct answer. -1 for incorrect answer in MCQs No negative marks for non-MCQs |
|
2020 |
120 minutes (40 × 3) |
76 (reduced from 100) |
VARC 26 (18 RC + 8 VA), DILR 24 (18 DI + 6 LR), QA 26 |
Same |
|
2021 |
120 min |
66 (reduced from 76) |
Not changed across sections (reported as 24/20/22 approx.) |
Same |
|
2022 |
120 min |
66 |
Same |
Same |
|
2023 |
120 min |
66 |
Same |
Same |
|
2024 |
120 min |
68 |
Reportedly slight rise in DILR count |
Same |
|
2025 |
120 min |
66 to 68 |
Same |
Same |
How CAT scores impact IIM admissions
As per the NIRF Rankings 2025, the top five management institutes in India are IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Kozhikode, IIT Delhi, and IIM Lucknow. In the top 10, two more IIMs – Calcutta and Indore – have also bagged a place.
Grabbing an MBA seat in the top IIMs has been all the more difficult, especially with the introduction of CAT sectional cut-offs and addition of diverse factors such as academic performance and work experience, gender diversity and beyond.
|
IIM |
2020 Final selection |
2025 Final selection |
What changed? |
|
IIM Ahmedabad |
CAT 25%; PI 50%; WAT 10%; Academics 15% |
CAT 25%; PI 50%; WAT 10%; Academic rating (AR) 15% (unchanged). BUT sectional cutoff raised in 2025 (higher VARC, DILR, QA minimum percentiles). |
Final weightage unchanged. However, shortlisting became much stricter in 2025. Over CAT cut-off 2025 increased from 80 to 95. Sectional CAT cut-off from 70 to 85. |
|
CAT - 25% PI - 30% WAT - 10% Class 10 - 10% Class 12 - 5% Work - 10% Diversity - 2% |
CAT - 25% PI - 40% WAT - 10% Class 10 score - 5% Class 12 score - 5% Bachelor's degree score - 5% Work experience - 10% |
CAT scores carry 25% at final stage. While a tiny weightage difference in other factors |
|
|
IIM Kozhikode |
CAT - 44% PI - 44% Resume, Academic and work experience - 12% WAT - Dropped |
Last year: CAT - 35% PI: 35% WAT - 20% Resume score - 10% |
WAT was reintroduced and weightage for CAT scores reduced. |
|
CAT 30% PI 40% WAT 10% Class 12 - 5% Graduation - 5% Diversity 5% Work experience - 5% |
CAT - 30% PI - 40% WAT - 10% Academics performance - 10% Diversity - 5% Work experience - 5% |
No major change. |
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