The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a very important exam for students who want to join MBA and other management programs in India, especially at the famous Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). For CAT 2025, there has been a dip in the number of students who registered for the exam.
Around 2.95 lakh candidates have signed up for CAT 2025. This number is lower than the 3.29 lakh registrations seen in 2024. The CAT 2025 exam will be held on November 30, 2025 . It will take place in three different time slots across 160 cities in India. IIM Kozhikode is the institute organizing CAT 2025 this year. Students can expect their results in January 2026 .
CAT 2025 Registrations Show a Decline
Reports from various news sources indicate that about 2.95 lakh students have registered for CAT 2025. This shows a notable decrease compared to the previous year. In 2024, when IIM Lucknow managed the exam, a higher number of 3.29 lakh candidates had registered. This means there is a drop of approximately 34,000 registrations this year.
The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Kozhikode, which is conducting CAT 2025, has not yet released the official and final registration figures. However, details suggest that admit cards, which allow students to take the exam, have been prepared for roughly 2.95 lakh eligible candidates. These candidates are now set to appear for the test on November 30, 2025 .
If these estimated numbers are confirmed, it would mark the first time in the last three years that CAT registrations have decreased. Before this, the number of candidates registering for the exam had been growing steadily since 2022.
Overview of CAT Registration Numbers Over Four Years
Below is a table showing the number of students who registered and appeared for the CAT exam over the past few years. This helps to understand the recent trend.
| Year | Registered Candidates | Appeared Candidates | Conducting IIM |
| 2025 | 2.95 lakh* (media reports) | IIM Kozhikode | |
| 2024 | 3.29 lakh | 2.93 lakh | IIM Lucknow |
| 2023 | 3.28 lakh | 2.88 lakh | IIM Lucknow |
| 2022 | 2.55 lakh | 2.22 lakh | IIM Bangalore |
*Please note: The registration figure for 2025 is based on media reports and not from an official announcement by IIM Kozhikode yet.
IIM Director Says Dip is Not a Concern
Regarding the recent trend of fewer registrations, Prof. Bharat Bhaskar, who is the Director of IIM Ahmedabad, shared his views with Shiksha.com. He stated that a slight drop in CAT registrations should not be seen as a sign that students are losing interest in management education.
Prof. Bhaskar explained that many students today are exploring a wider range of study options. These include taking international exams for studies abroad or joining specialized courses that focus on particular job sectors. Despite this, he highlighted that the quality of students who apply to the top IIMs continues to be excellent. Also, the job placement results for graduates from these leading IIMs remain very strong.
His comments suggest that even with a slightly lower overall registration count, the demand for high-quality management education at premier institutions like the IIMs remains robust, and the value of these degrees is still high.
