How Many Students Clear CAT Exam Every Year?

Wondering How Many Students Clear the CAT Exam Every Year? Among the total appearing students, only 10% of them can crack the CAT exam every year.

Table of Contents

Number of Students Clearing the CAT Exam
How Many Students Give the CAT Exam?
Marks Required to Clear the CAT Exam
Faqs

Are you curious about how many students clear CAT exam every year? Here’s what you need to know. The CAT exam does not have any passing marks, which means, to crack the exam, you need to meet the cutoff of your target B-school. Approximately 300,000+ aspirants are expected to appear in the CAT 2025 exam , scheduled to take place on November 30, 2025. Registration is closed, and aspiring students looking forward to getting admitted to some of the country's best public and private colleges, such as IIMs, IITs, or any other institutes, are preparing themselves for this challenging test. Therefore, students eager to know more about the total students appearing in the CAT exam every year can check the number stats, total examinees, etc.

Also Read: CAT Quant 2025 Expected Difficulty Level based on Previous Years' Analysis

Number of Students Clearing the CAT Exam

Every year, more than 300,000 people take the CAT exam, but only 30,000 to 10,000 of them clear it and make it to the top IIMs and other top MBA colleges in India . Accordingly, less than 10% of test candidates pass the exam.

How Many Students Give the CAT Exam?

Among 230,000 and 350,000 students who take the CAT exam each year, only 200,000 to 300,000 of the registered candidates show up. About 300,000 people are expected to take the 2025 CAT exam, according to data from the last four years.

Year	Total CAT Registrations	Total Students Appeared for the CAT Exam
2025	3.5 lakh	3 lakh
2023	3.5 lakh	2.88 lakh
2022	2.55 lakh	2.22 lakh
2021	2.30 lakh	1.90 lakh
2020	2.30 lakh	1.90 lakh

Marks Required to Clear the CAT Exam

Depending on the requirements of the institute, the minimum score required to pass the CAT exam is subject to change. To ascertain eligibility, each institute, IIMs and non-IIMs alike, has a different CAT cutoff. A table with the CAT cutoffs for different institutes can be seen below:

College Name	CAT Cutoff 2025 (Expected)
IIM Ahmedabad	99-100
IIM Bangalore	99-100
IIM Calcutta	99
IIM Lucknow	97+
IIM Indore	97+
IIM Kozhikode	97-98
IIM Amritsar	95+
IIM Nagpur	95+
IIM Sambalpur	95+
IIM Trichy	94
IIM Raipur	94
IIM Ranchi	94
IIM Vizag	94
IIM Udaipur	92
IIM Bodh Gaya	92
IIM Shillong	92
IIM Sirmaur	90
IIM Rohtak	95
IIM Mumbai	95
FMS	99
BITSOM	94
DMS, IIT Delhi	98+
Loyola Institute of Business Administration (LIBA) Chennai	90+
SJMSOM, IIT Bombay	99+
Institute of Management Technology (IMT) Ghaziabad	90+
MDI Gurgaon	95+
National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE) Mumbai	95+
SPJIMR	85+
XIMB	90+
Department of Management Studies, IIT Madras	95+
T A Pai Management Institute (TAPMI) Manipal	85+

Also Read:

How to Crack CAT 2025 in First Attempt?	Which Stream Students Can Give CAT 2025 Exam?
How Rare is a 100%ile in the CAT 2025 Exam?	Top 5 YouTube Channels for CAT 2025 Preparation

Some 200,000 to 300,000 aspirants are taking up this very challenging CAT exam every year. This is the kind of test that would only clear the most deserving and suitable candidates, with checks and assessments on logical reasoning, analytical aptitudes, mathematical expertise, and language skills. Of which, only about 2% candidates' marks are good enough to get through this assessment process with flying colours. For any queries regarding the total number of students appearing in the CAT exam every year, log on to our CollegeDekho Q&A Zone or contact our toll-free helpline number 18005729877.

FAQs

How many students appear for the CAT exam every year?

Between 200,000 and 300,000 appear for the CAT exam every year, while the exact amount varies from year to year. The number of applicants for the test has been noticeably increasing recently, which is indicative of rising interest in pursuing higher education in the field of management.

What is the average number of students who clear CAT exam?

Every year, the average number of students who clear CAT is 10,000. Out of the approximately 200,000 candidates who have taken the test, these are less than 10%. The competition is extreme, and it shows exactly how difficult it is for those who want to crack this tough examination.

What is the success rate of the CAT exam?

The CAT exam has a challenging success rate of roughly 2%, meaning that out of every 100 students, only about 2 succeed in passing and advancing to the next step in the admission process. This low success rate percentage highlights the competitive nature of the CAT exam over the past years.

How many students get a call from IIMs after clearing the CAT exam?

Each year, only a small percentage of CAT exam takers receive calls from IIMs around India, although the exact number changes annually. Achieving a high percentile is essential, but it’s not the only factor; a solid academic record and active participation in extracurriculars also significantly impact the selection process and its outcome.

How difficult is it to crack the CAT exam?

One of the most difficult exams in India is the CAT, which requires students to do very well in areas like numeric ability, logical reasoning, and verbal abilities. The subjects aren't very complicated, but the pressure is increased by time constraints and fierce competition. However, anyone may succeed with careful planning and a well-defined plan.

How does GIBS balance academics with practical learning?

-PreethiUpdated on January 30, 2026 12:38 PM

1 Answer

Himani Daryani, Content Team

Dear Student,

GIBS Business School blends academics with practical learning by following a 70% practical and 30% theory approach. Classroom lessons are combined with case studies, live projects, role plays, and interactions with companies, so you not only understand management concepts but also learn how to apply them in real business situations.

Thank You!

What makes GIBS placements stand out among Tier-2 B-schools?

-PreethiUpdated on February 02, 2026 03:29 PM

1 Answer

Himani Daryani, Content Team

Dear Student,

GIBS regularly reports a very high placement rate, often close to 100%, along with a strong average salary package for a Tier-2 institute. For its PGDM program, the average package is usually mentioned in the range of ₹8-₹9 LPA, while top offers can go beyond ₹15-20 LPA.

Every year, around 250-300 companies take part in campus placements. These include well-known names like Flipkart, Infosys, Accenture, Wipro, HDFC Bank, Bajaj Finance, along with many mid-sized companies from IT, banking and finance, consulting, and e-commerce.

What truly sets GIBS Business School apart is that it does not wait for companies …

How does GIBS maintain long-term relationships with recruiters?

-PreethiUpdated on February 02, 2026 03:27 PM

1 Answer

Himani Daryani, Content Team

Dear Student,

GIBS Business School Bangalore maintains long-term relationships with recruiters through many ways:

It builds and maintains strong, long-term relationships with recruiters from fields like IT, finance, consulting, marketing, and operations. Companies such as Wipro, Mahindra Finance, GoComet, and many others keep visiting the campus because they consistently find well-prepared students and dependable placement results every year.
It highlights its strong placement record (including 100% placement assistance and competitive CTCs) as the top reason recruiters keep coming back. When companies hire graduates who perform well and stay longer in their roles, they are more likely to continue the partnership. …