What After CAT 2025 Exam? Here are Some Important Things To Do

Anjani Chaand

Updated On: May 01, 2025 01:38 PM | CAT

What after CAT 2025 exam is a common query among aspirants. After the CAT exam, the CAT MBA admission process for B-schools accepting CAT commences with the CAT results and CAT cutoff release. You must register and participate in the CAT selection process to secure MBA admission!

What after CAT Exam? Here are Some Important Things To Do

If you are wondering what after CAT 2025 exam , this article may answer that question! After the conclusion of the CAT 2025 exam, you must focus on enhancing your chances of securing admission to your dream MBA college or university by beginning your preparation for the MBA selection process, which includes the Written Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussion (GD), and Personal Interview (PI). You should also use tools like the CAT Percentile Predictor 2025 and CAT College Predictor 2025 to gain a better understanding of your admission prospects. You must also focus on selecting the right MBA colleges to apply to for MBA admission based on your estimated scores after CAT 2025 exam concludes. Find out more about what happens after CAT 2025 exam below!

Also Read: Importance of CAT 2025 in MBA Admissions

Important Dates After CAT 2025

Here are the dates for some of the important events now that CAT 2025 has been conducted:

Event

Important Date

CAT Answer Key 2025/CAT Response Sheet 2025

TBA

CAT 2025 Result

TBA

IIM Shortlist Release

TBA

GD/PI Process for MBA Admissions

TBA

Final List of MBA Admissions

TBA

What After CAT Exam 2025?

Provided below are a few pointers explaining what your next step should be after appearing for the CAT exam.

Analyse your Exam Performance

Firstly, check out the detailed exam analysis of the CAT to understand the question paper and the difficulty level of the exam. It is essential to evaluate your performance before seeking admission to any MBA college. Given below are the credible sources talking about the CAT paper analysis 2025 in detail to understand more about the CAT 2025 exam. Go through them to get a firm understanding of the exam.

Calculate Your Raw Scores in CAT 2025

Your raw scores will be calculated for each section based on the number of questions you have answered correctly, incorrectly, or omitted. You will be given +3 points for each correct answer and -1 points for each incorrect answer. There will be no points for questions that are not answered. This marking scheme ensures that you are only awarded points for what you know.

Find Out How the CAT 2025 Score Will Be Evaluated

The CAT, like virtually all large-scale exams, will utilise multiple forms, or versions, of the test. While all forms are carefully assembled to ensure that the content is comparable, the difficulty of each form may vary slightly. Such minor differences in the overall difficulty level cannot be accurately measured until after all of the forms have been administered and the results analysed.

To facilitate this comparison, each form will contain equating blocks comprising a predefined number of statistically profiled questions selected from a large item bank. By comparing candidate responses to these equating blocks across multiple forms, the ability level of the individuals can be evaluated, and the precise difficulty of the forms calculated. The raw scores are then adjusted, as necessary, through a process called equating.

Equating assures fairness for all candidates by allowing accurate comparisons to be made of performance across all of the test forms. Equated raw scores are then placed on a common scale or metric to ensure an appropriate interpretation of the scores. This process is called Scaling .

Check the CAT 2025 Normalisation Process

CAT 2025 will be conducted in two sessions. Two different Test Forms shall be administered in two Test Sessions. To ensure fairness and equity in the comparison of your performances across different test sessions, the scores shall be subjected to a process of normalisation. The CAT 2025 normalisation process shall adjust for location and scale differences of score distributions across different forms. After normalisation across different forms, the scores shall be further normalised across different sections. The scaled scores obtained by this process shall be converted into percentiles for purposes of shortlisting.

The process of normalisation is an established practice for comparing a candidate’s scores across multiple Forms and is similar to those being adopted in other large educational selection tests conducted in India, such as the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) . For normalisation across sections, percentile equivalence will be used.

What will be the Normalisation Process for CAT Result 2025?

Here's what will come next after the CAT normalisation process 2025:
  • Adjust for location and scale differences of score distributions across different forms
  • Then the scores will be further normalised across different sections
  • The scaled scores obtained by this process shall be converted into percentiles for purposes of shortlisting For reporting purposes, Scaled Scores for each section viz., Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA) and Total score, along with the percentile shall be published

What is the CAT Percentile Ranking?

A percentile rank is the percentage of scores that fall below a given score. For example, a 75 percentile would imply that your score is greater than or equal to 75% of the total CAT test-takers.

Percentile rankings are provided for each section as well as for the overall exam score. Raw scores will not be made available under any circumstances, as they do not represent a fair interpretation of your performance to other candidates who have taken the CAT during the same testing window.

Taking Admission into MBA Colleges in 2025

Based on your CAT score and percentile, create a list of MBA colleges that you are eligible for and that align with your career goals. Based on your CAT result 2025 , you will get a call from the colleges individually, provided you have already individually applied to that college earlier. Each college follows its application deadline – some before the last date of application for CAT, and some after. Usually, many colleges keep their application deadline open till January of the next year. Consider the reputation of the colleges, program offerings, and location.

Besides the CAT 2025 percentile, MBA colleges follow their shortlisting parameter, usually comprising Essay Writing, Group Discussion, Statement of Purpose , Case Analysis, Personal Interview or Extempore, etc.

Apply to MBA Colleges

Complete the application process for the MBA colleges you have shortlisted. This typically involves filling out online application forms, providing necessary documents, and paying application fees.

Prepare for GD/WAT and PI Rounds

Some MBA colleges may require you to participate in Group Discussions (GD), Written Ability Tests (WAT), and Personal Interviews (PI) as part of the selection process. Prepare for these rounds by practising communication skills and enhancing your knowledge of current affairs and relevant topics.

Network and Seek Guidance

Connect with alumni, current students, and professionals in the MBA field to gain insights into different programs and colleges. Seek guidance from mentors and professionals who can help you make informed decisions.

Make an Informed Decision

Once you receive admission offers, carefully evaluate your options and make an informed decision about which MBA program to join. Consider factors such as program curriculum, faculty, campus facilities, and career opportunities.

Important Things to Do After Taking the CAT Exam 2025

Here are some important things that you should do after appearing for the CAT 2025 entrance exam:

Preparing for GD/ PI

You should remember that scoring good marks in the CAT examination does not guarantee your admission to one of the top B-Schools in India. You will have to perform well in Group Discussions/ Personal Interviews and other rounds as well. Final admission to colleges will be done on a merit list, which will include your performance in CAT as well as GD/ PI rounds. You are required to be well-versed in current affairs for group discussion. They must keep in mind that their speech should be concise and avoid unnecessary detail. You must be knowledgeable about the most recent social, political, and economic developments occurring on both a national and worldwide scale. It is a wise choice for you to make newspapers a part of your morning routine. Here are some of the newspapers that you must go through.

  • The Hindu
  • Live Mint
  • The Economic Times
  • The Indian Express

Here are some topics for the Group Discussion (GD) round that you can prepare beforehand.

  • Social media
  • Globalization
  • Quota system
  • Reservation in India
  • Privatization
  • Terrorism
  • Politics

Apply for Admission to B-Schools

You are advised to keep track of the application dates of your selected colleges. Some colleges have an application deadline before the CAT result. You can't apply to them once the result is declared.

Attend Webinars And Workshops

Attending webinars and workshops will help you get familiar with the types of questions that you can face in the interview. Besides this, it will also help you to gain some confidence before you appear for an interview. Refreshing your CV presentation at this time would be a great idea. While it's important to present yourself in the best possible way, there's no need to go overboard, and that's where expert assistance comes in. Join a reputable institution and improve yourself.

Choose your MBA Specialisation Wisely

Once you have appeared for the CAT exam, you have some time to choose your specialisation. You can check the trends and future growth of all types of CAT specialisations before finalising one. You are advised to choose the specialisation that matches your interests and experience.

Back-Up Plan for MBA Admission 2025

One of the most important things is to have a backup plan. Since you are not sure about the CAT result, you should keep a backup plan ready with you. You are advised to take at least 2-3 other entrance exams such as XAT, NMAT, or CMAT. If you can score good marks in any of these management entrance exams, then you will surely be able to get a good B-School. You don’t have to depend on the CAT results.

Take a Break

Last but not least, give yourself a break by reading a book, watching some entertaining movies, and getting some rest since you deserve it and because doing so won't be possible for the next two years.

Top MBA Colleges Accepting CAT Scores in 2025

You are advised to sort out at least 8-9 colleges of each CAT percentile range. You can check the official website of the college to know about its cutoff percentage. Some of the well-known MBA colleges that accept CAT scores are provided below:

You must also check out the articles mentioned below to know which colleges they must select based on their CAT 2025 scores.

Related Articles:

For admission-related guidance, fill out our Common Admission Form or call the student helpline number 1800-572-9877 (toll-free). Our admission experts will be glad to help you out. If you have any other doubts about the CAT 2025 examination, you can ask questions in the Q&A zone . Stay tuned with us for more updates!

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FAQs

Which are some top MBA colleges that consider CAT scores for admission?

Some top MBA colleges offering admission based on the CAT scores are GITAM University, Visakhapatnam, SRM University Delhi-NCR, Sonepat, Maharishi University, Lucknow, Future Group of Institutions, Bareilly, Rai University, Ahmedabad and many more. To know about the admission process of these colleges, applicants can dial the toll-free number 1800-572-9877 and take assistance from the admission experts of CollegeDekho.

What shortlisting parameters are adopted by the colleges accepting the CAT score?

The shortlisting parameters that are adopted by the colleges accepting the CAT scores are Written Ability Test ,Group Discussion and Personal Interview

Does scoring good marks in the CAT exam guarantee admission to the top b-schools accepting the CAT exam?

Scoring good marks in the CAT exam brings an individual one step closer to getting admission in the top b-schools. The final admission is granted based on the overall performance of an applicant which includes the separate selection processes adopted by the colleges.

What is the next process after the successful completion of the CAT exam?

After the successful completion of the CAT exam, the next process is the release of the answer key. It is released on the official website and shared on the CollegeDekho.

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