Common Admission Test (CAT) is one of the most competitive MBA entrance exams in India, conducted annually by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). Every year, lakhs of aspirants register for CAT with the dream of securing a seat in prestigious B-Schools. Analyzing CAT registration trends over the years helps candidates understand the competition, growth in participation, and changes in demographics. CAT 2023 received around 3.3 lakh applications, which is a 30% jump from 2022, the highest increase ever recorded.
Table of Contents
- Number of Students Registered and Appeared for CAT 2024
- CAT Registration Trends: Last 10 Years
- CAT Registration Growth and Decline Percentage
- CAT Gender-Wise Registration Trends
- Category-Wise Registration in CAT 2024
- Number of Students Registered vs Appeared for CAT (2020–2024)
- Difficulty Level of CAT Exam Over the Years
- CAT Exam Success Rate in India
- Expected CAT 2025 Registration Numbers
- Conclusion
How Many Candidates Apply for CAT 2025?
According to official data released by IIM Kozhikode approximately 2.95 lakh candidates have registered for the CAT 2025 exam, according to official numbers released by IIM Kozhikode. This is a decrease from the 3.29 lakh registrations for CAT 2024.
| Particulars | CAT 2025 |
| Registered Candidates | 2.95 lakh |
| Expected Test Takers | Around 2.95 lakh |
| Exam Date | November 30, 2025 |
| Conducting IIM | IIM Kozhikode |
Why there is a Drop in CAT 2025 Registrations?
The CAT 2025 exam has recorded 2.95 lakh registrations, which is lower than 3.29 lakh in 2024. This decline of about 10% can be seen as a small correction after last year’s record-breaking numbers.
One major reason is that CAT 2024 saw an unusually high jump in applicants, so the pool of fresh aspirants in 2025 naturally reduced. In addition, many students are now exploring other MBA entrance exams like XAT, NMAT, SNAP, and CMAT, instead of focusing only on CAT.
Some working professionals also chose to delay or skip MBA plans this year due to better job stability and economic recovery, while a few prefer international options like GMAT and GRE.
Lastly, increased registration fees and a shorter correction window may have discouraged a small section of candidates.
Number of Students Registered and Appeared for CAT 2024
In CAT 2024, around 3.29 lakh students registered and approximately 2.93 lakh appeared, marking an 89% attendance rate. This shows consistent participation levels compared to previous years. This indicates that the competition ratio remains extremely high, with only a fraction making it to IIMs.
The highest growth was observed in CAT 2023, which saw a 28–30% jump in registrations compared to 2022.
Check CAT 2025 Admit Card
CAT Registration Growth and Decline Percentage
Each year, the number of students registering for CAT fluctuates. Here’s the year-wise increase/decrease in CAT registration:
This clearly shows that CAT 2023 witnessed the highest-ever growth in participation.
CAT Gender-Wise Registration Trends
Another important aspect of CAT registration trends is the gender distribution. In recent years, there has been a positive rise in female participation.
The percentage of female candidates has steadily increased, signaling greater diversity in CAT aspirants.
Category-Wise Registration in CAT 2024
CAT 2024 registration data also shows how candidates applied across categories:
This indicates that a majority of CAT takers belong to the General category, followed by OBC and SC candidates.
Number of Students Registered vs Appeared for CAT (2020–2024)
The gap between registered and appeared students is an important metric for understanding seriousness among aspirants.
The data shows a consistent rise in attendance rate, proving that more students are seriously attempting CAT after registering.
CAT Difficulty Level Analysis
The table presents a CAT exam difficulty analysis over the last 10 years using a numeric “Difficulty Score” from 1 (easy) to 10 (very difficult).
Total questions per year are included to show changes in exam length and pattern, which notably reduced in 2020, as highlighted in the CAT exam difficulty analysis.
Difficulty fluctuated over the decade, with 2023 being the toughest and 2024 relatively easier, according to the CAT exam difficulty analysis.
Each year also mentions the conducting IIM for context, though difficulty is influenced by multiple factors in this CAT exam difficulty analysis.
This CAT exam difficulty analysis provides aspirants a quick reference to understand trend patterns and plan preparation effectively.
| Year | Total Questions | Conducting IIM | Difficulty Score | Approximate Description |
| 2015 | 100 | IIM Ahmedabad | 7.0 | Moderate to Difficult. |
| 2016 | 100 | IIM Bangalore | 6.5 | Moderate. |
| 2017 | 100 | IIM Lucknow | 6.8 | Moderate to Difficult. |
| 2018 | 100 | IIM Calcutta | 7.2 | Moderate to Difficult. |
| 2019 | 100 | IIM Kozhikode | 6.0 | Easy to Moderate. |
| 2020 | 76 | IIM Indore | 6.8 | Moderate to Difficult (pattern changed – 2 hrs). |
| 2021 | 66 | IIM Ahmedabad | 7.0 | Moderate to Difficult. |
| 2022 | 66 | IIM Bangalore | 6.5 | Moderate. |
| 2023 | 66 | IIM Lucknow | 8.0 | Difficult — one of the toughest in last decade. |
| 2024 | 68 | IIM Calcutta | 5.5 | Easier for top scorers; overall easier than 2023. |
This trend shows that aspirants must prepare thoroughly, as difficulty varies each year.
How many students clear the CAT Exam every Year?
The number of students who clear the CAT exam each year depends on how we define “clear,” since CAT is a qualifying test for IIM and other MBA institutes, not a pass/fail exam. Officially, there is no fixed “pass”, but candidates who score above the cutoff percentile for a particular IIM or management institute are considered to have “cleared” it for that institute.
This means only 2 out of every 100 aspirants make it to premier IIMs.
Conclusion
The CAT registration trends from 2020 to 2024 highlight an increasing interest among management aspirants, with participation crossing the 3-lakh mark consistently in recent years. The rise in female and category-wise participation indicates improved inclusivity. With the competition growing every year and success rates staying as low as 2%, CAT remains one of the toughest management entrance exams in India.
