Less Competition in CAT 2025 – 10% Drop in Registered Candidates, 34000 Less Applicants

CAT 2025 registration has fallen sharply by 10% compared to the previous year. The latest notice reveals that the CAT exam admit card for 2.95 lakh eligible candidates will be uploaded on November 12, 2025. “Eligible Candidates” implies the applicants who have successfully registered and are now eligible to take the test. Last year, the total number of registered eligible candidates was 3.29 lakh. This indicates a 10% decline in CAT 2025 registrations from the previous year. It translates to a decrease of 34,000 applicants. This drop reveals that fewer candidates may appear in the upcoming CAT exam. This may eventually reduce the competition level in CAT 2025. But how true is that? Continue reading to learn more about whether there will be less competition in CAT 2025.

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How Many Candidates Registered for CAT 2025?

The CAT exam is a gateway for admissions to MBA/PGDM/PGP courses in IIM and top business schools in India. IIM Kozhikode is all set to conduct the CAT on November 30, 2025, in three shifts. There is a significant drop in the CAT 2025 registration numbers. Only 2.95 lakh candidates have registered for the CAT this year. The fall of 34,000 corresponds to roughly a 10% drop in registrations. For nearly a decade, CAT registrations had been consistently rising. This year marks the first significant decline in registrations. Below is the comparison of total CAT registrations over the years:

CAT Previous Year Registration Trends

CAT Year	Number of Registered Candidates	Percentage Change
2025	2.95 Lakh	10.00%
2024	3.29 Lakh	0.30%
2023	3.30 Lakh	29%
2022	2.55 Lakh	11.00%
2021	2.30 Lakh	1.80%
2020	2.27 Lakh	7.00%
2019	2.44 Lakh	1.20%
2018	2.41 Lakh	4.01%
2017	2.31 Lakh	-0.59%
2016	2.32 Lakh	7.00%
2015	2.18 Lakh	11.00%
2014	1.97 Lakh	–

The above table indicates that there were no negative fluctuations in CAT registration till the last year. In fact, the CAT registrations have grown from 1.97 lakh in 2020 to 3.29 lakh in 2024. But this year, CAT 2025 registrations have fallen by about 10%, bringing the count down to 2.95 lakh candidates.

How Many Candidates Appeared for CAT 2025?

The overall attendance in CAT 2024 was approximately 89% with 2.93 lakh test-takers. Hence, it is anticipated that around 89-90% candidates will appear in the CAT 2025, which could be nearly 2.65 lakhs candidates. Take a look at the comparison table to know how many candidates have appeared in the CAT exam over the years.

Registered Vs Actual Number of CAT Test-Takers

CAT Year	Number of Registered Candidates	Number of Candidates Appeared	Attendance Rate
2025	2.95 Lakh	2.65 Lakh (Expected)	89-90% (Expected)
2024	3.29 Lakh	2.93 Lakh	89%
2023	3.30 Lakh	2.88 Lakh	88%
2022	2.55 Lakh	2.22 Lakh	87%
2021	2.30 Lakh	1.91 Lakh	83%
2020	2.27 Lakh	1.90 Lakh	83%
2019	2.44 Lakh	2.09 Lakh	86%
2018	2.41 Lakh	2.09 Lakh	87%
2017	2.31 Lakh	1.99 Lakh	86%
2016	2.32 Lakh	1.95 Lakh	84%
2015	2.18 Lakh	1.79 Lakh	82%

Top Reasons Behind the Drop in CAT 2025 Registration?

The total number of registrations for CAT 2025 has fallen sharply. This is surprising, as the CAT exam has consistently shown a strong upward trend in registrations year after year. Below are the crucial factors that are responsible for the drop in registrations.

• Many candidates may have preferred to continue with their current jobs. The key reason may be salary hikes or promotions to senior roles.
• The rising fees and expectations from the MBA course may have influenced aspirants’ decisions.
• Strong presence of alternate paths like online certificates, distance education and startups may have shifted their focus.
• Some students may have chosen other MBA entrance tests like SNAP, XAT, NMAT, or direct admissions. This could be one of the reasons behind the drop in CAT 2025 registrations.

What “Less Competition in CAT 2025” Actually Means?

When we talk about less competition in CAT 2025, it implies the following things:

• Fewer registered applicants does not mean fewer test-takers. The competition will remain unchanged as long as the total number of test-takers does not drop.
• A 10% drop in CAT 2025 registration is not going to affect the number of MBA seats in IIM and other business schools.
• This can be an excellent opportunity for serious CAT aspirants. This notable drop in registrations has shifted the entrance test towards being more quality-focused.
• The difficulty level and cutoffs for the CAT exam are expected to be high. A reduced pool may not affect cut-offs if toppers continue to perform well.

The fact that just 2.95 lakh candidates will download the admit card indicates a noticeable drop in registration numbers. The key reasons can be a strong job market, a high fee structure or focusing more on other MBA entrance/alternate paths. Despite the decline, the numbers are still close to previous trends. This showcases that CAT is still the most popular and competitive MBA entrance test in the country.

What Should You Do in Last 20 Days for CAT 2025?

Take CAT Mocks

Since just 20 days are left for CAT 2025, you should utilize these few days strategically. Take CAT mock tests everyday and do a detailed mock analysis. Your mock score will show how well are you prepared for the exam. Since time is less you should not waste it in manually analyzing your mocks. iQuanta’s iCAT Mock not only has CAT level mocks but it also provides a detailed analysis of your mock scores. The AI mock analysis clearly helps you find out the weaker areas and topics you need to practice more. This completely eliminates the manual effort of analysing the mocks and you get the analysis within minutes. iQuanta iCAT mocks also has a strategy builder that makes a detailed strategy for you based on your performance in the mock. So if you are weak in one particular topic the strategy builder will make a complete study plan and along with this it will give you various questions to practice on that particular topic. This way you can strengthen your weak areas.

CAT Mocks

Focus On Revision and Avoid New Topics

Now your focus should be on revising all the topics that you have practiced. Do not add new topics as it might not just me more confusing but will also the things that you have already practiced by not revising them.

To help out CAT aspirants, iQuanta has come up with a revision tool at just Rs 9. You get daily questions to revise. These questions are based on different topics in CAT and the ones that are really important to practice.

Less Competition in CAT 2025 FAQs