The CAT Final Answer Key and Response Sheet have been released on the official website, iimcat.ac.in, on 17 December 2025. You can log in using your User ID and Password to access both of them.
A total of 187 objections were received across all three sections (VARC, DILR, QA). Only 1 objection was accepted in Quantitative Ability (Shift-1), and the correction was included in the final answer key.
Source – iimcat.ac.in
The CAT 2025 Results are expected to be released on 19-20 December 2025. You can download your scorecards, which will include section-wise scaled scores and overall percentile after normalization across different slots.
Also Read
How to calculate your CAT Score?Different Coaching Institutes like Iquanta, IMS, and collegedunia.com have released the unofficial CAT Answer Key as per the memory-based question paper. You can check the slot-wise CAT Answer Key in the article below.
- Download CAT 2025 Slot-Wise Answer Key
- How to Download the CAT Answer Key?
- CAT 2025 Answer Key Release Date Live Update
- CAT Answer Key 2025 Sample
- How to Raise Objections in the CAT Answer Key 2025?
- How to calculate your CAT 2025 Score using the Answer Key?
- CAT Score vs Percentile Analysis for 2025
- What happens after the CAT Answer Key?
- FAQs for CAT Answer Key
Download CAT 2025 Slot-Wise Answer Key
You can check the CAT Memory-Based Answer Key released by Collegedunia for all three slots.
CAT Memory-Based Answer Key for QA
CAT Memory-Based Answer Key for VARC
CAT Memory-Based Answer Key for DILR
Also Read
CAT Percentile based on your scoreHow to Download the CAT Answer Key?
The CAT Answer Key which will be released on the official website, iimcat.ac.in, can be easily downloaded and accessed.
To know how to download the CAT Answer Key, you can check this video by Collegedunia, which includes the complete download process, along with objections raised as well.
Ques. Will the response sheet also be available with the answer key?
Ans. Yes, along with the CAT Provisional answer key, the IIM Kozhikode will also release the response sheet, so the candidates can match their attempts with the official answers.
| Feature | Availability |
|---|---|
| Response Sheet | Yes, it will be released along with the answer key |
| Download Mode | Candidate login at iimcat.ac.in |
| Purpose | Score estimation & objection, along with the candidate’s responses |
Ques. Can I check whether my attempted response is right or wrong in the answer key?
Ans. Yes, the Answer key will compare your response with the correct answer, which will help you to estimate your score properly.
- Each question will show Question ID + Correct Answer + Your Response.
- Green/Correct marking (if correct)
- Highlighted mismatch for wrong answers
- Helps identify the impact of negative marking
Also Read
CAT Response SheetCAT 2025 Answer Key Release Date Live Update
As per the previous years’ trends, the CAT Answer Key is released within one week after the exam is conducted.
You can check the expected date of the answer key along with other details below:
| Expected Date | Event |
| 17 December 2025 | Release of Final Answer Key (post-objections) (Released) |
| 19 - 20 December 2025 | Declaration / Release of CAT 2025 Results |
| Window to File Objections on Provisional Answer Key (Over) | |
| Release of Official Response Sheet + Provisional Answer Key (Over) | |
| CAT 2025 Exam Date (Over) |
CAT Answer Key Dates: Previous Year Trends
From the release dates of the CAT Answer key in the previous year, you can have an estimation of the release date of the caCAT Answer key this year.
| Year | Exam Date | Provisional Key Date | Gap (Days) | Objection Window | Final Key/Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | 4 | Dec 8-10 | Dec 17 |
| 2024 | Nov 24 | Dec 6 | 12 | Dec 7-12 | Dec 19 |
| 2023 | Nov 26 | Dec 5 | 9 | Dec 6-10 | Dec 21 |
| 2022 | Nov 27 | Dec 7 | 10 | Dec 8-12 | Dec 20 |
Ques. Does the answer key provide my raw score or sectional marks?
Ans. No, the answer key will only show the correct answer; it does not calculate any score.
| Component | Visible in Answer Key? |
|---|---|
| Correct/Wrong/TITA Attempt | Yes |
| Raw Score | No |
| Sectional Score | No |
| Percentile/Result | Released later |
Ques. Are answer keys for all slots released on the same day?
Ans. Yes, CAT will publish the provisional answer key for all three 3 slots together to ensure fairness and transparency in all slots.
- The Release date will be the same for all slots.
- Same objection window timeline for all candidates
Ques. Where can I check official updates on the answer key release?
Ans. All the CAT documents, notices and other download links will be released on the official website, iimcat.ac.in.
- The CAT Answer key, response sheet, and objection form will be released on the official website.
- No third-party website will be involved for the release of official documents.
CAT Answer Key 2025 Sample
By the CAT Answer Key Sample, you will get to know about the details mentioned in the CAT Answer Key and what the CAT Answer Key looks like.
CAT Answer Key or Response Sheet: Which helps you calculate your score?
As both the CAT Answer Key and Response Sheet are released together, a lot of candidates get confused. Both the CAT Answer key and Response Sheet are important for score calculation, but they have different purposes.
- The CAT Answer key will include the official correct answer, whereas the response sheet will show the answers selected by you in the exam.
- The Answer key will verify which attempt of yours is right or wrong, whereas the response sheet is used to check what the answer marked by you in the exam is.
- The Answer key allows an objection option if any answer is incorrect, but the response sheet will not be changed.
- The Major role of the answer key is that it can help you to calculate your marks directly, while the response sheet will only confirm your attempt.
Apart from these differences, there is a major similarity: both of them are released on the same day on the official website, iimcat.ac.in.
How to Raise Objections in the CAT Answer Key 2025?
If you find any discrepancy in the CAT Provisional Answer Key, you can challenge the specific question in the objection window.
To raise an Objection in the CAT Answer Key, you can just log in using your user ID and Password, click on “Challenge Answer Key”, and pay the objection fee of Rs 1,200.
As per the previous year, CAT Aspirants on Reddit, you should raise objections in the CAT Answer key if you doubt that any answer is incorrect, and you should not wait for others. Also, you should only raise an objection if you are 100% sure.
According to the CAT 2023 Answer Key Objections, a total of 83 objections were given out of which 1 Objection was accepted in VARC and 1 in DILR.
Source: reddit.com
How Many CAT Questions Actually Change After Objections?
Every Year, after the release of the CAT Provisional Answer Key, candidates get a chance to raise objections against the incorrect answers. In some of the cases, the objections will lead to changes in the answer key, including the corrections or dropping of questions as well.
Below is the list of objections seen in the last few years:
| Year | Known Revisions / Dropped Questions After Objections | Section(s) Affected | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2 answers revised (1 in DILR Slot-1; 1 in VARC Slot-2) | DILR, VARC | Final key released after objections. |
| 2022 | 2 objections accepted — both in DILR section; rest sections unchanged | DILR | Minimal impact overall. |
| 2021 | 1 question revised — in QA section (from a non-MCQ) after objections in Slot 3 | QA (TITA/Non-MCQ) | Rare revision; entire key normally fairly stable. |
| 2020 | 1 QA question (in Slot 2) changed after objections; Slots 1 & 3 remained unchanged | QA | Only a single change despite many objections. |
How to calculate your CAT 2025 Score using the Answer Key?
The CAT 2025 Raw Score will be calculated based on the answer key and response sheet, as per the marks for correct, incorrect and TITA Answers.
After the release of the CAT Answer Key and Response sheet, your CAT Score will be calculated in 3 Steps:
Step 1: Raw Score Calculation (Using Answer Key)
You check each question with the official answer key. This step will directly depend upon your final Answer Key. This step will directly depend upon the Final (post-objection) Answer Key.
| Question Type | Correct | Incorrect | Unattempted |
|---|---|---|---|
| MCQs | +3 | –1 | 0 |
| TITA | +3 | 0 | 0 |
Raw Score Calculation formula:
| (Correct MCQs × 3) – (Incorrect MCQs × 1) + (Correct TITA × 3) |
For example:
- If the correct answers got by candidates are: 30 MCQs + 15 TITA, which makes it 45.
- Whereas Wrong MCQs were 10
3(45)−1(10)= 135-10 = 125
Step 2: Normalisation → Scaled Score (Fairness Across Slots)
As, CAT Exam is conducted in different shifts, with different difficulty levels, your score will be adjusted on the basis of the same.
- The normalisation will happen on the basis of the section.
- With a candidate in a difficulty slot, their score is adjusted.
Step 3: Percentile Calculation (Ranking on Scaled Score)
Your scaled score is compared with all candidates.
Formula
Where N = total candidates
For Example:
Rank = 7,000 among 200,000 candidates
Percentile = final performance score used by IIMs.
Check:
CAT Score vs Percentile Analysis for 2025
In the CAT Exam, your raw score is not everything, but your percentile is required for shortlisting, which will place you above all the other candidates. In CAT, conversion of marks, scaled score and percentile will depend upon the factors like the difficulty level of the exam, normalisation and overall performance.
CAT Score vs Percentile: Recent Trends (2021–2024)
Check:
What happens after the CAT Answer Key?
After the CAT Answer key is released, you can have an estimation of your score, raise objections and wait for the final answer key and results.
This is important because it will directly affect your percentile calculation and chance for IIM Shortlisting.
| Stage | What Happens? | Expected Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Objection Window Opens | Candidates can challenge incorrect answers with proof | 2–3 days after the provisional key |
| Objection Review by IIMs | Expert panel evaluates all challenges submitted | Mid-December 2025 |
| Final Answer Key Release | Updated key after reviewing objections | Late December 2025 |
| CAT Result Declaration | Scorecard with percentile & sectional performance | January 2026 |
| IIM Shortlist Release | IIMs publish list of candidates for WAT–GD–PI | January–February 2026 |
| WAT–GD–PI Rounds | Second stage of admission rounds | Feb–April 2026 |
| Final IIM Offers | Final merit list based on overall composite score | April–May 2026 |
Check:
FAQs for CAT Answer Key
Ques. How many marks are required for 99 percentile in CAT 2025?
Ans. A 99th percentile in CAT 2025 opens doors to some of the top management institutes in India, including IIM Ahmedabad, Bombay and Calcutta.
- To get a 99 percentile score in CAT 2025, you require about 98 out of 198 marks.
- You must score at least 40-42 marks in VARC, 28-30 in DILR and 36-38 in Quant.
Ques. How many questions are there in the CAT 2025 question paper?
Ans. The CAT 2025 question paper includes 68 total questions.
- There are 24 questions in the VARC section, 22 questions in the DILR section and 22 questions in Quant.
- Candidates get 40 minutes each to solve the three sections.
- The CAT question paper has both MCQs and TITA questions.
- 75% weightage in the CAT 2025 question paper is accounted for MCQs.
Ques. Will the release date of the answer key impact the CAT result date?
Ans. Yes, CAT Results will be declared only after the complete evaluation of the CAT Answer Key.
- So, if the answer key is released earlier, the result will be released soon as well.
- The Final Answer key will be released before the declaration of results.
Ques. Which slot was hardest in CAT 2025?
Ans. The CAT 2025 is conducted by IIM Kozhikode on 30th November 2025, in 3 slots, and as per the candidates' analysis, the difficulty level was different for each session.
Slot-wise Timing & Student Feedback
Ques. Can I get IIM with 70 percentile in CAT?
Ans. As the CAT Answer key can be released anytime soon, candidates are waiting to get an estimation of their percentile.
- With 70 percentile, you can not get admission in older or top new IIMs, but some new IIMs like IIM Kashipur / IIM Raipur / IIM Nagpur will have high weightage for your profile, diversity, and work experience.
Chances of Getting IIM with 70 Percentile
| Category | Admission Chances at IIMs | Suitable IIMs (Possibility if profile is strong) | Better Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|
| General | Very Low | None realistically | IMT Nagpur, XIME, BIMTECH |
| OBC | Low | A few Baby IIMs may shortlist at 75 | MID-tier private colleges |
| SC | Possible | IIM Ranchi, IIM Raipur, IIM Raipur (profile-heavy shortlisting) | Additional state universities |
| ST | Good Chance | Most Baby & New IIMs | Other strong public MBA colleges |
| PwD | Good Chance | Profile-based shortlist for some IIMs | Govt. institutes |
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, which will be updated soon subject to the notification issued by the University/College.
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