The much-awaited moment for over two lakh CAT 2025 aspirants has arrived. The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) have officially released the provisional answer key for the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2025. Candidates who appeared for the high-stakes management entrance exam can now access their response sheets and the official answer key to calculate their probable scores.
How to Download CAT 2025 Answer Key and Response Sheet
The process to check the answer key is straightforward but requires candidates to log in to the official CAT portal. The IIMs have activated the direct link on their website, iimcat.ac.in. To download the documents, candidates need to use their CAT 2025 application ID and password that were used during the registration process.
Once logged in, the portal will display options to view the CAT 2025 provisional answer key and the individual response sheet. It is crucial for candidates to meticulously cross-verify each of their marked answers against the official key to estimate their raw score. This step is vital before deciding to challenge any answer.
Window to Challenge CAT Answer Key is Now Open
Understanding that discrepancies can occur, the conducting IIM has provided a formal channel for candidates to raise objections. The CAT 2025 objection window opened on December 4, 2025, immediately upon the release of the answer key.
Candidates who believe that an answer in the provisional key is incorrect can challenge it by submitting an objection. However, this is not a free process. Each challenge must be accompanied by a non-refundable fee of Rs. 1200 per question challenged. This fee is only refunded if the challenge is found to be valid by the IIM's expert panel.
The last date to submit any objection against the CAT 2025 answer key is December 7, 2025, by 5:00 PM. No requests will be entertained after this deadline under any circumstances. Candidates must make their payment online through the provided payment gateway within the candidate portal.
What Happens After the Objection Window Closes?
The IIMs will review all challenges received by the deadline. A panel of subject matter experts will examine the objections against the questions and answer options. Based on this review, the final decision on the correct answer will be made.
Following this process, the authorities will prepare and release the final CAT 2025 answer key. The scores will then be calculated using this final key and the normalized scoring process, which accounts for differences in difficulty across multiple test sessions. The official CAT 2025 result is expected to be declared in the second week of January 2026.
This release marks a critical phase in the CAT 2025 admission cycle. The scores from this exam are a primary component for securing admission to the prestigious Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and numerous other top-tier business schools across the country. Candidates are advised to act promptly during the short objection window to ensure their queries are addressed.
