What Are the New Rules and Changes Made in the CIBIL Score 2025

As of 2025, CIBIL has revised several of its scoring criteria to align with global credit standards and address challenges in India’s growing credit market. These changes are particularly important if you are planning to avail of credit. In this blog, let’s understand how these new rules can help you maintain a healthy credit score and take advantage of improved borrowing terms. 

Key Changes in the CIBIL Score System 
 

Here’s a breakdown of the key changes made by CIBIL: 

1.    Score Updates Every 15 Days: Your CIBIL score is now refreshed twice a month instead of once, so timely payments and corrections reflect faster.
2.    Mandatory Disclosure of Loan Rejections: If your loan or credit card application is rejected due to your credit score, the lender must now clearly tell you that the CIBIL score was the reason.
3.    30-Day Window to Fix Errors: If you find any mistakes on your credit score, you can now have 30 days to dispute and correct them before the lender can proceed with your application.
4.    Human Review Required: No more automatic rejections based solely on a low score. A real person must review your application before a final decision is made.
5.    Credit Report Access & Notifications: You’ll receive SMS or email alerts whenever someone checks your credit report, and you’re entitled to one free credit report per year from each bureau.

Why CIBIL Score Rules Were Updated

The need to update the CIBIL score is due to the following reasons:

1.    Rising Credit Usage
With more people using credit cards, personal loans, and BNPL (Buy Now, Pay Later) services, the older scoring model, based on just 24 months of history, wasn’t capturing the full picture. The new system now evaluates up to 36 months of repayment behaviour, offering a more accurate view of long-term credit habits.

2.    Digital Lending Boom
The rise of fintech apps and instant loan platforms has brought millions of new borrowers into the credit ecosystem. Many of these users have thin or no credit history. The updated CIBIL model can now score individuals with less than 6 months of credit activity, making it more inclusive for first-time borrowers.

3.    Global Credit Trends
Credit bureaus worldwide are shifting toward dynamic, behaviour-based scoring systems. India’s updated model aligns with this trend by incorporating deeper behavioural variables, such as credit mix, repayment consistency, and utilisation patterns, rather than just focusing on timely payments.

4.    Increased Financial Awareness
As more people track their credit scores and understand their financial rights, there’s a growing demand for transparency and fairness. The new rules include bi-weekly score updates, faster dispute resolution, and mandatory disclosure of loan rejection reasons aimed at empowering consumers.

How These Changes Impact Loan Borrowings

Let’s take a look at the impact of these changes: 

1.    Faster Score Recovery
With scores now updated every 15 days, you can repay dues, or correct errors see improvements reflected much sooner. This is especially helpful if you are trying to rebuild your credit profile.
2.    More Transparency
Lenders must now disclose the exact reason for a loan rejection if it’s due to your credit score. That means you’ll know what went wrong and how to fix it.
3.    Fairer Evaluations
Applications can’t be auto-rejected based solely on a low score. A human must review your case, giving borrowers with unique circumstances a fairer shot.
4.    Error Correction Window
If your report has a mistake, you now have 30 days to dispute it before it affects your loan application. That’s a big win for accuracy and peace of mind.
5.    Alerts for Every Credit Check
You’ll get notified whenever someone accesses your credit report. This helps prevent identity theft and keeps you in control of your financial footprint.
6.    Protection from EMI Bounce Penalties
A single bounced EMI won’t immediately hurt your score anymore. Lenders must give you a 30-day notice before reporting it to credit bureaus.
7.    Helpful for First-Time Borrowers
The updated model can now score individuals with less than 6 months of credit history, making it easier for newcomers to access loans and build credit.

How to Check Your CIBIL Score for Free

Check your CIBIL score for free with Poonawalla Fincorp. Just follow these steps: 

Step 1: Visit the Poonawalla Fincorp website. 
Step 2: Navigate to ‘resources’ on the top right corner of the screen.
Step 3: Select “Check CIBIL Score”  
Step 4: Enter your details, such as first name, last name, PAN number, mobile no.
Step 5: Verify your OTP and enter your date of birth, PIN code, and gender. Hit the ‘Submit’ button.

Once submitted, your score will be displayed to you on screen, and the same will be shared with you on your shared email ID, from where you can download the report. 

To Conclude

The 2025 CIBIL updates have transformed how creditworthiness is assessed in India, bringing greater clarity, fairness, and accessibility to borrowers. With features like quicker score refreshes, manual application reviews, and improved dispute resolution, it's never been easier to take charge of your credit profile. Whether you're establishing credit for the first time or aiming to recover from past dips, these reforms offer a supportive path forward.

So, stay ahead, turn to Poonawalla Fincorp, a trusted platform to check your CIBIL score quickly, securely, and at no cost.

Frequently Asked Questions

1.    Will these changes lower my existing CIBIL score?
No, unless you have inconsistent payment behaviour or high credit utilisation. In fact, responsible usage will improve your score. 

2.    Do soft enquiries hurt my score now?
No, soft enquiries are recorded but not penalised. They help you understand your credit habits better. 

3.    Can I improve my CIBIL score quickly with the new system?
Yes, with faster updates and new parameters, positive behaviour reflects sooner on your CIBIL score.