CAT Cutoffs and Selection Process PDF Download

CAT Cutoff 2023

The IIMs with lowest cutoff and top MBA colleges such as SPJIMR, IMT, FMS, MICA, etc. release the qualifying CAT passing percentage for WAT-PI shortlisting much before the CAT result announcement but they reveal the final CAT cutoff for IIMs only after the result announcement and/or at the time of PI shortlisting. The qualifying CAT sectional cutoff marks are the minimum score criteria for MBA admission and varies for each IIM. They form the basis of the selection of candidates for the Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI). The qualifying CAT cut offs for IIMs will range between 75-90 percentile.
Also, each IIM has a separate admission policy which may include WAT, GD, PI, etc. So candidates seeking admission to postgraduate management programmes of these IIMs must check their admission policy and make sure that they meet the admission criteria for CAT 2023. The final CAT cutoff will be released by IIMs soon as the result is declared, however, candidates can check the expected CAT cut off for IIM for OBC here. This will help you understand your chance of getting a call from one of the IIMs and decide if you should try other CAT colleges.

CAT Cut Offs: Key Highlights

To get into any of the IIMs or top MBA colleges in India, the CAT cut off is at least 90 percentile. CAT exam cut off for IIMs remain high (99+ percentile) for top IIMs such as IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Kozhikode, and IIM Lucknow. In Tier 2 colleges, CAT cut off 2023 category-wise is usually 70-80 percentile and above, and in Tier 3 colleges CAT cut off are usually fixed at 60 percentile and above.
Checking CAT cut offs for IIM for General is essential to apply for admission to MBA colleges. Read below to know everything including CAT cut offs for MBA admission, the difference between qualifying and final cut offs, previous years cut offs, and expected cutoff. 

• It is mandatory for candidates selected for MBA admission to meet the minimum CAT cut offs.
• Students have to meet CAT sectional cut off too, for selection to the WAT-PI round of IIMs and other top B-Schools.
• CAT cut offs for top IIMs are generally 98 to 100 percent for general category students.
• IIM cut offs for reserved category students are slightly lower at the 95 to 98 percentile.
• The CAT cut offs for IIM for SC for admission to top MBA colleges such as MDI, SPJIMR, and FMS, among others, range from 90 to 99 percentile.
• IIMs do not release the CAT cut offs. Cut-offs can be accessed through account login only for CAT exam candidates.
• There are two types of CAT cut offs for IIM admission – qualifying cut off and final cut off.
• Qualifying IIM CAT cut off will be released before the CAT result declaration and the final CAT cut off will be released at the time of PI shortlisting.
• Other CAT-accepting institutes fix a minimum CAT cut off to shortlist candidates for their MBA/ PGDM admission.

Expected CAT Cutoff for IIM (Qualifying)

Factors Determining CAT Cut off for IIM

As mentioned above, IIMs (IIM Amritsar, IIM Sirmaur, IIM Rohtak, IIM Raipur, IIM Jammu, IIM Ranchi, etc.) will issue separate CAT cutoffs soon after the announcement of CAT results 2023. Before releasing the IIM Ahmedabad CAT cut off 2023 and other IIMs, institutes will take into account certain factors. Listed below are some of the key factors considered by IIMs to have been revealed in the previous year’s MBA cutoff.

1. Difficulty level of the question paper

• This is one of the main reasons why CAT 2023 is so important. The greater the difficulty level of the CAT question paper, the cutoff will be lower, and vice-versa.

2. Number of Test Takers

• The total number of candidates appearing in IIM CAT 2023 will have an impact on the CAT cutoff. This will have a direct relationship, i.e. higher CAT test-takers will lead to a higher IIM CAT cutoff, while lower CAT test-takers will have a lower CAT cutoff 2023.

3. Seat availability

• The number of seats available at the respective IIMs is also affected by the CAT 2023 cut off. For example, if any IIM has limited seats, the published cutoff of CAT 2023 will be higher for selecting candidates.

4. The reputation of the Institute

• Renowned institutes ranked under the NIRF Management Rankings 2023 will set their cut offs higher.

5. Last year's CAT cutoff trends

• The CAT cut off for IIM is based on the previous year’s cut offs released by IIMs. The CAT 2023 cutoff maybe somewhere around past cutoff trends.

CAT Qualifying Cut off vs CAT Final Cut off

IIM candidates should be aware of the difference between the two types of CAT cut offs that play an important role in the admission process. There are two types of cut offs: Qualifying CAT cut off for IIM 2023 and Final CAT cut Off (IIM Call cut off). Below we have listed the differences between the two:

CAT 2023 Cut Offs for IIM Admission

Given below are the estimated CAT 2023 cut off percentile for general category students to get admission in the top 20 IIMs. The cut-offs mentioned below are the estimated final cut-offs based on which the candidates will be called for the interview round. Note that CAT cut offs are higher every year (90-100) for general category students, but for reserved category students, there is considerable relaxation in the minimum percentile.

CAT Cut Off for Top MBA Colleges (Non-IIM)

CAT is mandatory for all candidates seeking admission at IIMs. But there are many other top B-schools in India that admit candidates based on CAT scores. The candidates appearing for CAT 2023 can also apply for admission to MBA programs at several MBA colleges across the country. Apart from the IIMs, here is a cutoff of other top MBA colleges such as IMT Ghaziabad CAT cutoff, SP Jain CAT cutoff, TAPMI CAT cutoff, IIM Shillong CAT cutoff, MICA CAT cutoff, IIT Bombay CAT cutoff, IPU MBA CAT cutoff, etc. for the upcoming academic session. Check more details below.

List of Colleges: CAT Cut Off Percentile Range

• Colleges Accepting CAT percentile from 60-70    
• Colleges Accepting CAT percentile from 80-90
• Colleges Accepting CAT percentile from 70-80    
• Which B-schools will you get based on your CAT percentile?

What was the CAT Previous Year Cut Off of Top IIMs?

Based on the data of last year CAT cutoff trends, the table below shows the IIM cutoff category-wise and sectional cutoff in CAT along with the overall MBA admission cutoff that is expected by the IIMs for admission for the academic year 2023-25. This is only to help in analyzing the CAT college's cutoff for IIM for different categories.

What After IIM CAT Cutoff 2023 - Admission Procedure

Based on the IIM CAT cutoff 2023, the listed candidates will have to appear for the IIM admission procedure. When calculating the CAT cutoff, IIMs consider various determinants. In the CAT 2023 result, candidates can check their CAT raw score vs percentile. The candidates who are confused about when and how to start the CAT preparation? are advised to check the strategy and tips followed by the CAT toppers.

CAT Score vs Percentile

Usually, those with more than 80 percentile in CAT 2023 exam will be selected and invited for the exam rounds from the top B-schools in India. The main four ranges are based on the CAT score vs percentile.

• 95.01 percentile and above
• 90.01 to 95 percentile
• 85.01 to 90 percentile
• 80 to 85 percentile

Candidates are further invited for the CAT selection process by IIMs based on the CAT cutoff marks obtained by candidates.

List of Top B-Schools Accepting CAT Scores and Cutoffs

There are more than 600 B-schools that accept the CAT scores and CAT cut off 2023. Students are always curious about CAT cut off for top MBA colleges. Many participating institutes of CAT begin the admission process after the CAT entrance exam is conducted. Depending upon the candidate's percentile in the CAT exam, the respective authorities of B-schools shortlist them for the next selection rounds for admission to the MBA program.