CAT Cut Off: Overall, Sectional and Category-wise Percentiles

What the CAT cut off really is

People use the phrase for three different things, and mixing them causes most of the confusion:

1. Minimum eligibility percentiles: the lowest overall and sectional percentiles an institute will even consider. These are published in the admissions policy.
2. Shortlisting cut off: the percentile or composite score of the last candidate who actually received an interview call. It is usually far above the minimum and is rarely published officially.
3. Final conversion: the final merit after the interview, which mixes CAT, academics and interview performance.

When someone says "the cut off for an IIM is 99", they usually mean the second kind for General candidates, and they are estimating it, not quoting an official figure.

How IIMs shortlist after the CAT exam cut off

Most older IIMs follow a broadly similar two step process, though details and weights differ:

• Step 1, filter: candidates must clear a minimum overall percentile and a minimum percentile in each section. Missing one section rules you out even with a high overall score.
• Step 2, composite score: the remaining candidates are ranked on a formula that gives weight to the CAT score, academic record (class 10, class 12 and graduation), work experience, and in some institutes gender and academic diversity.
• Step 3, calls: the top candidates on the composite score are called for WAT and PI, in numbers set by the institute's seats and category.

Because of step 2, two people with the same percentile can get different results. Strong academics can carry a slightly lower CAT score, and weak academics can need a much higher one.

Sectional cut offs matter

The section lock (40 minutes each for VARC, DILR and QA) exists partly so that institutes can test balance. A candidate with 99 overall but a weak percentile in DILR may miss calls that a balanced candidate with 97 overall receives. Plan your preparation so that your weakest section clears a comfortable sectional mark rather than chasing a high overall score from one strong section.

The topics behind each section are on the CAT syllabus page.

CAT OBC cut off and other category thresholds

Every IIM sets separate minimums for reserved categories, following the Government of India's reservation policy in admissions. In the admission policies we have seen, the thresholds for OBC (NCL) and EWS are lower than for General candidates, and those for SC, ST and PwD are lower still. The gaps are not the same at every institute, and some institutes also apply relaxed composite score cut offs for these categories.

To use a reserved category, you need a valid certificate that follows the CAT bulletin's prescribed format, issued within the period the bulletin specifies. A missing or outdated certificate means you are treated as General at every stage.

What moves cut offs from year to year

• Paper difficulty and scaling: a percentile compares you with others in your year, so it hides changes in difficulty, but the raw score needed for a given percentile moves a lot between years.
• Number of test takers: more candidates generally push up the competition at the top percentiles.
• Seats and new programmes: new or expanded IIM programmes add seats, which can widen the pool of calls.
• Policy changes: IIMs revise weights for academics, work experience and diversity, and these shift who makes the shortlist.

Non-IIM B-schools and CAT scores

Hundreds of other institutes accept CAT scores, and their cut offs range widely. Many publish a minimum percentile in their own admission notices; some ask for a separate application and then run their own group discussion and interview. Check each institute's own notice, and apply to a balanced list of safe, target and dream options. If you are also taking other MBA entrances, the XAT syllabus and CMAT syllabus pages explain those papers.

How to check CAT cut offs officially

1. Open the CAT website, which links to the admission policies of the participating IIMs once registrations begin.
2. Download the policy of each IIM you are interested in and find the minimum overall and sectional percentiles for your category, plus the composite score formula.
3. After the result, check your scorecard for your scaled score and percentiles, and compare them with each policy.
4. Look for shortlists and interview calls on each IIM's own admissions page.

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