CAT Cut off 2025: Cut off for Top B-Schools and IIMs

CAT Cut off 2025 is a crucial determinant for shortlisting candidates for admission to the top IIMs and other prestigious B-Schools across India. The cut-off marks reflect the minimum percentile a candidate must secure to be considered for the next stages of the selection process, including Written Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussion (GD), and Personal Interview (PI).

Also Read: How to Prepare for CAT 2025 Exam

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CAT Cut off 2025 Overview

CAT Cut off 2025 varies across institutes and is influenced by several factors such as the difficulty level of the exam, the number of applicants, and seat availability. It will be released once the exam will is conducted on November 30, 202.

While IIMs release both sectional and overall qualifying cut-offs, these are only the minimum criteria for consideration. In reality, candidates often need to score well above these thresholds to receive interview calls from top IIMs and B-Schools. For instance, while a minimum percentile of 80–85 may be sufficient to clear the eligibility criteria, the actual cut-off for final shortlisting often falls in the 98–99 percentile range for general category students.

Factors Affecting CAT Cut-off 2025

Several key factors influence the CAT cut-offs each year. These factors play a crucial role in determining both the qualifying and final admission cut-offs for IIMs and other top MBA colleges. Understanding these variables can help aspirants better anticipate the percentile they might need to secure a call from their preferred B-Schools:

• Difficulty Level of the Exam: A tougher CAT paper usually results in lower cut-off scores, while an easier exam pushes the cut-offs higher.

• Number of Applicants: Increased registrations lead to greater competition. For example, with 3.3 lakh applicants last year, the cut-offs role significantly.

• Availability of Seats: Cut-offs are affected by the total number of seats, which can change due to institutional decisions or reservation policy updates. Fewer seats typically lead to higher cut-offs.

• College Rankings and Reputation: Higher-ranked or more prestigious institutes tend to have higher CAT cut-offs.

• Candidates Clearing Minimum Cut-offs: The number of students surpassing the qualifying overall and sectional cut-offs also influences the final admission thresholds.

Also Read: CAT Registration 2025

CAT 2024 Percentile Vs Score Breakdown

Based on expert analysis of CAT 2024 Slot 1, an overall score of 102 was estimated to translate into 99.9 percentile. Here is the required CAT 2024 cut-off based on the difficulty level of the exam listed below:

Importance of CAT Cut-off 2025

Meeting the required CAT cut-off is essential for candidates to be eligible for MBA admissions. Apart from the overall cut-off, candidates must also meet the sectional cut-offs in order to qualify for the WAT-PI (Written Ability Test and Personal Interview) rounds conducted by MBA institutes. For General category applicants, the cut-offs at top IIMs generally lie between the 98 to 100 percentile range, whereas for candidates from reserved categories, they are slightly relaxed, typically between 95 to 98 percentile.

• In leading management institutes such as FMS, MDI, and SPJIMR, CAT cut-offs usually fall between 90 and 99 percentile.

• IIMs consider two types of CAT cut-offs during the admission process: the qualifying cut-off and the final cut-off.

• The qualifying cut-off is released prior to the announcement of CAT results, while the final cut-off is disclosed during the shortlisting of candidates for the PI round.

• Final cut-off scores for IIMs are not made publicly available; they are only accessible through the candidate's registered account after appearing for the CAT exam.

Other B-schools accepting CAT scores also define their own minimum cut-offs for shortlisting applicants. While filling out the CAT application form, candidates must select their preferred IIMs and programs to be considered for WAT-PI shortlisting.

Sectional-Wise IIM CAT Cut off 2024

The Common Admission Test (CAT) 2024 cutoff for the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) plays a pivotal role for aspirants targeting admission into these prestigious B-schools. These cutoffs vary across different categories and exam sections, underscoring the highly competitive nature of the selection process. Below is a summary of the expected sectional cutoffs for IIMs in 2024.

• General Category Candidates: Applicants from the general category can anticipate significantly higher cutoffs, often touching the 99th percentile, especially for top-tier IIMs such as Ahmedabad and Bangalore.
  
  

• Reserved Categories: For candidates from SC, ST, and PwD categories, the cutoffs are comparatively relaxed—typically starting around the 70th percentile—though the exact figures may vary by IIM.

The sectional cut off for each subject is as follows:

Also Read: CAT 2025 Preparation Strategy

IIM Final CAT Cut Offs 2024

Here are the estimated CAT 2024 cut-off percentiles for General category students for admission to the top 21 IIMs. These are the final cut-offs, which will be used to shortlist candidates for the interview round. Please note that while the CAT cut-offs for General category students are usually high (98-100 percentile) each year, reserved category students benefit from a significant relaxation in the minimum required percentile.

Also Read: MBA Entrance Exam

CAT Previous Years Cut-Off Marks

Reviewing the previous year’s CAT cut-off scores is crucial for developing a clear understanding of the expected score range and qualifying benchmarks for top B-schools. It helps candidates set realistic targets and align their preparation accordingly.