CAT · Cutoff
CAT cutoff: expected score and rank bands
No official CAT cutoff is published on Shishya yet — the score bands below are indicative, not official. Official cutoffs are published at iimcat.ac.in.
AI-curated from historic cutoff patterns. Indicative, not official. Always verify with the latest official notification.
Category-wise expected cutoff (indicative)
| Category | Expected cutoff (indicative) |
|---|---|
| General | 90-100 percentile (typically 98+ for top IIMs; 90-95 for newer IIMs) |
| EWS | 88-98 percentile (typically 96+ for top IIMs; 88-93 for newer IIMs) |
| OBC (NC) | 80-94 percentile (typically 94+ for top IIMs; 80-88 for newer IIMs) |
| SC | 60-75 percentile (typically 70-75 for top IIMs; 60-65 for newer IIMs) |
| ST | 50-65 percentile (typically 60-65 for top IIMs; 50-55 for newer IIMs) |
| PwD | 50-70 percentile (varies by institute; typically 50-60 for newer IIMs, 60-70 for top IIMs) |
- General vs. OBC gap: Approximately 8-12 percentile points for top IIMs (e.g., Gen 98+ vs. OBC 86-90); gap narrows for newer IIMs to 5-8 percentile points.
- Cutoff drivers: Difficulty level of exam, number of test-takers, seat availability at individual IIMs, and institute-specific sectional cutoffs (each IIM sets independent criteria beyond CAT percentile).
- Note: These are *CAT percentile* cutoffs for shortlisting; final selection involves GD-PI-WAT performance, academic profile, work experience, and diversity factors, which vary significantly across institutes.
What does your score in Common Admission Test actually get you? These bands map a mock or exam percentage to the rank window and the outcomes that score range has typically achieved.
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Top 100 — IIM A/B/C assured calls
100–100%rank ~1–100
- IIM Ahmedabad — PGP assured interview call, conversion depends on WAT and PI
- IIM Bangalore — assured call, strong conversion probability with decent academics
- IIM Calcutta — assured call and high conversion rate
- All top 20 B-schools — guaranteed interview calls
- Scholarship opportunities at multiple IIMs and private institutes
- Multiple admits likely across IIM A/B/C/L/I/K
Top 500 — IIM ABC strong contention
100–100%rank ~100–500
- IIM Ahmedabad — PGP program, typically requires 99.5+ percentile for General category interview call
- IIM Bangalore — strong interview call probability, final selection depends on academics and profile
- IIM Calcutta — high conversion chances with good GD-PI-WAT performance
- IIM Lucknow, Kozhikode, Indore — very strong conversion probability
- FMS Delhi — strong call and conversion chances despite low fees
- All new IIMs — guaranteed calls with scholarship prospects
Top IIMs — interview contention
98–100%rank ~500–3,000
- IIM Bangalore — PGP program, General cut-off typically 99+ percentile
- IIM Calcutta — PGP programs, cut-off ~98-99 percentile General
- IIM Lucknow — strong conversion chances for General category
- IIM Kozhikode — high conversion probability
- FMS Delhi — interview calls, conversion depends on profile and GD-PI performance
- ISB Hyderabad/Mohali — YLP program for younger candidates
Tier 2 IIMs and top private
85–95%rank ~10,000–50,000
- IIM Shillong, Ranchi, Kashipur, Raipur, Udaipur — PGDM programs, cut-off typically 85-92 percentile General
- IIM Trichy, Rohtak — General category cut-off approximately 90 percentile
- IMT Ghaziabad — PGDM Marketing flagship, fees ₹19-20 lakhs
- XLRI Jamshedpur — BM program (lower than HRM), cut-off ~92 percentile
- SP Jain Mumbai — PGDM programs
- Great Lakes Chennai — 2-year PGPM, strong placement record
Tier 2-3 B-schools
70–85%rank ~50,000–1,50,000
- New IIMs (Nagpur, Jammu, Bodh Gaya, Sirmaur) — General category cut-off typically 70-80 percentile
- MDI Murshidabad — PGPM program
- IMT Ghaziabad (lower weight programs) — PGDM Marketing/Finance
- TAPMI Manipal — PGDM programs, fees approximately ₹15-16 lakhs
- Great Lakes Chennai — PGPM program
- State-level institutes like NIBM Pune, SIMSREE Mumbai
Below cut-off range
0–70%
- Unlikely to receive calls from tier 1-2 B-schools
- Consider tier 3 private institutes or retake next year
- Focus on fundamentals in VARC, DILR, and QA sections
- Target state-level or new IIMs with lower cut-offs
Where would your score land?
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