CAT is amongst the most difficult and popular MBA entrance exam in India but knowing and understanding “a safe CAT score” is very difficult. Unlike other entrance exams where only your scores determine your fate, CAT considers a plethora of factors before they select you. For instance, a 95 percentiler might up empty-handed and a 92 percentiler can achieve really great institutes due to other factors. Read this article carefully to understand “What is a good CAT score” and what should you do to achieve it.
Understanding factors involved in final selection for MBA Admission
CAT Scores
CAT scores which are provided to you on your scorecard are not just sum of your right answers minus the negatives. As CAT happens across 3 different slots on the same day, CAT follows a normalization technique. Once they calculate the raw scores you have achieved, the scores are then altered across the slots as per the difficulty to ensure transparency. Once this is done, percentiles are then calculated based on these scores known as CAT scaled score. Hence, the CAT scores vs percentile differ every year on the basis of level of difficulty.
Personal Interview
The second most important factor in terms of weightage is your interview scores. Personal interviews at an MBA college is a saga of general knowledge questions or a free flowing conversation about your past academic or professional experiences. Almost for every college, PI has been a make or break as this is only interaction you get to have with the esteemed faculties of the college and they check the culture fit of the candidates. Therefore, you need to understand that getting a really high percentile is not going to solve your issue.
Academic Profile
The weightage for this component varies a lot across colleges. Academic profile includes your marks scored in class 10, class 12 and in your graduation. There are usually marks associated with different ranges of marks attained in these exams which eventually sum up in your total composite scores calculation. For instance, IIM Indore gives really high weightage to academics whereas IIM Calcutta is relatively chiller when it comes to academics.
Work Experience for MBA Admission
As far as colleges are concerned in India, they have not mandated work experience as a criteria, barring a few. However, it does not mean that work experience is not valuable. Work experience in every college has some points to it which are allocated to candidates based on the tenure of their work. Kindly note that only full-time work experience is considered for MBA admission. Besides mere points, work experience showcases you as someone who is trustworthy and have taken responsibility in their previous commitments.
Diversity
Given the trends in the recent past, both MBA colleges as well as workplaces have started to value diversity. Therefore, now for admission in your dream college, there are broadly two categories of diversity that are being considered: Academic diversity and Gender diversity. Academic diversity refers to candidates having their undergraduate degree other than engineering. Gender diversity refers to all female or transgender people in the process. There are certain points which are given to these candidates.
Category of the Candidates
In all IIMs and other government colleges like IITs, reservation plays a significant role in your selection. The CAT scores as well as your overall composite score cutoffs drop or varies largely based on your category. Therefore, students belonging to the category are benefitted and the classroom of students is more inclusive from varied backgrounds.
Minimum CAT Percentile Required for MBA Admission
First thing first. While other parameters might be essential at a final stage to secure an admission in any prestigious institute, knowing your minimum basic cutoffs are important.
CAT Cutoff 2024 – Expected
| Categories | VARC | LRDI | QA | Total |
| GEN | 70 – 85 | 70 – 85 | 70 – 85 | 98+ |
| EWS | 65 – 80 | 65 – 80 | 65 – 80 | 95+ |
| NC-OBC | 70 – 85 | 70 – 85 | 70 – 85 | 95+ |
| SC | 55 – 65 | 55 – 65 | 55 – 65 | 85+ |
| ST | 50 – 60 | 50 – 60 | 50 – 60 | 80+ |
| PWD | 45 – 50 | 45 – 50 | 45 – 50 | 80+ |
The numbers above are a rough estimate as to what percentiles are considered safe for you get a step closer to your dream B-School. Please note that these numbers do not represent the actual cutoffs as they vary across colleges and also on the basis of number of candidates apply for CAT every year. The total percentile also fluctuates a lot for each college when we start to factor in the other parameters.
Required CAT Percentile for MBA Admission 2025
Tier 1 Institutes: IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta
IIM A, B and C are collectively known as the top notch management institutes. These 3 colleges need no introduction when it comes to academic rigour, unparalleled exposure and top-notch placements. To secure a personal interview call, one should aim the following percentile. However, these are again indicative and are collected based on data over the past years.
| Categories | Total CAT Percentile |
| GEN | 99.5+ |
| EWS | 99+ |
| NC-OBC | 99+ |
| SC | 90+ |
| ST | 90+ |
| PWD | 87+ |
Kindly note that percentile will vary if you are a non-engineer or a female candidate. It will slightly lesser for these category of students.
Tier 2 Institutes: IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Indore, FMS, IIM Mumbai, etc.
The other set of colleges are no less and have been consistently ranked and regarded as country’s best mgmt. institute. The percentile to attain a PI call is slightly less than IIM ABC.
CAT 2024 Cutoff – Expected
| Categories | Total CAT Percentile |
| GEN | 99+ |
| EWS | 98.5+ |
| NC-OBC | 98.5+ |
| SC | 85+ |
| ST | 85+ |
| PWD | 80+ |
Tier 3 Institutes: IIM Shillong, IIFT Delhi, MDI Gurgaon, Top CAP IIMs, IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi
The next set of colleges are currently growing and are set to be one of the best in the upcoming future. It includes a few IITs and other private colleges like MDI.
Required Percentile in CAT 2024
| Categories | Total CAT Percentile |
| GEN | 98+ |
| EWS | 96+ |
| NC-OBC | 96+ |
| SC | 80+ |
| ST | 80+ |
| PWD | 75+ |
Tier 4 Institutes: Remaining IIMs, IIFT Kolkata, IMT Ghaziabad, IIT Kharagpur.
The next set of colleges are currently growing and are set to be one of the best in the upcoming future. It includes a few IITs and other private colleges like MDI.
CAT Percentile Required for MBA Admission
| Categories | Overall CAT Percentile |
| GEN | 95+ |
| EWS | 92+ |
| NC-OBC | 92+ |
| SC | 70+ |
| ST | 70+ |
| PWD | 65+ |
Tier 5 Institutes: Mostly Private colleges like IMI New Delhi, GLIM Chennai, GIM Goa, XIMB, etc.
Since these are usually private colleges, students from different categories do not get any benefit when it comes to the cutoffs. These colleges roughly start giving out calls on percentile upward of 90. Students with really fine profile gets calls at a lower percentile too, however, they need to compensate that by giving an exceptional personal interview.
FAQs on “What is a Good Score in CAT ?”
- Will I get a call from IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Calcutta with bad academics?
You need to score really high percentile like upward of 99.70 to compensate for having a poor academic record. - Can I get into a good B-school with a CAT score below 90 percentile?
Yes, some growing private B-schools like GIM Goa or TAPMI Manipal accept scores in the range of 85 to 90 percentile. - What is the minimum CAT score required for non-IIM colleges like FMS Delhi MDI Gurgaon?
For FMS Delhi, you would need at least 99.2+ percentile and a good VARC section. For MDI Gurgaon, you need around 97+ percentile. - Do reserved category candidates need a high percentile for top IIMs?
No, reserved category candidates can easily secure admission in top IIMs with a percentile between 85 and 95, depending on the specific category and other parameters like academic profile and work experience. - What are sectional cutoffs in the CAT exam?
Sectional cutoffs are the minimum percentiles required in each section of CAT (VARC, DILR, QA). For top IIMs and other good business schools, they typically range from 75 to 85 percentile for each section. - Can work experience affect the definition of a good CAT score?
Yes, candidates with relevant and branded work experience may benefit during the selection process, making slightly lower CAT scores competitive. - Does a high CAT score guarantee admission to an IIM?
No, admission depends on multiple factors including academic background, work experience, performance in WAT, GD and PI, in addition to the CAT score. - What percentile should I aim for if I have an average academic profile?
If your academic record is average, aim for a 99+ percentile to make your overall application stronger and improve your chances of selection. - Can a candidate with a 90 percentile get into a second-tier IIM?
It is possible but unlikely for a general category male candidate unless you have an exceptional profile. However, for reserved categories, a 90 percentile will be more than enough for second-tier IIMs.
