CAT Cut Off: All About Previous Year Trends & Category Wise Marks!
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Introduction
The CAT 2024 cut-offs for admission to the MBA 2025 batch of IIMs are projected to be between 95-100 percentile. For General and NC-OBC category students, the cut-off for top IIMs is expected to be around 98-100 percentile. In contrast, the cut-offs will be lower for SC/ST/PwD candidates. Non-IIM institutions may set their cut-offs in the 94-100 percentile range, based on candidates’ overall performance in the CAT 2024 exam.
Top IIMs and leading MBA colleges such as FMS, MDI, SPJIMR, IMT, and MICA release the qualifying CAT cut-offs for WAT-PI shortlisting before the exam, allowing candidates to understand the eligibility criteria. These institutions do not disclose final cut-offs publicly. However, many other private and government colleges make their cut-offs available in the public domain.
MBA aspirants need to note that the CAT cut-offs for top MBA colleges like SPJIMR, IMT, MDI, FMS, and JBIMS are generally lower than those of the IIMs. Knowing these cut-offs can help candidates set realistic expectations and prepare effectively for admissions.
Factors Determining CAT Cut-Offs
CAT cut-offs are a critical aspect of the admissions process for MBA programs in India. Understanding the factors that influence these cut-offs can help aspirants set realistic goals and prepare effectively. Several dynamic elements contribute to the determination of CAT cut-offs each year.
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A higher number of test-takers generally leads to increased competition, which can raise cut-offs.
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If the CAT exam is more challenging in a given year, cut-offs might be lower, reflecting the overall performance of candidates.
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The number of seats available in participating institutes affects cut-offs. More seats might mean lower cut-offs, while fewer seats can increase them.
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Reserved category candidates (SC, ST, OBC, PwD) often have lower cut-offs compared to general category candidates due to affirmative action policies.
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Top-tier IIMs and other prestigious institutions tend to have higher cut-offs due to their popularity and demand among applicants.
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Trends from previous years also play a role in setting expectations and benchmarks for current-year cut-offs.
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CAT scores are normalized across different slots to ensure fairness, impacting the final cut-offs.
Understanding these factors can help candidates tailor their preparation strategies and aim for scores that meet or exceed the required cut-offs for their desired institutions.
Difference Between Qualifying CAT Cut Off & Final CAT Cut Off
Before coming to the previous cut off let’s first identify the major differences between qualifying CAT cut-off & final cut-off:
|
Qualifying CAT Cut-Off |
Final CAT Cut-Off |
|
Minimum percentile required for eligibility for PI shortlist. |
Minimum percentile required for selection in PI round. |
|
IIM eligibility cut off or IIM shortlist cut off. |
IIM call cut-offs. |
|
Determines eligibility for an interview call (WAT/GD-PI round) from IIMs. |
Determines selection for WAT/GD-PI round. |
|
Meeting the qualifying cut-off does not guarantee selection for the WAT/GD-PI round. |
Meeting the final CAT cut-off does not guarantee admission. |
|
Fixed before the announcement of CAT results. |
Determined after the declaration of CAT results. |
|
Announced by every IIM in their admission criteria notification for that academic year. |
Not officially announced by any IIM or top MBA institutes. |
|
Typically, above 90 percentile for all IIMs, except IIM Ahmedabad which has been 85 percentile recently. |
As high as 99.99 percentile for top IIMs, and 95+ percentile for newer IIMs. |
|
Includes sectional and overall cut-offs. |
Includes sectional and overall cut-offs. |
|
Fixed category-wise. Higher for General category (90) and lower for reserved categories (70 and below). |
Fixed category-wise. Higher for General category male engineering students compared to others. |
Category-wise CAT Cut-Off At Top IIMs for MBA
Here are the previous year’s cut-off for general, OBC, & other categories for admission in MBA at top IIMs:
For General Category
|
Name of The Institute |
CAT 2022 Cut off for General |
CAT 2021 Cut off for General |
|
IIM Ahmedabad |
80 |
80 |
|
IIM Amritsar |
85 |
85 |
|
IIM Bangalore |
85 |
85 |
|
IIM Bodh Gaya |
92 |
92 |
|
IIM Calcutta |
85 |
85 |
|
IIM Indore |
90 |
90 |
|
IIM Jammu |
Male- 90, Female- 87 |
92 |
|
IIM Kashipur |
92 |
92 |
|
IIM Kozhikode |
85 |
85 |
|
IIM Lucknow |
90 |
90 |
|
IIM Nagpur |
90 |
85 |
|
IIM Raipur |
92 |
92 |
|
IIM Ranchi |
92 |
92 |
|
IIM Rohtak |
95 |
95 |
|
IIM Sambalpur |
Male- 92, Female- 80 |
92 |
|
IIM Shillong |
75 |
75 |
|
IIM Sirmaur |
92 |
92 |
|
IIM Trichy |
92 |
92 |
|
IIM Udaipur |
92 |
92 |
|
IIM Visakhapatnam |
80 |
80 |
For EWS Category
|
Name of The Institute |
CAT 2022 Cut off for EWS |
CAT 2021 Cut off for EWS |
|
IIM Ahmedabad |
80 |
80 |
|
IIM Amritsar |
85 |
85 |
|
IIM Bangalore |
75 |
75 |
|
IIM Bodh Gaya |
70 |
70 |
|
IIM Calcutta |
75 |
75 |
|
IIM Indore |
90 |
90 |
|
IIM Jammu |
Male- 68, Female- 65 |
70 |
|
IIM Kashipur |
70 |
70 |
|
IIM Kozhikode |
75 |
75 |
|
IIM Lucknow |
82 |
82 |
|
IIM Nagpur |
80 |
85 |
|
IIM Raipur |
70 |
70 |
|
IIM Ranchi |
70 |
70 |
|
IIM Rohtak |
90 |
90 |
|
IIM Sambalpur |
70 |
70 |
|
IIM Shillong |
75 |
75 |
|
IIM Sirmaur |
70 |
70 |
|
IIM Trichy |
70 |
70 |
|
IIM Udaipur |
70 |
70 |
|
IIM Visakhapatnam |
72 |
72 |
For OBC Category
|
Name of the Institute |
CAT 2022 Cut off for OBC |
CAT 2021 Cut off for OBC |
|
IIM Ahmedabad |
75 |
75 |
|
IIM Amritsar |
75 |
75 |
|
IIM Bangalore |
75 |
75 |
|
IIM Bodh Gaya |
74 |
74 |
|
IIM Calcutta |
75 |
75 |
|
IIM Indore |
80 |
80 |
|
IIM Jammu |
Male- 72, Female- 70 |
74 |
|
IIM Kashipur |
74 |
74 |
|
IIM Kozhikode |
75 |
75 |
|
IIM Lucknow |
82 |
82 |
|
IIM Nagpur |
76.5 |
76.5 |
|
IIM Raipur |
74 |
74 |
|
IIM Ranchi |
74 |
74 |
|
IIM Rohtak |
78 |
78 |
|
IIM Sambalpur |
74 |
74 |
|
IIM Shillong |
75 |
75 |
|
IIM Sirmaur |
74 |
74 |
|
IIM Trichy |
74 |
74 |
|
IIM Udaipur |
74 |
74 |
|
IIM Visakhapatnam |
70 |
70 |
For SC Category
|
Name of the Institute |
CAT 2022 Cut off for SC |
CAT 2021 Cut off for SC |
|
IIM Ahmedabad |
70 |
70 |
|
IIM Amritsar |
55 |
55 |
|
IIM Bangalore |
70 |
75 |
|
IIM Bodh Gaya |
54 |
54 |
|
IIM Calcutta |
70 |
70 |
|
IIM Indore |
60 |
60 |
|
IIM Jammu |
Male- 52, Female- 50 |
54 |
|
IIM Kashipur |
54 |
54 |
|
IIM Kozhikode |
65 |
65 |
|
IIM Lucknow |
70 |
70 |
|
IIM Nagpur |
60 |
60 |
|
IIM Raipur |
54 |
54 |
|
IIM Ranchi |
54 |
54 |
|
IIM Rohtak |
55 |
55 |
|
IIM Sambalpur |
54 |
54 |
|
IIM Shillong |
60 |
60 |
|
IIM Sirmaur |
54 |
54 |
|
IIM Trichy |
54 |
54 |
|
IIM Udaipur |
54 |
54 |
|
IIM Visakhapatnam |
45 |
45 |
For ST Category
|
Name of the Institute |
CAT 2022 Cut off for ST |
CAT 2021 Cut off for ST |
|
IIM Ahmedabad |
60 |
60 |
|
IIM Amritsar |
40 |
40 |
|
IIM Bangalore |
65 |
65 |
|
IIM Bodh Gaya |
40 |
40 |
|
IIM Calcutta |
65 |
65 |
|
IIM Indore |
50 |
50 |
|
IIM Jammu |
Male- 37, Female- 34 |
Male- 37, Female- 34 |
|
IIM Kashipur |
40 |
40 |
|
IIM Kozhikode |
55 |
55 |
|
IIM Lucknow |
65 |
65 |
|
IIM Nagpur |
40 |
40 |
|
IIM Raipur |
40 |
40 |
|
IIM Ranchi |
40 |
40 |
|
IIM Rohtak |
30 |
30 |
|
IIM Sambalpur |
40 |
40 |
|
IIM Shillong |
50 |
50 |
|
IIM Sirmaur |
40 |
40 |
|
IIM Trichy |
40 |
40 |
|
IIM Udaipur |
40 |
40 |
|
IIM Visakhapatnam |
35 |
35 |
Previous Year CAT Cut-off at Non-IIMs
Now, let’s have a look at the previous year cut off at institutes offering MBAs other than IIMs:
|
Name of the Institute |
CAT Score Required |
|
AIMS Bangalore |
60 Percentile |
|
Delhi School of Management |
85 Percentile |
|
FMS Delhi |
99 Percentile |
|
GIM Goa |
88 Percentile |
|
IFMR Chennai |
80 Percentile |
|
IMI Delhi |
90 Percentile |
|
IMT Ghaziabad |
90 Percentile |
|
IMT Nagpur |
85 Percentile |
|
Jaipuria Institute of Management |
50 Percentile |
|
JBIMS |
95 Percentile |
|
LIBA Chennai |
80 Percentile |
|
MDI Gurgaon |
94 Percentile |
|
NITIE Mumbai (now IIM Mumbai) |
97 Percentile |
|
SP Jain |
85 Percentile |
|
TAPMI Manipal |
85 Percentile |
|
Welingkar Mumbai |
80 Percentile |
|
XIMB |
91 Percentile |
Expected CAT 2024 Cut-off For MBA Admission
Based on the previous trends here’s the table below showing the expected CAT cut-off for 2024:
|
CAT Percent |
VARC Score |
DILR Score |
QA Score |
Overall Score |
|
99.9 % |
48 |
36 |
48 |
106 |
|
99.5 % |
44 |
32 |
32 |
89 |
|
99 % |
40 |
28 |
28 |
80 |
|
98 % |
36 |
25 |
24 |
71 |
|
95% |
30 |
19 |
19 |
57 |
|
90% |
25 |
16 |
15 |
49 |
|
85% |
21 |
13 |
12 |
40 |
|
80% |
19 |
11 |
10 |
36 |
|
75% |
17 |
10 |
9 |
31 |
|
70% |
15 |
9 |
8 |
29 |
|
36-39 |
