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Premier institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), Faculty of Management Studies (FMS), SPJIMR, MDI Gurgaon and others usually have high cut-offs usually above the 95 or 99 percentile level for general category applicants. These cut-offs however, are marginally eased off for reserved category applicants. Further, some institutes also have sectional cut-offs which applicants have to achieve minimum scores in every section of the CAT exam VARC, DILR and QA as well as the overall cut-off.
Knowing these cut-off trends is important for aspirants to make realistic goals, strategise their preparation and target the correct institutes based on their predicted performance.
Major Factors that Decide CAT Exam 2025 Cut-Off
Factors that decide the CAT exam cut-off are as follows:
Difficulty of the CAT exam question paper.
Number of students who took the test.
Availability of Seats.
College Ranking.
Past year cut-off trends.
CAT Qualifying Cut-Offs vs Final Cut-Offs
1. Qualifying Cut-Off (Minimum Eligibity Criteria):
It is the lowest percentile specified by an institute for students to be eligible to receive shortlisting for the subsequent round (WAT-PI or GD-PI).
It is normally stated in the official admission policy of the B-schools.
Achieving this cut-off is not a surety of receiving the interview call.
These are typically lower, particularly for the reserved categories.
Example: IIM Ahmedabad can state a qualifying cut-off of 85 aggregate for the General category.
2. Final Cut-Off (Actual Shortlist Cut-Off):
This is the precise percentile at which applicants are selected for further admissions processes, including the Personal Interview (PI), Group Discussion (GD), and Written Ability Test (WAT).
It is typically much higher than the qualifying cut-off.
It fluctuates from year to year based on factors such as difficulty of the exam, number of candidates and availability of seats.
Final cut-offs are usually not announced officially but are deduced by trends.
Example: Even if the cut-off for IIM Ahmedabad to qualify is 85, the shortlisting may occur at 99+ percentile for General category.
Particulars | CAT Qualifying Cut-off | CAT Final Cut-off |
What’s the purpose | Minimum Eligibility | Actual Shortlisting of the Candidates |
Is it declared officially? | Yes, in admission policies | Not usually (mostly based on the trends) |
Call from colleges guaranteed? | No | Yes, if the candidates meet the final cut-off |
Who sets these cut-offs? | Institutes only | Institutions according to the received applications |
IIMs Percentile for CAT 2024
IIMs | CAT 2024 Percentile | IIMs | CAT 2024 Percentile |
IIM Ahmedabad | 99 | IIM Nagpur | 94 |
IIM Bangalore | 99 | IIM Ranchi | 94 |
IIM Lucknow | 97 | IIM Sirmaur | 92 |
IIM Kozhikode | 97 | IIM Tiruchirappalli | 94 |
IIM Mumbai | 97 | IIM Bodh Gaya | 94 |
IIM Calcutta | 99 | IIM Raipur | 94 |
IIM Indore | 97 | IIM Sambalpur | 92 |
IIM Kashipur | 95 | IIM Jammu | 91 |
IIM Udaipur | 96 | IIM Shillong | 92 |
IIM Rohtak | 96 | IIM Visakhapatnam | 92 |
IIM Amritsar | 90 | ||
IIMs (Indian Institute of Management): Qualifying CAT 2025 Cut-offs
CAT Qualifying Cut-off 2025: IIM Kozhikode
Category | SSC/10th percentage | HSC/12th percentage | CAT Sectional percentile | CAT Overall percentile |
ST/PwD | 55 | 55 | 45 | 55 |
Economically Weaker Section - (EWS)/OBC-NC | 60 | 60 | 65 | 75 |
SC | 55 | 55 | 55 | 65 |
General | 60 | 60 | 75 | 85 |
CAT Qualifying Cut-off 2025: IIM Ahmedabad
Category | VARC | DILR | QA | Overall Percentile |
NC-OBC-cum-transgender (Non-PwD) | 80 | 80 | 80 | 90 |
SC (Non-PwD) | 75 | 75 | 75 | 85 |
ST (Non-PwD) | 65 | 65 | 65 | 75 |
General (Non-PwD) | 85 | 85 | 85 | 95 |
CAT Qualifying Cut-Off 2025: IIM Calcutta
Category | QA | DILR | VARC | Overall percentile |
Persons with Disabilities (PwD) | ≥55 | ≥55 | ≥55 | ≥65 |
NC-OBC | ≥65 | ≥65 | ≥70 | ≥75 |
Economically Weaker Section - (EWS) | ≥65 | ≥65 | ≥70 | ≥75 |
General | ≥75 | ≥80 | ≥80 | ≥85 |
ST | ≥55 | ≥55 | ≥55 | ≥65 |
SC | ≥60 | ≥60 | ≥65 | ≥70 |
CAT Qualifying Cut-Off 2025: IIM Bangalore
Category | VARC | DILR | Quant | Overall percentile |
Persons with Disabilities (PwD) | 50 | 50 | 50 | 60 |
NC-OBC | 70 | 70 | 70 | 75 |
Economically Weaker Section - (EWS) | 70 | 70 | 70 | 75 |
SC | 60 | 60 | 60 | 70 |
General | 80 | 80 | 80 | 85 |
ST | 55 | 55 | 55 | 65 |
CAT Qualifying Cut-Off 2025: IIM Lucknow
Category | PGP | PGP-ABM and PGP-SM | ||||||
QA | VARC | DILR | Total | DILR | VARC | QA | Total | |
Other backwards classes - Non-creamy layer OBC-NC | 77 | 77 | 77 | 82 | 72 | 72 | 72 | 77 |
50 | 50 | 50 | 60 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 55 | |
Economically Weaker Section - (EWS) | 77 | 77 | 77 | 82 | 72 | 72 | 72 | 77 |
SC | 55 | 55 | 55 | 65 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 65 for ABM 60 for SM |
General | 85 | 85 | 85 | 90 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 85 |
ST | 50 | 50 | 50 | 60 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 55 |
CAT Qualifying Cut-Off 2025: IIM Kashipur
Category | QA | DILR | VARC | Overall percentile |
Defence Acquisition Procedure - (DAP) | >=32.5 | >=32 | >=25 | >=40 |
Economically Weaker Section - (EWS) | >=40 | >=40 | >=40 | >=70 |
Scheduled Castes (SC) | >=35 | >=35 | >=35 | >=54 |
General | >=70 | >=70 | >=70 | >=92 |
Scheduled Tribes (ST) | >=32.5 | >=32 | >=25 | >=40 |
NC-OBC | >=45 | >=45 | >=45 | >=74 |
CAT Qualifying Cut-Off 2025: IIM Mumbai
Category | VARC | DILR | QA | Overall |
ST | >=55 | >=55 | >=55 | >=65 |
EWS | >=70 | >=65 | >=65 | >=75 |
Other backward classes—Non-creamy layer OBC-NC | >=70 | >=65 | >=65 | >=75 |
Open | >=80 | >=80 | >=75 | >=85 |
SC | >=65 | >=60 | >=60 | >=70 |
Persons with Disabilities (PwD) | >=45 | >=45 | >=45 | >=55 |
CAT Qualifying Cut-Off 2025: IIM Ranchi
Category | QA | DILR | VARC | Total |
DAP | 32.5 | 25 | 25 | 40 |
EWS | 40 | 40 | 40 | 70 |
Scheduled Tribes (ST) | 32.5 | 25 | 25 | 40 |
NC-OBC | 45 | 45 | 45 | 74 |
Scheduled Castes (SC) | 35 | 35 | 35 | 54 |
General | 70 | 70 | 70 | 92 |
CAT Qualifying Cut-Off 2025: IIM Udaipur
Category | QA | DILR | VARC | Total |
Defence Acquisition Procedure - (DAP) | 32.5 | 25 | 25 | 40 |
General | 70 | 70 | 70 | 92 |
Other backward classes - Non-creamy layer OBC-NC | 45 | 45 | 45 | 74 |
SC | 35 | 35 | 35 | 54 |
Economically Weaker Section - (EWS) | 40 | 40 | 40 | 70 |
ST | 32.5 | 25 | 25 | 40 |
CAT Qualifying Cut-Off 2025: IIM Jammu
Category VARC DILR QA Total Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female EWS 40 40 40 40 40 40 68 65 Persons with Disabilities(PwD) 25 25 25 25 32.5 32.5 37 34 NC-OBC 45 45 45 45 45 45 72 70 Scheduled Castes (SC) 35 35 35 35 35 35 52 50 General 65 65 65 65 65 65 90 87 Scheduled Tribes (ST) 25 25 25 25 32.5 32.5 37 34
CAT Qualifying Cut-Off 2025: IIM Raipur
Category | Quant | DILR | VARC | Total |
NC-OBC | 45 | 45 | 45 | 74 |
Defence Acquisition Procedure - (DAP) | 32.5 | 25 | 25 | 40 |
Economically Weaker Section - (EWS) | 40 | 40 | 40 | 70 |
SC | 35 | 35 | 35 | 54 |
ST | 32.5 | 25 | 25 | 40 |
General | 70 | 70 | 70 | 92 |
CAT Qualifying Cut-Off 2025: IIM Vishakhapatnam
Category | VARC | DILR | QA | Total |
SC | 40 | 40 | 40 | 45 |
NC-OBC | 63 | 63 | 63 | 72 |
General | 70 | 70 | 70 | 80 |
ST | 30 | 30 | 30 | 35 |
Persons with Disabilities(PwD) | 30 | 30 | 30 | 35 |
EWS | 63 | 63 | 63 | 72 |
CAT Qualifying Cut-Off 2025: IIM Bodh Gaya
Category | QA | DILR | VARC | Total |
Defence Acquisition Procedure - (DAP) | 32.5 | 25 | 25 | 40 |
EWS | 40 | 40 | 40 | 70 |
NC-OBC | 45 | 45 | 45 | 74 |
General | 70 | 70 | 70 | 92 |
SC | 35 | 35 | 35 | 54 |
ST | 32.5 | 25 | 25 | 40 |
CAT Qualifying Cut-Off 2025: IIM Sirmaur
Category | QA | DILR | VARC | Total |
Other backward classes - Non-creamy layer OBC-NC | >=45 | >=45 | >=45 | 74 |
Defence Acquisition Procedure - (DAP) | >=32.5 | >=25 | >=25 | 40 |
EWS | >=40 | >=40 | >=40 | 70 |
ST | >=32.5 | >=25 | >=25 | 40 |
SC | >=35 | >=35 | >=35 | 54 |
General | >=70 | >=70 | >=70 | 92 |
CAT Qualifying Cut-Off 2025: IIM Sambalpur
Category | QA | DILR | VARC | Total |
Economically Weaker Section - (EWS) | 40 | 40 | 40 | 70 |
Defence Acquisition Procedure - (DAP) | 32.5 | 25 | 25 | 40 |
NC-OBC | 45 | 45 | 45 | 74 |
Scheduled Castes (SC) | 35 | 35 | 35 | 54 |
General | 70 | 70 | 70 | 92 |
Scheduled Tribes (ST) | 32.5 | 25 | 25 | 40 |
CAT Qualifying Cut-Off 2025: IIM Amritsar
Category | QA | DILR | VARC | Total |
Persons with Disabilities(PwD) | 35 | 35 | 35 | 40 |
EWS | 80 | 75 | 75 | 85 |
Non Creamy Other Backward Classes (NC- OBC) | 65 | 60 | 60 | 75 |
Scheduled Castes (SC) | 55 | 50 | 50 | 55 |
General | 80 | 75 | 75 | 85 |
Scheduled Tribes (ST) | 35 | 35 | 35 | 40 |
CAT Qualifying Cut-Off 2025: IIM Indore
Category | DILR | VARC | QA | Total |
Schedule Caste - (SC) | 55 | 55 | 55 | 60 |
Persons with Disabilities - (PwD) | 40 | 40 | 40 | 45 |
NC-OBC | 70 | 70 | 70 | 80 |
Schedule Caste - (ST) | 40 | 40 | 40 | 45 |
General/EWS | 80 | 80 | 80 | 90 |
CAT Qualifying Cut-Off 2025: IIM Rohtak
Category | CAT Percentile (Overall) |
Schedule Caste - (SC) | 55 |
Defence Acquisition Procedure - (DAP) | 30 |
General | 95 |
NC-OBC | 78 |
Schedule Caste - (ST) | 30 |
EWS | 90 |
CAT Qualifying Cut-Off 2025: IIM Trichy
Category | QA | DILR | VARC | Total |
Economically Weaker Section - (EWS) | 40 | 40 | 40 | 70 |
Schedule Caste - (ST) | 32.5 | 25 | 25 | 40 |
OBC-NC | 45 | 45 | 45 | 74 |
General | 70 | 70 | 70 | 92 |
Schedule Caste - (SC) | 35 | 35 | 35 | 54 |
Defence Acquisition Procedure - (DAP) | 32.5 | 25 | 25 | 40 |
CAT Qualifying Cut-Off 2025: IIM Shillong
Category | VARC | DILR | QA |
Other | 75 | 75 | 75 |
Schedule Tribe - (ST) | 50 | 50 | 50 |
Schedule Caste - (SC) | 60 | 60 | 60 |
Differently Abled | 50 | 50 | 50 |
EWS | 75 | 75 | 75 |
CAT Qualifying Cut-Off 2025: IIM Nagpur
Category | DILR | VARC | QA | Total |
Defence Acquisition Procedure - (DAP) | 32 | 25 | 32.5 | 40 |
Schedule Tribe - (ST) | 32 | 25 | 32.5 | 40 |
Economically Weaker Section - (EWS) | 40 | 40 | 40 | 70 |
OBC-NC | 45 | 45 | 45 | 74 |
Schedule Caste- (SC) | 35 | 35 | 35 | 54 |
General | 70 | 70 | 70 | 92 |
Qualifying CAT cut-off: Indian Institute of Management (IITs)
IITs accepting CAT cut-off | General Category: CAT cut-off | Reserved Category (SC/ST): CAT cut-off |
IIT Delhi | 90 %ile | 60 %ile |
IIT Madras | 95-96+ %ile | - |
IIT Bombay | 90 %ile | 60 %ile |
IIT Kharagpur | 90 %ile | 75 %ile |
IIT Kanpur | 80 %ile | 55 %ile |
IIT Roorkee | 90 %ile | 70 %ile |
IIT Dhanbad (ISM) | 80 %ile | - |
IIT Jodhpur | Direct Admissions for the candidates with 98 %ile | |
Other Top Management Institutes CAT Qualifying Cut-Off
List of Institutes | CAT Cut-Off | List of Institutes | CAT Cut-Off |
IIT Mumbai | 90 | FMS Delhi | 98 |
IMI New Delhi | 90 | SPJIMR | 85 |
IIT Kharagpur | 90 | IIFT Delhi | 98 |
XIM Bhubaneswar | 91 | MDI | 95 |
Fore School of Management | 85 | Great Lakes Institute Of Management | 85 |
IMT Ghaziabad | 90 | IIT Delhi | 90 |
JBIMS | 99 | Woxsen University | 70 |
FAQs
The CAT cut-off refers to the minimum percentile that candidates must achieve to be considered for the next stage of the MBA admission process such as the Written Ability Test (WAT), Personal Interview (PI) or Group Discussion (GD). These cut-offs differ from one B-school to another and also vary according to candidate categories like General, OBC, SC, ST etc.
Indeed. Besides the IIMs, several other leading B-schools in India use CAT scores for entry. Some of these are FMS Delhi, MDI Gurgaon, SPJIMR Mumbai, IMT Ghaziabad and some of the IITs. All of these have different cut-off percentiles depending on their own choice parameters, which may differ from year to year.
No, being just above the cut-off does not imply any guarantee for admission or even an invitation for the interview stage. It simply indicates that the candidate is in the running. The actual decision to invite a candidate for the next round is made based on various parameters like the candidate's academic performance, category, gender mix, work experience and the respective weightages assigned by the institute to each of these elements.
