“I got 99.7 percentile in CAT, yet I didn’t get a call from IIM Ahmedabad.”
Every year, many CAT aspirants faced this harsh reality. They crack one of the most competitive exams in the country, celebrate their percentile, and then nothing. NO CALLS, NO SHORTLISTING, NO INTERVIEWS. That’s when the truth hits hard—CAT is not just about percentile. It’s about how you get fit into the biggest selection criteria of the IIMs.
This blog is your guide to understand how you can go beyond in the CAT exam and how you convert your dream B-school call into a final admit. If you are serious about making it to IIMs, read till the very end because percentile is the only beginning.
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Understanding the Selection Game: What happens After CAT?
The Common Admission Test (CAT) is just the first step in a multi-stage selection process. The real and actual competition begins after clearing the CAT exam. Most of the candidates are so much focused towards CAT percentile that they forget what IIMs actually value or looking for—a well rounded candidate with strong academics, personality, communication skills, and leadership potential.
The selection proces of IIMs broadly includes the following:
- CAT Score (Overall & Sectional)
- Academic Performance (10th, 12th, Graduation)
- Work Experience
- Diversity Fcators (Gender-based, Academics background)
- WAT (Written Ability Test)
- PI (Personal Interview)
- GD (Group Discussion)
Each IIM gives different weightagesto these parameters. A 99.9 percentile may not get you a call from IIM, while a 97 percentile may land you calls from others if your profile and performance align with the criteria stated above. For students scoring high in CATis important but let’s get on thing clear, it is not the only thing that will decides your admission. For instance:
- IIM Ahemdabad gives significant weightage to academic performance of Class 10th and 12th.
- IIM Bangalore places value on work experience and diversity.
- IIM Indore gives 74% weightage to past academics and only 20% to CAT score.
That’s why candidates with 99.5 percentile may not get a single call from old IIMs, while someone with a 96 percentile and an exceptional academic & work profile might get several. The IIMs are looking for leaders, thinkers, and innovators, not just test-takers.
Top IIMs Cut-Offs and Admission Policy (General Category)
Let’s have a look at top IIMs Cut-offs and admission policy for general category:
| IIM | Minimum CAT Percentile | Academic Weightage | Profile Consideration |
| IIM Ahemdabad | 99.6+ | Very High | Strong academics, diversity crucial |
| IIM Bangalore | 99.5+ | High | Work experience and SOP plays an important role |
| IIM Calcutta | 99.5+ | Moderate | CAT-heavy selection process |
| IIM Lucknow | 95+ | Balanced | Considers overall profile |
| IIM Kozhikode | 97.5+ | Balanced | Diversity factors are crucial |
| IIM Indore | 97+ | High | 10th/12th weightage is significant |
Note: These are for general category, reserved category cut-offs are lower.
CAT Score vs CAT Percentile: How It Works
The CAT score vs percentile data changes every year based on the overall difficulty level and the number of students sitting for the test. CAT 2024 was of a lower difficulty level which is reflected in the higher CAT score vs percentile ratio. Many aspirants gets confused between between score and percentile. Here’s a basic comparison:
| Percentile | VARC Score | DILR Score | QA Score | Overall Score |
| 80.00 | 18.00 | 17.00 | 11.00 | 43.00 |
| 85.00 | 20.00 | 19.00 | 14.00 | 49.00 |
| 90.00 | 24.00 | 22.00 | 17.00 | 57.00 |
| 95.00 | 30.00 | 27.00 | 22.00 | 70.00 |
| 98.00 | 36.00 | 34.00 | 29.00 | 85.00 |
| 99.00 | 41.00 | 38.00 | 33.00 | 96.00 |
| 100.00 | 59.00 | 63.00 | 57.00 | 151.00 |
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Profile Evaluation Criteria Across IIMs
Each IIM gives a unique weightage to various parameters while evaluation profiles. Lets understand.
| Parameter | Weightage |
| CAT Score | 40-60% |
| 10th Marks | 5-10% |
| 12th Marks | 5-10% |
| Graduation | 10-20% |
| Work Experience | 5-15% |
| Gender/Academic Diversity | 5-10% |
How to Build a Strong Profile for IIMs?
Students aiming for IIMs should focus more on building strong profile to get admission into their dream IIMs. Below are some tips to build a strong profile:
- Academic Consistency: Aspirants must aim for 90+ marks in 10th and 12th and ensure minimum 80+ in graduation.
- Work Experience: An ideal work experience to get into IIMs is 1.5 to 3 years. Your roles & responsibilities during your job tenure matters.
- Extra-Curriculars & Certificates: Various leadership roles, sports, social work, and other various certifications makes a count.
- Gender and Academic Diversity: Non-engineers and female candidates have a statistical edge for IIMs call.
IIM Call Conversion: WAT-PI Is The Game Changer
Once you get shortlisted, everything boils down to the WAT-GD-PI process. And here, percentile doesn’t matter anymore. CAT score gets you the call, but WAT-GD-PI helps you convert it. Let’s know how:
- Written Ability Test (WAT) – Your Ability to Think and Write Clearly
- The Written Ability Test evaluates your thought process, articulation, structure, and knowledge of current affairs.
- Candiates must stick to PEEL format which means Point, Evidence, Explanation, Link.
- The time duration is of 20 minutes within which candidates are required on write an essay, hence practice regularly, be concise because grammar and subject matters for WAT.
- Group Discussion – Your Leadership in Action
- Some IIMs still conducts Group Discussions (GDs). Candidates can get evaluated on the basis of communication clarity, listening abilities, respectful disagreement, and group collaboration.
- It is advisable to candidates not to be aggressive during GDs. You must aim to guide the discussion, do not dominate it.
- Personal Interview – Make It or Break It
- Personal Interview round is the most decisive phase wherein you will be judged on personality, your confidence level, clairty on career goals, knowledge of academic subjects and work, awareness on current affairs, presence of mind, and how honestly you present yourself.
- PI round lasts for around 20-45 minutes, practice mock interview weekly to strengthen your chances of getting into your dream college.
Why Choose iQuanta for CAT + IIM Admission Preparation
iQuanta prepares you not just for CAT, but for every stage of your B-school journey. As we are quickly approaching towards CAT 2025, it is the high time to get serious and start preparing. With abundant options for CAT preparation where other coaching institutes focus on quantity and are unbothered about quality, iQuanta stands out and is committed to transforming the MBA students’ dreams into reality. This is depicted in the CAT results 2024 where 500+ 99 percentilers were from iQuanta. Some key offerings by iQunata are:
- Live Conceptual Classes
- Application Classes
- All Year Practice Sessions
- Assignments
- 24*7 Doubt Solving
- Full Mocks with Video Solution
- Sectionals with Video Solution
- Non-Engineer’s Quants Videos
- Engineer’s VARC Videos
- CAT LRDI Inception
- AI Mock Analysis
- Peer-to-Peer Learning
- 7500 CAT Qs IIM ABC Course
- IIM ABC Practice Sessions
- CAT level Books, etc.
Enroll for iQuanta CAT Course
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Yes, you need a good percentile. But your journey to the IIMs depends on far more than just numbers. It’s about the story you tell, the clarity you brings, the values you hold, and the potential you project. Personal Interviews are not a test of knowledge but a test of you, your maturity, ambition, and attitude. The IIMs are not looking for toppers instead they are looking for leaders, visionaries, and change-makers. So start building your profile today. Because CAT is the ticket to the IIM, but you are the real show.
