When it comes to the IIM admission process then there is one of the biggest debate questions among the CAT aspirants and that is Do IIMs really value academics or just the CAT percentile? Every year there are more than 3.3 lakh aspirants who appear for the CAT exam and that as per the official data given but only a small number of students are managing to secure calls from the top IIMs. This makes aspirants think about whether a high CAT percentile actually guarantees admission in the IIMs or do your past academic scores play an equally important role or opportunity?
The IIM selection criteria consists of various factors like IIM eligibility criteria, 10/12th/undergraduate performance, CAT percentile, work experience as well as the diversity. For example, while some older IIMs like Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Calcutta provide a good weightage to academics in the IIM Shortlisting and new IIMs rely more heavily on the CAT percentile during their initial rounds of IIM admission process. Understanding the balance of both CAT percentile and academics is important for aspirants who have an average academic background but are willing to aim for more than 99 percentile in the CAT exam. Even those candidates with stellar academics cannot afford to leave the CAT exam preparation properly as a strong percentile but still forms the backbone of the IIM admission process
In this blog we will be covering the IIM eligibility criteria, comparing academics and CAT percentile during the IIM admission process across IIMs and discuss how you will be able to balance both to maximize your chances of getting into your dream business school.
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IIM Eligibility Criteria (Overview)
Understanding the IIM eligibility criteria is the very first step in the IIM admission process and every aspirant has to meet some basic eligibility requirements to be considered for the shortlist. Candidates need a bachelor’s degree with at least 50% marks in their graduation and 45% graduation percentage criteria for SC/ST/PwD. In addition to that a valid CAT percentile is important for admission to all Indian Institutes of Management.
There are some other factors like a candidate’s academic background, diversity report as well as work experience that every IIM considers in the later stage of their IIM admission process. This shows that meeting the eligibility criteria only helps you get into the group of applicants but the real competition actually begins with the IIM selection criteria which is applied by each institute.
| Criteria | General Category | SC/ST/PwD | Final-Year Students |
| Minimum Graduation Marks | 50% | 45% | Allowed (must complete degree in time) |
| Accepted Exam | CAT (Common Admission Test) | CAT | CAT |
| Age Limit | No upper age limit | No upper age limit | No upper age limit |
| Reservation | As per Govt. of India norms | As per Govt. of India norms | As per Govt. of India norms |
IIM Selection Criteria: CAT Percentile vs Academics
Once CAT aspirants clear the IIM eligibility criteria the next question arises in their minds that what matters more in the IIM admission process is the CAT percentile or academic background?
Older IIMs such as IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta and IIM Ahmedabad have their own criteria to check with the candidate’s academics in their shortlisting criteria. For example, the 10th, 12th as well as graduation scores may carry good weightage as the CAT percentile. On the other side, newer IIMs heavily rely on the CAT scores for their IIM admission process, with academic as well as the work experience of working professionals.
- A good CAT percentile which you can consider 95-99+ can sometimes balance the average academic records in the new IIMs.
- In older IIMs, even sometimes a 99+ percentile may not guarantee CAT aspirants to get a shortlist if their past academics are not strong.
- Academic diversity in IIMs especially for non-engineers and gender diversity for female candidates are rewarding and they will get some extra points in some IIMs.
CAT Percentile vs Academics Weightage Breakdown across IIMs
Understanding the IIM admission and the weightage is very important for CAT aspirants to check with what various IIMs assign weightage to the academic performance and the CAT percentile. Whereas the basic eligibility criteria remains the same for the admission process at each institute with different factors like past academics, CAT marks, diversity and work experience.
Older IIMs are known for their tough admission process where a candidate’s 12th, 10th as well as the undergraduate marks carries good importance in shortlisting. Meanwhile I’m talking about the new IIMs then they place a good weightage on the CAT percentile which is making it more flexible for candidates who are having average academic background but strong in their CAT exam performance.
| Category of IIMs | CAT Percentile Weightage | Academics Weightage (10th/12th/UG) | Work Experience | WAT & PI | Diversity (Gender/Academic) |
| Older IIMs (A, B, C) | 50–65% | 20–30% | 5–10% | 20–30% | 2–5% |
| Mid-Tier IIMs (L, K, I) | 45–55% | 15–25% | 5–10% | 25–30% | 5% |
| Newer IIMs (Ranchi, Udaipur, Nagpur, etc.) | 50–60% | 10–20% | 5–10% | 25–30% | 5% |
Role of Academics in IIM Shortlisting & IIM Admission Process
For the top IIMs especially Bangalore, Ahmedabad as well as Calcutta academics background should be strong and play an important role in shortlisting of IIMs. Candidates who are having strong marks or scores in their class 12th, 10th as well as graduation secures higher scores even with a same CAT percentile. This actually means that a candidate will score 99+ CAT percentile but having an average academic background may lose their chances in the IIM admission process.
Academics also reappear in the final IIM admission process. While the WAT that is Written Ability Tests and PI (Personal Interviews) carry a good weightage too in the final stages . Beyond the marks, IIM admissions value the academic diversity as well as the students who are coming from non-engineering background receive some extra points to balance the engineering seats of applicants which is covered in the pool.
CAT Exam Preparation & Why Percentile Still Matters Most?
The CAT percentile is the basis of the admission into IIMs which is acting as a primary factor before any other factors like work experience or academics. So, without actually meeting the overall cut offs as well as sectional part, aspirants are not eligible to enter in the next stage of IIM admission process. The aspirants who belong to the general category need to cover high percentiles like 98-99+ while newer IIMs shortlist them around in the range of 90-95 CAT percentile.
Another reason for the CAT percentile matters most is that only this factor is within an aspirant’s control fully. Academic marks are fixed which aspirants have covered in the past whereas the work experience takes years of hard work to build but the CAT percentile can be increased with the right CAT exam preparation plan or strategy.
How to Balance CAT Percentile and Academics in IIM Admission Process?
Balancing both the academics and CAT percentile is the important factor to crack the IIM admission process but with a high CAT percentile you will cross the shortlisting along with the consistent academic performance that will strengthen the aspirant profile and help them boost their chances in the final admission list. Candidates who are having weaker academic backgrounds should have to aim for the strong CAT scores.
- A high CAT percentile can give flexibility if an aspirant has average academics and especially if you perform very well in the interview stage of the whole admission process.
- A strong academic background will improve the overall composite score in the CAT exam but without a solid CAT percentile you may lose chances to enter in the top IIMs.
Conclusion
The IIMs really value academics as well as the CAT percentile but the truth lies in the IIM admission process or selection criteria because sometimes CAT percentilers also face competitions because of academic background, work experience as well as the gender diversity. While a high CAT percentile remains the door to the IIMs admissions. In short, the CAT exam gets you noticed but academics keep you ahead and together they both decide your final seat in the merit list of IIMs.
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FAQs: CAT Percentile vs Academics
Yes the CAT percentile is the first stage in the IIM admission process and later a strong academic background of an aspirant will get more selection chances.
That depends on the competition and the selection process of an IIM but older IIMs give importance to both so both CAT percentile and academic factors are playing an important role in your final shortlisting in the top IIMs.
