The CAT Exam will tentatively take place in November 2026. It will be an online computer-based test with 68 questions. The VARC section will have 24 questions. Besides this, there will be 22 questions each in the Quantitative Aptitude and Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation. Every correct response will yield you +3 marks, and -1 mark for every incorrect response. There will be no negative marking for the TITA questions. If you aim to score a 99%ile in the CAT exam, then you must start your preparation now. Simultaneously, you will also have to create a strong MBA profile for the CAT 2026, which throws the major spotlight on your educational qualifications, work achievements, extracurricular activities, online certifications, etc.
If you’re wondering how profile shortlisting aids in leaving a good impression then you’re at the right page. We completely understand that you must have multiple questions in your mind about a good profile of an MBA candidate. Hereby, we have come up with this comprehensive article, which outlines the major characteristics of an impressive MBA profile that builds a long-lasting impression in front of the interview panel.
Top colleges like all the 21 IIMs, SP Jain, FMS Delhi, XLRI Jamshedpur, etc, evaluate your CAT, XAT score first and then assess your entire profile. In the upcoming sections of this blog, we will speak about how academic marks, previous work experience, extracurricular activities and other demographics play a crucial role in the profile development. Whether you’re a college student, a working professional or a dropper, you must take a complete overview of all these essential details to create an outstanding MBA profile for the final selection.
Join this free WhatsApp group to get the latest information about CAT exam along with the strategies by CAT experts
What is the MBA College Selection Criteria for CAT 2026?
Top MBA colleges in India follow a streamlined criteria to shortlist the candidates. Factors like past academic qualifications, your CAT score, and PI performance are the key parameters that are considered by the top B-schools as the shortlisting criteria to grant admission to students into the MBA programme. Here we are sharing the complete breakdown of the same.
Stage 1: Initial Breakdown
Firstly, all the MBA colleges in India shortlist the candidates as per their MBA entrance exam score. Those selected candidates qualify for the WAT-PI round and will have to appear for it. Other components which play a fundamental role in the shortlisting process are educational qualifications, professional background, gender diversity and academic performance.
In this stage, every college has different selection criteria. Few colleges will check your 10th-grade qualifications, 12th-grade qualifications, and graduation qualifications. On the other hand, there might be some prestigious business institutes that will just evaluate your 10th and 12th grade qualifications or 12th and graduation marksheets. It differs for every B-school. Secondly, candidates with prior work experience have a higher advantage. Such candidates will get extra points in the initial selection stage of the CAT 2026.
Stage 2: Final Selection
PI (Personal Interview) has the highest weightage in the selection criteria. The entire focus shifts from academics, work experience, and gender to the interview round. This round is all about judging a candidate’s individual personality, career aspirations and effective communication. Whereas, WAT (Written Ability Test) or GD (Group Discussion), prior work experience and overall achievements also make a significant contribution in creating the final merit list. Always remember that the more versatile your profile is, the more are your chances of selection and making it to the final merit list. Even 99.9%ilers in the CAT have faced rejection due to poor performance in the personal interview round. Henceforth, aim to give your best shot in the PI with solid preparation.
Important Points To Remember
- IIMs & other B-schools don’t pay much attention to the gap year during the initial selection criteria.
- You will have to provide a valid explanation for the GAP year during the final selection. Address, if you did any internship, had health issues, etc.
- Every college has different selection criteria for the initial stage and the final round to complete the total seat intake.
- FMS Delhi and MDI Gurgaon analyse the candidates only on the CAT score. They don’t consider your educational qualifications (10th Grade, 12th Grade and Graduation).
- Reports suggest that candidates, even with bad academic records, qualify for the final selection and easily get admission into FMS Delhi with a high CAT Percentile to pursue an MBA programme.
- Candidates with bright career aspirations can easily crack the PI/WAT round. The jury panel prioritises those candidates who are creative and have versatile skills.
CAT 2026: Crucial Components of a Good MBA Profile
There are 7 major factors on which selected candidates are judged by the selection panel. All these parameters have direct weightage on your MBA profile. Components included in this list are 10th-grade marks, 12th-grade marks, graduation marks, graduation stream, gender, reservation category (UR/OBC/ST/SC) and your work experience (if applicable). A precise description of each one of them is below.
- Academic Performance: It’s good to score high and consistent grades in the 10th, 12th and graduation. Students with higher academic scores get leverage. Your competitiveness will increase due to a good score. All those with a score near about or more than 94-95% in the HSC, SSC and graduation will definitely get a call from the IIMs. Such students have a higher chance of qualifying for the initial selection criteria.
- Work Experience: IIMs accept applications from candidates only with relevant and quality work experience. For Example: You were involved in a business and have a GST number and bank statements with you. In this case, your work experience will be applicable. On the other hand, if a candidate was involved in a family business but doesn’t have bank statements or salary proofs, then it won’t be counted as work experience. It’s because such experiences are not official or professional. Still, you can address them properly in the interview round, but you won’t get any direct weightage. Mention your core responsibilities and major achievements to impress the interviewer.
- Professional Courses: In many cases, IIMs and Non-IIMs also allocate extra points to the candidates who have a professional degree like CA/CFA/CWA, etc. Again, the points will differ for every MBA college.
- Extracurricular Activities: This component has an indirect weightage in the Personal Interview round. You can consider them as a bonus factor to impress the members included in the interview panel. Candidates with leadership roles in the clubs, committees and society have a significant advantage. Suppose you were a part of the placement committee or were a sports captain and were actively involved in completing the necessary responsibilities during your college tenure. This bunch of additional qualities will leave an amazing impression in front of the jury members. Even working in NGOs plays an extremely vital role in obtaining the indirect weightage in the CAT 2026.
How College Students Should Build Their CAT Profile?
There’s a streamlined MBA profile building strategy for the college students who are in the 2nd year, 3rd year or final year of graduation. If you aim to crack the CAT exam in future, then you should start working on your MBA profile earlier for the CAT 2026. Here are the important factors to consider for your reference.
Always Aim to Score High CGPA/Percentage: College students who strive to appear for the CAT 2026 must focus on obtaining a high score or percentage during their graduation. Develop an aim to score around 80-90% in your semester exams. High scores in academics are the most prominent factor in building an impressive MBA profile for the CAT 2026.
Major Responsibilities and Leadership Skills: Being a part of the placement committee or sports committee during your college days can be an absolute win-win situation for you. Responsibilities like being a part of the college fests or head of a cultural committee can also serve as highly beneficial factor for you.
Advance Skill Development Sessions: This is the best time to utilise your time. You must showcase a deep interest in learning new skills like MS Excel, Power BI, Python, etc. Apart from this, you can also register for numerous online certification courses, which can upgrade your existing knowledge and benefit you during your MBA course tenure. Prefer doing a certification course in MS Excel, Analytics or Finance. Use “Coursera” to enrol for free online certification courses. It also offers financial assistance to the students.
Join a Non-Profit Organisation: Good deeds always leave a long-lasting impression. You can join an NGO for part-time work and complete the necessary responsibilities to enhance your profile for the CAT 2026. Get involved in multiple activities that you can address in your PI round and leave a good impact in front of the interview committee.
How Can Working Professionals Build Their Profile for CAT 2026?
| Basic Factors | Key Pointers |
| Speedy Professional Growth | Meet your KPIs and targets. This bunch of measurable contributions can easily catch the attention of the interview panel. Focus on quantifying your responsibilities with good numbers. Mention your promotions (if any) and your designation clearly. If you were a team leader or manager, state your core tasks and outputs clearly. |
| Enhance Your Skills | Gain certifications in courses like PMP, Lean Six Sigma, ACCA or any other job-relevant skills, which can help you during your MBA degree. |
| Focus On Networking Opportunities | Networking plays a huge role. Your communication skills will improve due to constant interaction and networking. Focus on strengthening your English speaking skills, as it will help in better articulation during the Personal Interview round. Attend as many seminars, workshops and conferences to meet and connect with skilled professionals from diversified backgrounds. |
CAT 2026 MBA Profile Strategy For GAP Year Students
Do you have a gap year and are wondering how you can build a strong MBA profile for the CAT 2026 to get into IIMs, MDI Gurgaon, FMS Delhi, etc? In the upcoming sections of this article, we will be sharing what really matters in the MBA selection criteria for IIMs and Non-IIMs in the CAT 2026. Master the art of explaining your gap year via a strategic response. For best results, you can do regular certifications, relevant internships and extracurricular activities, which can really create a big difference in front of the interview panel.
- Start with Certifications: Do online certification courses like CFA/CRM/Lean Six Sigma, etc. You can also visit Google, Harvard and Stanford to do online certification courses for free. If required, you can also request financial assistance from Coursera. Furthermore, you must also take up freelancing projects or internships to showcase your competitiveness and boost your productivity. Search for internships and freelancing projects on LinkedIn to brush up on your knowledge and gain relevant practical experience.
- Prepare with CAT 2026 consistently: Dedicate maximum time to prepare for the CAT 2026. Segregate a routine to cover the topics from every section and revise throughout. Practice questions from different categories to develop accuracy and obtain a 99%ile in the CAT exam to get shortlisted for the next round. If you obtain a high CAT Percentile, you can easily address in the PI round that you have utilised this time to prepare with regular consistency, dedication and hardwork.
- Become a Volunteer at an NGO: Visit an NGO for 2-3 times a week and assist them with the major responsibilities. In return, you will get a certificate from the NGO for future reference. If you did nothing in your gap year but have been an active member of a Non-Profit Organisation, then you can mention it to leave a powerful impression.
What Matters More? Learn To Balance Your CAT Score and MBA Profile.
Clearly, the MBA profile matters more, but your CAT score holds the primary key. Make your CAT score the main asset. Even if you have low academics, you can still clear this national-level entrance exam with 100% commitment and dedication. Students gearing up for the CAT 2026 can register for the early batches starting at iQuanta. This batch will comprise 8000+ QA, VARC and LRDI questions for regular practice. Our experts have also designed 35 full-length, 45 sectionals and iCAT mocks through which you can test the waters of your preparation level.
Separate modules are curated for non-engineering students to ace the Quants section. Similarly, unique VARC modules are developed for the engineering students. We also conduct application classes to teach the students how to attempt questions within the deadline. If you wish to get personal mentorship, you can join the WhatsApp communities where CAT Toppers like Aditya Kumar (CAT 2024: 99.75%iler) guide the CAT aspirants with the right preparation strategies, MBA profile building tips, exams do’s and don’ts, etc, which are highly essential to clear this pan-India entrance exam.
Final Words
CAT 2026 is an exam to gauge your intelligence, time management and accuracy skills. Once you clear the CAT exam with a 99+%ile, clearing the GD-WAT-PI should be your next aim. However, before that, you must have a proper understanding of how to ace these rounds by highlighting your academic qualifications, work experience and extracurricular activities. If you have a gap of more than 5-6 years, you must have a proper justification that you can address to the interview panel. Jot down everything in pointers with a relevant explanation.
Watch mock interviews, past year’s candidate experiences and prepare your answers accordingly, which are smart and impressive. Subsequently, you can also prepare for CAT 2026 with the iQuanta teaching professionals through a dual-pedagogy approach. These experts will also guide you on how to build a strong MBA profile for the CAT 2026, which draws the attention of the selection panel. Join us and prepare with the #1 experts who exhibit profound knowledge for the CAT 2026 in the QA, VARC and DILR sections.
iQuanta CAT Course 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Not necessarily that all the top MBA colleges in India will consider the 10th and 12th grade marks to evaluate the students. There are many prestigious B-schools like IIM Calcutta, IIM Kozhikode, which don’t give importance to the class 10th and 12th marks.
A gap year cannot hamper your selection into a prestigious IIM institute if you provide a valid reason along with the necessary documents for that relevant gap year. Participate in internships, freelancing projects, do online courses or start volunteering for an NGO to justify your gap in the PI.
Learn new skills that are essential for an MBA student. Register for online learning platforms and complete certification courses like Lean Six Sigma, MS Excel, etc. Practice reading, vocabulary and master effective communication. Network with new people.
College students, working professionals from the UR category with a minimum aggregate score of 50% in the bachelor’s degree, can register online for the CAT 2026. SC/ST candidates only need 45% in their graduation to complete the online registration process for this fierce and tough competitive entrance exam.
10th-grade marks, 12th-grade marks, graduation marks, work experience, graduation stream, caste, gender, work experience are the 7 key aspects that are taken into consideration to assess the students during the initial shortlisting criteria.
