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Getting an IIM interview call will not just be an achievement for CAT 2025 aspirants—it’s about crossing the first hurdle in the IIM admission race. As per RTI data, 597 candidates out of 176629 from General category got a PI interview call from IIM Ahmedabad last year. Similarly, 739 out of 175565 (Gen) got calls from IIM Bangalore, 931 out of 177009 (Gen) got interview calls from IIM Calcutta, and 1850 out of 161564 (Gen) got calls from IIM Kozhikode last year.
A 99+ CAT percentile is often considered a safe score for an IIM BLACKIS call. However, there have been instances where candidates with 99+ percentiles did not receive calls from the older IIMs because IIMs give weightage to sectional cut-offs. So, at what CAT score can you realistically expect an interview call from an IIM? In this article, we present authentic data from last year, obtained through RTIs, detailing the category-wise minimum CAT score and percentile at which candidates received IIM calls, along with the number of applicants versus those shortlisted. This data can help you set CAT 2025 percentile targets, fine-tune your preparation strategy, and pave a clear path towards an IIM seat.
Getting an interview call from top IIMs is not just about clearing the CAT cutoff but also about meeting the institute-specific minimum CAT score which varies widely across different IIM campuses. Candidates must note that each IIM sets its own benchmark based on several factors like: past year trends and competition levels.
Let us take a look at the following breakdown of the minimum CAT percentile for IIM that will be needed for an interview call. Through this you will get an understanding of where you stand, will be able to set realistic targets and plan your preparation strategy well. We have compiled this data of last year (2024-26) with help from RTI data.
Category-wise Number of Candidates Shortlisted for IIM A Interview Round | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | PWD |
No. of candidates who filled the CAT form | 176629 | 13975 | 46011 | 21163 | 5597 | 1092 |
No. of Candidates Shortlisted | 597 | 30 | 312 | 174 | 102 | 56 |
% of Form Filled | 0.34 | 0.21 | 0.68 | 0.82 | 1.82 | 5.13 |
Category-wise CAT score for IIM Ahmedabad interview shortlist (composite score) | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | PWD |
2024-2026 | 0.610503 | 0.557798 | 0.524637 | 0.456321 | 0.398081 | 0.278215 |
*Source: RTI
Category-wise Number of Candidates Shortlisted for IIM Bangalore Interview | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | PWD |
No. of candidates who filled the CAT form | 175565 | 13905 | 46023 | 21167 | 5622 | 1087 |
No. of Candidates Shortlisted | 739 | 155 | 471 | 299 | 148 | 83 |
% of Form Filled | 0.42 | 1.11 | 1.02 | 1.41 | 2.63 | 7.64 |
Category-wise CAT score for IIM Bangalore interview shortlist (composite score) | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | PWD |
2024-2026 | 48.8695 | 39.2903 | 40.4451 | 34.0663 | 27.8257 | 35.1605 |
*Source: RTI
Category-wise Number of Candidates Shortlisted for IIM Calcutta Interview | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | PWD |
No. of candidates who filled the CAT form | 177009 | 14108 | 46567 | 21447 | 5727 | - |
No. of Candidates Shortlisted | 931 | 62 | 417 | 430 | 230 | - |
% of Form Filled | 0.53 | 0.44 | 0.9 | 2 | 4.02 | - |
Category-wise CAT score for IIM Calcutta interview shortlist (composite score) | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | PWD |
2024-2026 | 51.3 | 46.95 | 44.775 | 38.714 | 33.915 | - |
*Source: RTI
Category-wise Number of Candidates Shortlisted for IIM Lucknow Interview | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | PWD |
No. of candidates who filled the CAT form | 176969 | 14153 | 46590 | 21444 | 5608 | 1085 |
No. of Candidates Shortlisted | 1268 | 312 | 910 | 792 | 396 | 236 |
% of Form Filled | 0.72 | 2.2 | 1.95 | 3.69 | 7.06 | 21.75 |
Category-wise CAT score for IIM Lucknow interview shortlist (composite score) | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | PWD |
2024-2026 | 48.80616 | 35.4395 | 38.28033 | 27.14991 | 19.40983 | 8.736601 |
*Source: RTI
Category-wise Number of Candidates Shortlisted for IIM Kozhikode Interview | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | PWD |
No. of candidates who filled the CAT form | 161564 | 13489 | 43743 | 19525 | 5074 | 999 |
Shortlisted | 1850 | 400 | 1200 | 750 | 360 | 140 |
% of Form Filled | 1.15 | 2.97 | 2.74 | 3.84 | 7.09 | 14.01 |
Category-wise CAT score for IIM Kozhikode interview shortlist (composite score) | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | PWD |
2024-2026 | 62.42054 | 55.09648 | 54.34841 | 48.20149 | 42.65777 | 45.69608 |
*Source: RTI
Category-wise Number of Candidates Shortlisted for IIM Indore Interview | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | PWD |
No. of candidates who filled the CAT form | 105470 | 9910 | 31173 | 14332 | 3719 | 845 |
2024-2026 | 1827 | 216 | 1377 | 863 | 491 | 335 |
% of Form Filled | 1.08 | 1.56 | 3.07 | 4.22 | 9.2 | 32.21 |
% of Eligible | 18.76 | 41.14 | 44.62 | 40.27 | 51.36 | 100 |
Category-wise CAT score for IIM Indore interview shortlist (composite score) | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | PWD |
2024-26 | 60.0112 | 53.6639 | 51.504 | 46.9869 | 40.9503 | 11.7512 |
*Source: RTI
Category-wise Number of Candidates Shortlisted for IIM Mumbai Interview | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | KM |
No. of candidates who filled the NITIE form | 1653 | 166 | 745 | 402 | 83 | 7 |
No. of candidates who filled the NITIE form | 18 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Shortlisted (Non-PwD) | 861 | 53 | 510 | 258 | 51 | 4 |
% of Form Filled | 52.09 | 31.93 | 68.46 | 64.18 | 61.45 | 57.14 |
Shortlisted (PWD) | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
% of Form Filled | 27.78 | NA | 25 | 0 | NA | NA |
*Source: RTI
Category-wise Number of Candidates Shortlisted for IIM Shillong Interview | ||||||
Category | Others | EWS | SC | ST | PWD | - |
2024-2026 | 14280 | 823 | 1381 | 543 | 200 | - |
Category-wise CAT score for IIM Indore final offer (composite score) | ||||||
Category | Others | EWS | SC | ST | PWD | - |
2024-2026 | 43.01807 | 36.05407 | 31.81264 | 12.21517 | 24.66559 | - |
*Source: RTI
Category-wise no. of candidates shortlisted for Interview Round | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | - |
No. of candidates who filled the CAT form | 161873 | 13771 | 44302 | 19786 | 5184 | - |
No. of Candidates Shortlisted | 9191 | 2285 | 6272 | 3459 | 1725 | - |
% of Form Filled | 5.68 | 16.59 | 14.16 | 17.48 | 33.28 | - |
Category-wise minimum percentile for shortlisting to interview round | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | DAP |
2024-2026 | 94 | 77 | 77 | 60 | 40 | 40 |
*Source: RTI
Category-wise no. of candidates shortlisted for Interview Round | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | PWD |
No. of candidates who filled the CAT form | 179223 | 14210 | 47629 | 22005 | 5765 | 1076 |
Shortlisted | 9191 | 2285 | 6272 | 3459 | 1725 | 444 |
% of Form Filled | 5.13 | 16.08 | 13.17 | 15.72 | 29.92 | 41.26 |
Category-wise composite score cutoff for the final offer of admission | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | PWD |
2024-2026 | 72.88 | 69.26 | 69.68 | 60.64 | 52.13 | 34.27 |
*Source: RTI
Category-wise no. of candidates shortlisted for Interview Round | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | PWD |
No. of candidates who filled the CAT form | 145278 | 12979 | 41235 | 17920 | 4486 | 894 |
No. of Candidates Shortlisted | 5986 | 1856 | 4466 | 2137 | 845 | 245 |
% of Form Filled | 4.12 | 14.3 | 10.83 | 11.93 | 18.84 | 27.4 |
Category-wise composite score cutoff for the final offer of admission | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | - |
Non-DAP | 82.54 | 75.81 | 76.06 | 70.43 | 63.01 | - |
DAP | 68.96 | 38.02 | 42.37 | 44.63 | 43.22 | - |
*Source: RTI
Category-wise no. of candidates shortlisted for Interview Round | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | DAP |
No. of candidates who filled the CAT form | 165013 | 13812 | 44402 | 20009 | 5110 | 973 |
No. of Candidates Shortlisted | 9191 | 2285 | 6272 | 3459 | 1725 | 444 |
% of Form Filled | 5.57 | 16.54 | 14.13 | 17.29 | 33.76 | 45.63 |
Category-wise minimum percentile for shortlisting to interview round | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | DAP |
2024-2026 | 94 | 77 | 77 | 60 | 40 | 40 |
*Source: RTI
Category-wise no. of candidates shortlisted for Interview Round | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | PWD |
No. of candidates who filled the CAT form | 2790 | 398 | 1934 | 1421 | 319 | 53 |
Shortlisted | 2354 | 384 | 1873 | 1382 | 306 | 39 |
% of Form Filled | 84.37 | 96.48 | 96.85 | 97.26 | 95.92 | 73.58 |
Category-wise minimum percentile for shortlisting to interview round | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | PWD |
2024-2026 | 96 | 92 | 82 | 60 | 50 | 40 |
*Source: RTI
Category-wise no. of candidates shortlisted for Interview Round | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | PWD |
No. of candidates who filled the CAT form | 154932 | 13552 | 43081 | 19092 | 4776 | 916 |
Shortlisted | 11029 | 2379 | 6322 | 3306 | 1552 | 394 |
% of Form Filled | 7.12 | 17.55 | 14.67 | 17.32 | 32.5 | 43.01 |
Category-wise composite score cutoff for the final offer of admission | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | PWD |
Gender Neutral | 53.1934 | 50.09 | 49.7538 | 44.86 | 37.9684 | ALL |
Super Numerary | ALL | 44.1007 | 42.58 | 34.2707 | ALL | ALL |
*Source: RTI
Category-wise no. of candidates shortlisted for Interview Round | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | - |
No. of candidates who filled the CAT form (Non- PwD) | 114059 | 8599 | 30434 | 13936 | 3610 | - |
No. of candidates who filled the CAT form (PwD) | 480 | 35 | 119 | 41 | 5 | - |
Non-PWD | 5847 | 1764 | 4051 | 2175 | 524 | - |
% of Form Filled | 5.13 | 20.51 | 13.31 | 15.61 | 14.52 | - |
PWD | 133 | 8 | 19 | 7 | 1 | - |
% of Form Filled | 27.71 | 22.86 | 15.97 | 17.07 | 20 | - |
Category-wise composite score cutoff for the final offer of admission | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | - |
Non-PWD | 36.467 | 37.29 | 34.648 | 28.14 | 8.659 | - |
PWD | 11.154 | 24.054 | 13.054 | 11.386 | 13.242 | - |
*Source: RTI
Category-wise no. of candidates shortlisted for Interview Round | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | PWD |
No. of candidates who filled the CAT form | 116595 | 8667 | 30926 | 14146 | 3741 | - |
No. of Candidates Shortlisted | 6760 | 1949 | 4609 | 2573 | 666 | 195 |
% of Form Filled | 5.8 | 22.49 | 14.9 | 18.19 | 17.8 | - |
Category-wise composite score cutoff for the final offer of admission | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | PWD |
2023-2025 | 49.24 | 41.67 | 36.54 | 29.89 | 14.47 | NA |
*Source: RTI
Category-wise no. of candidates shortlisted for Interview Round | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | PWD |
No. of candidates who filled the CAT form | 153108 | 13325 | 42608 | 18929 | 4861 | 938 |
Shortlisted | 2802 | 746 | 1795 | 1205 | 550 | 189 |
% of Form Filled | 1.83 | 5.6 | 4.21 | 6.37 | 11.31 | 20.15 |
Category-wise minimum percentile for shortlisting to interview round | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | PWD |
2024-2026 | 82.03 | 72.05 | 72.03 | 51.33 | 40.18 | 40.01 |
*Source: RTI
Category-wise no. of candidates shortlisted for Interview Round | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | PWD |
Shotlisted | 8000 | 689 | 3500 | 1800 | 950 | 338 |
Category-wise composite score cutoff for the final offer of admission | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | PWD |
2024-2026 | 55.049 | 44.079 | 48.294 | 38.679 | 33.234 | - |
*Source: RTI
Category-wise no. of candidates shortlisted for Interview Round | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | PWD |
2024-2026 | 6055 | 1850 | 4456 | 2177 | 873 | 258 |
Category-wise minimum CAT percentile shortlisted to interview round | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | PWD |
2024-2026 | 94 | 77.01 | 77 | 60.02 | 40.18 | 40.01 |
*Source: RTI
Category-wise no. of candidates shortlisted for Interview Round | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | PWD |
No. of candidates who filled the CAT form | 156161 | 13537 | 43079 | 19177 | 4842 | 913 |
No. of Candidates Shortlisted | 9191 | 2285 | 6272 | 3459 | 1725 | 444 |
% of Form Filled | 5.89 | 16.88 | 14.56 | 18.04 | 35.63 | 48.63 |
Category-wise minimum percentile for shortlisting to interview round | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | PWD |
2024-2026 | 94 | 77 | 77 | 60 | 40 | 40 |
*Source: RTI
Category-wise no. of candidates shortlisted for Interview Round | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | PWD |
No. of candidates who filled the CAT form | 152034 | 13356 | 42382 | 18709 | 4618 | 887 |
No. of Candidates Shortlisted | 7793 | 2185 | 5723 | 3035 | 1409 | 364 |
% of Form Filled | 5.13 | 16.36 | 13.5 | 16.22 | 30.51 | 41.04 |
Category-wise composite score cutoff for the final offer of admission | ||||||
Category | General | EWS | NC-OBC | SC | ST | PWD |
2024-2026 | 68.88 | 62.95 | 62.71 | 54.59 | 41.86 | 27.47 |
*Source: RTI
The composite score is a critical component of the IIM admission process, which is used for both shortlisting candidates for interviews and determining final selections. To calculate composite score for IIMs, it is important to have a brief understanding of what the composite score of a particular IIM is.
For all those unaware, the composite score is the final score which is obtained by an applicant based on their performance of their application and performance. The calculation for the same is done according to the weightage held by different components for the selection process. The weightage of these components vary from each IIM.
Check out the following tips to improve chances of getting an interview call from top IIMs in India.
One must aim for a very high percentile, especially if you are aiming for top 3 IIMs (A,B and C), above 99 percentile.
Take as many mock tests to understand your current position, keep analysing your performance and focus on weaker sections.
Focus on showing your communication skills, clarity of thought and maturity for getting an admission.
Practice to develop clarity of expression, coherence and critical thinking to build compelling narratives.
Be aware of current world events, economics and topics which are mostly passionate about.
Lastly, be honest with your responses, as this will allow you to provide solid reasoning in case the interviewer digs deeper into your answers.
The lowest CAT scores for IIM admissions are around 85-90 percentile for newer IIMs and 35-45 percentiles for reserved categories (SC/ST/OBC/EWS) in specific situations such as Supplementary Admission Process (SAP) or for colleges with lower admission thresholds.
Yes, you can get an interview call with 90 percentile. Keep in mind that to get interview calls from top IIMs, one must get exceptional CAT scores. Except for a few, major IIMs close their cutoff lists at 90 percentile.
Yes, IIMs do conduct interviews as part of their admission for candidates to get admission to top MBA programs. These interviews, along with Written Ability Test (WAT) are some of the crucial components of the selection process which carry significant weight in the final decision.
It is very important that a candidate is well prepared for the IIM Interview as interviewers are testing your knowledge as much as they are testing the confidence of the candidate.
KL-MAT exam syllabus usually covers Quantitative Ability, Logical Reasoning, English or Verbal Ability, and General Knowledge or Current Affairs. It is designed similar to other MBA entrance exams but at a moderate level. Yes, KL University accepts CAT scores for admission into MBA along with MAT, XAT, CMAT and its own KL MAT. If you already have a valid CAT score, you don’t need to appear for KL MAT separately. The difference between CAT and other management entrance exams is mainly in difficulty level and competition. CAT is the toughest and is accepted by IIMs and top B schools across India.
Hello Aspirant,
I saw a cat. The cat found an old map inside a drawer of the king's palace.
Here's why:
"a cat": It's the first time we mention the cat, so it's indefinite.
"The cat": Now we're talking about that specific cat we just mentioned, so it's definite.
"an old map": It's the first time we mention a map, and "old" starts with a vowel sound, so "an."
"a drawer": It's one of possibly many drawers, not a specific one known to us yet.
"the king's palace": This is a specific, unique place, so "the."
Hello Kapish
You can find the last 5 year questions of DILR for CAT at Careers360 website. Moreover, you can find the previous year papers of all the subjects i.e. DILR, Quants and VARC. I am attaching the link through which you would be able to access the same.
Here's the link:
CAT Previous Year Papers by CAREERS360
Sample paper of DILR:
CAT Sample Paper (DILR) by CAREERS360
Thank You!!!
Hello Divya,
Yes, candidates with an online BBA can sit for both CAT and GMAT provided that the degree is from a recognized (UGC approved in India or accredited abroad) institution. The leading B-schools in both India and abroad do not look down upon online degrees as long as the degree is from a recognized body, they will mostly be looking at your test scores, academic performance, work experience, and profile holistically. What matters is the legitimacy of the institution and how you showcase your abilities, not whether your degree was obtained online or in-person.
Yes, someone with an online BBA can sit for both CAT and GMAT, provided the degree is from a UGC recognized university. Top B-schools in India (like IIMs) and abroad generally accept online degrees if they are valid, and you won’t be marked down just because it’s online. What matters more is your entrance exam score, academic record, work experience, and overall profile.
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Digital marketing is growing, diverse, and is covering a wide variety of career paths. Each job function aids in the development of effective digital marketing strategies and techniques. The aims and objectives of the individuals who opt for a career as a digital marketing executive are similar to those of a marketing professional: to build brand awareness, promote company services or products, and increase conversions. Individuals who opt for a career as Digital Marketing Executives, unlike traditional marketing companies, communicate effectively through suitable technology platforms.
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In a business analyst job role a lot of analysis is done, things are learned from past mistakes and the successful strategies are enhanced further. A business analyst goes through real-world data in order to provide the most feasible solutions to an organisation. Students can pursue Business Analytics to become Business Analysts.
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