BIMTECH PGDM Admissions 2026
AACSB Accredited | Highest CTC: 22 LPA | Last Date: 31st December 2025
A total of 22 IIMs and more than 1000 B-schools in India fall under the category of CAT participating institutes. 86 non-IIM institutions will also use CAT 2025 scores this year for MBA admission. The CAT exam will be conducted on November 30, and the CAT result will be declared tentatively in the third week of December 2025. Candidates can download their scorecard as the participating institutes in CAT, including IIMs, will use the CAT 2025 score to shortlist candidates for the next rounds of the admission process, which may include GD, PI, etc.
IIM Kozhikode will retain its three-stage admission process for the MBA (PGP) 2026–28 batch, with CAT 2025 scores carrying a final weightage of 35 percent. The minimum overall CAT cut-off for general category candidates remains at 85 percentile, with sectional qualifying scores required in VARC, DILR, and QA. Shortlisting of candidates will be based on CAT performance, academic record, and personal interview rounds.
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The CAT 2025 cutoff for IIMs is expected to go around 98 to 100 percentile. Check the CAT cutoff for other MBA colleges under the CAT exam. The final merit list of candidates selected for admission will be prepared based on composite scores of the CAT 2025, GD/PI, and WAT. Academic records of a candidate also hold importance in the selection for admission.
CAT-accepting colleges will use these parameters along with other factors for the final shortlisting of candidates for admission to MBA/ PGDM programmes. A simplified CAT exam college list will be provided in this article to provide a fair opportunity for candidates to choose their dream MBA college.
Apart from the CAT score and performance in PI/GD/WAT, MBA colleges through CAT 2025 scores also consider the candidate's past academic performance as well as their work experience. Read the full article by Careers360 to know all the details about CAT participating colleges in India.
Know more about How to prepare for GD-PI & WAT rounds of top B-schools
Candidates can check the list of IIMs and their seat intakes through the table that is given below.
IIM Name | Seat intake | NIRF Ranking | IIM Name | Seat intake | NIRF Ranking |
385 | 1 | 210 | 23 | ||
462 | 7 | 60 | 25 | ||
412 | 2 | 155 | 18 | ||
180 | 21 | 353 | 3 | ||
120 | 38 | 60 | 29 | ||
60 | 31 | 210 | 15 | ||
60 | 51 | 180 | 19 | ||
550 | 8 | 60 | 64 | ||
140 | 34 | 180 | --- | ||
436 | 5 | 45 | 35 |
The above-mentioned total number of seats is based on past-year IIM admission criteria. We will update once the respective IIMs notify us.
In addition to IIMs, several top MBA colleges in India, both private and government, accept CAT scorecards. Candidates can check the list of other top B-schools that use the CAT exam to admit candidates in the table below.
S.No | List of Private B-School |
1 | |
2 | |
3 | |
4 | |
5 | |
6 | |
7 | |
8 | |
9 | Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Institute for Management Development, Mysore |
10 | Prin LN Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research, Mumbai |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Candidates can apply for MBA admission in the participating institute of CAT by filling the MBA application form of the respective college.
There are many B-schools which offer admission to MBA programmes to candidates with 50 percentile in CAT 2025. A few of them are:
CAT scorecards will be valid for one year. The CAT 2025 scorecard will be valid till December 31, 2026.
CAT exam is held once a year in online CBT mode only.
The CAT result 2026 will be announced tentatively in the third week of December 2025.
The CAT 2025 exam date is November 30, 2025.
In order to take admission into IIMs, CAT is mandatory. Apart from that candidates can appear for other national level MBA entrance exam. There are many B-schools which offers direct admission into MBA program.
There is no limit to appear for CAT. One can appear for Common Admission Test (CAT) as much times as they want.
In order to take admission into IIMs, CAT is mandatory. Apart from that candidates can appear for other national level MBA entrance exam. There are many B-schools which offers direct admission into MBA program.
Yes, the CAT 2025 exam will be held on November 30, 2025.
On Question asked by student community
HELLO,
With an overall 98.54 percentile ( QA/DILR 97.55, VARC 94.89) and strong academics 9/9/0, you have a good profile. As a B.Tech candidate you can expect calls from :-
Hope this will help you !
Hello aspirant,
Your kid has a good profile even in the general category with a BTech from IIT Delhi, three years of excellent job experience in a leading industry, and a 96 percentile in the CAT. He has a strong chance at reputable MBA schools like IIM Shillong, IIM Udaipur, IIM Trichy, IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, and others, depending on interview performance and profile match, even though the top IIMs often require higher percentiles.
Thank you
Hope it helps you
With an overall CAT percentile of 82.71 in CAT 2025 as a general category candidate, along with section-wise percentiles of 80.56 in VARC, 75.81 in DILR and 84.56 in QA, your chances at top IIMs are limited, as most older IIMs usually shortlist general category candidates at much higher percentiles. However, this percentile still keeps you eligible for admission calls from several Tier-2 and Tier-3 MBA colleges across India, especially those that consider overall performance, academic background and work experience along with CAT scores. You can expect calls from institutes such as IMT Nagpur, IMI Bhubaneswar, FORE School of Management (some programs), TAPMI Manipal (borderline), Great Lakes Institute of Management (Chennai or Gurgaon for PGPM/PGDM variants), K J Somaiya (depending on cut-offs), GIM Goa (through CAT or other exams), and state-level universities that accept CAT scores. Additionally, many good private universities and autonomous B-schools consider candidates in the 80–85 percentile range and conduct their own GD-PI rounds. To improve your chances, you should apply widely, prepare well for interviews, and highlight your academics, work experience, certifications and extracurricular achievements, as final selection is not based on CAT score alone.
All the best.
With an overall CAT 2025 percentile of 82.71, you are unlikely to get calls from the IIMs (including new or baby IIMs), as most of them generally shortlist candidates at 90+ percentile, even after considering category and profile factors. However, this percentile is still quite decent and opens doors to many good Tier-2 and Tier-3 MBA colleges in India that offer solid academics, reasonable placements, and good industry exposure.
At around 80–85 percentile, you have a strong chance of getting shortlisted by institutes such as IMI Bhubaneswar, IMT Nagpur, IMT Hyderabad, XIME Bangalore/Chennai, TAPMI Manipal (borderline, profile-dependent), IFMR GSB Krea University, FORE School of Management (certain programs), GIM Goa (specialised programs), LIBA Chennai (borderline), K J Somaiya Institute of Management (profile-based), Great Lakes Chennai/Gurgaon (PGDM – profile matters a lot), and Welingkar Mumbai (especially through profile + GDPI). Many reputed state universities and private institutes like PUMBA Pune, Delhi School of Management (DTU – if accepting CAT that year), BIMTECH (some programs), NDIM Delhi, ITM Navi Mumbai, and Jaipuria Institute of Management campuses are also realistic options.
Your sectional percentiles (VARC 80.56, DILR 75.81, QA 84.56) are fairly balanced, which works in your favor, as several colleges apply sectional cut-offs around 60–70 percentile. Final selection will depend not only on CAT score but also on academic background, graduation marks, work experience, diversity factors, and GD-PI performance. If you have work experience, it significantly improves your chances at colleges like Great Lakes, FORE, IFMR, and Welingkar.
In summary, while top IIMs are not achievable at 82.71 percentile, you can still secure admission into reputed mid-tier MBA colleges that provide good ROI and career growth if you perform well in the GD-PI process. It is advisable to apply broadly, focus on profile-based institutes, and prepare seriously for interviews to convert the best possible calls.
With 84.91 percentile in CAT (General, male, no work experience), top colleges like IIMs, IITs, FMS, MDI, etc. are not possible. You may get calls from private institutes such as IMT Nagpur/Hyderabad, IMI Bhubaneswar, XIME, SDMIMD, Welingkar (some programs) and similar colleges. Universities like Amity or LPU are also options.
It’s better to choose carefully, as placements and ROI may be average. Reattempting CAT or trying XAT/CMAT could improve options.
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