CAT 2025 Result Out: What to Do Next? MBA 2026 Admission Process, Cutoffs, PI Calls & GD-PI Prep

CAT 2025 Result Out: What to Do Next? MBA 2026 Admission Process, Cutoffs, PI Calls & GD-PI Prep

Malvika ChawlaUpdated on 25 Dec 2025, 01:46 PM IST

CAT 2025 Results have been declared on December 24, 2025, on the official website iimcat.ac.in. Candidates can check their CAT results 2025 using their user ID and password. Now that the CAT 2025 results are out, MBA aspirants must focus on next steps of MBA admission 2026-28 which includes checking CAT 2025 cut off and assessing PI call chances, apply to non-IIMs accepting CAT score, and preparing for GD, WAT, and PI. Keep reading this article to find out what the next steps are after the CAT 2025 results.
LATEST: CAT 2025 Cut Off LIVE UPDATES | IIM Admission Dates 2026 | FMS Delhi CAT Cut Off

CAT 2025 Result Out: What to Do Next? MBA 2026 Admission Process, Cutoffs, PI Calls & GD-PI Prep
CAT 2025 Results Out, Here are the Next Steps

CAT 2025 Result Announced: What’s Next?

Here are the following steps that all CAT 2025 aspirants need to focus on since the CAT 2025 results have been declared.

Analyse your CAT 2025 Score

The first and most crucial step is to analyse your CAT performance:

  • Check section-wise scaled scores (VARC, DILR, QA)

  • Understand your overall and sectional percentiles

  • Compare your score with previous years’ score vs percentile trends

  • Identify whether you meet sectional cutoffs of top IIMs

All candidates must note that CAT scores are calculated using +3 marks for correct answers and –1 mark for incorrect answers, followed by score normalization across slots.

This analysis will help you realistically assess your chances of receiving calls from IIMs and other B-schools.

Category-wise minimum CAT percentile for offered candidates as per RTI Data 2025-27 (CAT 2024)

2025-27


General

EWS

OBC

SC

ST

PwD









IIM A


90.98

97.3

77.53

85.39

73.14

73.25









IIM B


95.45

91.03

81.7

73.04

76.33

-









IIM C


-

-

-

-

-

-









IIM L

Non-Pwd

91.02

90.13

86.2

67.8

60.3



PwD

60.16

0

63.7

85.66

0










IIM K


91.03

82.26

75.2

67.8

55.17

56.52

PI Shortlisting Based on CAT 2025 Results for MBA Admission 2026

After the CAT 2025 results, IIMs and top B-schools will begin shortlisting candidates for the next rounds based on:

  • CAT 2025 percentile (overall & sectional)

  • Academic profile (Class 10, 12, graduation)

  • Work experience

  • Gender and academic diversity

  • Reservation category (if applicable)

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Each IIM follows a different shortlisting criteria, and candidates meeting the minimum cutoff will receive PI/WAT call letters between January and February 2026.

Read More: IIM Shortlisting Process 2026

CAT 2025 Colleges Shortlisting for MBA Admission 2026

Based on your CAT 2025 percentile, candidates should prepare a list of top CAT colleges to target:

CAT 2025 College Predictor
Use CAT 2025 College Predictor to check your chances for IIM and top MBA calls based on CAT percentile, profile, work experience and cut-off trends.
Use Now

Using the CAT 2025 college predictors and cutoff data can help you shortlist safe, moderate, and ambitious colleges.

Note: Avoid applying blindly—focus on colleges where your profile fits the selection criteria of IIMs and other MBA colleges.

IIMs Admission Criteria 2026: Quick Summary

Refer to the following table of top IIMs, which outlines the admission criteria.

IIMS

CAT 2025 Weightage (2026-2028)

Interview Call

Final selection

CAT

Class 10

Class 12

Grads

Work Ex

Gender/Acad

CAT

WAT

PI

Acad

Work

Diversity

Resume

IIM Bangalore

55

10

10

10

10

5

25

10

40

15

10

-

-

IIM Lucknow

60

-

10

10

10

5+5

30

10

40

10

5

5

-

IIM Ahmedabad

65

35

25

10

50

-

-

-

15

IIM Calcutta

56

10

15

-

-

4

30

8

48

6

8

-

-

IIM Indore

55

10

25

-

3

7

40

-

45

10

-

5

-


Also Read:

What after CAT Results 2025: Prepare for Next Rounds (WAT/GD/PI)

Candidates shortlisted by IIMs and B-schools will have to appear for:

  • WAT (Written Ability Test)

  • GD (Group Discussion) – conducted by select institutes

  • PI (Personal Interview)

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Here’s how you can prepare for the GD-PI-WAT rounds:

  • Stay updated with current affairs, business news, and economic trends

  • Practice answering HR and academic questions

  • Prepare a strong statement on work experience, achievements, and career goals

  • Improve communication skills and clarity of thought

  • WAT/GD/PI rounds usually begin from February–March 2026.

Didn’t Score Well in CAT 2025? Keep Other MBA Exams Options Open

If your CAT 2025 percentile is not as expected, do not panic. Several reputed B-schools accept other MBA entrance exams, such as:

Many top private B-schools consider scores from these exams, and application windows may still be open.

What to Do After CAT 2025 Result Based on Percentile?

Now that the CAT 2025 result is out, the next course of action for MBA aspirants largely depends on their overall and sectional percentiles. It is very important for the candidate to understand what to do after the CAT 2025 result, based on the percentile helps candidates shortlist the right colleges, assess IIM PI call chances, and prepare effectively for the MBA admission process.

In the list below, we have mentioned the list of top MBA colleges in India that one can target based on their CAT 2025 percentile.

CAT 2025 Percentile Range

Top MBA Colleges to Target

99-100

IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Lucknow, Indore, Kozhikode, FMS Delhi, SPJIMR

95-98

New IIMs, MDI Gurgaon, IIFT Delhi/Kolkata, IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay

90-94

Baby IIMs, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Madras, IMT Ghaziabad

80-89

GIM Goa, TAPMI Manipal, FORE School of Management, KJ Somaiya

70-79

BIMTECH, IFIM, NDIM, Jaipuria Institute

Below 70

Colleges accepting CMAT, MAT, ATMA, MAH MBA CET

CAT 2025 Results Out: How to Download Scorecard

As the CAT 2025 result has been released now, all candidates will now be able to check their results-cum-scorecards from December 24, 2025, at 6 PM. Candidates can follow the following process to check the CAT 2025 result.

  • Visit the CAT 2025 official website, iimcat.ac.in.

  • Next, you will need to click on the “CAT 2025 score card login” link.

  • Once the tab opens, you will need to enter their CAT user ID and password.

  • After you have entered your CAT login credentials, you will need to hit the ‘Log in” button.

  • Now, the CAT result-cum-scorecard will be displayed.

  • Lastly, make sure you save and download the CAT 2025 scorecard, which will be useful for future use.

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Questions related to CAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CAT ?

Hello,

Here are some top colleges accepting XAT and CAT exams :

Top colleges accepting CAT:

  • IIMs (All Indian Institutes of Management)

  • FMS Delhi

  • SPJIMR Mumbai

  • MDI Gurgaon

  • IIT Bombay (SJMSOM)

  • IIT Delhi (DMS)

  • IIFT

  • IMT Ghaziabad

  • JBIMS Mumbai

Top colleges accepting XAT:

  • XLRI Jamshedpur

  • XIMB Bhubaneswar

  • IMT Ghaziabad

  • Great

Hi there,

A female candidate with a CAT percentile of 67.97 and low sectional scores should target private and tier-2/3 B-schools that accept overall CAT scores in the 60–70 percentile range and have flexible sectional criteria.

Some suitable options include AIMS Institute Bangalore, Doon Business School Dehradun, Christ Institute of

Hi there,

Yes, you are eligible for XISS Ranchi with a CAT percentile of 67.60.

According to recent admission trends, the CAT cutoff for the PGDM in Human Resource Management for the general category has been around 60 percentile. For other programs such as Marketing, Finance, and Rural Management, the

Hi there,

Careers360 offers a wide range of eBooks and study materials to assist with CAT preparation. You can access past CAT question papers with solutions to understand the exam pattern and difficulty level. Additionally, there are quantitative aptitude handbooks, cheat sheets, and section-specific practice sets for arithmetic, algebra, and

Hi there,

The minimum eligibility criteria for a general candidate to receive a call from IIM Sambalpur are as follows:
VARC: 65%ile
QUANTS: 65%ile
LRDI: 65%ile
Overall: 90%tile
Keep practising and aim to improve your score. You can also focus on other management exams where you may secure a strong