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CAT admission process will begin in January 2025 after the CAT result declared. IIMs will start the selection process for admission to MBA/ PGDM programmes. The CAT selection process 2024 will include a Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI) rounds. Candidates will be shortlisted based on their score in CAT 2024 for further rounds such as GD and PI. Candidates should also perform well in the admission rounds to get selected for admission.
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The IIM admission process will be based on the composite scores of candidates in all rounds. Also, academic performance will be considered for the CAT admission process. The criteria for shortlisting candidates will vary across IIMs, with each IIM having its own separate admission policy. For details of the CAT selection process, candidates can visit the official website of the respective IIM.
Most of the IIMs will release their admission criteria on their websites. Non-IIMs will also release the admission criteria. Candidates interested in taking admission at B-schools other than IIMs will have to check the admission criteria on their website.
Indian Institute of Management (IIMs) shortlists candidates for the interview round based on their admission criteria. However, the CAT score is a common and most important component in the CAT selection process for MBA at IIMs as well as CAT score accepting institutes. Other selection factors include candidates' past academic records, gender, diversity of qualifications, etc.
In this complete Careers360 article, we discuss the weightage given to various aspects, the CAT exam selection process, the different selection processes of IIMs, non-IIMs, and other B-schools accepting CAT scores. The CAT admission process for IIMs consists of three rounds such as:
Round 1: CAT 2024 Result and IIM Shortlist
Round 2: Personal Interview
Round 3: Final Selection and Eligibility Verification
The first step is the announcement of CAT 2024 results by the exam conducting body. Respective IIM, the test conducting body for the CAT exam, declares the CAT 2024 result. IIM will announce the CAT result 2024 tentatively in the second week of January 2025 in online mode. Candidates can check their CAT results by visiting the official website- iimcat.ac.in and by using the required CAT login credentials, such as CAT ID and password.
Consequently, IIMs will start releasing shortlist dates and then begin their shortlisting process. IIMs will release their individual CAT cutoff for different categories. The list of shortlisted candidates for the next stages of selection will be made available on the respective websites of the concerned IIMs. IIMs will send interview letters directly to all shortlisted candidates.
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Candidates selected for the first round of the IIM admission process after CAT will receive invitation letters in their registered email id. The invitation letter will contain the following information:
Registration link
Last date to complete the CAP registration (for 9 IIMs)
Date, time, and venue of WAT/GD and PI
All candidates who meet the CAT cutoff can move on to the next stage of the IIM selection process 2025-27 for MBA i.e. Written Ability Tests (WAT), Personal Interviews (PI), and Group discussions (GD). Candidates are evaluated based on general knowledge, communication ability, performance in previous rounds, and presence of mind.
Any candidate listed for a personal interview at IIMs must comply with the eligibility and verification for the CAT final selection process.
At this point, candidates get marks based on their academic performance. Here is a breakdown of the tentative parameters on which candidates are selected.
CAT Parameters | Weightage |
CAT 2024 | 25 |
PI | 30 |
WAT | 10 |
Class 10 | 10 |
Class 12 | 5 |
Graduation | 10 |
Weighted Work Experience | 10 |
Total | 100 |
NOTE: The table above contains the parameters and weightage of the respective IIMs for the CAT exam. The weightage of each parameter will vary from year to year for each IIM.
Also Check: MBA Colleges Accepting 60 Percentile in CAT
Candidates are listed for WAT / GD-PI processes based on the CAT percentile. The aggregate score calculation process for the shortlist for WAT / GD-PI provided by IIM Lucknow is as follows:
Candidates are required to produce original and attested copies of certificates and mark sheets during the IIM selection round i.e. personal interview. If selected, the original degree mark sheets for all semesters and attested copies must be submitted at the time of joining.
IIM Interview call letter
CAT 2024 scorecard
Class 10 mark sheet and certificate
Class 12 mark sheet and certificate
The graduation mark sheet and certificate
Reservation category proof of certificate (if applicable)
Work experience certificate (if any)
Candidates are required to produce an attested copy as well as the original ST/SC/NC-OBC/DA certificates during the personal interview. If selected, original certificates and attested copies of the reservation category must be submitted upon joining.
The selected candidates will have to submit an original as well as an attested copy of the certificate that the student has obtained 50% marks (45% for reserved categories) from the Registrar/ Principal/ Director of the institute or university.
Their admission will be temporary until the original mark sheet and the qualifying degree at the undergraduate level are submitted before December 31, 2025. If a candidate fails to submit requisite documents on or before the stipulated time, his / her admission will be automatically cancelled.
Other additional factors considered by most IIMs for CAT counselling are:
Previous academic performance of the candidates
Relevant work experience
Gender and academic diversity
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Parameters | Details |
CAT 2024 | Overall percentile score obtained in CAT 2024 exam. |
Class 10 | The aggregate percentage marks in class 10 |
Class 12 | The aggregate percentage marks in class 12 |
Graduation | The aggregate percentage in 3 or 4 year’s degree course |
WAT/ GD-PI | In WAT / GD-PI the performance of each candidate is evaluated, and marks are allotted accordingly. |
Academic Diversity | Candidates with a non-engineering background are awarded extra points to ensure a fair representation of students from other streams. Points for academic diversity vary for each campus. |
Gender Diversity | IIMs give extra points to women / transgender people to promote fair representation of each gender. Points for gender diversity vary for each campus. |
Work Experience | Additional points are awarded to candidates with work experience. For this, a limit of experience is defined as the lowest to the highest. Points for work experience vary for each campus. |
NOTE: It should be noted that these parameters vary from institute to institute each year.
The newer IIMs such as Ranchi, Raipur, Trichy, Udaipur, Kashipur, etc will conduct a common counselling process called Common Admission Process (CAP). A shortlist of candidates will be made and they will be required to appear for the common written ability test and personal interview rounds. Each of these IIMs will publish a candidate’s performance based on a separate merit list.
All the participating Indian Institute Management will send the shortlisted candidates for WAT-PI to the IIM conducting CAP.
That IIM will conduct the WAT-PI round for all CAP participating IIMs.
After the CAP, the participating IIMs will evaluate the performance of the candidates in WAT, PI, CAT score, profile, etc., and create their individual merit list to offer admission.
The final list of selected candidates will be displayed on the respective IIM website. This is only available to candidates with an institute login/ CAT ID.
NOTE: The weightage of the eligible CAT cut-off and admission parameters will be common to all CAP participating institutes.
After the CAT 2024 results, IIMs will release the list of shortlisted candidates to join their 2025-27 batches. Candidates can check the table below for the previous year shortlist details. This will help them have an idea about tentative shortlist dates of IIMs and the number of seats for MBA and PGP programmes.
IIMs | Shortlist Release Date | Number of Seats in MBA/PGP (Tentative) |
Second week of January 2025 | 395 | |
First week of January 2025 | 375 | |
First week of March 2025 | 240 | |
Last week of January 2025 | 120 | |
Last week of January 2025 | 240 | |
Third week of January 2025 | 460 | |
Third week of January 2025 | 500 | |
First week of March 2025 | 120 | |
Third week of January 2025 | 400 | |
First week of March 2025 | 160 | |
Last week of January 2025 | 260 | |
Last week of January 2025 | 185 | |
First week of March, 2025 | 240 | |
Last week of January 2025 | 260 | |
Last week of January 2025 | 240 | |
Last week of January 2025 | 180 | |
Third week of January 2025 | 450 | |
First week of March, 2025 | 120 | |
First week of March, 2025 | 130 | |
First week of March, 2025 | 120 |
88 institutes do not fall under the IIM category but are registered with CAT 2024. These institutes conduct their own CAT exam procedure for MBA. The CAT 2024 counselling includes the same set of rounds as WAT and GD / PI. However, not all of these rounds are mandatory for final admission. Some institutes like IMT Ghaziabad conduct group activities or group training instead of group discussions.
The IIM shortlist will be released tentatively in the first week of January 2025 by the respective IIMs on their official websites.
Based on the candidate’s performance in the CAT exam 2024, participating institutes of CAT 2024 will shortlist candidates for further rounds such as Group Discussion (GD)/ Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI).
The three rounds of the CAT selection process are the same. However, they are not mandatory. Any institute can conduct rounds according to its specifications.
This year IIM Ahmedabad qualifying CAT cutoff was 80%. The final cut off is expected to be 99 percentile or above.
The documents which will be carried to the WAT, GD/ PI are the IIM interview call letter, CAT scorecard, Class 10 and Class 12 mark sheet and certificates, the graduation mark sheet and certificate, reservation category proof of certificate (if applicable), and work experience certificate (if any).
No, IIM CAP only contains new IIMs. Other MBA colleges that accept the CAT score conduct admissions separately.
After clearing the CAT exam, candidates wait for CAT cut-off individual IIMs to go for further rounds of selection.
The CAT exam for MBA involves a computer-based test assessing quantitative aptitude, verbal ability, data interpretation, and logical reasoning. Successful candidates are shortlisted by various MBA institutes for subsequent rounds, which may include interviews, group discussions, and written ability tests.
Yes, many MBA institutes shortlist candidates based on their CAT scores for the next selection rounds, which typically include interviews, group discussions, and written ability tests to assess candidates' suitability for their programs.
The student cannot join the postgraduate MA program directly in the second year of the MA after completing the MBA.
Universities generally expect students to begin the first year of a masters' program even though they had qualifications at the level of a bachelor's degree. The university's curriculum along with the courses are planned to give an in-depth knowledge of the subjects.
But you could opt for:
Postgraduate Studies:
Research Career: In case research interests you, then you can pursue a Ph.D. in your specific interest.
Specialized Master's Programs: Find any specific master's course that supports the career goal.
Professional Certifications:
Make a professional certification in CFA, CA, or FRM to enhance the professional skills and better opportunities in the career field.
Job Entry via MBA
After gaining an MBA from a renowned institution, it's possible to get entry into the corporate world where the diversity in the career field is assured.
In the end, it would depend on what you would like and what you are particularly interested in. It will be better if you take a suggestion from your academic advisor or career counselor.
Hello Pratik,
If your family income exceeds 8 LPA, it will affect your eligibility for the NC-OBC category under the CAT reservation rules. The NC-OBC category requires that the family income should be below 8 LPA to qualify. If you anticipate that your income will exceed this threshold, you should update your status and notify the CAT authorities .
Here's what you can do:
Email the CAT authorities
: Inform them about the potential change in your income status and request to be considered under the
General
category, if applicable. You should do this before the examination or any further processing, as your eligibility for the OBC category depends on the income criteria.
Documents and Proof
: Make sure you have a valid
OBC certificate
and any relevant documentation regarding your family income, in case they require verification. Also, be aware that if your income exceeds 8 LPA, you might need to apply under the
General
category, as the OBC-NC reservation is no longer applicable.
General Category Consideration : If your application is accepted as General, you will be evaluated based on the General category criteria, including cutoffs and ranking.
To summarize, notifying the CAT authorities is the correct approach to avoid discrepancies later, and if your income is above the threshold, you will be treated as a General candidate for the admissions process.
For more details about CAT exam you can check out an article by Careers360 whose link is given below:
Link: https://bschool.careers360.com/exams/cat
I hope this answer helps you. If you have more queries then feel free to share your questions with us we will be happy to assist you.
Thank you and wishing you all the best for your bright future.
Hi Shreya ,
Having a tattoo on your wrist should not create a problem during the CAT exam as long as it does not contain any content that violates exam rules , such as communication-related symbols , unauthorised messages or any text resembling formulas or answers .
For a safe side , it is recommended :
1. Inform the Invigilators : Let them know about your tattoo during the identification check , so there are no misunderstandings .
2. Follow the Guidelines : Ensure you follow all instructions regarding permissible items and dress code on the exam day .
Hope this helps you .
ALL THE BEST .
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Hello,
Yes, you can also join IIMs two years after graduation, depending upon the justification in interviews and your performance in entrance exams. If you are not sure about CAT, try those other management exams less hard:
Common Management Admission Test: Easier than CAT; 4-5 months of continuous preparation will suffice.
MAT : Much easier and takes place thrice a year.
SNAP (Symbiosis National Aptitude Test): A bit easier than CAT, apt for Symbiosis Institutes.
Xavier Aptitude Test or XAT : Hence, easier than CAT but the unique decision-making section.
Use exams like CMAT and MAT as a challenge to be competitively prepared. This can be given about 4-5 months, along with a few rounds of mock tests and smart studying.
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