CAT 2025 Selection Process: IIM Admission Criteria, GD-PI Rounds & Final Selection Explained

CAT 2025 Selection Process: IIM Admission Criteria, GD-PI Rounds & Final Selection Explained

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Alen Tom ShajiUpdated on 07 Nov 2025, 04:13 PM IST
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The CAT 2025 admission process will begin soon after the CAT exam results 2025. A few IIMs in India released the selection criteria for PGDM/ MBA admission on their official website, and other IIMs will release the admission criteria soon after the exam. The CAT selection process 2025 will include a Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI) rounds. Candidates will be shortlisted based on their score in CAT 2025 for further rounds such as GD and PI. Shortlisted candidates are advised to perform well in the CAT exam, group discussion, and personal interview to get selected for MBA admission.

LiveCAT 2025 LIVE: 2.95 lakh candidates to take MBA exam on November 30; admit card, syllabusNov 8, 2025 | 2:20 PM IST

CAT cut-off for candidates belonging to the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) varies between institutions. IIM Ahmedabad cut-off for EWS is expected at 95 percentile while IIM Bodhgaya cut-off is 77 percentile, as per Careers360 analysis. CAT EWS cut-off for IIM Bangalore and IIM Calcutta is 75 percentile. 

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This Story also Contains

  1. CAT Selection Process 2025-27
  2. IIM Admission Criteria 2025-27 through CAT
  3. What are the Documents to be Taken at WAT/GD and PI Time?
  4. CAT 2024 Admission Process: Parameters for Final Selection Process
  5. Common Admission Process (CAP): CAT Admission Process for New IIMs
  6. Key Points of IIM CAP 2025
  7. IIM Shortlist Status 2025-2027 Based On CAT 2024 Score
  8. MBA Admission through CAT 2024 in Non-IIMs
CAT 2025 Selection Process: IIM Admission Criteria, GD-PI Rounds & Final Selection Explained
CAT Selection Procedure 2024

CAT Selection Process 2025-27

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.

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IIM Admission Criteria 2025-27 through CAT

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 2025 Result and IIM Shortlist
  • Round 2: Personal Interview
  • Round 3: Final Selection and Eligibility Verification
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IIM-Shortlist-2021

Round 1: CAT 2024 Result and IIM Shortlist

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 Calcutta announced the CAT result 2024 on December 19 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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MBA Admission Process 2025 through CAT - IIM Interview Call Letter

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

Round 2: WAT, PI, and GD Rounds

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.

Round 3: Final Selection and Eligibility Verification

Any candidate listed for a personal interview at IIMs must comply with the eligibility and verification for the CAT final selection process.

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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 ParametersWeightage
CAT 202425
PI30
WAT10
Class 1010
Class 125
Graduation10
Weighted Work Experience10
Total100

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:

cat-normalization

What are the Documents to be Taken at WAT/GD and PI Time?

Check out the list of documents required while appearing for WAT/ GD and PI.

Degree Certificates & Mark Sheet Verification:

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.

Required Documents at the Time of WAT/GD and PI:

  • 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)

Reserved Category

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.

Final Year Undergraduate Students

The selected candidates are required to submit an original as well as an attested copy of the certificate that the student has obtained with 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 the requisite documents on or before the stipulated time, his / her admission will be automatically cancelled.

Final CAT Selection Process

Other additional factors considered by most IIMs for CAT counselling are:

  • The previous academic performance of the candidates
  • Relevant work experience
  • Gender and academic diversity

CAT 2024 Admission Process: Parameters for Final Selection Process

Parameters

Details

CAT 2024

Overall percentile score obtained in the 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 a 3 or 4-year 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.

Common Admission Process (CAP): CAT Admission Process for New IIMs

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.

The Following New IIMs will follow the CAP-Based CAT result 2024

Key Points of IIM CAP 2025

  • All the participating Indian Institute of 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.

List of Top MBA Colleges Accepting CAT Scores in India

IIM Shortlist Status 2025-2027 Based On CAT 2024 Score

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)

IIM Ahmedabad

Second week of January 2025

395

IIM Kozhikode

First week of January 2025

375

IIM Jammu

First week of March 2025

240

IIM Visakhapatnam

Last week of January 2025

120

IIM Rohtak

Last week of January 2025

240

IIM Calcutta

Third week of January 2025

460

IIM Lucknow

Third week of January 2025

500

IIM Sambalpur

First week of March 2025

120

IIM Bangalore

Third week of January 2025

400

IIM Amritsar

First week of March 2025

160

IIM Raipur

Last week of January 2025

260

IIM Ranchi

Last week of January 2025

185

IIM Kashipur

First week of March, 2025

240

IIM Udaipur

Last week of January 2025

260

IIM Trichy

Last week of January 2025

240

IIM Shillong

Last week of January 2025

180

IIM Indore

Third week of January 2025

450

IIM Sirmaur

First week of March, 2025

120

IIM Nagpur

First week of March, 2025

130

IIM Bodhgaya

First week of March, 2025

120

MBA Admission through CAT 2024 in Non-IIMs

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.

Also Read: Top MBA Colleges in India accepting CAT score

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Do Non-IIM institutes also follow the same CAT selection process as other IIMs?
A:

The CAT selection process remains the same for everyone. However, MBA colleges in India are independent in using their MBA selection process for admission into the MBA program. 

Q: What is the qualifying cutoff of IIM Ahmedabad?
A:

This year IIM Ahmedabad qualifying CAT cutoff was 80 percentile. The final cut-off is expected to be around 99 percentile or above.

Q: What happens after clearing CAT exam?
A:

After clearing the CAT exam, candidates wait for the CAT cut-off for individual IIMs to go for further rounds of selection. Shortlisted candidates will be called for a group discussion and a personal interview. 

Q: When will IIM shortlist be out?
A:

The IIM shortlist is expected to be released in the first week of January 2025 by the respective IIMs on their official websites.

Q: What is IIM selection process? or What is the process of CAT selection?
A:

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).

Q: Is there any interview after CAT exam?
A:

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.

Q: What is the CAT exam process for MBA?
A:

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.

Q: What are the documents to be carried at the time of the WAT, GD/PI round?
A:

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).

Q: Does IIM CAP include non-IIMs?
A:

No, IIM CAP only contains new IIMs. Other MBA colleges that accept the CAT score conduct admissions separately.

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Questions related to CAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CAT ?

Hello,

To get admitted to the Institute of Management Studies (IMS), BHU, for an MBA in 2026, you must clear the CAT entrance exam. For that you need to fill out the application form of the CAT in August 2026, which you can get on the Official CAT website

I hope it will clear your query!!

Hello

You can get all the papers on the Careers360 website. To access the paper and download it for practice, just visit here:

https://design.careers360.com/articles/nift-cat-2024-question-paper-with-solutions

Hope it will help you!!

Hello dear candidate,

Yes, you have a very good chance of getting a BPT seat with 488 out of 600 and TS EAMCET rank of 14,000 under the ST category.

As the cut off of BPT for ST category students are generally between 25,000 to 45,000 ranks, depending upon the college and you have TS EAMCET rank of 14,000.

Thank you.

If you got 802 marks in Telangana Intermediate and belong to the ST category, you have a fair chance to get admission in a BPT course in 2025, but it depends on the college and cut-off. Most BPT colleges in Telangana ask for 12th marks in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, and some also use the TS EAMCET rank for admission. The cut-off for ST students is usually lower than for general students, but it changes every year. It is better to check the previous year’s cut-offs of the colleges you want to apply to.

Hello, Getting shortlisted for IIM Lucknow or IIT Bombay (SJMSOM) with your profile is challenging, primarily due to your 58% in Class 10th, which significantly impacts the composite score calculation for both institutes. While your 98 percentile CAT score is excellent, and your 24 months of work experience, B.Com (Hons) background (providing academic diversity, especially for IIM-L), and KVS National player status are valuable additions, top IIMs and IITs heavily weigh consistent academic performance. Your 74% in 12th is also on the lower side. IIM Lucknow places substantial weight on 10th and 12th marks, making a call quite difficult despite your strengths. You likely have a relatively better, though still uncertain, chance at IIT Bombay, as their weighting might be slightly less penalizing for past academics compared to IIM-L, and your high CAT score is a major factor. However, the low 10th score remains a significant hurdle for both prestigious institutions.

I hope you found this information helpful and for study related queries you can ask in careers360 app, Have a great day and!