How to Calculate Composite Score for IIM: A Step-by-Step Guide

How to Calculate Composite Score for IIM: A Step-by-Step Guide

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Team Careers360Updated on 25 Jun 2025, 02:30 PM IST

The IIMs across the country have their selection criteria for candidates seeking admission to their MBA/PGDM/MMS courses through the CAT (Common Admission Test) examination. The selection criteria consist of several benchmark parameters in which a candidate is evaluated. The selection parameters are CAT score, past academic performance, work experience, applicant profile, educational and cultural background, etc. All these parameters are considered for IIM admission in the form of a composite score. Read this complete article to learn how to calculate composite scores for IIM. IIM Calcutta will announce the CAT 2024 result probably on December 19 in online mode.

This Story also Contains

  1. What is the Composite Score for IIM?
  2. Key Components of Composite Scores
  3. How Composite Score for IIM is Calculated?
  4. How to Calculate Composite Score Required for IIM Callback
  5. Tips to Excel at Composite Scoring
How to Calculate Composite Score for IIM: A Step-by-Step Guide
How to Calculate Composite Score for IIM

What is the Composite Score for IIM?

To calculate the composite score for IIM, it is important to have a brief understanding of what a composite score for IIM is. So, the composite score is the final score that is obtained by an applicant based on the performance of their application and performance. The calculation of the composite score is done according to the weightage held by different components for the selection process. The weightage of these components may differ from one IIM to another.

Key Components of Composite Scores

Take a look at the following list of components used for calculating the composite score for IIM is given below.

  • CAT Score: The CAT score is the CAT exam pass percentage a candidate must obtain to become eligible to apply to the IIM. The CAT pass percentage is the percentile at which an IIM accepts applications from candidates.
  • Academic Performance: The academic performance includes the marks of the Bachelor’s, along with 10th and 12th standard marks. Different IIMs give different weightage to these scores at different stages of the selection process. The weightage varies from 5% to 15%.
  • Work Experience: Work experience is not made mandatory, but is given a weightage. Having good work experience acts as an added advantage.
  • Diversity Factor: Over the past few years, diversity has become an important factor that is considered by IIMs. It is done to make the batches more diverse in terms of gender and culture.
  • Personal Interview and Written Ability Test: PI and WAT are the most significant parameters of IIM selection. They often carry the most weight in the IIM selection process.
  • Normalisation: The CAT pass marks for IIM are based on the CAT normalised scores of the candidates.
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How Composite Score for IIM is Calculated?

The process of calculating the composite score for IIM is simple. However, the exact weightage and formula would differ from IIM to IIM. The method to calculate composite scores for IIM is mentioned below.

  1. The marks for different components held by a candidate are taken.
  2. The marks are then scaled down according to the weightage of a particular component.
  3. The scaled-down marks added up for the different constituents of an application.
  4. The marks thus obtained are multiplied by the multiplying factor.
  5. The total marks obtained after is the application score of the candidate based on which the candidates are finally shortlisted.
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How to Calculate Composite Score Required for IIM Callback

Different IIMs shortlist candidates based on a required composite score. The composite score required for IIM callback for different category candidates as per the previous year's trends is given below.

IIM

Composite score (2021-2023)

Composite Score (2020-2022)

IIM Ahmedabad

Gen- 0.63

EWS- 0.58

NC OBC- 0.53

SC- 0.45

ST- 0.37

PwD- 0.22

Gen- 0.64

EWS- 0.57

NC OBC- 0.53

SC- 0.43

ST- 0.37

PwD- 0.36

IIM Bangalore

Gen- 56.55

EWS- 49.30

NC OBC- 46.48

SC- 39.82

ST- 34.28

PwD- 43.51

Gen- 60.04

EWS- 51.16

NC OBC- 48.15

SC- 40.98

ST- 30.49

PwD- 28.51

IIM Calcutta

Gen- 47.74

EWS- 46.28

NC OBC- 36.54

SC- 34.48

ST- 24.07

Gen- 50.49

EWS- 48.97

NC OBC- 36.61

SC- 33.85

ST- 21.58

IIM Lucknow

Gen- 54.54

EWS- 42.67

NC OBC- 38.97

SC- 32.95

ST- 14.65

Gen- 56.48

EWS- 46.25

NC OBC- 43.17

SC- 38.23

ST- 16.69

IIM Indore

Gen- 46.16

EWS- 41.98

NC OBC- 36.23

SC- 30.90

ST- 15.71

PwD- 18.97

Gen- 46.41

EWS- 41.78

NC OBC- 37.67

SC- 33.67

ST- 26.60

PwD- 24.85

IIM Kozhikode

Gen- 47.94

EWS- 36.46

NC OBC- 35.25

SC- 25

ST- 10.31

PwD- 13.03

Gen- 48.83

EWS- 40.48

NC OBC- 35.72

SC- 29.98

ST- 21.42

PwD- 21.1

IIM Trichy

Gen- 42.85

EWS- 37.04

NC OBC- 35.58

SC- 29.42

ST- 23.83

PwD- 19.96

Gen- 48.46

EWS- 42.65

NC OBC- 42.48

SC- 34.53

ST- 27.33

PwD- 24.49

IIM Amritsar

Gen- 47.41

EWS- 50.13

NC OBC- 47.67

SC- 39.08

ST- 33.17

Gen- 46.25

EWS- 50.88

NC OBC- 48.29

SC- 40.08

ST- 33.55

IIM Bodh Gaya

Gen- 45.07

EWS- 37.05

NC OBC- 39.43

SC- 28.16

Gen- 46.25

EWS- 38.21

NC OBC- 40.70

SC- 27.58

IIM Jammu

Gen- 68.30

EWS- 53.93

NC OBC- 56.54

SC- 47.25

ST- 27.45

Gen- 68.28

EWS- 54.11

NC OBC- 55.27

SC- 46.39

ST- 28.59

IIM Kashipur

Gen- 54.22

EWS- 48.28

NC OBC- 50.19

SC- 43.08

ST- 36.04

Gen- 55.69

EWS- 48.55

NC OBC- 50.27

SC- 43.15

ST- 36.44

IIM Nagpur

Gen- 6.35

EWS- 4.59

NC OBC- 4.56

SC- 3.11

ST- 1.35

Gen- 6.25

EWS- 4.25

NC OBC- 4.66

SC- 3.85

ST- 1.27

IIM Raipur

Gen- 68.69

EWS- 62.50

NC OBC- 64.66

SC- 53.61

ST- 45.62

Gen- 68.82

EWS- 62.58

NC OBC- 64.88

SC- 52.18

ST- 45.87

IIM Rohtak

Gen- 78.93

EWS- 68.68

NC OBC- 76.96

SC- 68.75

ST- 58.4

Gen- 79.85

EWS- 69.26

NC OBC- 77.15

SC- 69.05

ST- 57.84

IIM Sambalpur

Gen- 43.43

EWS- 33.76

NC OBC- 44.76

SC- 30.08

ST- 18.99

Gen- 43.85

EWS- 33.74

NC OBC- 45.08

SC- 29.84

ST- 19.04

IIM Sirmaur

Gen- 35.79

EWS- 28.62

NC OBC- 32.83

SC- 24.99

ST- 18.95

Gen- 36.65

EWS- 29.41

NC OBC- 33.08

SC- 25.54

ST- 18.74

IIM Udaipur

Gen- 53.36

EWS- 44.53

NC OBC- 44.78

SC- 35.04

ST- 35.02

Gen- 54.08

EWS- 44.25

NC OBC- 45.27

SC- 35.08

ST- 36.01

IIM Visakhapatnam

Gen- 77.72

EWS- 50.71

NC OBC- 71.12

SC- 58.57

ST- 51.23

Gen- 77.87

EWS- 51.14

NC OBC- 71.25

SC- 59.25

ST- 51.84


Tips to Excel at Composite Scoring

To excel at CAT composite scoring, the candidate can go through the following points.

  • Excel in CAT: Candidates must aim for high sectional and overall percentiles in the CAT exam, which will help them secure their foundation for their composite score. Usually, CAT results make up a huge chunk of the composite score components.
  • Maintain Academic Consistency: Make sure you have a good performance across 10th, 12th and graduation, as these are critical components of the composite score.
  • Gain Relevant Work Experience: If possible, have a good amount of work experience which will align with your career goals and further help in professional growth.
  • Diversify your Portfolio: Next, you will need to engage in extracurricular activities, leadership goals and other pursuits which will add value to your profile.
  • Prepare for WAT-PI: Lastly, a candidate must have a strong performance in the Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI), which will enhance the composite score and overall changes of conversions for admission.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Is 22 a good composite score in CAT?
A:

A composite score of 22 in the CAT exam is generally not considered good. It mostly depends on the specific scoring system and the colleges that a candidate targets. 

Q: How do I check my composite score?
A:

To calculate a composite score for IIM admissions, you will need to consider factors such as CAT score, academic record, work experience (if any) and diversity (gender and academic background).

Q: Is 22 a good composite score in CAT?
A:

A composite score of 22 in the CAT exam is generally not considered good. It mostly depends on the specific scoring system and the colleges that a candidate targets. 

Q: How to calculate IIM a composite score?
A:

The IIM calculates scores based on the adjustment of the actual scores according to the weightage of each constituent component. The components used to calculate the composite score remain the same for every IIM but the weightage might vary from one IIM to another.

Q: How do I check my composite score?
A:

To calculate a composite score for IIM admissions, you will need to consider factors such as CAT score, academic record, work experience (if any) and diversity (gender and academic background).

Q: How to calculate the composite score for IIM Jammu?
A:

For IIM Jammu the composite score can be calculated by adding the scores listed below.

  • 0.4* CAT percentile
  • PI weightage: 30 marks
  • Overall profile weightage: 30 marks
Q: What is a good composite score in CAT?
A:

A good composite score in CAT for getting into IIMs is around the 97-99 percentile mark. For other top-rated B schools, a good composite score in CAT will be around the 90-95 percentile.

Q: How is the composite score calculated in IIMs for final selection?
A:

For final selection in IIMs a final composite score is calculated. The parameters along with the formula are calculated as: FCS= 0.5 (Normalized PI Score) +0.1 (Normalized WAT score) +0.4 (Composite score).

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Questions related to CAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CAT ?

Hello

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

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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!

Hey,

You already have a strong profile with the score of 58% in Class 10, 74% in Class 12, and 80% in graduation, but admission in IIT Bombay, Shailesh J Mehta School of Management is quite competitive, especially if you are in general category because the cutoff for general goes to 98.5-99%. Your CAT percentage is impressive but your 10th marks might reduce your score during the shortlisting process. If you perform well in Written Ability Test and Personal Interview, and present your commerce background you still stand a fair chance. But it would also be wise if you have some backups like MDI Gurugram, IMT Ghaziabad, IMI Delhi, where your marks and profile will fit well in their selection range.