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Candidates with lower academic scores can also get into the prestigious IIMs in India. The IIMs across the country have their IIM selection criteria, which also include academic performance. The role of academics in the selection process may vary from one IIM to another. However, the candidates must have enough academic scores that meet the eligibility criteria for different IIMs as well as the CAT 2025 exam. IIM with low academic eligibility requires a bachelor's degree in any field from a recognised university.
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Candidates with low academic scores can make it up by scoring exceptionally well in the CAT exam. A great candidate profile is what an IIM demands. Candidates with low academic performance should focus on building a great individual profile. Read the article to get an answer to the question, Which IIM can I get with low academics?
Candidates with low academics can use the tips given below to strengthen their overall profile and improve their chances of getting into an IIM.
Get certificates for leadership, team building, and public speaking by participating in relevant activities at various levels.
Submit a cover letter stating the purpose of joining along with the application form to the particular IIM.
Try getting a decent amount of work experience in a relevant field.
If possible, elaborate on the diversity factor that comes with your application.
Try performing as well as possible in the CAT exam, that too in the first attempt only.
Certain IIMs give a lesser weightage to the academic performance of the candidate. Some of the IIMs, like IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, and IIM Indore, have low weightage for academics. Weightage for academics is listed in the table below.
IIM | Academics Weightage |
IIM Calcutta |
|
IIM Lucknow |
|
IIM Kozhikode |
|
IIM Indore |
|
It is difficult to list any IIM that does not consider past academics. IIMs more or less do consider the past academic performance of a candidate at some stage of the selection process. But, if a candidate has an exceptional CAT percentile, then institutes like IIM Calcutta can consider the CAT score alone at least to shortlist the candidate for the Personal Interview round.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Getting into IIM with bad academics is possible. Candidates with low academic scores can make it up by scoring exceptionally well in the CAT exam. A great candidate profile is what an IIM demands. Candidates with low academic performance should focus on building a great individual profile.
Gap year is not an issue for getting into IIM. As long as the candidate has all the requisites for the particular IIM, having a gap year is not a big deal.
IIM Indore has the lowest academic weightage for its selection process. IIM Indore does not consider the graduation scores in the entire selection process. Class 12th percentage is not considered. Class 10th percentage is assigned a score of 12.5 points.
It is possible to get into IIM with low 12th marks. Some IIMs do not give much weightage to the 12th marks, while some IIMs do not consider 12th marks in the final selection process.
On Question asked by student community
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
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