Great Lakes - PGDM & PGPM Admissions 2026
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IPMAT or CAT which is better among the two? Well, considering the target audience both the management programs are suited for different types of candidates. The major differentiating factor between the two is the accessibility or eligibility to each program. Candidates can appear for an IPMAT exam right after they finish school but to take the CAT exam a candidate must have a Bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognized university. It depends on a particular candidate's preferences and career goals, and which one is better suited for them.
The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Amritsar has released the pre-determined minimum percentile cut-off scores for the first stage of shortlisting candidates for admission to its MBA programme for the 2026–2028 batch. These CAT 2025 percentile thresholds, detailed below, will be used to prepare the initial shortlist for further stages of selection at IIM Amritsar.
Category | Quantitative Aptitude (Percentile) | Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (Percentile) | Verbal & Reading Comprehension (Percentile) | Total (Overall Percentile) |
Section-1 | Section-2 | Section-3 | ||
General | 80 | 75 | 80 | 90 |
EWS | 80 | 75 | 77 | 90 |
Non Creamy Other Backward Classes (NC-OBC) | 65 | 60 | 65 | 80 |
Scheduled Castes (SC) | 55 | 50 | 52 | 55 |
Scheduled Tribes (ST) | 40 | 35 | 37 | 40 |
Persons with Disabilities (PwD) | 40 | 35 | 37 | 40 |
IIM Amritsar CAT 2025 cut-off. (Image: Official Website)
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IPMAT or CAT which is better alternative for a management aspirant. Through IPMAT (Integrated Program in Management Aptitude Test) candidates can become eligible for applying to the five-year integrated management program offered by various IIMs and other top B-Schools. CAT on the other hand allows candidates to apply for a regular MBA program offered by any of the MBA colleges across India (given that the particular college accepts CAT scores for MBA admission.
Knowing the major differences between the two MBA entrance exams can provide a defined edge in understanding which is best for them. The key differences between IPMAT and CAT exams are listed in the table given below.
Aspect | IPMAT | CAT |
Purpose | Specific for applying to the IPM program only. | For admission to all kinds of MBA, PGDM, and MMS programs offered by various institutes across the country. |
Target Audience | Primarily for students who have just finished school (10+2). | For graduates wanting to pursue a career in the field of management. |
Exam Structure | Includes exam sections on Quantitative Ability, Quantitative Ability, and Verbal Ability. | Includes three exam sections VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension), DILR (Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning), and QA (Quantitative Aptitude) |
IPMAT vs CAT difficulty Level | Less difficult. Easy to Moderate | Can be considered between moderate to difficult. |
Frequency | Once every year. | Once every year. |
Admission Process | After the exam, the applicants who clear the IPMAT cutoff for the respective college are required to participate in the GD/PI round for final selection. | Applicants clearing the CAT cutoff for the applied college will have to go through the selection process involving GD/PI rounds. |
Accepting Colleges | All the major B-Schools across India. |
Both the IPMAT and CAT exams are conducted to analyse the language proficiency and logical and quantitative skills of the applicants. The IPMAT exam is a 2-hour exam with 120 questions on topics such as Quantitative Ability, Logical Reasoning, and Verbal Ability, and the CAT exam is a 2-hour, with 68 questions from topics like Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Aptitude.
The pros and cons of IPMAT and CAT are mentioned below.
Integrated Programme in Management Aptitude Test (IPMAT)
Pros | Cons |
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Common Admission Test (CAT)
Pros | Cons |
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The ideal situation for a candidate to choose between the IPMAT or CAT exam is described below.
Choose IPMAT if you have recently completed school looking for an early introduction to a management and business administration program. Ideal for candidates who prefer a structured pathway from graduation to post-graduation. But candidates should be able to the program for five whole years.
Choose CAT if you are a graduate with no or some work experience in any professional domain. CAT is ideal for candidates aiming for a wide range of prestigious institutions to pursue an MBA program from and are prepared for a highly competitive admission process.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
CAT can be considered better than IPMAT as it is a much more flexible alternative for MBA aspirants. However, candidates wanting a structured management program from graduation to postgraduation can go for IPMAT.
The IPMAT acceptance rate is a mere 0.006 i.e. for every 1000 applicants only 6 or 7 can make it to the final merit list. Apart from the IPMAT score the Personal Interview round also carries a significant weightage in the overall selection process. The weightage of the Personal Interview is 35%.
A good CAT score will depend on the college that a candidate aims for. If the goal is to pursue an MBA from IIMs then a good score would be percentile between 98-99.9. Other than IIMs a percentile between 90-99 would be considered good enough.
The eligibility criteria for IPMAT exam include 60% marks in 12th standard for General category candidates and 55% marks for reserved category candidates. Along with that a valid IPMAT scorecard clearing the cutoff will also be required.
On Question asked by student community
Hello,
Yes, you are eligible to join MBA by giving CAT.
CAT accepts graduates from every stream. One has to get 50% in graduation to appear for the examination. After cracking the examination one can get into top rater IIM'S.
MBA is top tier, 2 year post graduate program having lot's of careers opportunities in the management field. The students can choose specialisations from finance, HR, analyst, etc.
For more information check out the official website of Careers360.
https://www.careers360.com/courses/mba-master-of-business-administration
Thank you.
Hello aspirant,
With a CAT 2025 raw score of 84 and strong sectionals, your expected percentile may fail in the high 98 range , depending on scaling. Your excellent academics and 2 years of work experience strengthen your profile .IIM Lucknow calls are possible but competitive for EWS engineers , while FMS Delhi looks mainly at CAT score and VARC , so you have a reasonable chance there . Final calls depend on cutoffs and composite score.
FOR REFERENCE : https://bschool.careers360.com/articles/cat-cutoff
Hope the details will help you.
THANK YOU
Hello aspirant ,
For MANAGE Hyderabad MBA , the OBC cutoff in CAT 2024 was generally around 85-90 percentile for shortlist consideration , tough exact figures vary by section and profile . For CAT 2025, if fewer candidates appeared , the cutoff might slightly adjust , but percentile based cutoffs dont change drastically year to year. A minor decrease is possible , but you should still aim for 90+ percentile to be competitive. Factors like VARC, QA-LRDI and overall profile influence the final shortlist.
FOR REFERENCE : https://bschool.careers360.com/articles/cat-cutof f
Hope the details will help you.
THANK YOU
Hello,
For a raw score of 56 in CAT 2025 Slot 3, your expected overall percentile is likely to be in the range of the 90th-95th percentile. The exact percentile can vary slightly on the final normalization process and the process and performance of all test-takers. In this article you'll find more about the CAT result.
I hope it will clear your query!!
Hello,
With a projected CAT percentile of 87% but not clearing sectional cutoffs, your chances at top IIMs are limited because they require both overall percentile and sectional minimums. However, you still have a good shot at other reputed management institutes and non-IIM B-schools. Consider colleges like NMIMS, SPJIMR, IMT, TAPMI, Great Lakes, and other well-ranked private or state-level B-schools that accept CAT scores and weigh your profile holistically. Your academic record, BSc in Animation with 80%, and 5 years of work experience at Ubisoft India are strong points and may help in institutes that value work experience in their selection process. Also, explore institutes that accept XAT, MAT, or CMAT, where your profile can be competitive.
Hope this helps you.
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