Great Lakes - PGDM & PGPM Admissions 2026
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MBA colleges in India accept overall as well as sectional cut offs in the MBA entrance exams like CAT, XAT, SNAP, etc., for admission to their MBA/PGDM programmes. The majority of the colleges accept CAT scores for admission to their MBA and PGDM programmes. IIMs are the top MBA colleges accepting CAT cut off ranging from 95-99+ percentile. The sectional CAT cutoff plays a crucial role in the IIM selection process. Scoring 99+ percentile isn't a sure ticket for admission unless candidates also meet sectional CAT cut off for top MBA colleges like IIMs. Read this article to know about CAT colleges with no sectional cutoff.
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                CAT 2024 was conducted on November 24. Candidates can still get admission to a few top MBA colleges without sectional cutoff in CAT exam even after scoring a decent percentile ranging from 80-90. Get details on what is a sectional cut off in CAT, the importance of sectional CAT colleges cut off for admission in IIMs, top MBA colleges with no sectional cut off in CAT, etc in this article.
The sectional cutoff in the CAT exam refers to the minimum score required in each of its sections, namely Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA). These sectional CAT colleges cut off are predefined to qualify candidates for consideration in the selection process of various management programmes offered by IIMs and other top B-schools.
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Yes, sectional cutoffs in the CAT are important. Meeting the sectional CAT cutoff for top B-schools is a prerequisite of their admission criteria. Candidates may not qualify for admission to IIMs if they do not meet the minimum cutoff in any section, regardless of their overall CAT score. Therefore, achieving the sectional cutoffs is essential for candidates aiming to secure admission to top-tier management programmes.
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Apart from IIMs, there are other top MBA colleges with no sectional cut off in CAT. Candidates who do not meet the minimum required sectional cut off in CAT can consider the following B-schools. Given below are the MBA Colleges without sectional cut off in India.
Colleges with no Sectional cut off in CAT  | CAT Colleges Cut Off (Expected)  | 
T. A. Pai Management Institute (TAPMI), Manipal  | 85+  | 
MHRM, IIT Kharagpur  | 80+  | 
DMS, IIT Delhi  | 98+  | 
IMI Delhi  | 90+  | 
Vinod Gupta School of Management(VGSOM)  | 94+  | 
Narayana Business School  | 70+  | 
Great Lakes Institute of Management (GLIM), Chennai  | 85+  | 
University Business School (UBS), Punjab University, Chandigarh  | 88+  | 
Mudra Institute of Communications Ahmedabad (MICA)  | 85+  | 
K. J. Somaiya Institute of Management Studies and Research (SIMSR), Mumbai  | 83+  | 
Institute of Rural Management, Anand (IRMA)  | 85+  | 
Goa Institute of Management (GIM), Goa  | 87  | 
Department of Management Studies (DOMS), Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IITR)  | 95  | 
Department of Industrial and Management Engineering (IME), Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT–K)  | 95+  | 
Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Ghaziabad  | 93+  | 
Delhi School of Economics (DSE), University of Delhi  | 90+  | 
Department of Management Studies (DoMS), Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM)  | 96+  | 
Choosing MBA colleges without sectional cut off in India is advantageous as these colleges do not focus on a particular department but look at the overall performance of the aspirants. Colleges that do not impose section cutoffs in entrance tests like CAT for MBA programs offer several advantages to applicants. Here are some potential benefits of top b schools without sectional cutoff:
While these advantages exist, it is important to note that candidates should strive for balanced performance in all categories to improve their chances of success in competitive admissions processes.
Based on past trends and the difficulty level of the CAT exam, we have provided the expected CAT score vs percentile based on CAT cutoff marks vs percentile.
Percentile  | Score VARC  | Score DILR  | Score QA  | Overall Score  | 
99.5  | 42  | 30  | 30  | 86  | 
99  | 36  | 25  | 25  | 74  | 
95  | 30  | 20  | 22  | 52  | 
90  | 24  | 14  | 13  | 42  | 
80  | 20  | 11  | 9  | 35  | 
70  | 18  | 9  | 7  | 30  | 
Top MBA colleges in India accept the following entrance exams, each with its cutoff scores. Exams such as NMAT, SNAP, XAT, CMAT, IBSAT, IIFT, MAT, and ATMA establish minimum benchmarks for admission to their MBA and PGDM programmes. Candidates can check out the expected cut-offs of top MBA entrance exams given below:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Some top MBA colleges without sectional cutoff include MHRM, IIT Kharagpur; DoMS, IIT Madras; DMS, IIT Delhi; IMI Delhi; SIBM Pune; Narayana Business School; SIMSR, Mumbai; IRMA; GIM, Goa; GLIM, Chennai; University Business School, Punjab University; TAPMI, Manipal; DoMS, IIT, SCMHRD; Vinod Gupta School of Management; etc.
On Question asked by student community
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.
HELLO,
I am providing you the link below through which you will be able to download the previous 10 years CAT question papers
Here is the link :- CAT Previous year Question papers
Hope this Helps!
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