Indian Institute of Management conducts the CAT exam every year to fill in the IIM seats available for different categories across all the IIMs in the country. To fill over 5500 IIM seats, a total of over 2 lakh candidates took the CAT exam. This year, 2.93 lakh candidates appeared for CAT 2024. The candidates are called for the PI round for the IIM seats by the IIMs based on the CAT cutoff. The IIM seats also have reservations for female candidates and certain reserved categories. The IIM seats are reserved to ensure the participation of candidates from all parts of society. This, in turn, helps the IIM maintain cultural and gender diversity.
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The total IIM seats available for the MBA and PGDM courses combined are about 5500 (approx.) Out of the total IIM seats, 27% are reserved for OBC candidates, 15% for SC candidates, 7.5% for ST candidates, and 10% are reserved for EWS and PwD candidates. The percentage-wise distribution of seats is given in the table below.
Category | IIM Seats for MBA |
IIM seats for general category | 40.5% |
OBC | 27% |
SC | 15% |
ST | 7.5% |
PwD and EWS | 10% |

Different categories have been allotted a certain number of reserved IIM seats as per the reservation policy implemented by the IIMs ordered by the Central Government. The category-wise distribution of IIM seats can be understood from the table given below.
Category | Category-wise Distribution of IIM Seats |
3500 | |
809 | |
538 | |
PwD and EWS | 550 |
These IIM seats are available across any of the IIMs, depending on the batch size issued by a particular IIM. The batch size corresponding to the IIM seats is different for every IIM. The seat matrix for every IIM is given in the table below.
Name of the IIM | Total IIM Seats | IIM seats for General | IIM seats for OBC | IIM seats for SC | IIM seats for ST |
IIM Ahmedabad seats | 398 | 194 | 104 | 58 | 29 |
IIM Bangalore seats | 412 | 193 | 103 | 57 | 29 |
IIM Calcutta seats | 462 | 233 | 125 | 69 | 37 |
IIM Lucknow seats | 436 | 211 | 113 | 63 | 32 |
IIM Indore seats | 450 | 226 | 122 | 68 | 34 |
IIM Kozhikode seats | 525 | 189 | 102 | 56 | 28 |
IIM Amritsar seats | 240 | 60 | 33 | 18 | 9 |
IIM Nagpur seats | 240 | 60 | 33 | 18 | 9 |
IIM Sambalpur seats | 120 | 80 | 37 | 20 | 10 |
IIM Trichy seats | 210 | 52 | 28 | 15 | 8 |
IIM Raipur seats | 210 | 60 | 32 | 18 | 10 |
IIM Ranchi seats | 210 | 60 | 32 | 18 | 10 |
IIM Vizag seats | 120 | 27 | 37 | 20 | 10 |
IIM Udaipur seats | 150 | 60 | 32 | 28 | 10 |
IIM Bodh Gaya seats | 120 | 60 | 33 | 18 | 9 |
IIM Shillong seats | 180 | 60 | 32 | 18 | 10 |
IIM Sirmaur seats | 170 | 30 | 17 | 9 | 5 |
IIM Rohtak seats | 240 | 60 | 32 | 18 | 10 |
IIM Mumbai seats | 550 | 220 | 148 | 82 | ;41 |
Also See: IIM Admission & Selection Process 2025: Dates, PI Shortlist, Eligibility Criteria, IIM CAT Cut-off
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
For the Indian Institute of Management (IIMs) a "Low" CAT cutoff refers to the minimum percentile need for call for the selection rounds which includes Written Ability Test (WAT), and Personal Interview (PI).
There are a total of 21 IIMs in India. Since 2021, there have been only 20 IIMs, recently Nitie Mumbai now IIM Mumbai has been added to the list of IIMs.
The total seats across all the IIMs in India are estimated to be around 5500 (approx.). The seats are subject to change as per the batch size issued by an IIM. The batch size for a particular year is decided by the respective IIM.
No, IIMs do not have any management quota, unlike some private institutions. Admission to IIMs only happens through the Common Aptitude Test (CAT) examination.
15% of the total IIM seats are reserved for the Scheduled Caste (ST) category candidates. 7.5% of seats are reserved for the ST candidates, and 27% of seats are reserved for the OBC candidates.
The total number of IIM Ahmedabad MBA seats are around 398. 194 seats are for the General category, 104 seats are for OBC, 58 seats are for SC and 29 seats are reserved for ST category candidates.
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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