What After CAT Result? Explore Next Steps and Career Paths

What After CAT Result? Explore Next Steps and Career Paths

Ongoing Event

CAT Application Date:01 Aug' 25 - 13 Sep' 25

Himanshu ShekharUpdated on 23 Jul 2025, 12:51 PM IST

What After CAT Result? The CAT 2025 results will probably be announced in the fourth week of December 2025. The IIMs will release their individual CAT cutoff for MBA admission on its respective website. Candidates must meet the IIM's cutoff to be considered for IIM shortlisting. Besides IIM, 1200+ top MBA colleges accept CAT scores. Candidates who do not make it to IIMs and are wondering what after CAT exam can apply to these MBA colleges. Read this article to know further about IIM admission process, what to do after CAT result, etc.

This Story also Contains

  1. What after CAT Exam Result 2025?
  2. Steps To Follow - What to do after CAT Result?
  3. Prepare for WAT-GD-PI (Gear Up for Next Level of Evaluation)
What After CAT Result? Explore Next Steps and Career Paths
What after CAT Result

What after CAT Exam Result 2025?

However, after cracking the CAT exam, what is the next step? is the major question triggering anxiety among the candidates, as they are willing to know how the further selection process of IIM admission is conducted. To help you curb your anxiety and answer all your questions related to what you need to do after CAT 2025 results, Careers360 has penned down this article. Read on and find out, what you should do to make the right decision.

This article provides an understanding of what to do after CAT exam, Careers360 will help you understand the admission process after CAT result along with the basic steps required from your side. The candidates will be called for further rounds of WAT, and GD-PI, based on the percentile obtained by them.

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Steps To Follow - What to do after CAT Result?

If you are wondering what after CAT results? Then, the first thing candidates should do is check their CAT result carefully and get them corrected in case they find any errors or discrepancies. The validity of the CAT score card is only for 1 year after the announcement of CAT 2025 results. Rather than waiting for all rounds of the cutoff of IIMs, keep a tab on all other options. So in case you don't make it to any of the IIMs, you can consider the one best suited for you. Those who qualify for the CAT 2025 and clear the cutoff should get ready for further rounds of the admission process.

Candidates are also confused about how to apply for IIMS after CAT results? The selection process of IIMs for CAT 2025 includes Written Ability tests, Group discussions, and Personal Interview rounds. Nowadays, all Top B-Schools in India other than IIMs also conduct WAT, GD-PI rounds to provide admission to candidates.

Major Steps After the Result of CAT 2025:

  • Analyze CAT 2025 score and search for institutes
  • Apply for admission in B-School - Check application deadlines of colleges
  • Prepare requisite documents
  • Specialization selection
  • Prepare for WAT-GD-PI (Gear up for next level of evaluation)
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Analyze CAT 2025 Score and Search for Institutes

Test takers will be able to check their CAT 2025 results online on the official website, iimcat.ac.in. After results and receiving their scorecards for details, candidates must begin their college screening process. They should focus on shortlisting the institutes and analyse how to apply for colleges after CAT that they wish to apply to. Any percentage between 90-70 will also help them grab a seat at any Top MBA College in India Accepting CAT. It is CAT exam benefits to crack.

IIMs CAT Cutoff 2025: MBA/ PGDM Admission

Check out CAT 2025 cut off for IIMs from the tables below.

Old IIMs Cutoff

IIMs

Qualifying CAT Cutoff

Final CAT Cutoff

IIM Ahmedabad

80

99-100

IIM Bangalore

85

99-100

IIM Calcutta

85

98-99

IIM Lucknow

90

97-99

IIM Indore

90

97-99

IIM Kozhikode

85

97-99

IIM Shillong

75

90

IIM Mumbai

85

98-99


New/Second Generation IIMs Cutoff

IIMs

Qualifying CAT Cutoff

Final CAT Cutoff

IIM Rohtak

95

96-97

IIM Ranchi

92

94-95

IIM Raipur

92

94-95

IIM Tiruchirappalli

92

94-95

IIM Kashipur

92

94-95

IIM Udaipur

92

92-94


Baby/Third Generation IIMs Cutoff

IIMs

Qualifying CAT Cutoff

Final CAT Cutoff

IIM Amritsar

85

95-96

IIM Bodh Gaya

92

94-95

IIM Jammu

90

94-95

IIM Nagpur

85

94-95

IIM Sambalpur

92

95-96

IIM Sirmaur

92

94-95

IIM Visakhapatnam

80

94-95

Top MBA Colleges Accepting CAT Score 90-99 Percentile

MBA College

MBA Fee (in Lakhs)

Avg. Placement (in Lakhs)

FMS New Delhi

Rs. 2.32 lakhs

Rs. 34.10 LPA

SPJIMR, Mumbai

Rs. 22.50 lakhs

Rs. 33.00 LPA

MDI Gurgaon

Rs. 24.99 lakhs

Rs. 27.67 LPA

IIFT Delhi

Rs. 21.77 lakhs

Rs. 29.10 LPA

DMS IIT Delhi

Rs. 12.00 lakhs

Rs. 25.82 LPA

SJMSOM IIT Bombay

Rs. 14.08 lakhs

Rs. 28.01 LPA

Top MBA Colleges Accepting CAT Score 80-90 Percentile

B-School

Program Fee (in Lakhs)

Avg. Placement (in lakhs)

MICA Ahmedabad

Rs. 23.00 lakhs

Rs. 19.21 LPA

IMI New Delhi

Rs. 22.00 lakhs

Rs. 16.71 LPA

Xavier University Bhubaneswar

Rs. 22.00 lakhs

Rs. 19.53 LPA

TAPMI Manipal

Rs. 17.34 lakhs

Rs. 13.84 LPA

GIM Goa

Rs. 20.15 lakhs

Rs. 14.81 LPA

Great Lakes Chennai

Rs. 20.80 lakhs

Rs. 15.10 LPA

FORE School of Management

Rs. 18.50 lakhs

Rs. 16.01 LPA

K J Somaiya Institute of Management

Rs. 22.32 lakhs

Rs. 12.79 LPA

Welingkar Mumbai

Rs. 14.0 lakhs

Rs. 12.53 LPA

SDA Bocconi Asia Center

Rs. 18.60 lakhs

Rs. 15.01 LPA

Top MBA Colleges Accepting CAT Score 70-80 Percentile

B-School

Program Fee (in Lakhs)

Avg. Placement (in lakhs)

BIMTECH Greater Noida

Rs.14.00 lakhs

Rs. 11.10 LPA

ICFAI Business School (IBS) Hyderabad

Rs. 7.01 lakhs

Rs. 9.71 LPA

IFMR GSB, KREA University

Rs. 15.00 lakhs

Rs. 13.06 LPA

Great Lakes Institute of Management

Rs.15.75 lakhs

Rs. 11.70 LPA

Woxsen University Hyderabad

Rs. 14.40 lakhs

Rs. 9.09 LPA

MDI Murshidabad

Rs. 11.69 lakhs

Rs. 11.76 LPA

JAGSOM Bangalore

Rs.14.90 lakhs

Rs.10.58 LPA

Jaipuria Institute of Management

Rs. 15.75 Lakhs

Rs. 11.29 LPA

XIME Bangalore

Rs. 12.50 lakhs

Rs. 10.75 LPA

CIMP Patna

Rs. 7.65 lakhs

Rs. 7.00 LPA

Rajagiri Business School Kochi

Rs. 7.50 lakhs

Rs. 8.00 LPA

IMI Kolkata

Rs. 9.90 lakhs

Rs. 12.48 LPA

IMT Nagpur

Rs.14.27 lakhs

Rs.11.00 LPA

Indus Business Academy - IBA

Rs. 10.32 lakhs

Rs. 7.96 LPA

KIIT School of Management Bhubaneswar

Rs. 8.70 lakhs

Rs. 9.50 LPA

SIES School of Business Studies, Navi Mumbai

Rs. 10.00 lakhs

Rs. 9.10 LPA

Jaipuria Institute of Management Lucknow

Rs.14.75 lakhs

Rs.11.29 LPA

IMI Bhubaneswar

Rs.12.99 lakhs

Rs.12.02 LPA

VIT Business School (VIT) Vellore

Rs. 7.02 lakhs

Rs. 9.68 LPA

Amrita School of Business Coimbatore

Rs. 11.10 lakhs

Rs. 8.98 LPA

Thiagarajar School of Management (TSM) Madurai

Rs. 12.00 Lakhs

Rs. 8.44 LPA

Top MBA Colleges Accepting CAT Score 60-70 Percentile

B-School

Program Fee (in Lakhs)

Avg. Placement (in lakhs)

SDMIMD Mysuru

Rs. 12.70 lakhs

Rs. 10.00 LPA

FLAME University Pune

Rs. 14.40 lakhs

Rs. 11.00 LPA

Welingkar Bangalore

Rs. 14.00 lakhs

Rs. 10.36 LPA

NIA Pune

Rs. 11.00 lakhs

Rs. 12.30 LPA

NDIM New Delhi

Rs. 11.50 lakhs

Rs. 7.00 LPA

FIIB New Delhi

Rs. 11.55 lakhs

Rs. 8.50 LPA

IMT Hyderabad

Rs. 14.27 lakhs

Rs. 12.00 LPA

Jaipuria Institute of Management Jaipur

Rs. 13.75 lakhs

Rs. 11.29 LPA

IPE Hyderabad: Institute of Public Enterprise

Rs. 8.00 lakhs

Rs. 7.02 LPA

Jaipuria School of Business Ghaziabad

Rs. 8.20 lakhs

Rs. 7.50 LPA

Delhi School of Business Delhi

Rs. 9.75 lakhs

-

Jaipuria Institute of Management Indore

Rs. 12.75 lakhs

Rs. 11.29 LPA

Apeejay School Of Management

Rs. 9.35 lakhs

Rs. 7.45 LPA

SSN School of Management Chennai

Rs. 7.00 lakhs

Rs. 6.84 LPA

Top MBA Colleges Accepting CAT Score 50-60 Percentile

B-School

Program Fee (in Lakhs)

Avg. Placement (in lakhs)

Jaypee Business School Noida

Rs. 8.50 Lakhs

Rs. 7.39 LPA

Siva Sivani Institute of Management Hyderabad

Rs. 8.97 Lakhs

Rs. 6.98 LPA

GNIOT Institute of Management Studies, Greater Noida

Rs. 8.37 Lakhs

Rs. 6.50 LPA

IMS Unison University Dehradun

Rs. 5.87 Lakhs

Rs. 6.00 LPA

SCMS Cochin School of Business

Rs. 7.95 Lakhs

Rs. 7.80 LPA

Globsyn Business School, Kolkata

Rs. 7.80 Lakhs

Rs. 7.39 LPA

RV Institute of Management

Rs. 11.50 Lakhs

Rs. 6.80 LPA

AIMS School of Business, Bangalore

Rs. 9.06 Lakhs

Rs. 8.00 LPA

NSB Bangalore

Rs. 9.10 Lakhs

Rs. 7.10 LPA

Apply for admission in B-school: Check application deadlines of colleges

After the CAT result 2025 is declared, not much time will be available for the candidates to sort out the colleges, fill and submit application forms of colleges before the application process deadline. To assess their performance, candidates can also use CAT Percentile Predictor.

So, candidates are suggested to track the best B-Schools and check out their admission process beforehand to avoid last-minute delays. Getting a call from IIMs will be a dream come true, but what if not? Hence, it is better to have options rather than wasting the whole year. The next step for candidates would be to look at other major B-Schools apart from IIMs.

Admission criteria of top B-Schools:

Candidates are shortlisted based on the marks obtained by them in the CAT exam and shortlisted candidates are required to qualify for the admission procedures set by different IIMs. The admission criteria vary from one IIM to the other. Shortlisted candidates must have a thorough knowledge of what other rounds they would be required to qualify.

Below are the two rounds that are usually conducted by the IIMs:

  • Written Ability Test (WAT)
  • Personal Interview (PI)

However, there is no common counselling procedure conducted by the IIMs, the six new IIMs conduct a Common Admission Process shortened as CAP. The procedure consists of WAT and PI rounds, but IIM Sirmaur and IIM Jammu do not conduct any WAT and PI rounds. The two institutes declare merit lists based on marks obtained by candidates in the CAT exam, their academic records, and work experience (if any).

Quick Links -

Prepare Requisite Documents

In the counseling round of CAT 2025, apart from the CAT result 2025, various other documents will be required by institutes like a certificate of graduation, mark sheets of class 10 and class 12, and a work experience letter (if any). Hence, it becomes necessary for candidates to prepare a list of pre-required documents and make them available beforehand. Moreover, certificates are to be attested.

Quick Links -

Specialization Selection

While selecting the institute, it is necessary that candidates also select their preferred choice. Most of the candidates first define the college and then select the specialization. While some select colleges on the basis of specialisation they wish to choose. Both approaches are correct. Candidates just need to be clear about what they actually want.

Prepare for WAT-GD-PI (Gear Up for Next Level of Evaluation)

As specified above, after the CAT exam, candidates will have to appear for a further selection round. Admission criteria of IIMs and other B-schools include the Writing Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussion (GD), and Personal Interview (PI). Some of the institutes may also use Essay Writing as a part of the selection.

Nowadays, prior work experienced candidates are given more preference and have additional points for that as well. Hence, candidates should focus on preparing themselves for these rounds and learning to master their preferred skill set. Note that only on the basis of the overall performance i.e. CAT exam score, WAT, GD-PI, Past Academic Records, and work experience, the candidates will be offered admission.

Quick Links -

However, not everything can go according to us. There are chances that your CAT attempt might not be successful and things do not fall in place. Well, in this case, you must always be ready with a Plan B. Make sure you have answers to the following questions in case you do not clear the CAT 2025 exam:

  • Will you apply for job?
  • Will you reappear for the CAT exam?
  • In case you plan to re-appear for the CAT exam, what will be your strategy? Will you prepare for it with a full-time job or without?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Is 70 marks a good score in CAT?
A:

A raw score of 70 marks in the CAT exam will generally translate to a high percentile, potentially around 96.95+ percentile, and is considered a very good score. 

Q: What happens after passing the CAT exam?
A:

After the CAT exam is over, candidates will need to participate in selection process of various MBA colleges and participate in GD-PI and WAT rounds. 

Q: How many students are appearing in CAT?
A:

Last year, out of the 3.29 lakh registered candidates, about 2.93 lakh have appeared for the national level management examination.

Q: How long does it take to get CAT results?
A:

The CAT 2025 result will probably be announced in the fourth week of December 2025.

Q: Which IIM has the lowest fees?
A:

IIM fees generally range from Rs 26 lakh to Rs 13.2 lakh. Among the IIMs, IIM Amritsar has the lowest fees. The fee for studying MBA at IIM Amritsar is Rs. 13.2 lakhs. Following IIM Amritsar, IIM Bodhgaya and IIM Sirmaur are also listed among the IIMs with the lowest fees.

Q: What is the next step after the CAT exam?
A:

After the CAT exam, the next step is preparing for the Bschool admission process. All Bschools with IIMs have a separate MBA admission process. Candidates for IIMs are shortlisted on the basis of WAT, GD and PI.

Q: What is the next step after CAT result?
A:

After CAT results, prepare for Group Discussions (GD), Written Aptitude Tests (WAT) and Personal Interviews (PI) of various business schools.

Q: What are the benefits of a CAT exam?
A:

The CAT exam is the entry ticket to India's top MBA institutes, IIMs, and other premier business schools.

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Questions related to CAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CAT ?

Hello,

Thank you for your question!

KL- MAT syllabus: Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning, English/Verbal Ability, and General Awareness (similar to MAT/CMAT pattern).

CAT scores are valid in many private universities including KL University, but always check the year’s admission notification.

CAT vs other exams: CAT is toughest (IIMs + top B-schools), while MAT/CMAT/ATMA are relatively easier and accepted by many mid-level private universities.

Hello it will clear your doubt!

Hello Aspirant,

  1. I saw a cat. The cat found an old map inside a drawer of the king's palace.

Here's why:

  • "a cat": It's the first time we mention the cat, so it's indefinite.

  • "The cat": Now we're talking about that specific cat we just mentioned, so it's definite.

  • "an old map": It's the first time we mention a map, and "old" starts with a vowel sound, so "an."

  • "a drawer": It's one of possibly many drawers, not a specific one known to us yet.

  • "the king's palace": This is a specific, unique place, so "the."

Hello Kapish

You can find the last 5 year questions of DILR for CAT at Careers360 website. Moreover, you can find the previous year papers of all the subjects i.e. DILR, Quants and VARC. I am attaching the link through which you would be able to access the same.

Here's the link: CAT Previous Year Papers by CAREERS360
Sample paper of DILR: CAT Sample Paper (DILR) by CAREERS360

Thank You!!!


Hello Divya,

Yes, candidates with an online BBA can sit for both CAT and GMAT provided that the degree is from a recognized (UGC approved in India or accredited abroad) institution. The leading B-schools in both India and abroad do not look down upon online degrees as long as the degree is from a recognized body, they will mostly be looking at your test scores, academic performance, work experience, and profile holistically. What matters is the legitimacy of the institution and how you showcase your abilities, not whether your degree was obtained online or in-person.

Yes, someone with an online BBA can sit for both CAT and GMAT, provided the degree is from a UGC recognized university. Top B-schools in India (like IIMs) and abroad generally accept online degrees if they are valid, and you won’t be marked down just because it’s online. What matters more is your entrance exam score, academic record, work experience, and overall profile.