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Data Interpretation (CAT)

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Data Interpretation sample Paper with solutions to help you prep for cracking the exam.
CAT 2025 College Predictor
Use CAT 2025 College Predictor to check your chances for IIM and top MBA calls based on CAT percentile, profile, work experience and cut-off trends.
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Application Date:07 October,2025 - 26 January,2026
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Hello aspirant,

You have a good probability of getting new IIMs and several top non-IIMs, but you are unlikely to receive top-tier IIMs with a 94.3 percentile in CAT 2025. You category will also affect you college. Also you can use our college predictor from below link to get better idea:

https://bschool.careers360.com/user/update-profile?destination=https://bschool.careers360.com/cat-college-predictor?utm_source=cat_cp&utm_medium=GoogleAds&utm_campaign=2711&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23307111065&gclid=Cj0KCQiAgbnKBhDgARIsAGCDdleSQTbA0PBx_fA3E4UzcL8_Hi5sgxeIivBRMcL8V5hNWEkfAYr7UQQaAgBAEALw_wcB

Thank you

With a CAT 2025 percentile of 86.5, BBA graduation score of 67%, and 10th marks of 76%, you meet most of the basic academic requirements for MBA admission at Nirma University. However, Class 12 marks are an important factor to consider in your case.

Nirma University’s Institute of Management usually specifies a minimum eligibility of 50% aggregate in Class 10, Class 12, and graduation for general category candidates (45% for reserved categories). Since you have scored 48% in Class 12, you are slightly below the usual minimum requirement. This means that, strictly speaking, you may face eligibility issues at the application or shortlisting stage.

That said, Nirma University follows a composite score–based shortlisting process. CAT score, academic profile, work experience (if any), diversity factors, and performance in PI are all considered together. In some admission cycles, candidates marginally below the Class 12 cutoff have still been allowed to participate in the selection process, especially if their CAT percentile and interview performance were strong.

However, you should be realistic. A low Class 12 score does weaken your profile and cannot be fully “compensated” by CAT score alone. The PI performance can help improve your chances only if you clear the basic eligibility criteria set by the institute for that particular year. Final admission depends on institute-level scrutiny of documents.

What you should do:

  • Carefully check the latest Nirma MBA admission brochure for the exact Class 12 eligibility clause.

  • Apply if you meet the minimum eligibility or if the institute allows provisional consideration.

  • Prepare very well for the PI to justify academic improvement from Class 12 to graduation.

  • Keep backup MBA colleges that accept 85–90 percentile and have more flexible academic criteria.

In summary, admission to Nirma University is possible but uncertain due to your Class 12 marks. Your CAT score and PI can strengthen your case, but they may not completely override the minimum eligibility requirement.

Hello aspirant,

Here below I am providing you with the name of some of the best CAT coaching in Chandigarh:

  • Career Launcher
  • Quantifiers CAT Academy
  • iQuanta
  • EduCorp Consultancy Services Pvt Ltd
  • SuperGrads Coaching Centre
  • Time Chandigarh

Thank you

Yes, with an 89 percentile in CAT, your daughter has a good chance of securing admission in several reputed MBA colleges in India, though top IIMs may be difficult unless she has strong academic diversity, category reservation, or exceptional profile factors. At this percentile range, many well-known Tier-2 and upper Tier-3 management institutes consider candidates for their flagship MBA/PGDM programs.

Institutes such as IMI New Delhi, IMT Hyderabad, XIMB HRM, GIM Goa (certain programs), FORE School of Management, LBSIM Delhi, TAPMI Manipal (borderline), IFMR GSB, Great Lakes (PGDM) and several reputed university MBA programs actively shortlist candidates around the 85–90 percentile range. Final selection does not depend on CAT score alone; academic background, work experience, diversity, performance in GD/PI/WAT also play a significant role.

To maximise chances, she should apply to a balanced mix of colleges, prepare well for interviews, and highlight strengths such as internships, certifications, leadership roles, or work experience. If her profile is average and she aims for higher-ranked institutes, she may also consider repeating CAT with focused preparation to push her percentile above 95.

With an overall CAT percentile of around 80 and belonging to the NC-OBC category, you do have a reasonable set of MBA college options in India, including some IITs, though the older IIMs and top IIT MBA programs will be difficult at this score.

Among the IITs, you can realistically look at newer and mid-tier MBA programs. IIT Jodhpur (MBA), IIT Bhilai, IIT Jammu, and IIT Dharwad have historically considered candidates in the 75–85 percentile range under reserved categories like NC-OBC. These institutes usually evaluate candidates on a composite score that includes CAT performance, academic background, work experience (if any), and interview performance. However, IIT Bombay, Delhi, Madras, Kharagpur, Kanpur, and Roorkee typically require much higher CAT percentiles even for reserved categories, so the chances there are quite low at 80 percentile.

Apart from IITs, several good government and semi-government institutions can be strong options. NIT Trichy (DOMS), NIT Warangal (SOM), NIT Calicut (SOM), and NIT Durgapur are worth applying to, as NITs often have relatively lower cutoffs for NC-OBC candidates compared to IIMs. Central universities such as Jamia Millia Islamia, Aligarh Muslim University, University of Hyderabad, and Delhi School of Management (DTU) can also be considered, subject to their sectional cutoffs and your academic profile.

In the private B-school space, there are multiple reputed institutes where an 80 percentile with NC-OBC reservation offers a fair chance. These include IMT Nagpur and IMT Hyderabad, GIM Goa (for some programs), TAPMI Manipal, FORE School of Management, K J Somaiya Mumbai, BIMTECH Greater Noida, IRMA Anand (profile dependent), and IFMR GSB at Krea University. At these institutes, interview performance, SOP quality, and overall profile play a major role in final selection.

Overall, it is advisable to apply broadly and not rely on a single institute. Focus on newer IITs, NITs, and well-established private B-schools, and prepare thoroughly for the personal interview and group discussion rounds, as at this percentile level, strong performance beyond CAT can significantly improve your final admission chances.

Hello,

The results for the CAT 2025 entrance, which is conducted on November 30, 2025, were declared on December 22, 2025. Candidates can download and see their results on the official IIM CAT website. On the website, click on the "CAT 2025 Result/Scorecard" link to download the result by entering the required details.

I hope it will clear your query!!

Hello,

The link to the website where you can check the published result is attached herewith.  The result will be out soon. You can also check the cutoffs on the website of Careers360.

https://bschool.careers360.com/articles/cat-result

Thank you.

CAT does not restrict eligibility based on stream. Candidates from commerce, arts, science, engineering or any other background can appear for CAT and apply to MBA programmes offered by IIMs and other top B-schools.

The basic eligibility criteria for CAT are:
You must hold a bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognised university with at least 50 percent marks (45 percent for SC, ST and PwD categories). Final-year graduation students are also eligible to apply.

Being a commerce graduate can actually be an advantage in areas such as accounting, finance, economics and business studies, especially during MBA coursework in finance, marketing and operations.

After qualifying CAT, admission depends on multiple factors including CAT percentile, academic background, work experience (if any), performance in GD, WAT and personal interview rounds. Many IIMs and B-schools follow a diverse academic background policy, which means non-engineering candidates, including commerce graduates, often receive additional weightage.

Apart from IIMs, several reputed institutes such as FMS Delhi, SPJIMR Mumbai, MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad, and many state and private universities also accept CAT scores for MBA admissions.

So, as a commerce graduate, you are fully eligible to appear for CAT and pursue an MBA, provided you meet the minimum academic requirements and perform well in the selection process.

If you want, I can also help you with realistic CAT percentile targets based on your academic profile or suggest suitable MBA colleges.


Based on the details you have shared, here is a clear and realistic assessment of your chances for IIM Lucknow and FMS Delhi, written in a Careers360-style explanatory format.

With a CAT 2025 raw score of 84, your expected overall percentile is likely to be in the range of around 96–97 percentile, depending on the final normalization and difficulty level of the paper. Your sectional scores (VARC 34, LRDI 24, QA 26) suggest that you are comfortably clearing the sectional cut-offs for both institutes, including the QA and LRDI sections, which are often the main concern for many candidates.

For IIM Lucknow, the minimum CAT percentile cut-off for the EWS category in recent years has generally been around 93–95 percentile overall, with sectional cut-offs close to 70–75 percentile. Since your expected percentile is above this range, you are very much in contention for a call. Additionally, your academic profile is strong: Class X at 95, Class XII at 94.5, and a BTech score of 80.01 are all well above average. IIM Lucknow places significant weight on academic consistency and work experience in its shortlisting criteria. With 2 years of relevant work experience, you will receive additional weight, which further improves your chances. Overall, your probability of receiving an IIM Lucknow call is quite good, provided your final CAT percentile remains around the expected level.

For FMS Delhi, the situation is slightly more competitive. FMS gives very high weightage to the CAT score (almost entirely CAT-based shortlisting), and the overall cut-offs are among the highest in the country. For the EWS category, the overall CAT percentile cut-off usually falls in the range of 97–98 percentile, with particularly strong emphasis on the VARC section. Your VARC score of 34 is a positive point, as FMS typically prefers strong verbal performance. However, with an expected overall percentile of around 96–97, you are right at the borderline. This means that while an FMS Delhi call is not guaranteed, it is still possible if the final percentile calculation works in your favour or if the EWS cut-off dips slightly this year.

In summary, you have a strong chance of securing an IIM Lucknow call due to your EWS category, solid CAT score, excellent academics, and relevant work experience. For FMS Delhi, your chances are moderate to borderline, but not ruled out, especially given your good VARC performance. It is advisable that you prepare seriously for the WAT–PI stage while also applying to other top IIMs and reputed non-IIM institutes where your profile would be very competitive.

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!!

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