CAT Cut Off 2025: IIM-wise, Category-wise & Sectional Cut Off

Overview: The CAT 2025 cut off is not one single number. Every institute sets its own thresholds, and many IIMs apply both overall and sectional cut offs (VARC, DILR, QA) for shortlisting candidates. On this page, you’ll find IIM-wise official minimum cut-offs (as published in admission policy documents) and expected call percentiles (trend-based ranges) for top IIMs, CAP/JAP IIMs and leading non-IIM MBA colleges.

Use this guide to understand the difference between qualifying cut-off vs shortlist/call cut-off, check category-wise requirements, and plan a realistic target percentile for your college list.

Data sources used on this page:

• Official CAT website notifications / updates
• Official admission policy PDFs / eligibility tables published on individual IIM websites
• CAP and JAP official announcements (where applicable)

Note: “Official cut-offs” refer to minimum eligibility/shortlisting thresholds published in admission policies. “Expected cut-offs” are trend-based ranges and can vary by profile and year.

Lakhs of MBA aspirants appeared for CAT exam 2025, and the overall difficulty level was slightly higher than CAT 2024. This means even small changes in your score can significantly impact your CAT percentile and college options.

On this page, you will find:

• IIM-wise and category-wise CAT cut off 2025 (expected) for all major campuses
• Expected CAT 2025 cut off for top Non-IIMs like FMS, IITs, MDI, SPJIMR and more
• Trends in CAT cut offs over the last few years to benchmark your chances
• Difference between CAT marks and percentile, and how colleges actually use cut offs in shortlisting

Use this guide along with tools like the CAT Percentile Predictor and exam analysis to get a realistic picture of your shortlist chances and plan your applications smartly.

Download FREE Study Material for CAT 2026 by SuperGrads

What is CAT 2025 Cut Off? 

The CAT cut off 2025 is the minimum score required to advance to the next stage of the selection process, which usually includes Group Discussions (GD), Personal Interviews (PI), and Written Ability Tests (WAT). 

CAT 2025 cut offs vary by institution, program, and candidate category (General, OBC, SC, ST, etc.), and are influenced by several factors. For 2025, the IIM cutoff indicates the lowest score needed to proceed in the admissions process.

Check: CAT Exam Fee for Various Categories

CAT 2025 Slot 1,2 and 3 Detailed Analysis

What are the Factors Affecting CAT 2025 Cut Off?

Several important factors influence the CAT cut-offs 2025

1. Total Number of Applicants: A higher number of candidates increases competition for limited seats. This generally raises the CAT cut-off scores.

2. Number of Available Seats: When institutes offer more seats, the competition per seat reduces. This often results in slightly lower cut-off requirements.

3. Difficulty Level of the Exam: If the exam is tougher than usual, overall scores tend to drop. Consequently, cut-offs may be lowered to balance the difficulty.

4. Reservation Policies: Category-wise reservations affect the distribution of seats across different groups. This leads to varied cut-offs for each category based on mandated quotas.

CAT Cut Off Quick Summary (Official Minimum vs Expected Calls)

Many students confuse official minimum cut-offs (basic eligibility to be considered) with the actual call percentiles (which are often much higher due to competition).

1) Official minimum cut-offs (policy-based) – General category

IIM	Minimum Overall	Minimum Sectionals	Notes
IIM Ahmedabad (CAT 2025)	PT ≥ 95	PVARC ≥ 85, PDILR ≥ 85, PQA ≥ 85	Minimum criteria mentioned in selection criteria.
IIM Calcutta (CAT 2025)	Overall ≥ 85	VARC ≥ 80, DILR ≥ 80, QA ≥ 75	Actual cut-offs may be higher (policy note).
IIM Bangalore (reference cut-offs)	Aggregate 85	VARC 80, DILR 75, QA 75	Shown as first-shortlist cut-offs for 2025–27 (based on CAT 2024) in the 2026–28 process PDF.

2) Expected call percentiles (trend-based)

Even after clearing the official minimums, the final / effective cut-off for calls is usually much higher. On this page itself, you’ve stated that final cut-offs for top IIMs often go around 99+ percentile for General category (trend-based). So treat “expected calls” as a range, not a fixed number.

IIM Bangalore CAT 2025 Cut Off (First Shortlist – Minimum Percentiles)

Source: IIM Bangalore PGP 2026–28 Admission Procedure (Annexure I – minimum percentiles used for preparing the first shortlist; actual interview call percentiles are usually higher).

Category	VARC	DILR	QA	Overall
General	80	75	75	85
NC-OBC	70	65	65	75
EWS	70	65	65	75
SC	65	60	60	70
ST	55	55	55	65
PwD	50	50	50	60

CAT Percentile Predictor 2025 [Check your Score Here]

IIM Ahmedabad CAT 2025 Cut Off (Official Minimums for AWT-PI Shortlisting)

As per IIM Ahmedabad’s official shortlisting criteria for the PGP 2026–28 batch (via CAT-2025), candidates must clear BOTH the overall percentile (PT) and the sectional percentiles (PVARC, PDILR, PQA) and also have a positive raw score in each section.

Category	Non-PwD: Overall PT	Non-PwD: Sectional (PVARC / PDILR / PQA)	PwD: Overall PT	PwD: Sectional (PVARC / PDILR / PQA)
General / EWS	95	85 / 85 / 85	85	75 / 75 / 75
NC-OBC	90	80 / 80 / 80	80	70 / 70 / 70
SC	85	75 / 75 / 75	75	65 / 65 / 65
ST	75	65 / 65 / 65	65	55 / 55 / 55

Note: For transgender candidates in the General category, IIMA applies the same cut-offs as NC-OBC.

Also Read | SuperGrads CAT Toppers List

IIM Calcutta CAT 2025 Cut Off (Stage I – Official Minimum Percentiles for PI & WAT)

As per IIM Calcutta’s admission procedure for domestic candidates, candidates must meet BOTH sectional and overall CAT 2025 percentile minimums (and have non-negative raw scores in all sections). Actual call percentiles can be much higher depending on the number of candidates shortlisted.

Category	VARC	DILR	QA	Overall
OPEN	≥80	≥80	≥75	≥85
EWS	≥70	≥65	≥65	≥75
NC-OBC	≥70	≥65	≥65	≥75
SC	≥65	≥60	≥60	≥70
ST	≥55	≥55	≥55	≥65
PwD	≥45	≥45	≥45	≥55

Also Read | CAT Syllabus (Latest)

IIM Kozhikode CAT 2025 Cut Off (Official Minimum Eligibility – Qualifying Percentiles)

Important: The cut-offs below are the minimum eligibility criteria published by IIM Kozhikode. The actual shortlist/call percentiles can be higher depending on competition and profiles.

Category	VARC	DILR	QA	Overall
General	75	75	75	85
OBC-NCL	65	65	65	75
EWS	65	65	65	75
SC	55	55	55	65
ST	45	45	45	55
PwD	45	45	45	55

Source: IIM Kozhikode PGP eligibility/minimum eligibility table (CAT overall percentile + sectional percentile to be met in each section).

Also Read | CAT Maths Syllabus

IIM Lucknow CAT 2025 Cut Off (Official Minimum Percentiles for WAT-PI Shortlisting)

IIM Lucknow releases programme-wise minimum CAT 2025 percentiles for Stage 1a (WAT-PI shortlisting). Note that the actual call percentiles may be higher depending on competition and profiles. Also, for MBA-SM, a minimum work experience of 24 months is an additional eligibility criterion.

Category	MBA (VARC)	MBA (DILR)	MBA (QA)	MBA (Total)	MBA-ABM (VARC)	MBA-ABM (DILR)	MBA-ABM (QA)	MBA-ABM (Total)	MBA-SM (VARC)	MBA-SM (DILR)	MBA-SM (QA)	MBA-SM (Total)
General	85	85	85	90	80	80	80	85	80	80	80	85
EWS	77	77	77	82	72	72	72	77	72	72	72	77
NC-OBC	77	77	77	82	72	72	72	77	72	72	72	77
SC	55	55	55	65	55	55	55	65	55	55	55	60
ST	50	50	50	60	50	50	50	55	50	50	50	55
PwD	50	50	50	60	50	50	50	55	50	50	50	55

IIM Mumbai Category-wise CAT 2025 Cut Off (Official Minimum Percentiles)

Source: IIM Mumbai Admission Policy for MBA (Batch 2026–2028)
Note: Actual call percentiles can be higher than these minimums.

Category	VARC	DILR	QA	Overall
OPEN	≥80	≥80	≥75	≥85
NC-OBC	≥70	≥65	≥65	≥75
EWS	≥70	≥65	≥65	≥75
SC	≥65	≥60	≥60	≥70
ST	≥55	≥55	≥55	≥65
PwD	≥45	≥45	≥45	≥55

Also Read | CAT Exam Colleges 

New & Baby IIMs: CAP vs JAP (MBA 2026 Intake Update)

For New/Baby IIMs, the interview process may be through CAP (Common Admission Process) or other joint processes like JAP. The shortlisting cut-offs, evaluation weights, and requirements can differ across IIMs, so always verify using the official admission policy of each IIM.

• CAP (official portal reference): CAP is a joint PI/WAT initiative, but “cut-offs and weights may vary across IIMs” check each IIM’s admission policy.
• JAP 2026: IIM Kashipur, IIM Raipur, IIM Ranchi and IIM Tiruchirappalli announced a Joint Admission Process for MBA admissions (2026 intake).

JAP 2026 (Joint Admission Process) – CAT Cut Off for IIMs

For MBA admissions through JAP 2026, the participating IIMs are: IIM Kashipur, IIM Raipur, IIM Ranchi, and IIM Tiruchirappalli. IIM Raipur is the coordinating institute for JAP 2026.

Note: JAP 2026 cut-offs will be finalised and published via the JAP process after CAT results. Until then, we are listing the latest officially published minimum CAT percentile cut-offs used for PI shortlisting on each IIM’s official admission policy page.

IIM Raipur CAT Cut Off – Minimum Eligibility Percentiles (Latest Published)

Source: IIM Raipur – MBA Admission Policy & Procedure (Batch 2025–27)

Important: The table below reflects minimum CAT percentile eligibility mentioned in the official policy (Table 1). It is used to determine eligibility for the admission process/registration pool; actual GD/PI shortlisting thresholds can be higher. Under JAP 2026, final cut-offs will be determined jointly and communicated to applicants.

Category	VARC	DILR	QA	Overall
GEN	75	75	75	90
EWS	65	65	65	80
NC-OBC	65	65	65	80
SC	60	60	60	65
ST	55	55	55	55
PWD (GEN/EWS/NC-OBC/SC/ST)	30	30	30	45

JAP 2026 note: JAP 2026 is announced for IIM Kashipur, Raipur, Ranchi and Tiruchirappalli. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

IIM Udaipur Category-wise CAT cut off 2025

Minimum Percentile requirements for the 1st shortlist
Categories	VARC	DILR	QA	Overall
CAT cut off for IIM for General	73	73	73	94
NC-OBC	50	50	50	77
EWS	50	50	50	77
CAT 2025 cut off for IIM for SC	44	44	44	60
ST	25	25	30	40
CAT cut off for IIM for DAP	25	25	30	40

IIM Kashipur CAT Cut Off (Official Minimum Percentiles for PI Shortlisting – Latest Published)

Source: IIM Kashipur – MBA Admission (Minimum Cut-offs of CAT-2024 Percentile for PI Shortlisting)

Note: These are the latest officially published minimum percentiles for PI shortlisting (CAT-2024). For CAT 2025 / JAP 2026, the institute may revise cut-offs after results.

Category	QA	DILR	VARC	Overall
General	75	75	75	95
EWS	55	55	55	81
NC-OBC	52	52	52	81
SC	45	45	45	66
ST	30	25	25	42
DAP	30	25	25	42

Also Read | Best MBA Colleges in India without CAT 

IIM Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) CAT Cut Off – Latest Published Minimum Percentiles for PI & WAT Shortlisting

Source: IIM Trichy – Admission Criteria (PGPM 2025–27)

Note: These are the latest published minimum percentiles (shown for PGPM 2025–27). Under JAP 2026, cut-offs may be revised and communicated by the participating IIMs.

Category	VARC	DILR	QA	Overall
GEN	75	75	75	95
EWS	55	55	55	81
NC-OBC	52	52	52	81
SC	45	45	45	66
ST	25	25	30	42
DAP (PwD)	25	25	30	42

IIM Ranchi CAT Cut Off – JAP 2026 (Update)

IIM Ranchi is part of the Joint Admission Process (JAP) 2026 along with IIM Kashipur, IIM Raipur, and IIM Tiruchirappalli. IIM Raipur is the coordinating institute.

Official JAP announcement: Joint Admission Process (JAP) 2026 – Official Press Note (PDF)

Note: We will update the category-wise minimum CAT percentiles for IIM Ranchi as soon as the latest admission criteria/policy PDF becomes accessible on the official IIM Ranchi website.

Meanwhile, please refer to the IIM Ranchi official site for the latest admission documents: IIM Ranchi Official Website

Check: Review the CAT Exam Response Sheet details

IIM Shillong Category-wise CAT 2025 cut off 

Minimum Percentile requirements for the 1st shortlist
Categories	VARC	DILR	QA	Overall
CAT cut off for IIM for General	75	75	75	85
IIM OBC Cutoff	75	75	75	85
EWS	75	75	75	85
CAT cut off for IIM for SC	60	60	60	70
ST	50	50	50	60
CAT cut off for IIM for DAP	50	50	50	60

IIM Visakhapatnam Category-wise CAT cut off 2025

Minimum Percentile requirements for the 1st shortlist
Categories	VARC	DILR	QA	Overall
CAT cut off for IIM for General	70	70	70	82
NC-OBC	63	63	63	72
CAT cut off for IIM for EWS	63	63	63	72
SC	40	40	40	50
ST	30	30	30	40
CAT cut off for IIM for PwD	30	30	30	40

IIM Jammu Category-wise CAT cut off 2025

Minimum Percentile requirements for the 1st shortlist
Categories	VARC	DILR	QA	Overall
CAT cut off for IIM for General	72	72	72	91
NC-OBC	48	48	48	74
CAT cut off for IIM for EWS	48	48	48	74
SC	42	42	42	54
ST	24	24	29	32
CAT cut off for IIM for PwD	24	24	29	32

Check | Know the subjects included in the CAT Exam 

IIM Amritsar Category-wise CAT cut off 2025

Minimum Percentile requirements for the 1st shortlist
Categories	VARC	DILR	QA	Overall
General	80	75	75	90
IIM OBC Cutoff	65	60	60	80
EWS	80	75	75	90
SC	55	50	50	55
ST	35	35	35	40
PwD	35	35	35	40

Also Read | IIM Amritsar Admission Process, Fees, Eligibility and More!

IIM Sambalpur CAT 2025 Cut Off (Official Minimum Percentile) – MBA 2026–28

As per the official admission policy, IIM Sambalpur uses a minimum overall CAT percentile for Stage-1 shortlisting. There is no sectional percentile cut-off; however, candidates must have a positive (greater than zero) raw score in each CAT section.

Source: IIM Sambalpur MBA Admission Policy 2026–28 (CAT 2025)

Category	Minimum Overall CAT Percentile
General	90*
EWS	80
NC-OBC	75
SC	55
ST	40
DAP	40

*Policy note: General cut-off may be reduced to 85 for female candidates and for male candidates with ≥1 year relevant work experience (as per the policy footnote).

Explore: Check the CAT Exam Photo Size requirements

IIM Sirmaur Category-wise CAT cut off 2025

Minimum Percentile requirements for the 1st shortlist
Categories	VARC	DILR	QA	Overall
General	70	70	70	92
NC-OBC	45	45	45	74
EWS	40	40	40	70
SC	35	35	35	54
ST	25	25	32.5	40
DAP	25	25	32.5	40

Check: CAT Exam Day Instructions 

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Top Non-IIM Colleges Accepting CAT: Expected Cut Off Range (Trend-Based)

Unlike IIMs (which publish official minimum percentiles in their admission policies), most Non-IIM colleges do not publish one fixed “official CAT cut off” for calls. So the values below are expected CAT percentile ranges based on recent admission trends and vary by profile, category, work experience, academics, and form difficulty.

Institute	Program	Expected CAT Percentile Range for Call	Notes
FMS Delhi	MBA	98–99.5+	Strong weight to CAT + academics; category-wise cut-offs apply.
SPJIMR Mumbai	PGDM	85–99+	Profile-based calls possible; not purely percentile-driven.
MDI Gurgaon	PGDM	95–98+	Call ranges depend on program + category.
IIFT	MBA (IB)	95–99+	Shortlisting may factor sectional scores + profile.
IMT Ghaziabad	PGDM	90–95+	Range varies by phase/forms + program preferences.

Tip: If you want, we can add a separate column for “Safe score (conservative)” and “Borderline score (profile dependent)” for better UX.

Want to plan your exam day better? 

Check | Know more about CAT Exam Slot Timings

Trends in CAT Cut Off Over the Years

To understand how tough the exam has been in different years, it is useful to see how many marks are typically needed for a given CAT percentile. The table below shows approximate overall scores corresponding to key percentiles in recent CAT exams.

CAT Percentile	Marks in CAT 2023	Marks in CAT 2022	Marks in CAT 2021	Marks in CAT 2020	Marks in CAT 2019	Marks in CAT 2018	Marks in CAT 2017	Marks in CAT 2016
99.9	106	111	120	131	196	192	208	191
99.5	89	93	107	115	170	170	183	168
99	80	82.5	97	102	157	155	173

Download Free PDF on Success Stories of CAT 2024 Toppers

Read: CAT study plan for consistent performance

Why Are CAT 2025 Cut offs Important for MBA Aspirants?

CAT cut-offs are significant for MBA aspirants, as they represent the minimum percentile required to proceed to the following stages of the admission process at various MBA colleges. 

These cut-offs serve as eligibility criteria, determining whether an applicant's CAT score is sufficient for a particular business school to consider their candidature for selection rounds such as Group Discussion and Personal Interview. 

Understanding the cut-offs of different institutions is crucial for aspirants to strategically target colleges that align with their scores, thereby optimising their chances of securing an MBA seat. 

Furthermore, cut-offs indicate the competition level for admission to specific MBA programs; higher cut-offs typically signify greater applicant volume and a more competitive environment. 

Many institutions also implement sectional cut-offs, requiring a minimum percentile in each CAT section. Thus, aspirants must perform well across all areas to meet the overall eligibility criteria. 

In essence, CAT cut-offs serve as the initial, critical benchmark that MBA aspirants must surpass to progress in their admission journey towards their desired business schools.

CAT 2025 Cut Off Marks vs Percentile

Many CAT aspirants confuse their raw or scaled CAT marks with their CAT percentile. While both are related, colleges use percentile as the primary benchmark for CAT 2025 cut off and shortlisting.

The table below highlights the key differences between CAT marks and percentile and how each is used in the admission process.

Feature	CAT Marks (Scaled Score)	CAT Percentile
Definition	Your normalised score based on correct and incorrect answers across all sections.	The percentage of test-takers who scored equal to or below your scaled score.
Nature	Absolute – reflects your individual performance in the exam.	Relative – shows how you performed compared to all other candidates.
Cut-off Usage	Rarely used directly by colleges while shortlisting.	The primary metric used by MBA colleges (overall and sectional) for GD/PI/WAT shortlisting.
Variability	Can vary across slots and years due to normalisation and paper difficulty.	More stable indicator of relative performance, though score ranges for a percentile change slightly each year.
Focus for Aspirants	Understanding the scoring mechanism and improving accuracy/attempts.	Achieving the target overall and sectional percentile for your desired colleges.
Estimated Range (Overall)	Likely to vary each year. For example, recent papers show that scores around 95–100 marks often map to 99 percentile, while 70–75 marks are closer to the 95 percentile range.*	Used by IIMs and other B-schools to decide eligibility thresholds (e.g., 99+ for top IIMs, 90–98 for other leading institutes).

*These score ranges are indicative and based on recent CAT exams, including CAT 2024 and CAT 2023. Exact marks required for a given percentile change slightly every year.

To bridge the gap between your marks and target percentile, personalised guidance matters a lot.

Know: How SuperGrads mentorship improves CAT success rate

CAT Previous Year Cut-Offs for Top IIMs

To estimate the CAT 2025 cut off for different IIMs, it helps to look at the previous year's category-wise minimum overall percentiles required for shortlisting. The table below summarises recent CAT cut offs (overall percentile) for some of the top IIMs for different categories.

IIM	General	EWS	NC-OBC	SC	ST	PWD
IIM Ahmedabad	80	80	75	70	60	70
IIM Bangalore	85	75	75	70	65	60
IIM Calcutta	85	75	75	70	65	55
IIM Lucknow	90	82	82	65	60	60
IIM Indore	90	90	80	60	50	—
IIM Kozhikode	85	75	75	65	55	55
IIM Amritsar	85	85	75	55	40	—
IIM Nagpur	90	80	76.5	60	40	—
IIM Sambalpur	74	70	74	54	40	—

Note: These values represent indicative previous-year overall percentile cut offs used by IIMs for shortlisting candidates. They may vary slightly each year depending on the CAT difficulty level and institute-specific criteria.

Click here: For last 10 days strategy for CAT exam

What is the Minimum Qualifying Sectional CAT 2025 Cut Off for Top IIMs?

Top IIMs don’t just look at your overall CAT percentile; many also require you to clear minimum sectional percentiles in VARC, DILR and QA. Missing even one section can make you ineligible for shortlisting.

1) IIM Ahmedabad: Official minimum CAT-2025 percentile cut-offs (PGP 2026–28)

Non-PwD cut-offs

Category	Overall (PT)	VARC (PVARC)	DILR (PDILR)	QA (PQA)
General / EWS	95	85	85	85
NC-OBC	90	80	80	80
SC	85	75	75	75
ST	75	65	65	65

PwD cut-offs

Category	Overall (PT)	VARC (PVARC)	DILR (PDILR)	QA (PQA)
General / EWS	85	75	75	75
NC-OBC	80	70	70	70
SC	75	65	65	65
ST	65	55	55	55

Source: IIM Ahmedabad PGP 2026–28 selection criteria (CAT-2025).

2) IIM Calcutta: Official minimum CAT-2025 percentile cut-offs (MBA 2026–28)

Category	VARC	DILR	QA	Overall
OPEN	≥80	≥80	≥75	≥85
EWS	≥70	≥65	≥65	≥75
NC-OBC	≥70	≥65	≥65	≥75
SC	≥65	≥60	≥60	≥70
ST	≥55	≥55	≥55	≥65
PwD	≥45	≥45	≥45	≥55

Source: IIM Calcutta MBA Admission Procedure (CAT 2025 minimum percentiles).

3) IIM Bangalore: Latest published “first shortlist” cut-offs (shared for CAT 2024 in the 2026–28 admission procedure)

Category	VARC	DILR	QA	Aggregate
General	80	75	75	85
NC-OBC	70	65	65	75
EWS	70	65	65	75
SC	65	60	60	70
ST	55	55	55	65
PWD	50	50	50	60

Note: In IIMB’s 2026–28 admission document, these are explicitly shown as cut-offs used for the 2025–27 batch (based on CAT 2024). The CAT 2025 cut-offs can change.

Check: How to Improve Your CAT Score with Smart Preparation

How to Check and Download CAT 2025 Cut Off from Official Website

To download the CAT 2025 cut off you need to follow the steps mentioned below:

• Go to the official CAT website: iimcat.ac.in.
• Look for the "Admission" or similar section after the CAT results are announced (tentatively January 2026).
• Find the admission policy documents or cut-off lists for the participating IIMs. These will likely be in PDF format for download.
• Also, check the individual websites of the IIMs you are interested in for their specific admission criteria.

Discover: How working professionals cracked CAT

Also Explore Other MBA Entrance Exam Cut Offs

This page focuses only on CAT cut offs (IIM + Non-IIM). If you are also applying through other MBA exams, check these guides:

• XAT Cut Off
• NMAT Cut Off
• SNAP Cut Off
• MAT Cut Off
• CMAT Cut Off

Explore: CAT preparation strategy in 5 months

2. CMAT (Common Management Admission Test)

CMAT is another important exam, especially for Maharashtra-based and some other Non-IIM B-schools. Below are the typical overall CMAT percentiles required by popular institutes.

Category	B-School	Typical CMAT Percentile
Top-tier	JBIMS Mumbai	99.9+
Top-tier	SIMSREE Mumbai	99.9+
Top-tier	Welingkar Mumbai	85+
Top-tier	PUMBA (Pune)	99+
Good Non-IIMs	Many other colleges	80–95+

Note: These CMAT percentile ranges are indicative and can vary slightly each year based on exam difficulty and institute-level policies.

3. XAT (Xavier Aptitude Test)

XAT is preferred by institutes like XLRI and a few other top Non-IIM B-schools. Here is an overview of typical overall XAT percentile cut offs.

Category	B-School	Typical XAT Percentile (Overall)
Top-tier	XLRI Jamshedpur	90–96+
Top-tier	SPJIMR Mumbai	90+
Top-tier	IMT Ghaziabad	90+
Top-tier	XIMB Bhubaneswar	90+
Good Non-IIMs	Many other colleges	80–90+

Note: These XAT percentile bands are based on past trends. Actual cut offs can shift slightly with changes in exam pattern and competition.

Read more: CAT Exam Pattern and Marking Scheme

4. GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test)

GMAT is often preferred by programs with an international focus or for candidates with work experience.

• Top-Tier: Scores of 700+ are generally competitive for top non-IIMS that accept GMAT (like ISB Hyderabad, though it's not an IIM).
• Good Non-IIMS: Scores in the 650+ range can be good for many other reputable programs.
• Keep in mind: Indian B-schools often have a wide range of accepted GMAT scores, and the overall profile matters significantly.

Check: CAT toppers list from previous years

5. MAT (Management Aptitude Test)

MAT is generally considered an easier exam compared to CAT and XAT.

• Top-Tier Non-IIMS (that accept MAT): For some good programs, cutoffs can be in the 95+ percentile range.
• Good Non-IIMs: Many colleges accept MAT scores in the 80- 90+ percentile range.
• Other Reputable Non-IIMs: Scores in the 70+ percentile can get you into many other MBA programs.

6. NMAT (NMIMS Management Aptitude Test)

NMAT scores are primarily used for admission to NMIMS University and other associated institutes.

• NMIMS Mumbai: Cutoffs are typically quite high, often in the 220+ score range (out of 360).
• Other NMIMS campuses and associated colleges have varying cutoffs, generally in the 200+ range.

Read: CAT topper interviews for insights and strategies

Qualifying vs Call vs Convert: What “CAT Cut Off” Actually Means

Cut Off Type	Meaning	Who publishes it?	Example
Qualifying / Minimum Cut Off	Minimum overall + sectional percentile required to be eligible for shortlisting.	Often published in IIM admission policy / criteria PDFs.	“Overall ≥ X and each section ≥ Y” for a category.
Call / Shortlist Cut Off	Percentile at which candidates actually receive PI/WAT call (usually higher than minimum).	Rarely published as a single number; depends on pool + profile.	Top IIMs often see calls closer to 99+ for General (trend-based).
Convert / Final Admission Cut Off	Percentile/profile score required to convert the final offer after PI/WAT + composite score.	Not published as a fixed cut off; depends heavily on PI, academics, work-ex and diversity.	Two candidates at same percentile can have different outcomes based on profile.

Tip: Use “official minimums” to check eligibility, and use “expected call ranges” to shortlist realistic target colleges.

Explore: Best MBA Colleges in India Accepting CAT Scores to see where your expected percentile can take you.

Section-Wise Strategy to Clear CAT 2025 Cut Offs

Here's a section-wise strategy to clear the CAT 2025 cut offs in pointer format:

 VARC Cut Off: Tips to Improve

1. Strengthen Reading Habits: Read diverse materials (fiction, non-fiction, articles on various topics) regularly to improve comprehension speed and vocabulary. Focus on understanding the main idea, supporting arguments, author's tone, and inferences.

2. Vocabulary Building: Learn new words and their usage through reading, word lists, and flashcards. Pay attention to the contextual meanings of words.

3. Grammar and Usage: Brush up on fundamental grammar rules and their application. Practice identifying and correcting grammatical errors.

4. Reading Comprehension (RC) Strategies: Learn different RC question types and effective strategies to tackle them. Practice skimming and scanning passages to locate relevant information.

5. Verbal Ability (VA) Practice: Practice para jumbles, para completion, odd one out, and summary questions regularly. Understand the logic behind solving each question type.

6.  Focus on Accuracy: Aim for high accuracy, even if it means attempting fewer questions initially.

 DILR Cut Off: Smart Practice Strategies

1. Understand Different Question Types: Familiarise yourself with various DI charts (tables, graphs, etc.) and LR puzzle formats (arrangements, selections, etc.).

2. Practice Set Selection: Develop the ability to quickly identify solvable sets and avoid getting stuck on difficult ones.

3. Data Interpretation (DI) Skills: Improve your calculation speed and accuracy. Practice interpreting data presented in different formats. Learn to draw quick inferences from the given data.

4. Logical Reasoning (LR) Skills: Develop logical thinking and problem-solving abilities. Practice different types of logical puzzles. Focus on identifying the underlying structure and constraints of each puzzle.

5. Time Management within Sets: Allocate time for each set and avoid spending too much time on a single question within a set.

6. Prioritise Accuracy: Aim to solve a few sets with high accuracy rather than attempting all with low accuracy.

7. Regular Mock Tests: Take sectional DILR mocks to practice set selection and time management.

Quant Cut Off: Accuracy and Speed Balance

1. Strengthen Fundamentals: Build a strong foundation in basic mathematical concepts from arithmetic, algebra, and geometry.

2. Formula Memorisation and Application: Learn important formulas and practice applying them to various problems.

3. Shortcut Techniques: Learn and practice shortcut methods and tricks to solve questions quickly.

4. Regular Practice: Solve a wide range of problems from different difficulty levels.

5. Focus on Concepts: Understand the underlying concepts rather than just memorizing formulas.

6. Identify Strong Areas: Focus on strengthening your strong areas to maximise your score.

Check: Understanding CAT Exam Eligibility Criteria

Conclusion

After getting detailed insights about the CAT 2025 cut off, let us now look at last year's CAT cut off trends. The previous year's CAT exam cut-off 2025 can give a brief idea about the admission criteria for the IIMs.

The respective IIMs provide the CAT 2025 cut off range. Calculate your CAT 2025 score and percentile with the help of the CAT exam analysis 2025.

You can also use the CAT percentile predictor by Supergrads to get your 2025 percentile and a list of respective colleges based on that percentile. 

The CAT exam answer key will soon be released on the official website. Until then, stay in touch with us and regularly visit the website for new updates!

Read More | Check the complete list of CAT Exam Centres