Download the BYJU'S Exam Prep App for free CAT preparation videos & tests- Download the BYJU'S Exam Prep App for free CAT preparation videos & tests-

CAT Cut Off

In this article, we have shared all the details related to CAT Cut Off along with year-wise CAT exam cut off trends. CAT Cut Off 2023 will be released by all the participating colleges in India to conduct the final selection round: GD-PI. CAT colleges cut off for MBA admission usually ranges between 95-100 percentile. So, if you are thinking to join IIMs in India, you have to clear the required CAT cut off to attend the final selection round. Please refer BYJU’S CAT College Predictor tool it is an advanced tool designed for CAT aspirants to forecast potential B-school admissions based on various factors such as academic performance, work experience, category, CAT score, and gender.

CAT Cut Off It is the minimum mark that the candidates must score to be shortlisted for the further selection round. Note that the CAT exam cut off 2023 will be lower than the general category candidates, as per the government rules and regulations.

Read the article below and know more about the CAT 2022 Cut Off for IIMs and Non-IIMs.

CAT Cut Off 2022

The minimum CAT 2022 cut off is 90 percentile in order to get admission to any IIM or top MBA colleges in India. Top IIMs including IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, and IIM Kozhikode still have high CAT cutoffs (99+ percentile). The CAT exam cut-offs are typically fixed at the 60 percentile and above in Tier 3 colleges and are typically in the range of 70 to 80 percentile and above in Tier 2 colleges. For these colleges, the CAT 2022 cutoffs fall within the same range.

Checking the CAT cutoffs for MBA colleges is crucial before applying for an MBA programme. Read on to learn everything about the CAT cut off 2022, including what matters most, the distinction between the qualifying and final cutoffs, and anticipated cutoffs for MBA admission.

The IIMs and top MBA schools like FMS, IMT, SPJIMR, and MICA publish the minimum CAT Cut Off 2022 for WAT-PI shortlisting considerably earlier than the result declaration, but they announce the final CAT cut offs after the result declaration and/or at the beginning of PI shortlisting.

CAT Cut Off Highlights

  • Candidates must meet the minimum CAT cut off to be considered for MBA admission.
  • In order to be selected for the WAT-PI round at IIMs and other top B-Schools, candidates must also meet the CAT sectional cutoff.
  • For students in the General category, the CAT cut off for the best IIMs often ranges from 98 to 100 percentile.
  • The IIM cutoffs for students in the reserved category are marginally lower, ranging from 95 to 98 percentile.
  • The CAT cutoff range from 90 to 99 percentiles for admission to prestigious MBA programmes at institutions like FMS, MDI, and SPJIMR, among others.
  • The CAT cutoff for IIMs is not made public officially. Only applicants who take the CAT exam have access to the cutoffs via account login.
  • The qualifying cutoff and final cutoff are the two different CAT cutoffs for IIM admission.

CAT Cut Off for IIMs 2022

IIMs and other institutions have different cutoff scores for the MBA. The qualifying CAT Cut Off is the score below which applicants will not be called for the PI from the IIMs. For applicants in the general category, the CAT 2022 Cut Off for admission is anticipated to be in the 95–100 percentile level. The predicted CAT Cut Off for IIM 2022 based on the admission requirements can be found in the table below.

Name of the IIMs CAT Cut Off 2022
IIM Ahmedabad 85
IIM Bangalore 85
IIM Calcutta 85
IIM Lucknow 90
IIM Indore 90
IIM Kozhikode 85
IIM Amritsar 90
IIM Nagpur 85
IIM Sambalpur 93
IIM Trichy 93
IIM Raipur 93
IIM Ranchi 90

CAT 2022 Cut Off for IIM Admission

The applicants who will be called for the interview round based on the predicted final CAT Cut Off for top MBA colleges are given below. The CAT 2022 Cut Off for students in the general category stays high each year (90-100), even though the minimum percentile standards for students in the reserved category are drastically eased.

Name of the IIMs CAT Cut Off 2022 Percentile
IIM Ahmedabad 99-100
IIM Bangalore 99-100
IIM Calcutta 99
IIM Lucknow 97-98
IIM Indore 97-98
IIM Kozhikode 97-98
IIM Amritsar 95-96
IIM Nagpur 95-96
IIM Sambalpur 95-96
IIM Trichy 94-95
IIM Raipur 94-95
IIM Ranchi 94-95
IIM Kashipur 94-95
IIM Vizag 92-94
IIM Rohtak 92-94
IIM Udaipur 92-94

CAT Cut Off for Non-IIMs 2022

IIMs have consistently been the top choice for management applicants. However, there are other educational institutions which are also considered as the top MBA colleges in India.

Check the table below to get a list of CAT Cut Off 2022 for the non-IIMs colleges in India.

Institute CAT 2022 Cut Off (Percentile)
FMS 99
IIT Delhi 98
NITIE 97
MDI Gurgaon 95
IIT Madras 95
IMT Ghaziabad 93
SPJIMR 85

CAT Sectional Cut Off

The colleges accepting CAT Score also consider the CAT sectional cut off to shortlist the candidates for the final selection process. In the table below we have shared the expected sectional cut off for CAT exam for all the general category candidates.

Name of the Institutes CAT Sectional Cut Off
VARC DILR QA
IIM Ahmedabad 70 70 70
IIM Amritsar 75 75 80
IIM Bangalore 80 75 75
IIM Bodh Gaya 70 70 70
IIM Calcutta ≥80 ≥80 ≥75
IIM Indore 80 80 80
IIM Jammu 70 70 70
IIM Kashipur 70 70 70
IIM Kozhikode 75 75 75
IIM Lucknow (PGP) 85 85 85
IIM Nagpur 72 72 72
IIM Raipur >=70 >=70 >=70
IIM Ranchi 80 80 80

CAT Qualifying Cut Off vs Final Cut Off

Note the table below to get an idea of the qualifying vs final CAT Cut Off.

CAT Qualifying Cut Off CAT Final Cut Off
It is also known as CAT Cut Off for the IIM selection process. It is also known as Calling CAT Cut Off for IIMs.
It is dedicated before the announcement of the CAT Result. It is decided after the declaration of the result.
Typically, it remains 90 percentile for all the IIMs. It remains around the 99+ percentile for all the top IIMs and mostly 90-95+ percentiles for new IIMs.

CAT Cut Off Marks vs Percentile 

Aspirants must have a comprehensive understanding of the CAT Score vs Percentile, in order to comprehend the CAT Cut Off that is necessary for admission to their preferred institute. From CAT 2016 through CAT 2022, the table below compares CAT marks to percentile.

Percentile 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

99.9 120-122 120 131 196 192 208 191
99.5 110+ 107 115 170 170 183 168
99 97-100 97 102 157 155 173 153
95 70-72 71 77 120 125 139 123
90 60-61 59 63 90 110 121 108
85 55 87 90 103 93
80 49 75 80 98 84
90 36 57 62 83 68

CAT Previous Year Cut Off

The candidates can now consult the last year CAT cut off 2021 to determine the range of marks they must get in order to be included for shortlisting for the selection process.

Institute MBA Colleges CAT Cut Off 2021 (General Category candidates)
IIM Ahmedabad 80
IIM Amritsar 85
IIM Bangalore 85
IIM Bodh Gaya 70
IIM Calcutta ≥85
IIM Indore 90
IIM Jammu 93
IIM Kashipur 92
IIM Kozhikode 85
IIM Lucknow (PGP) 90
IIM Nagpur 85
IIM Raipur >=92
IIM Ranchi 94
IIM Rohtak 95
IIM Sambalpur 92
IIM Shillong
IIM Sirmaur >=92
IIM Tiruchirappalli >=92
IIM Udaipur 92
IIM Vishakapatnam 80

CAT Cut Off – Influencing Factors

It includes

  • The difficulty level of CAT 2022
  • Number of candidates who have appeared for the exam
  • Availability of seats
  • Previous year’s trends
  • Ranking

CAT Sectional Cut Off – Tips to Clear

Candidates must have effective strategies to meet the CAT Cutoff of their chosen B school. To ensure that they are completely prepared for the next exam, candidates need to be aware of the latest syllabus and CAT Exam Pattern.

  • Regular practice of CAT mock tests will help you to get an understanding of the topics covered in the exam along with its difficulty level.
  • Make a scheduled study plan and give equal importance to all the 3 exam sections in the CAT Syllabus.
  • Solve CAT Previous Year Papers and keep track of your preparation level.

Frequently Asked Questions on CAT Cut Off

Q1

What is CAT Cut Off?

It is the minimum mark that the candidates need to score to get shortlisted for IIM Selection Process.

Q2

Are there any factors that influence CAT 2022 Cut Off?

Yes, some important factors that influence CAT 2022 Cut Off include exam difficulty level, number of appeared candidates, past year’s trends, and number of seats.

Q3

Which IIM has the lowest CAT sectional cut off?

For general category students, the CAT cut off level for the top IIMs, including IIMA, IIMB, IIMC and IIM Kozhikode, is between 99 and 100 percentile. The cutoffs are lower for applicants who are SC/ST/PwD, typically in the 90 percentile range.

Q4

Does Symbiosis accept CAT Cut Off?

No, Symbiosis does not accept CAT Cut Off Marks for their MBA admission. It conducts its own exam SNAP and shortlist the candidates based on their SNAP scores.