CAT is the benchmark entrance exam that the candidates have to pass to secure a seat at top B schools. The IIMs are considered as a heaven for aspiring management students and each IIM has different cut-offs and requires outstanding academic records. This article gives you an insight into how one of the top IIM – Indian Institute of Management – Kolkata – chooses the best among the best.
IIM Kolkata will announce the admission criteria for the PG programme in Business Management for the intake year 2023-25. The cut-off is the same and the overall IIM Calcutta CAT Cut Off for the general category candidates is 90 percentile.
For reserved candidates also the cut-off remains the same. To rewind, the cut-off is as such:
- Scheduled Castes: 70
- Scheduled Tribes: 70
- Non-creamy Other Backward Castes (NC- OBC) – 85
- Persons with Disabilities: 70
The sectional cut-off however is different for each category of students: Here is the list of sectional IIM Calculla CAT cut Off for each category:
| Category | Quantitative Ability | Data Interpretation | Verbal Reasoning | Overall Percentile |
| General | 80 | 80 | 80 | 90 |
| OBC | 75 | 75 | 75 | 85 |
| SC | 65 | 65 | 65 | 70 |
| ST | 60 | 60 | 60 | 70 |
| PWD/DA | 65 | 65 | 65 | 70 |
However, it is seen that no changes are made in the IIM Calcutta CAT cut off, and it is expected to be the same as the last year.
Different IIMs has different selection process and IIMs has been a very tough nut to crack. The table above talks about the cut-off percentile of the college. Let’s explore the selection procedure of the same:
The three-step process that IIM has are:
- CAT – Common Admission Test
- Written Ability Test
- Personal Interview
The candidate who has been selected on the basis of CAT off percentiles, along with the passing overall and sectional cut-offs, is called in for the WAT (Written Ability Test) and PI (Personal Interview) round at the venue. The selection of the candidates is made by the academic and previous performance analysis are done. IIMs also count your work experience if you have any and each of the analysis are done particular weightage that is assigned to them. These weights and parameters vary in each of the IIMs.
Batch 2023 – 25 will have the following list of criteria for the final selection of candidates on their rolls:
Personal Interview Shortlisting:
The candidate will be accessed by CAT 2022 score, co-curricular activities taken up in the past, and past academic records which will eligible them for the Personal Interview round.
Now the candidates will be measured in their composite scores. The factors taken for measuring the composite score are:
- Class 10 percentages
- Class 12 percentages
- Gender diversity factor
The aggregate scores are given as follows:
| Class 10 Marks | Points Assigned | Class 12 Marks | Points |
| >80 | 10 | >80 | 10 |
| >75 and <80 | 8 | >75 and <80 | 8 |
| >70 and <75 | 6 | >70 and <75 | 6 |
| >65 and <70 | 4 | >65 and <70 | 4 |
| >60 and <65 | 4 | >60 and <65 | 4 |
| <60 | 0 | <60 | 0 |
The qualifying CAT cut-offs for shortlisting are the IIM Calcutta cut off percentiles listed above. Following the announcement of the CAT results, the real cut-off percentile is known at the time of shortlisting. The actual IIM Calcutta cut off for each category could be higher.
The category-wise weights assigned to the Personal Interview
| Components | Weights | Method of Calculation |
| CAT 2022 Overall Score | 28 | (A/B) x 28 |
| Class X marks | 10 | Points for Class X and Class XII marks |
| Class XII marks | 10 | Points for Class X and Class XII marks |
| Gender Diversity Factor | 2 | 2 points will be awarded to promote gender diversity |
| Total | 50 |
- A = CAT 2022 score of the candidate
- B = CAT 2022 Maximum score
PGP – PGDM (2023-25 Batch) – final Criteria for the section is based on the selection criteria set up by IIM below: The weights and the criteria are used for the final selection for PGP – PGDM.
| Criterion | Weights |
| CAT 2022 Score | 15 |
| Personal Interview (PI) | 24 |
| Written Ability Test (WAT) | 5 |
| Academic Diversity Factor for Bachelor’s Degree (ADFB)):
Candidates with any of the following bachelor’s degrees in the list X below are eligible for ADFB: List X: BA, BA(H), B.Sc, B.Sc.(H), BS, B.Com, B.Com(H), BCA, BBA, B.Pharma, LL.B, MBBS, BDS or any other Non-Engineering bachelor’s degree not mentioned above. |
If (Bachelor’s degree is from the list X)
ADFB=2; else ADFB=0 |
| Work Experience | 4 |
| Total | 50 |
For candidates having work experience, 4 points will be awarded to them and that is the maximum point that will be awarded. The length of service and initiative taken after graduation will be considered. The training/ internships/ work done as a part of the service will not be taken into consideration for the points for work experience.
The final selection of the candidate will is based on the category and all the above criteria mentioned for IIMs.
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