CAT Cutoff 2023: Expected Cutoff and Previous Year Cutoff Details

CAT 2023 Cut Off

The cutoff for the CAT( Common Admission Test) in 2023 will soon be posted on the official website. The CAT cut-off is the lowest score or percentile a test taker must get to move on to the next round of the exam. Many management schools in India use the CAT percentile to decide who to let into their schools. IIMs have earned the reputation of being India’s best institutes for research and management education.

After the CAT result for 2023 is released, the Indian Institutes of Management, or IIMs, will publish their individual CAT cut-offs for 2023. This will help them select candidates for the WAT, GD, and PI rounds of the admissions process. The CAT cut-off is the lowest percentile you need to be in order to get into college. The group in charge of giving the CAT in 2023 will announce the results during the second week of January 2024. The scores from the CAT will be made public.

Since each IIM has a different cut-off, the percentile a candidate must get to pass that cut-off will also be different. Top IIMs like IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Mumbai, etc., would call students who scored between 99 and 100 percentile. Some non-IIMs that require a +99 percentile are IIT Bombay, DMS (IIT D), FMS Delhi University, ISB Hyderabad, and others. So, the CAT cut-off for the best IIMs might be somewhere between the 99 and 100 percentile, especially for the general category. Students in the reserved category who take the CAT and want to get into an MBA programme may need to score in the 97th to 98th percentile instead of the 99th percentile to get in.

Based on their admissions policies, each of the 20 IIMs will announce the minimum CAT cut-off for 2023. This will be used to screen applicants for the next round of selection. Since the IIMs won’t say what the cut-off for CAT 2023 is until after the results are in for the Common Admission Test 2023, candidates can look at the cut-off for CAT 2022 to get an idea.

CAT 2023 Cut Off Score and Percentile (Expected)

The sectional cutoffs for CAT(Common Admission Test) 2023 are listed below. By knowing the range of scores vs. percentile, candidates can figure out how well they did and how likely they are to get an MBA.

CAT Percentile	VARC Score	DILR Score	QA Score	Overall CAT Score
99.5 Percentile	44	36	39	101
99 Percentile	41	31	36	91
98 Percentile	35	28	31	80
95 Percentile	29	22	24	66
90 Percentile	24	18	17	53
85 Percentile	20	15	14	45
80 Percentile	17	13	11	40

CAT Expected Cut Offs In 2023

For general applicants, the cutoffs for IIM admission in 2023 are likely to be between 95 and 100 percentiles on the CAT. CAT qualifying cutoffs for 2023 are shown in the table below, based on IIM admissions standards for 2021:

IIMs	Cut Off (Percentile)
IIM Ahmedabad	99-100
IIM Bangalore	99
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 Rohtak	94-95
IIM Raipur	94-95
IIM Ranchi	94-95
IIM Kashipur	94-95
IIM Vizag	92-94
IIM Udaipur	92-94
IIM Bodhgaya	92-94
IIM Shillong	90
IIM Sirmaur	90
IIM Jammu	89-90

The CAT Cutoffs for IIM Admissions in 2023

The following table shows the predicted CAT cutoff percentiles for students in the General category who want to get into the top 20 IIMs. Here are the estimated final cut-offs, which will determine which candidates will be called for the interview stage. Please be aware that while the minimum percentile requirements for students in the reserved category have been greatly lowered, the CAT cut offs for students in the general category have stayed high every year (90–100).

Note that these limits are based on what has happened in the past.

CAT IIMs	CAT Cut Offs 2023 (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 Udaipur	92-94
IIM Bodhgaya	92-94
IIM Shillong	90
IIM Sirmaur	90

Top MBA Schools CAT Cut-Off 2023 (Non-IIM)

The IIM CAT cut-off for several IIMs in 2023 is given below, based on how many people got in the year before. Information about the CAT cut-off for IIM will be updated regularly based on what the institutes say about admissions. In the table below, you can see what the best universities, like IMT Ghaziabad, SP Jain, TAPMI, IIM Shillong, MICA, IIT Bombay, and IPU MBA, expect the CAT cutoffs to be for the next academic year.

College	CAT 2023 Expected Percentile
FMS, Delhi	98-99
IMT, Ghaziabad	95-97
K J Somaiya, Mumbai	86
JBIMS, Mumbai	96
GIM Goa	85
TAPMI, Manipal	80
LIBA, Chennai	70
IMI, New Delhi	90
SPJIMR, Mumbai	95-99
XIM, Bhubaneshwar	91
FORE, New Delhi	85
IFMR, Chennai	80
IRMA, Anand	80
MICA, Ahmedabad	80
XIME, Bangalore	70
MDI, Gurgaon	97-99

CAT’s CutOffs For 2023

For admission to any IIM or top MBA school in India in 2023, you would need at least a 90 percentile on the CAT. Top IIMs like IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, and IIM Kozhikode still have high CAT cut offs (99+ percentile). In Tier 3 universities, the CAT cutoffs are often set at 60 percentile or higher and 80 percentile or higher in Tier 2 colleges. These colleges are likely to have the same range of CAT cut-offs in 2023.

When the CAT scores come out, it’s important to look at the CAT cutoffs for MBA schools before you apply.

To be considered for admission, candidates must get at least the minimum CAT score.

The CAT cut-offs for the best IIMs for students in the General category are often between 99 and 100 percentile.

For students in the reserved category, the cut-offs for the CAT exam are a little lower, ranging from 95 to 98 percentile.

The minimum score to get into the best MBA programmes, like those at FMS, MDI, and SPJIMR, is between 95 and 99.

The IIMs don’t make the CAT cutoffs public. Through account login, applicants who have taken the CAT test are the only ones who can see the cut-offs.

There are two different CAT cutoffs for IIM admission: the qualifying cutoff and the final cutoff.

Before the CAT results are released, the qualifying cutoff is set, and the final cutoff is set when the shortlist for the PI is made.

Other schools that use the CAT score to decide who gets in also use a minimum score to sort applicants.

CAT Final Cut-Off vs. CAT Qualifying Cut-Off

Applicants to IIM need to know the differences between the two CAT cut-offs, which are important parts of the process for getting in. There are two kinds of cut-offs: final CAT cut-offs and qualifying CAT cut-offs (IIM eligibility cut-off) (IIM call cut-off). In the table below, you can see how the two are different:

CAT Qualifying Cut Offs	CAT Final Cut Offs
This minimum mark requirement, also known as the IIM eligibility cut off or IIM shortlist cut off, determines whether an applicant will be invited to an IIM interview (for the WAT/GD-PI phase).	Meeting the qualifying cut-off does not mean that the candidate will be selected for the WAT/GD-PI round.
Meeting the final CAT cut-off does not mean that the candidate will be selected for admission.	The qualifying CAT cut-offs include sectional and overall cut offs.
The qualifying CAT cut off is fixed before the announcement of CAT result.	The final cut off is fixed after the declaration of CAT result.
Each school publishes the qualifying CAT cut off percentiles along with their announcement of the admission requirements and selection process for that academic year.	The final CAT cut offs are not announced officially by any IIM or even other top MBA institutes.
All IIMs continue to have qualifying CAT cut offs that are above the 90 percentile, with the exception of IIM Ahmedabad, whose qualifying cut off has recently been 85 percentile.	The final CAT cut offs remain as high as 99+ percentile for all top IIMs and 95+ percentile for new IIMs.
The final CAT cut-offs include sectional and overall cut offs.	The category-specific final CAT cut-off is set. In comparison to students in the restricted categories, female students, and those without an engineering background, the final cut off is higher for general category male students with engineering backgrounds.
Category-by-category, the CAT cutoff is fixed. The cutoff is low for pupils in the restricted group and high (90) for general category students (70 and below).	The category-specific final CAT cut-off is set. In comparison to students in the restricted categories, female students, and those without an engineering background, the final cut-off is higher for general category male students with engineering backgrounds.

What Will Decide CAT Cut Offs in 2023?

As was already said, after the CAT results 2023 are released, each IIM (IIM Amritsar, IIM Sirmaur, IIM Rohtak, IIM Raipur, IIM Jammu, IIM Ranchi, etc.) will publish its own set of CAT cut-offs. After looking at several factors, the institutes will decide on the IIM CAT cut-off for 2023. Here are some important criteria that IIMs think were shown in the MBA cut-off for the previous year.

How Hard Is This Question?

This is just one of the main reasons why CAT 2023 should be passed. The cut-off score will be lower, and the CAT question paper will get harder.

Number of Test Takers

The number of people who want to take the IIM CAT 2023 will affect the CAT cut-off. If the IIM CAT cut off is higher, more people will take the CAT exam in 2023. If the CAT cut off is lower, less people will take the CAT exam.

How many seats are available?

The cutoff for CAT 2023 also affects how many seats are open at each IIM. For example, if there are only a few spots at an IIM in 2023, the advertised cut-off score for CAT will be higher.

Reputation of the Institute

In the NIRF Management Rankings 2023, the cutoffs for the most prestigious schools will be higher.

CAT Cut Off Trends from Last Year

The CAT cut-off for IIM is based on what IIMs said their cut-offs were the year before. The cut off for CAT 2023 may be close to what it has been in the past.

Colleges Accepting CAT Scores Above 90 Percentile

The list of colleges in the country that accept CAT scores above 90 percentile is below.

• Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad
• Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore
• Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta
• Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode
• Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow
• Indian Institute of Management, Delhi
• Indian Institute of Management, Indore
• Department of Management Studies, IIT Delhi
• Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai
• Indian Institute of Management, Amritsar
• Indian Institute of Management, Rohtak
• Indian Institute of Management, Sambalpur
• Indian Institute of Management, Nagpur
• DOMS IIT Roorkee

Colleges Accepting CAT Scores Above 85 Percentile

The list of colleges in the country that accept CAT scores above 85 percentile is below.

• IIM Nagpur
• IIM Amritsar
• IIM Bodh Gaya
• Goa Institute of Management, Goa
• FORE School of Management, Delhi
• Loyola Institute of Business Administration, Chennai
• Great Lakes Institute of Management
• TA Pai Management Institute
• IRMA, Anand
• MICA, Ahmedabad
• KJ Somaiya Institute of Management Studies & Research, Mumbai
• Nirma University, Ahmedabad
• Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management (Delhi)
• BITS Pilani Dept. of Management
• Institute of Management, Banaras Hindu University
• IMI, Delhi
• Vinod Gupta School of Management, IIT Kharagpur
• Department of Management Studies, IIT Madras
• Department of Management Studies, IIT Roorkee
• Institute of Management Technology, Nagpur
• School of Management, Manipal University
• University Business School, Chandigarh
• Delhi School of Management-DTU
• Department of Management Sciences, Pune University
• Bharathidasan Institute of Management, Tiruchirapalli

Colleges Accepting CAT Scores from 80 – 90 Percentile

The list of colleges in the country that accept CAT scores between 80 to 90 percentile is below.

• Amity University, Raipur
• Amity University, Gurgaon
• Amity University, Gwalior
• Amity University, Lucknow
• Amity University, Noida
• Amity Business School, Noida
• Amity International Business School, Noida
• Fore School of Management
• Goa Institute of Management
• International Management Institute, Delhi
• Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal
• Indian Institute of Management, Visakhapatnam
• Loyola Institute of Business Administration, Chennai
• Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management
• National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli
• Praxis Business School, Kolkata
• Prin. L. N. Welingkar Institute of Management development &
• Research, Bangalore
• Shiva Institute of Management Studies, Ghaziabad
• Sydenham Institute of Management Studies, Research and
• Entrepreneurship Education
• S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research
• TA Pai Management Institute
• Trinity College for Management and Technology, Ghaziabad.

Colleges Accepting CAT Scores from 70 – 80 Percentile

The colleges in the country that accept CAT scores between 70 to 80 percentile are tabulated below.

• Amity University, Raipur
• IIKM Business School, Calicut
• Alliance School of Business – Alliance University, Bangalore
• IBS Business School, Bangalore
• Amity University, Gwalior
• Amity University, Mumbai
• Amity University, Noida
• ICFAI University, Mizoram
• IBS Business School, Mumbai
• IBS Business School, Pune
• Amity International Business School (AIBS)
• Noida IBS Business School, Jaipur
• Amity University, Lucknow
• JK Lakshmipat University-Institute of Management, Jaipur
• Asia-Pacific Institute of Management (AIM, Delhi) Jaipur National University (JNU), Jaipur
• Birla Institute of Management Technology, Greater Noida
• Jagdish Sheth School of Management (Formerly IFIMBusiness School)
• Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar
• GITAM School of Business MATS University, Raipur
• Christ University-Institute of Management, Bangalore IIM Shillong
• CMS Business School, J.P. Nagar
• Bangalore School of Petroleum Management, Gandhinagar
• Great Lakes Institute of Management, Gurgaon
• School of Business Studies – Sharda University
• GNA University
• Phagwara SRIRAM Group of Institutions, Greater Noida
• IBS Business School, Ahmedabad
• Universal Business School, Mumbai
• IBS Business School, Gurgaon
• Vignan’s University, Guntur
• Infinity Business School, Gurgaon
• XIME Kochi
• Institute of Management, Nirma University, Ahmedabad
• XIME Bangalore

What Happens After the Admission Procedure IIM CAT Cut Off 2023?

Based on the IIM CAT cut off for 2023, the following applicants must show up for the IIM admissions process. When figuring out the CAT cut off, the IIMs look at a number of factors. In the CAT 2023 result, candidates can compare their raw CAT score to their percentile. Since the 2023 CAT results are out, the respective IIMs will announce the CAT cut off.

Who among the applicants doesn’t know how and when to start getting ready for the CAT? They are told to look at what the best CAT students do and how they do it.

Frequently Asked Questions about CAT Cutoff

Q. When is CAT cut off 2023 coming out?

Ans. After the results are announced, the IIM, which is in charge of the CAT, will post the cut-off scores on its website. Based on what happened in the past, the cut-offs are likely to be released in January 2024. Those who take the test will only be able to check CAT 2023 cutoffs with the login information they got when they registered for the test.

Q. What does CAT stand for?

Ans. The CAT cut off is the minimum qualifying percentile that candidates must reach in order to be shortlisted for the IIM admission rounds, which are the Written Ability Test, Group Discussion, and Personal Interview. For IIMs, you must get between 90 and 99 percentile on CAT 2023.

Q. Does a candidate have to pass CAT cut off 2023 for each section?

Ans. Yes, for the WAT/GD-PI rounds of the IIM admissions process, candidates must meet the sectional CAT cut off for 2023. For admission to the IIM and other top business schools, the most important thing is to meet the overall and sectional CAT cut offs.

Q. How many CAT points do you need to get into one of the newer IIMs?

Ans. For the newer IIMs, like IIM Nagpur, IIM Bodh Gaya, IIM Ranchi, IIM Jammu, IIM Kashipur, and IIM Sirmaur, the CAT cut-off range for 2023 is expected to be 90–95 percentile for candidates in the General category and 60–75 percentile for candidates in the Reserved category.

Q. How do I find out what the final IIMs CAT cutoff is?

Ans. The final CAT cutoff for IIMs will only be posted on the candidate login portal for those who are chosen for the WAT/GD-PI rounds, and not officially. Still, the CAT cut off 2023 can be estimated based on how the cut off has changed from year to year and the cut off of the candidates who are chosen.

Q. What is the difference between the CAT cut off for qualifying and the CAT cut off for the final?

Ans. The qualifying CAT cutoff is the minimum percentile a candidate must get on the CAT in 2023 to be eligible for the WAT/GD-PI rounds. The final CAT cutoff is the minimum percentile a candidate must get to take part in the selection rounds.

Q. Is the CAT cutoff for 2023 the same for everyone?

Ans. No, the CAT cut-off for 2023 is different for each type of candidate. For candidates in the Reserved category who want to take the CAT in 2023, the cut-off will be lowered.

Q. If I pass the qualifying CAT cutoff but not the final CAT cutoff, will IIMs still call me for an interview?

Ans. No, candidates must meet both the final CAT cut-off and the qualifying CAT cut-off in order to be invited to the IIMs’ WAT/GD-PI rounds. IIMs won’t call a candidate for an interview if they don’t get the minimum marks in each section and overall.

Q. Is the CAT cutoff for 2023 only given by one school?

Ans. No, each IIM sets its own CAT cut-off score for each category, and only candidates who meet the IIM’s cut-off score will be invited to the admissions process. Even if a candidate’s cut-off is just a little bit lower than the IIM cut-off, they won’t be admitted. However, there are top MBA schools that accept CAT cut-off ranges as low as 60–70 percentiles.

Q. What if I make the overall CAT cutoff but not the sectional CAT cutoff? Will they choose me for the WAT/GD-PI?

Ans. No, the WAT/GD-PI rounds will only be for the people who pass the sectional CAT cut-off in 2023. Candidates who don’t meet the DILR, VARC, or QA qualifying cut-offs and the overall qualifying cut-off will not be chosen for the admissions process.

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