Admissions guide

From CAT score to an offer

If you hit the 95th percentile in all three sections, your total (about 78–80 marks) lands near the 97th–98th percentile overall. That puts the newer IIMs, MDI, the IIT B-schools and many strong non-IIMs in range; the old IIMs (A, B, C) usually call general candidates at 99+.

The five stages, from CAT score to offer

  1. 1

    CAT result

    An overall percentile plus one for each section (VARC, DILR, QA). The overall percentile comes from your total score, not from averaging the three sectional percentiles.

  2. 2

    Minimum cutoffs

    Each IIM sets an overall and a sectional minimum per category. Clearing them only makes you eligible.

  3. 3

    Shortlist

    Each IIM ranks eligible candidates on its own mix of CAT score, 10th, 12th and graduation marks, work experience and diversity (gender and academic background), then sends interview calls.

  4. 4

    WAT/GD and personal interview

    Several newer IIMs run a joint process with a common interview instead of separate ones.

  5. 5

    Final selection

    A composite of CAT, interview, written test and profile, with weights that differ sharply by IIM.

What this means for a general-category non-engineer

  • Non-engineers and women receive diversity credit at several schools, so they often get calls at lower percentiles than general engineer males with similar academics.
  • One coaching estimate for IIM Kozhikode puts the call range at 99.5–99.9 for general engineer males but about 99–99.1 for general non-engineer males with strong Class 12 marks (iQuanta). Treat such profile figures as rough guides; IIMs do not publish them.
  • Your 10th, 12th and graduation marks move your call chances as much as a point of percentile does. Check each target IIM’s academic weightage before deciding where to apply.

Percentile calculator: score vs percentile

Enter mock scores to convert them. In both years the 95th percentile sat near 30 in VARC, 24–27 in DILR, 22–23 in QA and 67–70 marks overall.

Total

83

SectionScore%ile, 20242025 est.
VARC3295.895.4
DILR2693.996.0
QA2596.196.1
Overall8397.598.7

Scores are scaled marks (+3 correct, −1 wrong MCQ, then slot normalisation); raw marks usually land within a few marks of them. Percentiles between the guide’s data points are interpolated in a straight line.

VARC
75808590959902040602024: score 18.2 → 80th2024: score 20.4 → 85th2024: score 24 → 90th2024: score 30 → 95th2024: score 40.3 → 99th2025 estimate: score 17.5 → 80th2025 estimate: score 19.5 → 85th2025 estimate: score 24 → 90th2025 estimate: score 31 → 95th2025 estimate: score 40.5 → 99th
DILR
75808590959902040602024: score 17 → 80th2024: score 19.5 → 85th2024: score 22.5 → 90th2024: score 27 → 95th2024: score 37.8 → 99th2025 estimate: score 12 → 80th2025 estimate: score 14 → 85th2025 estimate: score 18 → 90th2025 estimate: score 24 → 95th2025 estimate: score 32 → 99th
QA2025 points read off the guide’s chart
75808590959902040602024: score 11.6 → 80th2024: score 13.7 → 85th2024: score 17 → 90th2024: score 22 → 95th2024: score 33 → 99th2025 estimate: score 12.7 → 80th2025 estimate: score 14.4 → 85th2025 estimate: score 16.8 → 90th2025 estimate: score 23 → 95th2025 estimate: score 30.4 → 99th
OverallRead off the guide’s chart, about ±2 marks
758085909599040801202024: score 37 → 75th2024: score 44 → 80th2024: score 49 → 85th2024: score 58 → 90th2024: score 64 → 93th2024: score 70 → 95th2024: score 79 → 97th2024: score 95 → 99th2025 estimate: score 38 → 80th2025 estimate: score 43 → 85th2025 estimate: score 52 → 90th2025 estimate: score 67 → 95th2025 estimate: score 77 → 98th2025 estimate: score 86 → 99th
  • CAT 2024 results
  • CAT 2025 initial estimates
  • Your score
  • 95th percentile

Scaled, not raw. These are scaled scores after slot normalisation. Your raw marks (+3 per correct, −1 per wrong MCQ) usually land within a few marks of them.

Overall uses your total. Add your three section scores and read the Overall row, not an average of section percentiles.

2025 figures are initial estimates. IMS published them slot by slot on exam day; the 2024 curve comes from actual results.

A mock platform’s own percentile reflects only its own test-takers, so convert mock scores with these curves instead.

Sources: Cracku (CAT 2024 results), IMS (CAT 2025 initial estimates, 3 slots). The QA guide’s own 2025 table uses Cracku’s estimates, which put the 95th at 19.0 rather than IMS’s 23.