Is IIM Possible with Low CAT Marks? Check the Minimum CAT Percentile Required for IIMs.

With nearly 3 lakh candidates appearing for CAT each year, only the top 1-2% make it to the older IIMs. However, admission data from the last 3-5 years shows that several Baby and New IIMs shortlist candidates with significantly lower CAT scores, especially when combined with strong academic records, gender diversity points or work experience.

While IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Calcutta require 98-99.8 percentile, some newer campuses have shortlisted candidates at 88-92 percentile, making them the most accessible options for aspirants with relatively lower CAT marks.

• IIM Jammu, IIM Bodh Gaya, IIM Sirmaur and IIM Sambalpur are the most accessible, often shortlisting general-category candidates with 88-90 percentiles.
• IIM Nagpur, IIM Visakhapatnam, IIM Amritsar and IIM Ranchi typically require 90-92 percentile, making them possible options for slightly below-average CAT performers.
• Profile-based calls at IIM Kozhikode and IIM Indore sometimes allow candidates with lower percentiles to get shortlisted if they have excellent 10th & 12th scores.
• For reserved categories (OBC/EWS/SC/ST), calls have gone as low as 70–85 percentile, though this depends on academic profile and category ranking.

“If you get a 95 percentile as a general category, you will get a call from 8 CAP IIMs”, says Rahul Singh from CATKing.

Also Read:

• Check the CAT Cutoff 2025 for the top IIMs with sectional Cutoffs
• The CAT 2025 Result is expected to be declared in the third week of December 2025

Is It Possible to Get Into IIMs with Low CAT Scores?

• Absolutely. But it depends on your category, academic profile, and IIM. Low scores such as 80-95 percentiles might seem impossible for an IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, or Calcutta, but it's very much possible for newer IIMs such as Shillong, Ranchi, etc.
• Reservation also plays a very big role. SC/ST candidates often qualify with 65-75 percentile, while PwD cutoffs dip to 55-60.

Here is a table on approximate CAT percentile ranges where low scores succeeded.

Read More: Check the top MBA colleges accepting low scores in CAT

Ques. Anyone got IIM with low CAT (below 90 percentile)?

Minimum CAT Percentile for Old IIMs

• Old IIMs like Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Lucknow, and Indore are top institutes demanding top CAT percentiles.
• For CAT 2025 admissions, the minimum qualifying cutoff for shortlisting is high, but actual calls go to 98-100 for general.
• If you have a low CAT score, as a general candidate ‌is tough to get a call from these IIMs, but reserved category candidates have a chance.

These are the last year’s data of the minimum cutoff percentiles of IIMs for each category

Also Check Out:

Minimum vs Actual CAT 2025 Cutoff for general candidates in top IIMs

Minimum CAT Cutoffs for Newer IIMs

• Newer IIMs offer more accessible entry points through accepting comparatively lower CAT scores than older ones. Institutes like IIM Shillong, Ranchi, Trichy, and Rohtak prioritise divorce profiles alongside CAT.
• General cutoffs are usually around 90-95, where the reserved category percentiles are around 70-80 percentiles.

Also Read: Check Colleges that accept 30 marks in CAT 2025

Beyond CAT: Other Factors in IIM Admissions

• CAT is important, but not alone. IIMs use composite scores including CAT, academic performance, work experience, and diversity (academic background/Gender).
• A low CAT can be compensated for high academic performance with work experience and a bonus point for diversity.
• If you are a female candidate with a non-engineering background with 2 years of experience, then you have a high chance of getting a call from IIMs, even if you have a low CAT score.

Here is the table of typical average weightages in the IIMs selection (varies by institutes)

Also Read:

Check colleges that accept 80 Marks in CAT

Getting into an IIM with relatively lower CAT marks is absolutely possible. While IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Calcutta remain extremely competitive, the newer and baby IIMs offer opportunities to candidates scoring 85-95 percentile in CAT.