CAT Cutoff 2021: Know Expected Cutoff for IIMs and Non-IIMs

CAT Cutoff 2021: Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad determines the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2021 cutoff after the declaration of result. Prior to that, the IIMs release qualifying CAT cut-offs which are the minimum score criteria for MBA admission. The cut-off of CAT varies for each IIM and forms the basis of the selection of candidates for Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI). 

To get admission into any IIMs or other top MBA colleges in India, the minimum CAT cutoff 2021 will be 90 percentile. CAT 2021 cutoff remains high (99+ percentile) for top IIMs such as IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow and IIM Kozhikode. In Tier 2 colleges, CAT cutoff are usually around 80 percentile and above and in Tier 3 colleges the CAT cut-offs are usually fixed at 60 percentile and above. CAT 2021 cutoff are expected to remain in the same range. Until the authorities release the official cut off, till then candidates can check the expected CAT cut off here. 

Factors Determining CAT Cutoff 2021

Before releasing the IIM CAT 2021 cutoff, institutes will take into account certain factors. The factors that are considered while deciding the cutoff of the Common Admission Test are mentioned below:

1. Difficulty level of the exam
2. Number of candidates appeared in the exam
3. Total number of seats
4. Last year's CAT cutoff trends

CAT 2021 Expected Cutoff 

The expected cut off of CAT for admission is estimated based on the difficulty level of the question paper of each slot. For reference purposes, here candidates can check the expected CAT 2021 cut off percentile for score range between 57/228 and 122/228. 

CAT 2021 Expected Cutoff of Different IIMs 

Expected CAT Cutoff 2021 of Non-IIMs Colleges

CAT Qualifying Cutoff vs CAT Final Cutoff 

Candidates must be aware of the difference between the two types of CAT cutoff. There are two types of cutoff - Qualifying CAT cutoff (IIM eligible cut off) and Final CAT cutoff (IIM Call cut off). In the table provided below, we have provided the differences between the two:

Qualifying CAT Cutoff 2021

These are the minimum marks a candidate must score, so they will be eligible for an interview call from IIMs (WAT/ GD-PI round). Also, meeting the qualifying cutoff does not mean that the candidate will be selected for the WAT/ GD-PI round. The qualifying cutoff contains the CAT sectional cut off and overall cut off.

• Also, the qualifying CAT cutoff is fixed before the CAT result announcement.
• Qualifying CAT cut off Percentile is announced by each campus in the announcement of the admission criteria and selection process for that academic year.
• Qualifying CAT cutoff is over 90 percentile for all IIMs.
• The qualifying CAT exam cut off for SC is fixed. The CAT exam cut off for OBC/ General is high. 

Final CAT Cutoff 2021

It is also called as IIM call cut off, this is the minimum percentage score set by IIMs to select candidates for the WAT/ GD-PI round. Meeting the final CAT cutoff 2021 does not mean that the candidate will be selected for admission. The final cutoff was fixed after CAT 2021 results were announced.

• The final CAT cutoff 2021 has not been officially announced by any IIM or other top MBA institutes.
• The final CAT cutoff will be 99+ percentile for all the best IIMs and 95+ percent for the new IIMs.
• The final CAT 2021 cutoff contains sectional cut off and CAT overall percentile.

Previous Year’s Cutoff of CAT of Top IIMs 

CAT 2021 IIM Admission and Selection Criteria

After the declaration of the CAT 2021 result, the candidate will be required to apply for WAT/GD-PI if they meet the minimum cut off criteria of the IIMs they had selected for admission in the CAT application form. The IIM selection process includes screening of candidates based on CAT score, WAT/GD-PI round and final selection. Most of the IIMs conduct WAT, GD and PI rounds from February to April, while 'offer of admission' letters are issued to successful candidates in May. 

CAT Result 2021

IIM Ahmedabad will announce the result of CAT 2021 in online mode on its official website iimcat.ac.in. As per IIM Ahmedabad, the CAT 2021 result is expected to be released in the second week of January 2022. To check the CAT result 2021, candidates must enter their CAT login credentials - Username and Password. Before the declaration of results, IIM will also release the CAT response sheet 2021. 

Use CAT Percentile Predictor 2021 to know your estimated CAT cut offs and predict calls from IIMs and Non-IIMs accepting CAT score for admission.

Also Read: 

How to Calculate CAT Percentile 2021, Check the Score & Cut-off for IIMs College!

What exactly is the difference between CAT Score and Percentile?