CAT 2024 Expected Cutoff

The written Common Admission Test (CAT) 2024 has been conducted on November 24, 2024, and the students are already anxious and eagerly waiting for the answer key and results. Approximately three lakh students have attempted CAT 2024 resulting in a tough competition, for a limited number of seats in some of the top-most institutions such as Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs).

The CAT 2024 Expected Cutoff plays a significant role in the perspective of selection criteria for measures like Written Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussion (GD), or Personal Interview (PI). The CAT 2024 Expected Cutoff would be declared pretty soon but can be inferred from last year’s trends regarding the subject difficulty level in this year’s exam.

In this blog, we would shed light on various aspects that could influence CAT 2024 expected cutoff, what they are expected to be for 2024, predictions based on category-wise entitlements in detail. So keep reading to get the full idea about the CAT 2024 expected cutoff.

Get the first AiExpertEdge CAT Online Course with 20% Discount

CAT Cutoff 2024

CAT 2024 Expected Cutoff

What Are CAT Cutoffs?

The cutoff for CAT is the minimum percentile or score required by a candidate to move forward in the admission process. As cutoffs change from institute to institute and even program to program in the same institute, hence understanding the types of cutoffs is crucial for any aspirant in the admission process.

Different Kinds of CAT Cutoffs

Qualifying Cutoff:
  • Generally announced before CAT results
  • Minimum percentile required for being able to consider admission.
  • Example: For IIM Ahmedabad, qualifying cutoff is 80 percentile for general candidates
Final Admission Cutoff:
  • The actual percentile/score at which interview calls are given
  • Final admission cutoff is usually higher than the qualifying cutoff.Example: At IIM Bangalore, the final admission cutoff exceeds the 99 percentile for general category candidates.

Also learn – CAT Exam Slot Analysis 2024

CAT 2024 Cutoff Key Factors

The CAT 2024 Expected Cutoff varies from year to year under several factors. To properly asses these factors, candidates will be better placed in predicting their chances of receiving a call from their target colleges:

1. Exam Difficulty Level:

If tough, usually the cutoffs will be low to the extent that very few candidates score extremely high marks.
Slightly moderate overall CAT 2024, but section-wise it has large variations.

2. Number Of Candidates:

A total of 3.3 Lakhs appeared for the CAT 2023 examination. If similar candidates show up for CAT 2024 Expected Cutoff are likely to go up because of the competition factor.

3. Number of Seats:

An increase or decrease in all the available seats conditionally affects cutoffs. The IIMs always keep changing their number of seats, and policies regarding reserve letters also lower the cutoffs of the general category.

4. Reservation Policy:

Reserved category candidates generally have lower cutoffs (SC/ST/OBC/EWS), and this represents the system of affirmative action in admissions.

5. Previous Trends:

IIM General (%) NC-OBC (%) SC (%) ST (%) EWS (%)
Ahmedabad 80 75 70 60 80
Bangalore 85 75 70 65 75
Calcutta 85 75 70 65 75
Lucknow 90 82 70 65 82
Kozhikode 85 75 65 55 75

Historical data is yielded as perfect predictors of further cutoffs. The following table shows last year’s percentile cutoffs of the most reputed IIMs:

6. Sectional Cut-offs

Candidates should meet all minimum sectional CAT 2024 Expected Cutoff as applicable for each section, i.e. VARC, DILR, and QA. Missing a sectional cut-off will disqualify you even if you have a high overall percentile.

Also learn – CAT 2024 Answer Key Release Date

CAT 2024 Expected Cutoff for IIM

Predicted CAT 2024 Expected Cutoff for IIMs based on historical data and ongoing trends:

Top IIMs (Tier 1)

Institute Expected Cutoff (General) Range for Reserved Categories
IIM Ahmedabad 99+ percentile 95-97 percentile
IIM Bangalore 99+ percentile 95-98 percentile
IIM Calcutta 99+ percentile 95-97 percentile
IIM Lucknow 98-99 percentile 93-97 percentile
IIM Kozhikode 97-99 percentile 90-95 percentile

Newer IIMs (Tier 2)

Institute Expected Cutoff (General) Range for Reserved Categories
IIM Udaipur 92-95 percentile 85-90 percentile
IIM Trichy 92-95 percentile 85-90 percentile
IIM Kashipur 90-94 percentile 80-88 percentile
IIM Shillong 90-93 percentile 80-85 percentile

CAT 2024 Expected Cutoff for Non-IIM B-Schools

Several non-IIM B-schools also accept CAT scores. Here are the expected CAT 2024 Expected Cutoff for some top institutions:

Institute Expected Cutoff (General)
Faculty of Management Studies (FMS), Delhi 99 percentile
SPJIMR, Mumbai 95 percentile (Profile-Based Calls)
MDI, Gurgaon 95 percentile
IMT, Ghaziabad 90-93 percentile
IIT Delhi (DMS) 98 percentile
JBIMS, Mumbai 99.9 percentile

Section-Wise CAT 2024 Expected Cutoff

Clearing sectional cutoffs is equally important. Below are the expected section-wise CAT 2024 Expected Cutoff:

Percentile VARC Score DILR Score QA Score Overall Score
99.5 42 30 30 86
99 36 25 25 74
95 30 20 22 52
90 24 14 13 42

Also learn – CAT 2024 Answer Key Release Date

Tips for Preparations after CAT

  • Analyze Answer Key: The answer key will tentatively come in December 2024. Therefore, calculate your expected score according to that and compare it with the expected cutoffs for the analysis.
  • Prepare for GD/WAT/PI: Start early. Developing communication skills while keeping up on current affairs and doing mock interviews might give an added edge.
  • Consider Plan B: In case the percentile you anticipated does not fulfill the required cutoffs put by your favorite college, then take a look at Tier-2 B-schools according to your priorities.
  • Follow Official Announcements: You must follow the official CAT website and the portals of your college so that you are on top of cutoffs and selection processes.

Also, learn – Preparation Tips for CAT

FAQs

  1. What is the criterion for qualifying in IIM Ahmedabad’s CAT?
    Ans: The qualifying cutoff is likely to remain at the 80 percentile for general-category students.
  2. Will a 90 percentile suffice for an IIM?
    Ans: Yes, some of the newer IIMs and Tier-2 B-schools will attribute a certain weightage toward the percentile and accept applications from candidates having around 90 percentiles, particularly under reserved categories.
  3. What role do sectional cutoffs play in admissions?
    Ans: You are not qualified even if you are through the general cut-off, if you do not meet sectional cutoffs. So yes it definitely plays a crucial role.
  4. When would the official announcement of CAT 2024 results be?
    Ans: CAT 2024 results will likely be released in January 2024.

Conclusion

Touching the CAT 2024 Expected Cutoff is one critical factor in ascertaining whether you would be able to pursue your MBA course or not. Although it will only be clear at the end, cutoff-wise distinctions, category-wise differences, and circumstantial influences may give clarity and path. Understand that hitting the cut is the only first step; making things happen in every round is important for getting into the dream college.

Prepare wisely, stay informed, and don’t lose sight of your goals. Good luck!