Thousands of students appear for one of the most competitive exams, CAT, every year, dreaming of securing a seat at one of the most prestigious business schools in India, the IIMs. Well, to get admission to one of the best management colleges, it is not just enough to crack the CAT exam, but just the mere beginning of a journey. So, a big question arises: Will your academic and CAT scores get you an IIM call? Let’s begin with the first level of screening for admissions to the IIM.
The question of IIM call prediction based on the CAT score is for later. Even before the CAT marks come into play, the first level of screening will eliminate all the candidates who don’t fulfil the minimum requirements based on overall and sectional percentiles. This implies that even if the students score 98th percentile overall, but they do not clear any one of the sectional cut-offs, they get eliminated.
Weightage of 10th, 12th, and Graduation Across IIMs
Apart from the CAT score to get IIM C call, academic performance across 10th, 12th, and graduation is also considered. Let’s get to know how the academic scores of classes 10th, 12th, and graduation are evaluated in the shortlisting procedure for the IIM.
Percentages of 10th, 12th, and graduation comprise the composite score for IIMs.
Consistency is valued in academic performance and can boost chances of selection even if the CAT scores are just not enough.
The academic score further helps in IIM call prediction based on the CAT score and emphasizes the importance of academics.
Old IIMs, such as the IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Calcutta, and IIM Bangalore, weigh the academic scores more heavily. Students with weak academics can expect fewer chances, even though their CAT percentiles are high. The IIM admission chances with 85 percentile are in newer IIMs, while the admission prospects can be hindered for IIM Ahmedabad aspirants.
Role of Work Experience and Cutoff Data
When candidates are shortlisted for IIMs, the work experience of individuals has a crucial role to play, varying per institution. For candidates aspiring for older IIMs like Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Calcutta, and Bangalore, the work experience relevance is around 2-5 years. Even among those candidates, those who have experience working in managerial roles and positions are given preference. Newer IIMs, on the other hand, offer a bit more flexibility in terms of work experience, considering only 1-3 years of work experience or in some cases, it is optional.
What adds more weightage to the candidature of an applicant with work experience is the fact that it can compensate for a borderline CAT percentile to an extent. It can be simply understood by an example: if a candidate has a 95% score in the CAT exam but is backed by notable work experience in a managerial role, there are high chances that this candidate will outperform the one who has scored 97% in the CAT exam but has no experience to add to the composite score.
Diversity Factors
Candidates aspiring for IIMs must understand a simple fact: these institutions are aimed at creating a multicultural, multi-dimensional, and dynamic learning environment for students. Thus, they tend to give notable priority to diversity based on gender, non-engineering students, geography, culture, under-represented states, socio-economic backgrounds, and unique achievements. All the diversity factors mentioned are added into the composite score to facilitate an all-round evaluation beyond just CAT scores.
If a candidate has notable diversity credentials, along with decent academics and a good CAT percentile, then the chances for the IIM call prediction based on CAT score are higher. Understanding diversity can help candidates make a better estimation in terms of getting a call from the IIMs. Thus, this implies that diversity is not just another checkbox but quite a strategic element with the potential to influence the shortlisting process in the top-tier management colleges.
Profile Case Studies - Common Myths
There are several myths that students aspiring for IIM admissions face or believe are true and one of the most common among them is that a candidate will get a call from IIMs only if they score 99th+ percentile. It is somewhat true to say that for older IIMs, but mid-tier and newer IIMs choose candidates with low scores.
Another common myth is that if a candidate has scored high in academics, he is sure to get shortlisted. However, even if the candidate has good academic performance but has scored low in the CAT exam, or the overall profile of the candidate lacks managerial potential, his academic performance may be overlooked. In contrast to this, a strong CAT score and decent work experience can even offset low academic performance.
Analysing scenarios like the team leadership qualities, experience as an entrepreneur, and impactful projects can help assess their IIM admission chances at the 85th percentile.
CAT Scores and Shortlisting for IIMs
IIMs are deeply associated with the CAT exam. In fact, the CAT scores are considered the most visible component of the shortlisting procedure followed by the candidates. Understand this with a simple example: the CAT percentile required for IIM Ahmedabad or the IIM Bangalore depicts more than just a score or percentile. It is a sheer reflection of the intense competition for seats in the top two management institutes in India as they consider scores above 99%.
Newer IIMs are considering even those candidates with lower percentile score given that the other aspects of the profile are good. Check out the table below to get an idea of the selection procedure by various IIMs.
Conclusive Thoughts
Well, you must have now understood that just the academics and CAT scores will not guarantee that you will receive a call from the IIMs. Instead, there are numerous other factors that are considered by the admission cells, varying from college to college, to shortlist candidates. Hence, the best chance to receive a call from the IIMs, and that too, the top IIMs, will be for a candidate who has scored constantly excellent in academics, satisfies the diversity criteria of the IIMs, has relevant managerial-level work experience, and has a CAT percentile above 99th.
If you are an IIM aspirant, you are advised to ignore all the myths associated with the shortlisting process. Ensure that you check on maximum points for the selection process and give your best shot at the CAT exam.
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