Throughout the year, we are inundated with questions from tense and eager CAT aspirants around profile evaluation, target CAT scores, and B-school call predictions - "Is there
any chance of getting a call from IIM Ahmedabad?", "I screwed up my 10th and 12th, can I get a call from IIM Calcutta with a high CAT percentile?" To answer these questions, we decided to dig in deeper and find out
exactly what profile it takes to make it - or get rejected - by an IIM. In this report, find out if your profile is good enough to make it to the top six IIMs!
What kind of an academic profile is it that the IIMs are really looking for? Is it really true that even with an abysmal academic profile, a high CAT percentile will be enough to get a call? What is the minimum 10th and 12th score below which you stand a very bleak chance of getting an IIM shortlist? This report will attempt to answer these questions by assessing the academic profiles of current and previous batches at the top-6 IIMs of the country - IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, IIM Indore, and IIM Kozhikode.
Which IIMs May Shortlist You With Your Academic Profile - A Summary
Academic Profile Required To Get A Call From IIM Ahmedabad
The following table encapsulates the academic profiles of 500+ IIM Ahmedabad current students/graduates. The rows capture the percentage of individuals under any one of five percentage ranges across 10th, 12th and graduation.
Over the past two years, IIM Ahmedabad has shortlisted candidates based on their CAT performance (70% weight) and application profile (30% weight). Work experience has only been introduced as a selection criteria for the PGP batch of 2020-2022 at IIM A and will therefore not be included in the analysis of this report. An important point to note for IIM A aspirants is that from 2020 onward, IIM Ahmedabad will give greater weight (35%) to a candidate's profile. Read
IIM A's latest selection criteria here.
Observations:
- Nearly 90% of IIM A students/graduates possess more than 90% marks in Class 10th. On the other end, only a handful of the 500+ individuals from IIM A have scores below 80% in 10th and/or 12th.
- Over 30% of individuals who made it to IIM Ahmedabad had 90+% marks in both 10th and 12th, while only 7% of them have between 80-89.9% marks in both 10th and 12th.
- When it comes to graduation, more than half the individuals from IIM A included in this report have acquired over 80% marks during their graduation.
- Nearly 10% of the 500+ individuals included in this report possessed less than 70% marks in graduation, which though not a huge number, is indicative that IIM A has been more forgiving of lower graduation scores in the past few years. It is likely that candidates with a lower graduation score had a stellar CAT percentile, thereby offsetting any adverse impact caused to their application by their under-graduation performance. Also, not a single student/graduate included in this report has less than 70% marks in 10th or less than 60% marks in 12th.
Inferences:
- Data suggests that if you're a candidate with less than 80% marks in 10th and/or 12th, and/or less than 60% marks in graduation, chances of you making it to IIM Ahmedabad are significantly lower than the rest of the applicants. A score below 70% in 10th or 12th is almost certainly not good enough for a shortlist from IIM A.
- If you're nervous that your 70% score in graduation is going to be an obstacle in your IIM A dream, then you will be relieved to know that more than a quarter of over 500+ IIM A students/graduates have had scores similar to yours and still made it to the institute, though they most likely had stellar SSC and HSC scores.
- Given that IIM Ahmedabad gives 65% weight to a candidate's CAT performance, an above average profile of 80+/80+/70+, along with work experience and an excellent CAT score can significantly improve your chances of being shortlisted by IIM Ahmedabad for their AWT-PI round.
Academic Profile Required To Get A Call From IIM Bangalore
The following table encapsulates the academic profiles of 500+ IIM Bangalore current students/graduates. The rows capture the percentage of individuals under any one of five percentage ranges across 10th, 12th and graduation.
Over the past few years, IIM Bangalore has been the only IIM to assign more than half - 60 per cent to be exact - of the weight in the selection criteria to candidates' overall profiles. This has made IIM Bangalore one of the toughest business schools to get admission to, and every year, even CAT 99+ percentilers miss out on a call from the institute. The following table explains why. Read
IIM B's latest selection criteria here.
Observations:
- Nearly 85% of students/alumni at IIM B possess 90% or above marks in class 10th. On average, students admitted to IIM Bangalore have a better Class 10th track record as compared to Class 12th, which is explicable by the fact that over the past few years, IIM Bangalore has given a fifth of the total selection criteria weight to Class 10th marks, and only half of that to Class 12th marks. Class 10th marks also contribute to 10% of the total weight for IIM B's final shortlisting process.
- Nearly 40% of individuals from the recent batches at IIM Bangalore have 90+% marks in both 10th and 12th, but only 7% have 80-89.9% marks in both 10th and 12th, which is a testament to the importance that IIM B gives to academic excellence and consistency.
- Almost no individual with less than 80% marks in 12th has made it to IIM Bangalore.
- Over 40% of all current students/recent graduates at IIM Bangalore have 90% marks in graduation. In IIM Bangalore's recent selection criteria over the past few years, graduation marks account for a fifth of the total weight to get selected for the WAT-PI rounds, and 10% of the total weight for the final shortlisting process.
- Only 20% of students who've studied/are studying at IIM Bangalore have scored below 80% in graduation, and only 14% have scored below 70% in graduation. Almost no student with less than 60% marks in graduation has made it to IIM Bangalore.
Inferences:
- IIM Bangalore has been known as the IIM that maintains a balanced focus on a candidate's entire academic profile, thereby making it one of the toughest business schools to get into. The data above proves IIM B's inclination towards selecting only the most stellar profiles within the vast applicant pool.
- Scored between 70-80% in graduation? All is not lost. You can still get a call from IIM Bangalore, though your chances are slim and you'll require an extraordinary 10th/12th profile, as well as work experience to enhance your application. However, anything below 70% in graduation is almost a guarantee of not receiving a call from IIM Bangalore.
- Screwed up in 12th but did exceedingly well in 10th? Chances are, with a balanced overall profile, you'll still stand a good chance of getting shortlisted by IIM Bangalore for the WAT-PI round. However, a below average Class 10th performance, i.e., < 80%, severely diminishes your chances of an IIM B call.
- Given that CAT scores account for 40% of weight while calculating composite scores, it takes a combination of a great CAT performance and at least an 80+/80+/80+ profile to be somewhat certain of an IIM Bangalore call, with the latter being the more important factor for a shortlist.
Academic Profile Required To Get A Call From IIM Calcutta
The following table encapsulates the academic profiles of 500+ IIM Calcutta current students/graduates. The rows capture the percentage of individuals under any one of five percentage ranges across 10th, 12th and graduation.
Over the past few years, the lion's share of the weight in IIM Calcutta's selection criteria has been the CAT performance of candidates, with 56% of the weight being assigned to CAT scores in the calculation of the composite score. In 2019, IIM Calcutta introduced the Bachelor's degree marks as an additional criterion and increased the weight for Class 12th marks. While computing the composite score, candidates with greater than 60% marks in graduation will receive full marks, and candidates with 80% or above marks in both 10th and 12th will receive full marks. Read
IIM Calcutta's latest selection criteria here.
Observations:
- Only 4% of students/graduates of recent batches at IIM Calcutta have scored above 90% in graduation. It'll be very pleasing for IIM C hopefuls to note that a whopping 45% of students who made it to IIM Calcutta had less than 80% marks in graduation, which is generally the range of graduation percentage that most aspirants fall in.
- 20% of individuals from the recent batches at IIM Calcutta possess 90+% marks in both 10th and 12th, while 13% of them possess 80-89.9% marks in both 10th and 12th.
- Almost no individual with less than 80% marks in std. 10th made it to IIM Calcutta. Similarly, very few individuals with less than 80% marks in std. 12th managed to make it to Joka.
- 50% of students/graduates of IIM Calcutta have more than 90% marks in 10th and/or 12th, and nearly 100% of all individuals of the recent/current batches scored above 80% marks in 10th.
- Not a single student/graduate of IIM Calcutta has scored below 60% marks in 10th or 12th, and only a handful of individuals have scored below 60% marks in graduation.
Inferences:
- The most significant inference that can be drawn is that IIM Calcutta is one of the few IIMs that does not require you to have a stellar graduation score to even get shortlisted for the WAT-PI round. Data suggests that even applicants with less than 70% marks in graduation have made it to IIM Calcutta, and in significant numbers at that.
- While it is acceptable to have a below average graduation score, data suggests that if you have scored below 80% in 10th and/or 12th, chances of receiving an IIM Calcutta call are significantly diminished. With 56% weight assigned to a candidate's CAT score, the only saving grace for a below average SSC/HSC performance is a high CAT score.
- Given that the IIMs are the most elite management institutes in the country, and are even counted amongst the best in the world, candidates with poor academics will find it difficult, if not impossible, to find a seat at IIM C. If you have below 60% marks in 10th and/or 12th and/or graduation, even a high CAT score may not be enough to get a shortlist call.
Academic Profile Required To Get A Call From IIM Lucknow
The following table encapsulates the academic profiles of 500+ IIM Lucknow current students/graduates. The rows capture the percentage of individuals under any one of five percentage ranges across 10th, 12th and graduation. Read
IIM Lucknow's latest selection criteria here.
Observations:
- Despite graduation marks being one of the most important selection criteria at IIM L for the past three years, over 3/4th of individuals from recent/current batches at the institute have graduation marks in the range of 70-89%, with over 35% of them with a 70-79% graduation score. Additionally, nearly 90% of these individuals have scored between 60-89% marks.
- Over 25% of individuals from recent/current batches at IIM Lucknow have 90+% marks in both 10th and 12th, while 10% of those from IIM Lucknow possess 80-89.9% marks in both 10th and 12th.
- The bulk of individuals from IIM Lucknow have scored between 80-100% marks in HSC, with nearly 70% of them scoring between 80-89.9% marks in 12th. Only a handful of them have scored below 80% marks in HSC, which is explicable by the fact that HSC scores make up 10% of the overall weight in IIM L's selection criteria.
- Not a single student/graduate from IIM L has scored below 60% marks in 10th or 12th.
Inferences:
- Have a graduation score between 60-79%? So do 50% of all individuals who have recently graduated from or are currently studying at IIM Lucknow, and they still made it! Though a below average graduation score is not desirable, especially since the other 50% of IIM L students/recent graduates have scored between 80-100% in graduation, one can balance it out with work experience, HSC scores, and most importantly, a high CAT score, which carries 60% weight in the WAT-PI shortlisting process.
- Data suggests that if you've scored below 80% in 12th, your chances of getting into IIM Lucknow are severely diminished, though not zero. However, a score below 60% in either 10th, 12th and/or graduation is almost a guarantee of not getting a shortlist from IIM Lucknow.
Academic Profile Required To Get A Call From IIM Indore
The following table encapsulates the academic profiles of nearly 500 IIM Indore current students/graduates. The rows capture the percentage of individuals under any one of five percentage ranges across 10th, 12th and graduation.
In the past few years, IIM Indore has given the maximum weight to a candidate's academic profile compared to all other IIMs in the same bracket. In 2019, IIM Indore will assign nearly 3/4th of the total weight to a candidate's 10th and 12th marks. The weight was the same for these components in 2018 as well. There is no weight for a candidate's graduation marks or work experience. Read
IIM Indore's latest selection criteria here.
Observations:
- Nearly 85% of IIM Indore students/recent graduates have 90%+ marks in std. 10th, while 65% have 90%+ marks in std. 12th. In the recent batches at IIM Indore, no student/graduate has scored below 70% marks in either 10th or 12th, and only a handful of individuals have lower than 80% marks in either 10th or 12th.
- Over 40% of individuals from the recent batches at IIM Indore possess 90+% marks in both 10th and 12th, while 7% of them possess 80-89.9% marks in 10th and 12th. This is most likely a result of the heavy weight that IIM Indore lays on candidates' past academic track record, which will continue to be the trend in 2019 as well.
- A whopping 40% of students/recent graduates at IIM Indore have scored between 70-80% marks in graduation, and nearly 75% of these individuals have scored between 70% and 90% marks in graduation. In the recent batches, no student/graduate at IIM Indore has scored below 60% marks in graduation, and only 10% have scored 90%+ marks in their graduation.
Inferences:
- It is imperative that candidates hopeful of a call from IIM Indore possess at least 80+% marks in both 10th and 12th to have a fairly decent chance of being shortlisted by the institute. Given that nearly 75% of the weight is assigned to the candidate's 10th and 12th marks, candidates with a great SSC and (especially) HSC profile stand a good chance of getting an IIM I shortlist even with a relatively lower CAT percentile (subject to them meeting sectional cut-offs).
- Data suggests that candidates with less than 80% marks in 10th and/or 12th have a significantly lower chance of making it to IIM Indore than those in the 80-100% marks bracket.
- Graduation marks have no impact on the IIM Indore WAT-PI selection process, so a below-average graduation score will not be a hindrance in at least the shortlisting process. IIM Indore appears to be a haven for those who could not perform academically during their under-graduation, as is evident from the major chunk of students in the 70-80% marks bracket.
Academic Profile Required To Get A Call From IIM Kozhikode
The following table encapsulates the academic profiles of 500+ IIM Kozhikode current students/graduates. The rows capture the percentage of individuals under any one of five percentage ranges across 10th, 12th and graduation.
Over the past few years, IIM Kozhikode has been one of the few IIMs to have changed the selection criteria with each passing year. In 2017, IIM K included work experience and graduation score as a selection criteria with an aggregate of 15% weight, which was removed in 2018 and the weight for CAT was increased to a massive 75%, with only HSC scores and academic/gender diversity included in the criteria. In 2019, however, IIM K will calculate the composite score of a candidate by taking into account SSC and HSC marks, as well as academic/gender diversity. The weight for CAT has been reduced by a massive 30 percentage points, and a candidate's academic profile will play an equally important role in being shortlisted for the WAT-PI process at IIM Kozhikode. Read the
latest IIM K selection criteria here.
Observations:
- Despite HSC marks being the only selection criteria based on academic history, more than half of the recent graduates/students at IIM Kozhikode have HSC scores in the 70-89.9% bracket, which is most likely the result of the immense weight that IIM K lays on a candidate's CAT performance. This trend is likely to be altered in 2019 due to the inclusion and increase in weight for SSC and HSC scores in IIM K's selection criteria. We expect the data for the next batches to be skewed towards higher HSC and SSC percentages.
- Only 15% of students/recent graduates at IIM Kozhikode have 90+% marks in both 10th and 12th, which is the lowest across all the IIMs included in this report. Nearly 13% of individuals have 80-89.9% marks in both 10th and 12th.
- Nearly half of the students/recent graduates at IIM Kozhikode have a graduation score in the 60-79% bracket, which is explicable by the fact that in 2018 and 2017, IIM K had little to no weight for graduation scores. Despite this, only a minuscule percentage of individuals from IIM K have scored below 60% marks in graduation.
- Not a single student/alumni at IIM K in the recent years has scored below 70% marks in 10th, and only a handful have scored below 70% marks in 12th.
Inferences:
- IIM Kozhikode is one of the few IIMs which does not give any weight to graduation scores, so those with below-average (or worse) graduation scores but good 10th and 12th scores can breathe a sigh of relief, at least till 2019. However, if trends suggested in the data are to be believed, those with less than 70% marks in graduation may find it tough to make it to IIM K, despite Bachelor's degree marks not being a part of the criteria.
- Data suggests that to have a fairly good chance of getting an IIM K shortlist (subject to CAT scores), a candidate must have at least 80+% in both 10th and 12th, and a 90+% score in std. 10th improves your chances of a shortlist. This is also backed by the fact that IIM K will give double the weight to a candidate's SSC score compared to their HSC score for admissions to the PGP batch of 2022.
Got into an IIM or know someone who got into an IIM with a profile that conflicts with data in this report? Let us know in the comments below!
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Is Your Profile Good Enough For SPJIMR, FMS, MDI and XLRI?
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