Admission to B-Schools is a tricky process and somewhat of a numbers game. If you’re starting your CAT journey, chances are you have encountered various profiles, along with evaluations of academic and work experience on platforms like Reddit, Quora, or YouTube. It can be quite overwhelming. What percentile should I target? Is my profile strong enough? Does being an engineer hurt my chances? Let’s break it down: CAT Score and Profile Weightage in B-School Admissions
But first, a quick reality check.
“It is never about 99+ and I am in.” The harsh reality is that profile + scores + diversity + category all come into play to create a composite score and determine the cutoff for an interview call. This applies to all B-Schools, except for a select few.
So, what is this composite score that everyone is talking about? Simply put, composite scores include your CAT score and your profile score, which consists of academics, work experience, professional degrees (like CA, FRM, etc.), gender, and academic diversity points. The weight given to these parameters differs for each management institution. Institutions like IIM Bangalore place a significant emphasis on work experience and consistent academics, while for FMS, only your CAT score matters.
Let’s understand each component in simple terms.
CAT Score:
This goes without saying. It holds a major weight in the total composite score. It tells the B-School how well you did compared to other candidates. A higher percentile generally gives you an added advantage, but as already iterated, it is a part of the overall context. Some colleges have individual sectional and overall cutoffs as part of pre-eliminary screening.
Past Academic Record:
Most institutes include marks from Class 10, Class 12, and graduation as part of your composite score. They assign points based on your percentages or grades. The idea is to reward consistent academic performers. So, if you have strong scores across all three levels, it significantly boosts your chances. On the other hand, a few average academic scores might pull your composite score down, even if your CAT percentile is high.
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Work Experience:
This refers to the number of months you’ve worked full-time after graduation. Most B-Schools have an ideal range, often between 18 to 36 months, where candidates receive maximum points. Too little experience might not add much value, while too much might also reduce the score in this component. Keep in mind, they only consider formal, paid, full-time experience — internships and part-time work don’t usually count.
Gender Diversity:
Most B-Schools award extra points to encourage better gender balance in the classroom. Since MBA classrooms often have more male students, female and non-binary candidates may receive additional marks during shortlisting.
Academic Diversity:
Similarly, academic diversity benefits candidates who come from non-engineering disciplines. Given that engineers constitute a large portion of the MBA pool, institutes place additional weightage on students from areas such as commerce, humanities, science, or other non-technical fields. This approach promotes a more varied learning atmosphere, allowing diversity in the classroom.
Professional Courses:
Candidates who have completed professional courses like CA, CS, CFA, CWA/CMA & FRM are given additional points.
Based on the total composite score, if the candidate clears the institute’s category cutoff, an interview call is extended. But here's the key takeaway: A high CAT score doesn’t guarantee an interview call.
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Let’s consider two candidates:
Candidate 1: 99.5+ percentile male engineer with average academics and no work experience.
Candidate 2: 98 percentile commerce graduate with excellent academics, work experience, and CFA certification.
You might assume that Candidate 1 has the upper hand, but that's not always the case. B-Schools are looking for well-rounded profiles, not just high CAT scores. In this case, Candidate 2, with a more solid profile, is more likely to get the interview call, despite the slightly lower percentile.
Colleges like SPJIMR and ISB are known to give profile-based calls even to students with slightly lower percentiles.
The bottom line is that your CAT percentile is important, but not everything. Understand that B-Schools evaluate a range of factors, and your overall profile is just as important. Focus on building a well-rounded profile - strong academics, relevant work experience, professional certifications, and diversity can make all the difference. Yes, scores and cutoffs matter - but they don’t define you. Behind every percentile are months of efforts, resilience, and dreams. B-Schools may use numbers, but they admit people - people with purpose, passion, and potential.
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