CAT 2025 results will tentatively be released on 24th December 2025 by IIM Kozhikode. Getting an exceptional CAT score is the first big step in securing a seat at IIMs or other top b-schools. These top MBA institutes are still within reach for candidates who score between 90 - 100 percentile. But, what about those of you who score less than 90%tile in CAT? For you, these colleges seem impossible to crack, right? So is that it? Should you give up on your MBA dream? Certainly not! If you have scored within the range of 75-90% tile, there are other good b-school options in front of you. Here is a compiled list of colleges that might give you a shortlist call. Find out how to prepare for their interviews in this article too...
B-Schools That May Shortlist You
Colleges Accepting CAT 2019: 80 - 85%tile
- SOIL Institute of Management
- ISBR Business School
- Alliance University
- ISME, Bangalore
- NBS (NMIMS Business School – profile based)
- MDI Murshidabad
- SRM KTR – School of Management
- UAi, Karjat
- ISB&M (People’s Empowerment Group)
- Hari Shankar School of Business
Colleges Accepting CAT Percentile Between 75 - 80
- Jaipuria Institute of Management (Noida / Jaipur)
- IIEBM, Pune
- MESA School of Business
- ISBR – Executive / Flagship MBA
- Flame (select programs)
- SOIL (alternate programs)
- Alliance (alternate programs)
- Kirloskar Institute (select intakes)
- UAi, Karjat (profile-driven)
- Woxsen (alternate programs)
Ways to Prepare For B-School Interviews
By now you have identified the b-schools you can apply for based on your percentile. Now it is time to prepare for the next round - GD/PI. From the article list below find some crucial tips and tricks to ace an MBA interview:
- 5 Rules Of Thumb To Follow To Crack B-School Interviews
- The Ultimate Guide To Group Discussions | DOs and DON'Ts
- 5 Ways To Ace Your GD/PI Preparations
- What Is The Secret To Cracking The GD-PI At Top Indian B-Schools | Part - 1 | The Personal Interview
Should You Take CAT Again?
Your current CAT percentile may get you calls from the above-mentioned management institutes, so is it worth it to take the CAT test again? Well, to this there can be three situations:
Scenario 1 - Your profile may not be suitable for certain B-schools
There are b-schools like IIMs, MDI, FMS, etc. that look for more than your CAT score such as - academic profile and work experience. Their ideal profile is the following:
- 10th Percentage: 85% - 90+%
- 12th Percentage: 85% - 90+%
- Graduation Percentage: 75% - 85+%
- Also, around 60-70% of the people in the batch will have 12 to 48 months of work experience, which also works in their favour.
If your ‘dream’ b-school has strict parameters like this, then it is not worth attempting CAT 2019, as it is unlikely that you will get an interview call from them, even with a stellar 99+ percentile.
Scenario 2 - Incase you fall in the 75 - 80%tile
If you fall in this bracket then you are not that far behind. With the right preparation strategy and material, you can reach the 90- 95%ile mark in the next 11 months! If you decide not to join a b-school in 2020, then your plan and the commensurate effort has to be much much better than CAT 2019. If you think you can make it then 2020 may be the year for you!
Scenario 3 - If you are in the 80 - 85%ile bracket
You are so close to the ideal CAT score and have the potential to receive interview calls from some of the tier-1 management institutes. A slight change in your prep plan might just do the trick. Try to revamp your prep strategy for 2 out of 3 sections, if not all. Depending on your work experience and other pressing commitments and obstacles, CAT is definitely worth retaking if you think you have the calibre to completely restructure your exam preparation strategy and ace CAT 2020! Weigh in your professional and personal responsibilities and deterrents. If you think you can pull it off, CAT is unquestionably worth retaking.
Here are a few things that can help you with your CAT 2026 prep:
From Failure To Success - Stories To Motivate You To Crack CAT
All I Wanted To Say About My 2 CAT Attempts - Above Average But Nothing Spectacular
How To Score A Perfect 99 In Quant
Definitive Reading List For CAT Preparation (RC) – Books - 2IIM
'I Solved 2 RCs Every Day Until The CAT Day' - Epuri Sai Harish, SJMSOM
99.50 Percentiler's Recommended Reading List For CAT Preparation - Ankit Gupta, IIM Lucknow
Stay tuned for more updates around CAT 2025 results!
