Top Colleges Accepting CAT Score : Colleges, Cut Offs & Percentile Wise List

In case you have a plan to do an MBA after giving CAT, knowing about the list of colleges accepting CAT scores would be one of the very first and also one of the very important steps in your admission process. Every year, lakhs of students give the CAT test in order to get admission into the best management colleges of India.

There are many colleges accepting CAT scores at various percentiles. Although the IIMs are amongst the most reputed management colleges accepting CAT scores, there are many other non-IIM business schools, private MBA colleges and department of universities and management colleges accepting CAT scores too.

This article would tell you everything that you need to know about colleges accepting CAT scores, CAT score MBA colleges, CAT cut off, colleges accepting CAT scores at various percentiles and much more.

Table of Contents

1. What is CAT Exam?
2. What are colleges accepting CAT Scores?
3. How Many Colleges Accept CAT Scores in India?
4. Top Colleges Accepting CAT Score in India
5. List of IIMs Accepting CAT Score
6. Top Non-IIM Colleges Accepting CAT Score
7. Private Colleges Accepting CAT Score
8. International B-Schools Accepting CAT Scores
9. FAQs

What is CAT Exam?

Common Admission Test (CAT) is the computer based entrance examination for admissions to IIMs and some other management schools in India.

MBA CAT Exam measures candidate’s abilities in three areas:

• Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)
• Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)
• Quantitative Ability (QA)

The CAT Exam assesses a candidate’s capacity to comprehend information, interpret data, solve mathematical problems and make decisions based on time constraint.

CAT Score is the marks earned by a candidate after taking the test and normalisation whereas Percentile is the performance of a candidate compared to other test-takers.

For instance, 95 percentile means that a candidate has scored higher than around 95 percent of test-takers.

What Are Colleges Accepting CAT Scores?

Colleges that accept CAT score are management colleges in which the candidate’s CAT score will form an integral part of the MBA/Postgraduate Management admissions process.

While CAT is mostly used for admissions to IIMs, its acceptance is not restricted to IIMs only. Other business schools too take into account the CAT score while selecting candidates for MBA/PGDM and other management courses.

Some of the admission processes may be based on the following criteria:

• CAT percentile or score
• Academic performance
• Work experience
• Written Ability Test (WAT)
• Group Discussion (GD), where applicable
• Personal Interview (PI)
• Academic or professional diversity
• Overall candidate profile

Therefore, the CAT percentile cannot be seen as the sole deciding criterion for admission.

How Many Colleges Accept CAT Scores in India?

Institutes such as the IIMs along with many other management institutions accept the CAT score. The exact number of institutes which accept CAT scores may change every year as each college and university has the authority to define its own admission criteria.

It is thus advisable for the candidate to go through the admission notification of the institution he/she wants to apply for.

The list of colleges accepting CAT score consists of institutes in various types, namely:

• IIMs
• IIT management schools
• Government management institutions
• University-affiliated B-schools
• Private MBA institutes
• Institutes for PGDM
• Management institutions accepting CAT score for certain courses

Top Colleges Accepting CAT Score in India

The following are among the top colleges accepting CAT score and are commonly targeted by MBA aspirants.

*These are indicative ranges and not guaranteed admission cut-offs.

List of IIMs Accepting CAT Score

For many candidates, the IIMs accepting CAT score remain the primary target after appearing for CAT.

Some prominent IIMs include:

IIM programmes offer opportunities across areas such as:

• Finance
• Marketing
• Operations
• Human Resources
• Business Analytics
• Strategy
• Consulting

Candidates seeking MBA colleges through CAT score should remember that each IIM can have its own admission criteria and selection process.

Top Non-IIM Colleges Accepting CAT Score

CAT is not restricted to IIM admissions. Several highly reputed B-schools are among the top non IIM colleges accepting CAT score.

*These are indicative ranges and not guaranteed admission cut-offs.

Private Colleges Accepting CAT Score

*These are indicative ranges and not guaranteed admission cut-offs.

International B-Schools Accepting CAT Scores

CAT exam is mainly an Indian management entrance exam, however, some overseas business schools also recognize CAT scores for selected management programs. Students who are interested in overseas business schools recognizing CAT scores can find these options; however, the entry requirements may differ for different programs and intakes.

Students must always confirm the CAT score recognition policy of the relevant institution from their own admission page.

Students who intend to do an MBA or other management programs abroad should also check the following requirements related to:

• GMAT
• GRE
• English-language proficiency
• Work experience
• Academic qualifications
• Visa requirements
• Programme-specific eligibility
• Application deadlines and fees

Note: Acceptance of CAT is not guaranteed to all MBA/management courses at the above-listed institutions. The test that is accepted, its minimum score requirement, work experience requirement, and other requirements for eligibility vary from one course to another. Applicants should verify the details on the official website of the university.