Vipra
Vipra Shrivastava
Senior Manager - Content
Updated on Dec 19, 2024 22:37 IST

Is your CAT score 85 percentile? Don't worry, you can still get a good MBA college in your preferred location. Check the list of top MBA colleges with CAT score 85 percentile and above. 

CAT cut off range 85 and above

An excellent CAT score is the first step towards securing a seat in a top institute for an MBA/PGDM programme. Not really. If you don't have 99 percentile, even then you can get a good MBA college. Candidates who score between 90-100 CAT percentile can get admission into the IIMs and other top MBA institutes. But, these colleges are out of reach for candidates who score less than 90 percentile in the CAT exam (unless they belong to Reserved category). So, what if your CAT score is less than 90 percentile? Don't worry, there are a large number of reputed B-schools with good placement, that accept 85 percentile in CAT. So, CAT 2024 test takers must focus on college selection for admission. And the first thing to do is to check the CAT 2024 cut off and admission criteria of the colleges/institutes of preference.

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Q:   How much percentile is a good score in CAT exam?

A:

The CAT (Common Admission Test) is a highly competitive entrance exam for admission to various management programs offered by top business schools in India. The percentile score in CAT exam is based on the relative performance of the test taker compared to all the other test takers.

The cutoff percentile for admission to top business schools varies from year to year and also depends on factors such as the number of candidates, difficulty level of the exam, and the number of available seats. In general, a percentile score of 90 or above is considered a good score and can help you secure admission to some of the top business schools in India. However, to increase your chances of admission to the top-tier business schools, a percentile score of 95 or above is preferred.

Q:   Can I get TAPMI at 80 percentile?

A:

TAPMI maintains an overal CAT percentile of 85 for its MBA course from the past three years (2020, 2021 and 2022) for the General All India category student. Considering the past three years cutoff percentile, there is high chances that a student can get a call from TAPMI with 80 percentile in CAT. However, final admission will be based on CAT/ XAT cutoff score, followed by candidates' performance in the Group Discussion and Personal Interview round. Also, the cutoff score vary for different catergory students. 

Q:   Can I join UBS Chandigarh without CAT?

A:

Candidates seeking admission to UBS Chandigarh MBA course must appear for CAT. It is mandatory for candidates to meet the sectional and overall CAT cutoff to be eligible for the Personal Interview (PI) rounds for final admission to UBS Chandigarh. For UBS Chandigarh MBA admission, students need to meet both the overall CAT cut off percentile and the sectional cut offs. Candidates seeking admission to UBS Chandigarh must score above the 85 percentile in CAT exam. UBS Chandigarh does not release CAT cutoffs in the public domain and are exclusively accessible only via account login to candidates who have appeared for the exam. Therefore, the students must aim to score above 85 percentile.

Is 85 percentile good in CAT?

Yes, 85 percentile is good in CAT, if you're not fixated on IIMs. MBA aspirants with 85 percentile in CAT can get through many reputed government and private MBA colleges with great pedagogy and placement record. In this article, we have shared admission details of some of the popular MBA colleges accepting 85 percentile in CAT and above. Do take a look at the list and fill the admission form accordingly.

Latest: CAT 2024 result live updates; check scorecard now, get download link here

CAT 2024 toppers - 14 candidates score 100 percentile, 29 score 99.99 percentile

MBA Colleges Accepting 85 Percentile in CAT and Above

Take a look at some of the popular MBA colleges in India accepting CAT score 85 percentile and above. Candidates who score above 85 percentile in CAT exam stand a chance of getting admission into these colleges. Check the list and make a choice. 

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Q:   Can I get KJ Somaiya at 80 percentile?

A:

KJ Somaiya cutoff 2024 is yet to be released for admission to the Management courses. During the 2023 cutoff, the CAT and XAT percetiles were 86 and 84, respectively for the General AI quota. For CMAT, the cutoff stood at 95. So, considering the previous year exam-wise cutoffs, yes, students with a cutoff percentile of 80 have higher chances of getting a seat at K J Somaiya Institute of Management. Candidates can refer to the table below to check out the last three years cutoff trends for CAT, XAT and CMAT:

Exam202120222023
CMAT (percentile)– / –9595
CAT (percentile)868686
XAT (percentile)858484

Q:   Can I get IMI Delhi at 85 percentile?

A:

Yes, students who secure 85% in graduation are eligible for all the courses offered at IMI Delhi. However, to have a better understanding, students can check the course-wise elibility required from the table presented below:

Course Name Eligibility 
PGDM

Graduation with at least 50% aggregate 

EPGDM

Graduation with at least 50% aggregate 

FPM

Graduation/ post-graduation with at least 60% aggregate 

 

*MICA, Ahmedabad accepts CAT score to screen candidates for its own entrance exams –  MICAT. Candidates applying to MICAT must note that having CAT score will not make them eligible for admission. They will have to appear for these in house exams to be able to qualify for Group Discussion and Personal Interview.

Also Read:

CAT Percentile predictor prepared by Shiksha.com helps students to get their predicted CAT percentile on the basis of their expected exam score. So, predict your CAT score by clicking the link below:

CAT Percentile Predictor

MBA Admission and Selection Criteria 2025

Selection criteria and admission process of most of these institutes includes three steps:

  • Inviting application forms and screening of candidates on the basis of CAT score
  • Group Discussion and Personal Interview (GD/PI)
  • Final selection of candidates

Inviting Application Forms

B-schools start inviting applications for admission from September onwards. Some institutes, on the other hand, invite applications only after the declaration of CAT result, i.e. in January. The process of filling up the application form typically includes, online registration on the official website, filling up the online application form and payment of application fee. For admission to MBA 2025 batch through CAT exam scores, the application window is open at several B-schools.

Personal details required to fill the MBA admission forms:

  • Name
  • Date of birth
  • Residential address
  • Parents/Guardian name
  • Fanily income
  • Domicile
  • City
  • State
  • Nationality

Academic details required to fill the MBA admission forms:

  • Class 10 marks
  • Class 12 marks
  • Graduation marks
  • CAT score (incase application process begins after CAT result declaration)
  • Choice of course
  • Work experience (if applicable)
  • SOP/LOR (if applicable)

After the application process gets over, a list of selected candidates is made and calls are made to each candidate for participation in Group Discussion and Personal Interview.

Group Discussion and Personal Interview (GD/PI)

Group Discussion and Personal Interview are basically personality tests. They are conducted to judge the candidate’s communication skills, knowledge, personality, confidence, presence of mind, aptitude, leadership qualities, etc.

Every candidate is required to be present in person to participate in the GD/PI, as the final selection is majorly based on candidate’s performance in this round.

Final Selection of Candidates

Final selection for MBA admission is based on the candidate’s overall performance in academics, CAT exam and GD/PI. However, it may be noted that every institute has its own parameters and formulae to select candidates for admission, MBA aspirants must check individually, the admission criteria of each of the institutes they are targeting.

Also Read:

Check CAT cut offs and predict calls from IIMs and other Top MBA Colleges, whether your CAT score is 70 percentile, 80 percentile or 90 percentile. Check Fees, Placement Reviews, Admission, Shortlist Criteria and eligibility of all MBA Colleges by clicking the link below:

Predict IIM & Non IIM Calls

FAQs on CAT 85 percentile colleges

Q: Which are some of the top MBA colleges for 85 percentile in CAT?

A: Some of the top CAT 85 percentile colleges are mentioned below:
  • IIM Amritsar
  • IIM Bodh Gaya
  • IIM Nagpur
  • VGSoM IIT Kharagpur
  • Department of Management Studies – IIT Madras 
  • Department of Management Studies-IIT Roorkee,
  • Department of Management Studies-Delhi Technological University
  • TAPMI Manipal
  • IMT Nagpur

Q: Which IIMs accept the CAT score of 85 percentile?

A: There are a very few IIMs which have CAT cutoff of 85 percentile. These are IIM Nagpur, IIM Amritsar and IIM Bodh Gaya. Since these IIMs are have been launched in the last decade, the cut offs are low for admission to MBA/PGP courses. Reserved category students can apply with 85 percentile in most of the IIMs as the cut off for them is much lower in comparison to General category candidates. 

Q: Which are the top public or government MBA colleges accepting 85 percentile in CAT?

A: The top public MBA institutes with 85 percentile CAT cutoff are listed below:
  • IIM Amritsar
  • IIM Bodh Gaya
  • IIM Nagpur
  • Institute of Management – BHU
  • VGSoM IIT Kharagpur
  • DMS-IIT Madras
  • DMS-IIT Roorkee
  • DSM-DTU
  • DMS Pune University
  • Delhi School of Economics.

Q: What are some of the top private MBA colleges accepting CAT 85 percentile?

A: The top private B-schools with CAT cutoff of 85 percentile are listed below:
  • Goa Institute of Management
  • LIBA Chennai
  • Great Lakes Institute of Management Chennai
  • TAPMI Manipal
  • KJ Somaiya Institute of Management Studies & Research Mumbai
  • BITS Pilani Department of Management Studies
  • IMI Delhi 

Q: Which are the specialised MBA colleges accepting CAT score 85 percentile?

A: The specialised MBA institutes that accept CAT scores and have a cutoff percentile of 85 are MICA Ahmedabad and IRMA Anand. While MICA offers PGDM in Communication, IRMA offers MBA in Rural Management. Candidates must note that both these institutes have their own written test, that candidates need to clear to be eligible for personality assessment round. CAT score of 85 percentile is the minimum eligibility to apply for MICAT and IRMASAT.

Q: Which B-schools accepting CAT 85 percentile have less than INR 10 lakh fee?

A: Some of the reputed B-schools with less than INR 10 lakh are:
  • DMS BITS Pilani
  • Institute of Management BHU
  • VGSoM IIT Kharagpur
  • DMS IIT Madras
  • DMS IIT Roorkee
  • School of Management Manipal University, UBS Chandigarh
  • DSM-Delhi Technological University
  • DMS Pune University
  • Delhi School of Economics

Q: Which MBA college accepting 85 percentile in CAT has the lowest fee?

A: The MBA institute with an 85 percentile CAT cutoff that has the lowest fee is Delhi School of Economics. The fee is INR 30,000 for two years. The course fee is low in this institute because it is a government aided institution. DSE is a highly reputed for Economics and MBA programmes and provides excellent placement opportunities to its students.

Q: Which institute with an 85 percentile CAT cutoff has the highest fee?

A: The B-School with CAT cutoff of 85 percentile that has the highest fee is MICA Ahmedabad. The course fee of MICA's PGDM in Communication is INR 21 lakh. The fee is to be paid in instalment. MICA offers scholarships to meritorious students. MICA Scholarships are awarded annually on the basis of student's overall academic performance and family income. The scholarships are awarded for Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Communications) - PGDM(C) and Post Graduate Diploma in Management - PGDM and the 1-year Post Graduate Certificate Programme in Crafting Creative Communications (CCC).

Q: Apart from the CAT percentile, what are the other factors that are considered for the final admission in MBA?

A: Apart from the CAT scores, B-schools consider candidates’ written and spoken communication skills through Written Ability Test or Essay Writing, Group Discussion and Personal Interview rounds. The B-schools also consider candidates’ overall profile such as past academic records, work experience and extracurricular activities or abilities. Candidates Class 12 scores and overall academic profile plays a decisive role in selection as institutes look for consistency in excellence.

Q: Is securing the CAT cutoff enough to get an admission offer from an MBA institute?

A: No, securing a high CAT percentile is not enough for getting the final admission offer. Candidates have to fulfil other selection criteria such as performance in Written Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI) and overall academic and professional profile.

Q: What are the factors I should consider while selecting the B-School?

A: Upon receiving admission offers from multiple institutes, candidates should make the final decision of taking admission based on factors like the institute’s overall ranking, fees, location, infrastructure, curriculum, specialisations, pedagogy, faculty and placement records.
About the Author
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Vipra Shrivastava
Senior Manager - Content

Vipra is a massive Breaking Bad fan. When not watching crime drama series, she spends time in updating the list of places she wants to visit and people she wants to meet, but she is happiest in the company of dogs. ... Read Full Bio

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