CAT 2025 Counselling & Admission

The IIM admission and selection process for the MBA/PGP program with the publication of the WAT-PI shortlist status. Following the release of the CAT 2024 results, the IIMs will begin shortlisting students for WAT-PI. Each institute will release its own set of IIM admission criteria, including CAT qualifying cut-offs for every category, academic parameters, personality parameters, the formula for calculating the final admission score, and so on.  New IIMs will organize CAT 2024 Centralized Admission Process (CAP) to provide admission to the students. However, the qualifying CAT cut off & other selection criteria parameters remain the same in New IIMs.

The CAT 2024 Selection Process concludes in three stages: Shortlisting of students based on CAT Exam score, Screening of candidates WAT/GD/PI, and Calculation of Composite score, and then final selection takes place. Students' selection is according to minimum CAT cutoff marks. Non-IIMs that accept CAT scores publish their admission schedule and selection procedure beginning in September. Whereas, IIM begins the shortlisting process in January month.

Admission Process for Non-IIMs via CAT, Over 1300 MBA institutes in India accept the CAT score for admission. The admission process in these institutes also includes a GD-PI carried by each institute separately.

CAT 2024 Counselling Call Letter

IIM mails the call letter for IIM CAT 2024 counseling of the students who are in the shortlisted category. The call letter will include the following information of students:

• IIM CAT counselling 2024 registration link.
• The deadline for registering for CAT counseling is 2024.
• Group Discussion, Written Aptitude Test, and Personal Interview shortlisting rounds location.
• Student's slot for the shortlisting rounds of Group Discussion, Written Aptitude Test, and Personal Interview.
• Dates for the Group Discussion, Written Aptitude Test, and Personal Interview rounds of the selection procedure.

Requiring Documents for Verification at CAT 2024 Counselling Process

Students must report to the specified location on the specified date to submit all of the documents listed in the CAT Counselling call letter. The call letter includes a list of all the documents that a candidate must bring to the interview location. For your convenience, a list of all documents entails below:

1. Mark sheets and other documents: To participate in IIMs CAT Counselling 2024, students must bring original and self-attested printed copies of their 10th, 12th and graduation mark sheets. Students must also carry 2 sets of photocopies of the documents.

2. Scorecard: You must bring your CAT 2024 scorecard and other original files for the document verification gathering.

3. Admit Card: The college admissions process requires both the original and a photocopy of the CAT admit card 2024.

4. Caste Certificate: For those candidates who fall into the reserved category, a few more documents will require at the time of counselling. These documents include an original and a photocopy of their caste certificate signed by an authorized authority. Students from the SC or ST, or EWS categories must present the certificate during CAT counselling 2024 and when enrolling for an IIM.

5. Photo: The CAT counseling process requires 4 passport-size photographs.

After completing the previous action, i.e. document verification for CAT Counselling 2024, candidates should visit the official website of CAT IIM. Fill out the registration form, then proceed to choose (Desired IIM) and lock your options for CAT 2024 counselling. Students will get notifications via SMS or email. Candidates must go to the designated institution and submit their seat allocation order.

Admission Process at IIMs via CAT

Admission to IIMs, as well as other management institutes, is based on CAT scores. The CAT counseling process will start in January. The IIMs initiate the shortlisting of candidates for WAT-PI immediately once the CAT results are out. Students must upload their CAT scores to the official site of their preferred IIM during this procedure. The institutes then compare each student's CAT score and prepare the merit list. Candidates whose name included in the list will be allowed to participate in GD/PI Rounds. The admission process in all 20 IIMs takes three to four months, with classes beginning in June to July. Non-IIM admissions are also completed around the same time.

There are three significant steps in the CAT counseling process for IIMs in 2024. The students should visit the official website of the IIM, from which they have received a call letter to understand the CAT admission process fully. The three steps are:

1. Shortlisting of students
2. WAT or GD-PI round
3. Final selection round

1. Shortlisting of students: IIM selection Criteria for admission depends on CAT score. CAT 2024 cut-offs are set by each IIM independently for that year. The IIMs minimum CAT cut off for general category is generally higher than the 90 percentiles. It is lower for reserved category students. It states that those who score higher than the 90 percentiles in CAT 2024 easily qualify for the WAT/GD/Personal interview rounds. On the other hand, CAT Cut-offs for new IIMs, vary between the 60 to 80 percentiles.

2. WAT or GD-PI round: Candidates who are shortlisted based on their CAT score, have to undertake WAT/GD/PI. WAT assess student’s critical thinking & communication skills. The weightage for WAT varies between 10% to 30%.

3.Calculation of Composite score: By considering several parameters, the final composite score will be calculated. Each parameter varies every year and also it differs for each IIM. It has a total of 100 points. Here is an analysis of the criteria used to select students:

CAT 2024 Final Selection Parameters

CAT Common Admission Process (CAP)

The Common Admission Process (CAP) is held for the new IIMs: IIM Kashipur, IIM Bodhgaya, IIM Sambalpur, IIM Jammu, IIM Sirmaur, IIM Udaipur, IIM Ranchi, IIM Visakapatnam and IIM Trichy. Common rules and guidelines apply in this process to select students for admission. Official notice pertaining IIM CAP conducting institute for CAT 2024 will be updated soon on IIM CAT official website.

• The CAP conduction institute conducts the WAT-PI Round using this blended list. All CAT CAP participating institutes have the same qualifying CAT cut off and weightage of admission factors.
• Following the CAP, each participating IIM evaluates the student's performance, including WAT, PI, CAT score, profile and so on, and prepares their independent merit list.
• The final list of selected students is accessible only to students with an institute username and password on the personal institute website.

Anatomy of IIM Common Admission Process (CAP)

The admission process for the 9 new IIMs includes the same selection procedure as the older IIMs, which includes a Written Ability Test or Group Discussion and a Personal Interview. These 9 IIMs share the same qualifying CAT cutoff and weightage of selection factors.

Interview Call Letter from IIM

Students qualified for the first round of the admissions process will obtain call letters to their registered email addresses.

The following information is there in the call letter:

• Link to Registration
• WAT/GD and PI dates, times, and location

Documents required for WAT/GD and PI:

• The class 10th mark sheet and certificate
• The class 12th mark sheet and certificate
• The graduation mark sheet and certificate
• Certificates of reservation category
• Call letter from IIM for interview
• CAT 2024 scorecard

• The deadline for completing the registration

CAT WAT - Written Ability Test

• The Written Ability Test (WAT) is an essay writing test in which students have to write on a topic in about 15 to 30 minutes.
• WAT topics can range from current events to ideology.
• The purpose of WAT is to assess the student's conceptual level of understanding of their surroundings.
• Over 11 IIM out of 20, have WAT as selection criteria. Some IIMs like IIM Kozhikode & IIM Lucknow conduct both WAT & GD rounds.

CAT GD - Groups Discussion

• In Group Discussion, students get divided into several groups. It can be from eight to ten.
• The interviewer provides them with a topic to discuss. Here each student to express their thoughts.
• The moderator evaluates each student's communication skills and ability to persuade others through this battle.

CAT PI - Personal Interview

• The most important round of IIMs admission is the Personal Interview.
• It accounts for about 30-40% of the weight in the selection procedure.
• A panel of 2 to 4 interviewers interviews students in PI who evaluate their confidence, communication skills, organizational skills, and leadership potential, among other things.
• The key to success in this round is to keep calm and honest with your replies.

Reservation Criteria for CAT 2024 Counselling

According to the Indian government's reservation scheme, CAT counseling for IIMs adheres to certain reservation considerations. The statistics are according to the accurate details given on the official web portal.

FAQs

Q1. Is academic profile important for CAT admission?

An academic profile is important in IIM admission since the selection committee looks for applicants who have excelled in their studies. Many times, candidates who scored in the 99th percentile have been passed over because of their academic performance.

Q2. Can I get admission to non-IIM colleges through IIM CAP?

No, the IIM CAP only applicable for new IIMs. Other MBA college that accept the CAT score handle admissions on an individual basis. Each CAT accepting college has different application and admissions process. Candidates must be aware of it.

Q3. How to know whether I am selected for admission into IIM or not?

Students selected for admission by any IIM are notified through email. The email also includes the "acceptance of offer" letter. Students must confirm their admission by completing an "acceptance of offer" letter and paying an acceptance fee within the specified timeframe, completing further prerequisites and paying the first instalment of the tuition cost. April-May verifies the admission.

Q4. What do you mean by WAT or PI in CAT 2024 Selection process ?

The Written Ability Test or WAT is a 30-minute essay writing exam on sociopolitical, commercial, and corporate issues, sports, and so on. PI stands for Personal Interview, which is held on the same day as WAT.

Q5. Which IIM is going to conduct the CAT 2024 counseling process?

Each IIM individually conducts IIM CAT counseling for students seeking admission to management programs at their respective institutes. The admissions process is determined by a candidate's performance on the CAT exam as well as other selection criteria parameters.

Q6. Which factors are important for admission into IIM?

The student's performance in the CAT exam plays a significant role in safeguarding a seat in any item. Students must pass the WAT, GD, and PI after passing the CAT examination.

Q7. Are 10th and 12th marks important in CAT admission process ?

Yes, students' class 10th and 12th class point averages are considered when admission decisions are made. Various IIMs have a different percentage of weightage allotted to consider a student's share in classes 10th and 12th.

Q8. How many seats are available in IIM?

IIMs offer approximately 3300 seats in total. This year, the IIMs may increase the number of seats available in its management program.

Q9. Is the IIM CAT interview tough for admission?

We are all aware that the IIM written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI) are challenging due to their unpredictability. Only by converting interview calls will IIM aspirants' efforts be truly fruitful.

Q10. Can I speak in Hindi in IIM interview?

There is no rule requiring English as the mandatory medium of communication for interviews. Meanwhile, all IIMs expect you to know English even before you show up for the interview. As a result, before attending the IIM interview, you should improve your spoken English skills. Your interviewer has no expertise in Hindi and could only understand English. How are you going to proceed? Even if you are not comfortable answering in English, you must do so. It is critical to have strong English communication skills because the interview determines your admission to an IIM.

Q11. Is admission into IIM tougher than IIT?

Getting into an IIM is just as difficult as getting into an IIT. One must meet the set cut-offs in the CAT, which is one of the most difficult management entrance exams. Approximately 2,50,000 people register for the CAT to compete for 20,000 seats in IIMs. As a result, getting into an IIM is a difficult task.

Q12. Will I get a job after going to IIM?

The brand image of the institute where you study is significant, and it does help to ensure that you will have a good job when you finish your studies. However, once you're out there working, it all comes down to personal drive, desire, and efficiency, in addition to luck.