Students with a raw score below 120 marks in ATMA July 2026 (out of a total of 180 marks) can target a wide range of MBA and PGDM institutes across India — from reputed colleges with 80–90 percentile cutoffs to accessible quality programmes that accept students from the 50th percentile upward.
ATMA (AIMS Test for Management Admissions) is conducted by the Association of Indian Management Schools (AIMS) and is accepted by over 700 MBA and PGDM colleges in India. The exam has 180 questions across six sections, scored on a raw scale of 0–180 (with +1 per correct answer and –0.25 per wrong answer). A raw score below 120 marks is not a narrow band — it covers students in roughly the 50th to 95th percentile range, each of whom has a distinct set of colleges to target. This article maps specific score ranges to the institutes you can realistically apply to, with expected cutoff data based on 2024–25 trends.
- ATMA July 2026 exam date: July 10, 2026
- Total marks in ATMA: 180 (180 questions, +1 for correct, –0.25 for wrong)
- Raw scores of 60–115 cover the 50th to 95th percentile range (based on 2025 ATMA data)
- Over 700 MBA and PGDM colleges in India accept ATMA scores
- Colleges with cutoffs from 50–90 percentile are all reachable with scores under 120 marks
- ATMA is conducted up to five times per year — a September 2026 retake is available
ATMA Under 120 Marks: What Your Score Means
ATMA has a maximum raw score of 180 marks. The raw score is converted into a percentile, which colleges use as the primary admission filter. Based on data from recent ATMA sessions (2024–25), a raw score of 100–115 marks corresponds to approximately the 90th–97th percentile. A score of 80–99 marks is expected to fall in the 75th–90th percentile band, while 60–79 raw marks typically places you around the 60th–75th percentile. Students scoring 40–59 marks generally land in the 45th–60th percentile range.
This spread is important because different colleges target different percentile bands. Top ATMA-accepting colleges like Welingkar and XIME Bangalore set cutoffs around 80–90 percentile, while mid-tier and regional institutes accept students from the 50th percentile upward. Knowing exactly where you stand within the sub-120 range helps you build a focused, realistic college list — rather than applying broadly and hoping for results.
Score Band to College Tier Mapping for ATMA Under 120 Marks
The table below shows how raw marks below 120 translate into expected percentile bands and which college tiers you can target in each range. All figures are expected estimates based on 2024–25 ATMA trends.
| Raw Score Range (out of 180) | Expected Percentile (2025 Trends) | College Tier You Can Target |
|---|---|---|
| 100–119 marks | ~90–97 percentile | Top ATMA colleges — Welingkar Mumbai, XIME Bangalore, Jaipuria |
| 80–99 marks | ~75–90 percentile | Good private institutes — SIES Mumbai, SDMIMD Mysore, IPE Hyderabad |
| 60–79 marks | ~60–75 percentile | Mid-tier AICTE-approved colleges — AIMS Institutes, ISB&M Pune, ITM Business School, NDIM Delhi |
| 40–59 marks | ~45–60 percentile | Accessible quality programmes — JIMS Delhi, BVIMSR Mumbai, RCM Bhubaneswar |
College-wise Expected Cutoffs for ATMA Under 120 Marks
Below is a detailed list of MBA and PGDM colleges, with expected raw score and percentile cutoffs based on 2024–25 admission data. Final 2026 cutoffs will be announced by individual colleges after the July 2026 session result is declared.
| College | Location | Programme | Expected Raw Score Cutoff | Expected Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Welingkar Institute of Management | Mumbai, Maharashtra | PGDM / MMS | 90–115 | ~80–90 percentile |
| XIME Bangalore | Bangalore, Karnataka | PGDM | 88–112 | ~80–90 percentile |
| Jaipuria Institute of Management | Noida / Lucknow / Jaipur | PGDM | 80–100 | ~75–88 percentile |
| SIES College of Management Studies | Mumbai, Maharashtra | MMS | 78–100 | ~72–85 percentile |
| SDMIMD (Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Institute for Management Development) | Mysore, Karnataka | PGDM | 80–105 | ~75–88 percentile |
| IPE (Institute of Public Enterprise) | Hyderabad, Telangana | MBA | 75–100 | ~70–85 percentile |
| NDIM (New Delhi Institute of Management) | New Delhi | PGDM | 65–90 | ~65–80 percentile |
| AIMS Institutes | Bangalore, Karnataka | MBA / PGDM | 60–85 | ~60–78 percentile |
| ISB&M (International School of Business and Media) | Pune, Maharashtra | PGDM | 60–88 | ~60–80 percentile |
| ITM Business School | Navi Mumbai / Chennai | MBA | 65–90 | ~62–78 percentile |
| ISBR Business School | Bangalore, Karnataka | MBA | 60–85 | ~60–78 percentile |
| JIMS (Jagan Institute of Management Studies) | Rohini, Delhi | PGDM | 50–75 | ~50–70 percentile |
| BVIMSR (Bhavan’s Vivekananda Institute of Management Studies and Research) | Mumbai, Maharashtra | MMS | 50–72 | ~50–68 percentile |
| RCM (Regional College of Management) | Bhubaneswar, Odisha | MBA+ | 45–65 | ~45–62 percentile |
Tips to Strengthen Your Application with an ATMA Score Below 120
A raw score below 120 in ATMA July 2026 does not close doors to a quality MBA. Most colleges in this list follow a composite selection process — your ATMA score determines shortlisting, but the GD-PI round, academic performance, and work experience shape the final offer. Here is how you can make the most of your profile.
- Match your score to the right college tier: Use the score-band table above to shortlist 6–8 colleges in your realistic percentile range. Stretching too far above or below your band wastes application effort.
- Prepare intensively for GD-PI: For students in the 60–95 mark range, the Group Discussion and Personal Interview are often the deciding factor. Strong communication, clarity of career goals, and current affairs awareness can outweigh a lower test score in interviews.
- Highlight your academic record: A graduation score above 65%, especially in a relevant discipline like Commerce, Economics, or Engineering, actively compensates for a lower ATMA score at most private institutes in the 60–80 percentile window.
- Show any work experience: Even 6–12 months of internship or work history strengthens your MBA application at ATMA-accepting institutes. Many colleges in the 50–70 percentile band prefer students with some industry exposure.
- Retake ATMA in September 2026: ATMA is conducted up to five times per year. The next session after July is typically in September. You can register and submit your improved score to colleges with later admission deadlines — most institutes accept scores from any session in the same academic cycle.
- Explore PGDM alongside MBA programmes: Several ATMA-accepting colleges like SDMIMD, ISB&M, and XIME offer PGDM — an AICTE-approved postgraduate diploma equivalent to an MBA. PGDM programmes often have more flexible admission criteria and stronger industry linkages than university-affiliated MBA courses.
ATMA July 2026 Colleges Under 120 Marks FAQs
Ques. What is the total marks for ATMA?
Ans. ATMA has a total of 180 marks. The paper has 180 questions across six sections — Analytical Reasoning Skills (2 sections), Verbal Skills (2 sections), and Quantitative Skills (2 sections), each with 30 questions. Every correct answer earns +1 mark and every incorrect answer attracts a –0.25 mark deduction. There is no penalty for unattempted questions.
Ques. What percentile does a raw score of 80–100 marks correspond to in ATMA?
Ans. Based on 2024–25 ATMA session data, a raw score of 80–100 marks is expected to correspond to approximately the 75th–90th percentile range. The actual percentile for the July 2026 session will depend on the overall difficulty of the paper and the number of students who appeared.
Ques. Which are the best MBA colleges I can target with an ATMA score of 90–115 raw marks?
Ans. A raw score of 90–115 marks in ATMA is expected to correspond to approximately the 88th–95th percentile, making you eligible for top ATMA-accepting colleges. Based on 2024–25 trends, you can target Welingkar Institute of Management (Mumbai), XIME Bangalore, Jaipuria Institute of Management (Noida, Lucknow, Jaipur), SIES College of Management Studies (Mumbai), and SDMIMD (Mysore). Your final admission will also depend on your GD-PI performance and overall profile.
Ques. Can I get MBA admission with a raw ATMA score of 60–70 marks?
Ans. Yes. A raw score of 60–70 marks in ATMA corresponds to approximately the 60th–70th percentile, which is within the cutoff range for several AICTE-approved MBA and PGDM programmes. Colleges such as AIMS Institutes (Bangalore), ISB&M (Pune), ITM Business School, JIMS (Delhi), and BVIMSR (Mumbai) are expected to consider scores in this band. A strong GD-PI performance and a solid academic record can significantly improve your admission chances.
Ques. Can I retake ATMA if I am not satisfied with my July 2026 score?
Ans. Yes. ATMA is conducted multiple times in an academic year — typically in February, March, May, July, and September. The next session after July 2026 is expected in September 2026. You can appear in that session and submit your best score to colleges that have not yet closed their 2026 admissions. Most ATMA-accepting institutes accept scores from any session within the same cycle.
Ques. Do ATMA colleges use the raw score or the percentile for shortlisting?
Ans. Most ATMA-accepting colleges use the percentile for shortlisting, not the raw marks directly. The official ATMA scorecard reports both the scaled score (out of 800) and the percentile. When you apply to a college, they compare your percentile against their declared cutoff. The raw marks out of 180 are useful for your own reference and for estimating your likely percentile before the official scorecard is released.
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