After the CAT Result 2025, the real question is "why candidates with 99.99th percentile are not getting their desired IIM".
There are a total of 64 candidates in the gap of just 0.02 percentiles. This gives a clear idea of how the competition has increased.
In CAT 2025, 12 candidates have scored a perfect 100th percentile. Along with that, 26 candidates have scored 99.99th percentile, and another 26 candidates have scored 99.98th percentile.
Another reason is that the number of high scores continues to increase, but the seat intake at IIM ( A, B, C) remains the same. This creates a huge gap between the percentile and selections.
So even if you have scored near a perfect percentile, this does not guarantee an interview call from your dream IIM.
Also Read:
- How Non-Engineers Dominate the CAT 2025 Toppers List?
- Check Category-wise Cutoff for IIMs and Top MBA Colleges, Marks vs Percentile, Good Score
Key Summary
- Over 2,500 candidates score 99+ percentile every year.
- Total seats across 21 IIMs are limited to around 5,500.
- Just 1,200 seats belong to IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Calcutta.
- Final admission depends on overall profile, not just percentile.
CAT Result 2025 vs 2024 Percentile Breakdown
As per the table below:
- The count of applicants who got above the 99.98th percentile has not changed, but the total number of CAT candidates has increased.
- The number of 99.9+ percentile candidates has decreased from 14 in 2024 to 12 in 2025, but the difference is very less
| Metric | CAT 2025 | CAT 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Candidates at 99.9+ Percentile | 12 | 14 |
| Candidates at 99.5+ Percentile | 26 | 29 |
| Candidates at 99+ Percentile | 26 | 30 |
| Registered Candidates | 2.95 lakh | 3.29 lakh |
| Test Takers | 2.58 lakh | 2.93 lakh |
Read More: What After the CAT Result?
Ques. Can I get IIM Kozhikode at 95 percentile?
Ans. Yes, it is possible to get IIM Kozhikode at 95 percentile, but it can be challenging for the General category candidates. You will get a call if you have cleared the sectional cutoff and have a good profile, but it's more likely for the SC/ST/EWS candidates.
The IIMs Seat Matrix
- Thousands of candidates score above 99 percentile but the number of seat at IIMs remains the same. Across all 21 IIMs, total of around 5500 seats are available on each year.
- If you look at the maths, out of these 5500 seats, 1200 seats are from IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Calcutta. Candidates scoring 99+ percentile is around 2500+ which is growing every year.
- This shows the number of high scorers already far exceeds the number of available seats. This explains why a 99+ percentile is not enough to get seat at top IIM.
| Category | Numbers | Reality |
|---|---|---|
| Total IIM seats (All 21 IIMs) | 5,500 seats | Fixed capacity |
| Candidates scoring 99+ percentile | 2,500+ candidates | Growing every year |
| Top IIM seats (IIM A, B, C) | 1,200 seats | Most competitive |
Check: CAT 2025 Sectional Cut-off for IIMs
Ques. Which 8 IIMs are under the cap?
Ans. IIM Bodhgaya, IIM Jammu, IIM Kashipur, IIM Nagpur, IIM Ranchi, IIM Sirmaur, IIM Trichy and IIM Udaipur are the 8 IIMs under the CAP.
The Coaching Impact: How CAT turned into a strategy-driven exam
Coaching has been the major factor behind CAT's transformation from simply an aptitude test into a predictable, pattern-seeking evaluation. The top institutes today are preparing candidates not only with concepts but also with the exam structure.
Familiarity with the exam is the basis for preparation today. Candidates today study slot difficulty trends, use data-driven score projections, and practice with mocks that are very similar to the real test. To pass, one has to be just as good at selecting the right questions as at solving them.
Maruti Konduri, a prominent CAT coach, is a great example of this trend. He has failed his IIT exams and first CAT attempt, and has also been fired from an investment banking job. But he has become one of the most inspiring figures in CAT coaching within a decade. His story shows how coaching expertise can transform preparation outcomes, but it also means the bar keeps rising.
Also Read:
Ques. Is it possible to prepare for a CAT without coaching?
Ans. Yes, it is possible to prepare for the CAT without coaching, but you will get an upper hand if you take coaching because coaching provides you study plan, good study materials and practice tests, which will make you exam-ready.
Why is Today’s 99.99 harder than the Previous Year?
- In recent years, candidates have been securing around 120-130 marks out of 204 with the tougher normalisation process.
- In pre-2015, candidates used to score 100-110 marks out of 300. This shows the base performance has improved over the years, which makes the top slots competitive.
- This is because of coaching impact as well as the availability of free mocks, detailed YouTube videos, study materials, etc.
| Era | Paper Format | 99.99%ile Score Range | Key Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-2015 | 300 marks, 3 hours | 100-110 marks | Lower precision needed |
| 2020-2025 | 204 marks, 2 hours | 120-125+ marks | Near-perfect execution required |
Ques. What is the CAT normalisation process?
Ans. CAT implements a normalisation procedure to give a fair chance to all candidates, irrespective of their exam slots. The raw scores are first offset in accordance with the difficulty of the slot, then they are transformed into scaled scores, and finally, percentiles are determined in such a way that no candidate loses their chance. The process includes calculating the average and the standard deviation for each slot, adjusting the scores, and extracting percentiles that correctly express the relative performance.
The Selection Criteria
Another reason why 99.99 is not enough for IIMs is the selection criteria of IIMs. Each IIMs have its own selection process where the CAT score is accounted for only 25-40% of the final selection.
IIM Ahmedabad assigns the highest weightage to Personal Interview at 50%, making it more important than the CAT score itself. IIM Bangalore assigns 40% to PI and only 25% to CAT scores in their final selection. This means candidates with good academic performance, work experience can secure a seat at IIMs.
Check: What is the IIM admission process for the 2026-28 Batch?
IIM Selection Parameters Breakdown
| Parameter | Weightage Range | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| CAT Percentile | 25-40% | Basic qualification |
| Personal Interview | 15-50% | Most critical factor |
| Academic Record (10th, 12th, Grad) | 15-30% | Cannot be changed |
| Work Experience | 5-10% | Adds differentiation |
| Diversity Factors | 2-5% | Gender, academic background |
| Written Ability Test | 10-15% | Communication skills |
Also Read:
So to sum up, with the rise in the number of top CAT scorers, the 99.99th percentile is no longer a guarantee for admission. Limited seats and intense competition mean even small score differences decide who gets in. Now, it is very important to have a well-thought-out preparation and a strong profile.
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