List of Good MBA Colleges with Low CAT Score

By Kirti Yadav
6 January 2020

Learn about good MBA colleges with low cat score | Sunstone

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The IIM’s have released the CAT 2019 results and for some, the low CAT percentile is a block around which the path is unclear. A low CAT percentile is an unfortunate sign of not being able to make it into a top B school. However, a low CAT percentile does not necessarily mean that all your dreams and aspirations of doing an MBA have come to an end. Out of 2 lakh aspirants who sat for the exam, only 1% would be comprised of the students who scored a 99 percentile.

Have not checked your CAT percentile 2019 yet? Download CAT scorecard here.

It is no secret that the Common Admission Test (CAT) is one of the most prestigious and difficult management entrance exams to crack. There is also confusion among candidates regarding CAT Score vs CAT Percentile, as they receive both in the result. Therefore, getting a low CAT percentile is not the end of the world.

Getting a low CAT percentile has both a downside and upside. The downside of getting a low CAT percentile is that you may not make it to the next rounds of selection of IIMs. The upside is that the IIMs are not the only institutes that accept CAT scores.

Everybody knows that to get into any of the Indian Institutes of Management, one needs to get a CAT percentile between 90-99+ percentile, and still, they may not receive a call from any of the IIM institutes. This article will help you make a 'plan B' of what to do after getting a low CAT percentile.

What to do After a Low CAT Percentile?

The normalization process applied by the IIMs to the CAT score obtained by the student ensures equality and fairness. The process takes into consideration the overall performance of the student and not just in the exam. Though this is a highly fair process, the student cannot foresee his/her final CAT percentile and is disheartened by obtaining a low CAT percentile. Discussed below are some things you can do if you have scored a low CAT percentile.

Retake the CAT exam next year

One option that you have is to reappear for the CAT exam and not give up on your dream of going to an IIM. The biggest risk and disadvantage, in this case, is losing a year. For a few students, giving a gap of a year may or may not be feasible due to various reasons. However, in case you have time in your hand and can retake CAT next year, then you should give it another shot.

Here are some tips to crack CAT for repeaters

Give other state and national level MBA entrance exams

If you have got a low CAT percentile, then another thing that you can do is to appear for other national and state-level management entrance exams such as MAT, XAT, ATMA, CMAT, MAH CET, AP ICET & TS ICET, etc. The plus of giving other exams is the frequency, for eg. CAT is conducted only once a year whereas the MAT is conducted 4 times a year and the state entrances will be held in May or June 2020. The first attempt at MAT 2020 is scheduled to be held in February 2020. A lot of renowned B-schools accept the score of these exams for admissions to MBA, PGDM, and other post-graduate management courses.

Explore other B Schools

You must know and understand that India has lots of esteemed management institutes apart from IIM which you can explore if you have a low CAT percentile. There are a lot of B-schools out there that are offering industry-integrated management programs having curricula resonating with the 21st century needs and expectations of the employers. Compared to the 90+ percentile in the case of IIMs, these Institutes accept a low CAT percentile. Management aspirants with even 50+ percentile and a good academic record can apply to these business schools.

List of MBA Colleges for Low CAT Percentile

Here is a list of colleges that you can join if you didn't score as high in CAT as you expected.

College	Expected CAT Cutoff
NMIMS Mumbai	90
FSM Delhi	85
LPU Jalandhar	80
Amity University Noida	75
UBS Mumbai	75
SAGE Indore	80
Jaipur National University	81

Admissions in Top Private MBA Colleges with Low Scores in CAT

You don't have to worry if you scored low in CAT. There are still many options available for you. Follow these steps in order to get the best college for MBA-

Apply to colleges that have a low CAT score cutoff.
Apply to colleges that have their own entrance exams.
Appear for other state or national level management exams like XAT, CMAT, ATMA etc.
There are also some colleges that don't require any exam scores for admission. You can check them out.

Gain Work Experience

Coming back to things that you can do if you have a low CAT score. The management aspirants can take up a few internships, jobs, or short-term courses related to their career goals to gain work experience. It has been observed that students with prior work experience in the MBA classroom grab the concepts quickly and do well in the course compared to others. Prior work experience helps them during the placement interviews too. So if you haven't scored well in CAT this year, you can try and grab a few years of work experience in the field you wish to make your career.

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