IIM Bangalore RTI Data Analysis: Minimum CAT Percentile, Category Cutoffs & Admission Trends

Under India’s Right to Information (RTI) Act, candidates have legally guaranteed access to public data from IIMs, including number of applicants, shortlist counts, minimum CAT percentile shortlisted, and lowest CAT percentile that finally converted to admission, across categories.

Unlike coaching “safe score” speculations or brochure cutoffs, RTI replies are issued by the institutes themselves and are legally binding, which means misreporting can be challenged under the RTI framework.

For a serious aspirant, the minimum CAT percentile in RTI data answers questions that brochures do not:

• “What is the actual lowest percentile that converted at IIM Bangalore for my category in the last few years?”
• “How far below the ‘official’ qualifying cutoff do real converts exist?”
• “How do IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta and the new/baby IIMs compare on minimum converting percentiles?”

Coaching cutoffs usually quote:

• Qualifying cutoff (eligibility to be considered for WAT/PI, often 80–95 percentile for General category in brochures).
• Speculative “safe” percentile (for example, 99+ for BLACKI for a strong shot at calls).

RTI-based numbers, by contrast, show:

• Minimum CAT percentile that actually got a call (shortlist stage).
• Minimum CAT percentile that converted to a final admit, often lower than popular belief, especially for reserved categories and non-flagship/new IIMs.

This article uses RTI-backed data wherever available (primarily 2020–22 to 2024–26 batches) and supplements it with official criteria and reputable analysis only to explain patterns or expected 2025–26 ranges.

How IIM selection really works (common framework)

Across IIMs, selection has three broad layers:

1. Qualifying CAT cutoffs – minimum overall and sectional percentiles to be eligible for shortlisting.
2. Shortlist composite score – uses CAT, academics, work‑ex, diversity to decide WAT/PI calls.
3. Final composite score – uses CAT, PI, WAT, profile, and sometimes work‑ex for final offers.

Typical components in the composite score:

• CAT overall percentile and/or section-wise scaled score
• Class 10, 12 and graduation marks
• Standardization across streams (Arts/Commerce/Science/Engineering)
• Quality and duration of work experience
• Gender and academic diversity tags
• WAT (essay/analysis) and Personal Interview performance

Typical weightage ranges in recent IIM policies

Exact numbers vary by IIM and year, but recent admission policies show fairly stable weight bands:

*Ranges consolidated from recent admission policies and RTI-based analyses for IIM A/B/C/L/K/I and new IIMs.

Implication: two candidates with the same CAT percentile can have very different outcomes depending on academics, work‑ex and interview; hence minimum converting percentile is always profile‑dependent, not a fixed threshold.

IIM Bangalore: RTI‑based minimum CAT percentile (core section)

IIM Bangalore (IIM B) historically gives relatively less weight to CAT and more to academics and work experience, which explains why its qualifying cutoff is moderate, but RTI minima for conversion are still competitive.

Official qualifying CAT cutoffs vs RTI minima – IIM Bangalore

For recent cycles, official eligibility cutoffs for General category have been around 85 percentile overall, with sectional cutoffs about 80 in VARC and 75 in DILR/QA.

*Qualifying cutoffs for shortlisting eligibility, not actual call or convert cutoffs.

RTI-based analyses show that the minimum CAT percentile that actually converted a PGP seat at IIM Bangalore over the last four cycles is often in the 80–94 range for General category, depending on batch and profile, and significantly lower for reserved categories.

IIM Bangalore PGP: RTI‑based minimum CAT percentile to convert (2020–22 to 2023–25)

The table below uses RTI‑derived data compiled for IIM Bangalore’s flagship PGP program.

Table: Minimum CAT percentile that converted IIM Bangalore PGP (RTI)

Key observations from IIM Bangalore RTI data:

• For General category, the lowest converting percentile fluctuated between ~80.4 and ~93.3 in the last four cycles, averaging around the high‑80s.
• EWS and NC‑OBC candidates often convert with percentiles in the 79–90 range.
• SC/ST converts can be as low as the mid‑60s to mid‑70s, especially in years with more emphasis on profile and interview quality.

IIM Bangalore: indicative selection weightage

IIM Bangalore typically uses a high academic weightage and strong PI weightage.

This explains why candidates with 90–95 percentile in CAT but excellent academics/work‑ex still convert, while some 99+ candidates with weak profiles may not.

IIM Ahmedabad: RTI‑based minimum percentile and comparison with Bangalore

IIM Ahmedabad (IIMA) continues to be one of the most competitive IIMs, but RTI‑based data shows that its minimum converting percentiles are not as impossibly high as many believe, especially for reserved categories.

IIM Ahmedabad PGP: minimum CAT percentile to convert (RTI)

Table: Minimum CAT percentile that converted IIM Ahmedabad PGP (RTI)

Recent RTI‑based analysis for the 2024–26 batch indicates a lowest General‑category CAT percentile shortlisted for WAT‑PI around 94 and lowest General‑category convert around mid‑90s, showing tightening competition in the most recent cycle.

Ahmedabad vs Bangalore: RTI‑based minimum converting percentiles (General)

Using the RTI minima across four cycles:

• IIMA General minima: 85.93, 88.32, 93.90, 93.90 → average ≈ 90.0 percentile.
• IIMB General minima: 80.44, 88.78, 93.26, 86.18 → average ≈ 87.2 percentile.

Ahmedabad thus demands slightly higher minimum converting percentiles on average than Bangalore for General category, though both show overlap and heavy profile dependence.

IIM Calcutta, Lucknow, Indore, Kozhikode & Shillong: RTI‑linked insights

IIM Calcutta (IIM C)

Recent RTI data for IIM Calcutta highlights that the institute works almost entirely on composite scores, not pure CAT percentiles, for both shortlisting and final offers.

For the latest batch, public RTI‑based summaries indicate:

*CAT equivalent is inferred because IIM C does not report explicit percentile cutoffs in RTI; it uses composite scores.

For Calcutta, RTI and policy documents together suggest that General candidates effectively need 99+ percentiles, while reserved categories can convert from approximately 70–85 percentile ranges depending on profile and composite score.

IIM Lucknow & IIM Indore

Explicit RTI tables for minimum converting percentiles for Lucknow and Indore are less widely published than for A/B, but large‑sample analyses consistently show:

• General candidates usually need high‑90s (around 97–99 percentile) for a robust shot at conversion.
• Qualifying cutoffs are lower (around 90 percentile for General), but final converts cluster well above that.
• Reserved‑category candidates often convert between roughly 75–90 percentile depending on category and year.

Because the underlying RTI spreadsheets for these IIMs are not fully summarised in publicly viewable tables, this article restricts itself to ranges and directional trends rather than claiming exact minima.

IIM Kozhikode (core PGP)

For the 2021–23 class of IIM Kozhikode, RTI‑based tables provide minimum percentiles that converted the flagship PGP program:

This places IIM Kozhikode’s minimum converting percentiles between Bangalore and the newer IIMs, with General minima in the mid‑80s and significantly lower thresholds for reserved categories.

IIM Shillong

Public RTI summaries for IIM Shillong are less granular, but available analyses show that its General qualifying cutoff is around 75 percentile, with effective final converts trending higher, especially for the flagship program.

For many reserved categories, final converting percentiles can be in the 60–75 range, particularly when diversity and profile weightages are strong.

New & Baby IIMs: RTI‑backed minimum percentile snapshot

For the 2021–23 batch, RTI‑based analysis for new and baby IIMs offers a clear comparative picture of how these campuses differ in minimum converting percentiles across categories.

Minimum CAT percentile to convert – selected New/Baby IIMs (2021–23, RTI)

Insights from New/Baby IIM RTI data:

• Several new IIMs (Raipur, Ranchi, Udaipur, Trichy, Rohtak) demand General minima in the mid‑90s, close to old IIMs.
• Others (Nagpur, Visakhapatnam, Amritsar) are more accessible with General minima around mid‑80s to low‑90s.
• Reserved categories see dramatically lower minima, with SC/ST converts for some campuses in the 40–60 percentile range.

Weightage breakup: IIM‑wise patterns

While every IIM publishes its own criteria each year, selection‑criteria documents and RTI‑linked analyses show common patterns.

Typical weightage themes by IIM cluster

These weightage bands help explain why some RTI minima are lower than coaching expectations – especially when:

• A candidate has excellent academics and work‑ex, compensating for a slightly lower CAT.
• Institutes aggressively target non‑engineering and female candidates, lowering the CAT threshold for those profiles.

Trend analysis & insights (2019–2025)

1. Rising vs falling percentiles

• For old IIMs (A/B/C), RTI data and expert analyses suggest a slight upward drift in minimum converting percentiles for General category over time, as applicant numbers and competition have increased.
• In contrast, reserved categories show wider fluctuation, with some years where SC/ST converts dip into the 60s or even high‑50s, especially for newer campuses.

2. Impact of CAT difficulty

• CAT papers with higher difficulty reduce raw scores required for a given percentile, but percentile‑based cutoffs remain relatively stable, so RTI minima expressed in percentiles move less than raw scores.
• In “easy” CAT years, more candidates cluster at high percentiles, and IIMs may react by slightly raising qualifying cutoffs, but RTI minima tend to remain anchored by seat count and profile mix.

3. Older vs newer IIMs

• Old IIMs (A/B/C/L/I/K): General RTI minima typically sit in the high‑80s to high‑90s, depending on institute and year.
• New/Baby IIMs: Some top new IIMs (Raipur, Ranchi, Udaipur, Trichy, Rohtak) show General minima above 93–96 in certain years, rivaling older IIMs, while others remain accessible in the mid‑80s.

4. Category‑wise gaps and diversity advantage

• Across almost all campuses, EWS and NC‑OBC minima sit 5–10 percentile points below General in RTI tables.
• SC/ST minima can be 15–30 percentile points lower, particularly in new/baby IIMs and for non‑flagship programs.
• Female and non‑engineer candidates benefit from diversity weightages; multiple analyses show converts at 90–95 percentile for old IIMs where male engineers needed 97–99+, especially at IIM Kozhikode and some CAP IIMs.

5. Ahmedabad vs Bangalore vs Calcutta – strictness lens

Using RTI minima and composite‑score equivalents:

• IIM Calcutta: highest effective CAT requirement for General (around 99.7+), due to composite score structure and fewer profile relaxations.
• IIM Ahmedabad: General minima around ~90 percentile on multi‑year average, with recent shortlist and offer data suggesting effective General threshold drifting towards mid‑90s.
• IIM Bangalore: slightly lower General minima on average (high‑80s), but extremely sensitive to academic record and work‑ex quality.

For a General‑category aspirant with strong academics and work experience, IIM Bangalore can be marginally more forgiving on pure CAT percentile than IIM Ahmedabad or Calcutta, whereas for weaker academics the opposite is true.

Comparative master table – RTI‑based averages (where available)

Note: “Avg Min Percentile (Gen)” for A and B is the mean of RTI minima across 2020–22 to 2023–25. For others, it reflects the best available RTI cycle or tight range from RTI‑based analyses; where reliable institute‑wise RTI tables are absent, values are reported as ranges or “NA”.

*Ranges approximate from RTI cycles and RTI‑based analyses; use exact institute RTI sheets for precise values for a given year.

RTI process & data credibility

How RTI data is collected

• Any Indian citizen can file an RTI application to an IIM seeking anonymised admissions data (for example, number of applicants by category, minimum CAT percentile shortlisted or admitted, composite scores).
• IIMs respond with official spreadsheets or summaries, often including category‑wise lowest scores and percentiles, subject to privacy and reasonable limits.

Why RTI replies are credible

• RTI replies are issued by the Public Information Officer (PIO) of the institute, who is legally accountable under the RTI Act.
• False or misleading replies can be challenged via First Appeal and even to the CIC, which makes institutes extremely cautious and data‑driven when responding.

Limitations of RTI data

• Institutes sometimes provide composite scores instead of CAT percentiles (for example, IIM Calcutta), forcing analysts to estimate equivalent percentiles.
• Not all IIMs publish year‑wise RTI sheets in public, so secondary analyses become necessary to interpret numbers.
• RTI reflects historical batches; for the current 2025–26 and upcoming 2026–28 cycles, only expected cutoffs are available until new RTI replies are released.

RTI vs coaching‑class guesses

• Coaching articles typically quote expected cutoffs – for example, top IIMs requiring 99+ percentiles for General and 90–95 for new IIMs in upcoming cycles.
• RTI, by contrast, shows that real converts exist below these “safe” ranges, particularly in reserved categories and diversity‑favoured profiles.

For serious aspirants, the best strategy is to treat RTI minima as absolute lower bounds in good years, not guaranteed targets, and combine them with current‑year expected ranges to decide where to apply and how hard to push CAT preparation.

FAQs: Minimum CAT percentile, category cutoffs & RTI

1. What is the minimum percentile for IIM Ahmedabad?
RTI data for recent batches shows General‑category converts as low as ~85.9–93.9 percentile, with the latest shortlist and offer data suggesting mid‑90s or higher for safer conversion; reserved categories convert significantly lower (roughly 60–80 range).

2. What is the minimum CAT percentile for IIM Bangalore?
RTI data for 2020–22 to 2023–25 shows General‑category converts between ~80.4 and ~93.3 percentile, averaging in the high‑80s; SC/ST converts can be in the mid‑60s to mid‑70s.

3. Can I get an old‑IIM call at 90 percentile (General category)?
For most General candidates, 90 percentile is insufficient for A/B/C/L/I/K under typical profiles; analyses point to about 97–99+ as realistic ranges for old‑IIM calls, though exceptional diversity profiles may see borderline cases below that.

4. Which IIM has the lowest cutoff?
Among IIMs, RTI‑based and policy analyses show that some new/baby IIMs (Nagpur, Visakhapatnam, Amritsar etc.) see General converts in the mid‑80s, whereas top new IIMs and old IIMs cluster much higher.

5. Do sectional cutoffs matter more than overall percentile?
Both matter: you must clear sectional thresholds (often around 70–85 percentile) and achieve a competitive overall percentile; falling below sectional cutoffs leads to rejection despite a high overall score.

6. Are RTI numbers the same as official cutoffs on IIM websites?
No. Websites mostly publish qualifying cutoffs, while RTI reveals actual minimums among those shortlisted or admitted, which can be higher or lower than qualifying thresholds depending on competition and profile mix.

7. How often should aspirants look at RTI data?
Once per year is sufficient: use the latest complete RTI cycle plus one older cycle to understand variability, then pair it with current expected cutoff articles for the exam year.

8. Is RTI data accurate for admissions strategy?
Yes, RTI data is the most accurate publicly available source on past minimum percentiles, but it is backward‑looking and must be used with current policy changes and seat expansions in mind.

9. Does category (SC/ST/OBC/EWS) change minimum CAT requirements drastically?
Yes: RTI shows gaps of roughly 15–30 percentile points between General and SC/ST in many IIMs, and about 5–10 points between General and EWS/OBC, especially in new/baby IIMs.

10. Is it possible to convert an IIM at <80 percentile (overall)?
For General and EWS, this is virtually impossible in the flagship PGPs of any IIM; however, some RTI data and expert analyses indicate reserved‑category converts in the 40–70 range in specific new/baby IIMs and non‑flagship programmes.

11. How can a candidate with 90–95 percentile make the most of RTI insights?
Focus on IIM Kozhikode and stronger new IIMs, where RTI shows General minima in the mid‑80s to mid‑90s, and invest in profile building and interviews to leverage diversity weightage.

12. For 2025 and 2026 admissions, what percentile should I target?
Broadly, General candidates should aim for 99+ for A/B/C, 97–99 for L/I/K, and 90–95 for strong new IIMs, while using RTI minima only as guidance on how low converts have gone in favourable conditions.

Primary keywords

• minimum percentile for IIM
• minimum CAT percentile for IIM Bangalore
• IIM Bangalore RTI data
• IIM RTI data analysis
• CAT cutoff for IIMs
• IIM admissions RTI
• RTI data minimum CAT percentile
• IIM Bangalore CAT cutoff
• IIM Ahmedabad minimum percentile RTI
• IIM Calcutta CAT percentile RTI
• IIM Lucknow minimum CAT percentile
• IIM Indore cutoff RTI
• IIM Kozhikode RTI data
• IIM Shillong CAT cutoff
• new IIM minimum percentile
• baby IIM CAT cutoff RTI
• IIM category wise cutoff RTI
• IIM EWS cutoff percentile
• IIM OBC cutoff RTI
• IIM SC ST cutoff percentile
• IIM RTI shortlist data
• IIM RTI final admit data
• CAT percentile to convert IIM Bangalore
• CAT percentile to convert IIM Ahmedabad
• CAT percentile to convert IIM Kozhikode
• CAT 2025 IIM cutoff RTI
• CAT 2026 IIM cutoff expected

Secondary keywords

• IIM Bangalore selection criteria
• IIM Bangalore composite score
• IIM Ahmedabad selection criteria RTI
• IIM Calcutta composite score cutoff
• IIM Lucknow shortlist criteria
• IIM Indore admissions RTI data
• IIM Kozhikode diversity weightage
• IIM category wise CAT cutoff 2024
• IIM cutoff trend analysis
• IIM BLACKI minimum percentile
• minimum percentile to convert BLACKI
• IIM shortlist vs final cutoff
• IIM RTI data PDF
• RTI based IIM cutoff analysis
• RTI vs coaching CAT cutoff
• real CAT percentile for IIM calls
• safe percentile for old IIMs
• safe percentile for new IIMs
• CAT sectional cutoff for IIM
• VARC cutoff for IIM Bangalore
• DILR cutoff for IIM Ahmedabad
• QA cutoff for IIM Calcutta
• IIM weightage for academics
• IIM work experience weightage
• IIM gender diversity points
• IIM academic diversity points
• IIM composite score calculation

Long‑tail keywords

• minimum CAT percentile to convert IIM Ahmedabad
• minimum CAT percentile to convert IIM Bangalore
• RTI data IIM Bangalore minimum percentile
• lowest percentile to get into IIM Ahmedabad
• lowest percentile to get into IIM Bangalore
• RTI data IIM selection criteria
• RTI data IIM category wise cutoff
• CAT percentile required for IIM Bangalore general
• CAT percentile required for IIM Bangalore OBC
• CAT percentile required for IIM Bangalore SC ST
• IIM RTI data minimum percentile for new IIMs
• RTI data minimum percentile IIM Raipur Ranchi Udaipur
• IIM Kozhikode minimum CAT percentile RTI
• IIM RTI cutoff trend 2019 to 2025
• how much percentile is needed to get into IIM A
• can I get IIM call at 90 percentile
• can I get IIM Bangalore at 95 percentile
• minimum percentile for IIM calls for engineers
• minimum percentile for IIM calls for non-engineers
• IIM RTI CAT percentile vs composite score
• difference between IIM qualifying cutoff and RTI cutoff
• is RTI data accurate for IIM admissions
• how to use RTI data for CAT target setting
• IIM RTI admission transparency
• IIM RTI response format for CAT cutoffs
• IIM Bangalore RTI data 2023 2024 2025
• IIM Ahmedabad RTI data 2023 2024 2025
• new IIM RTI minimum percentile 2021 2023
• baby IIM RTI minimum percentile 2021 2023

(Using qualitative volume and difficulty bands.)

*Qualitative bands inferred from prevalence across major exam‑prep and admissions content.