My Experience with CAT 2014 (Slot 4)

I had not planned for this post but apparently many of you are interested in knowing how I performed in CAT 2014. I have received mails & messages asking for my attempt and for a write up on the process that I adopted. A few students have told me that there is some speculation about my attempts on social media platforms and hence to clear the air I am putting down this brief note.

To put the record straight, I solved a total of 77 questions, 38 in QADI and 39 in VALR, but did not mark any answer on the computer. Hence officially my CAT 2014 attempt is Zero. Let us see what percentile score do my zero attempt convert to this time; in CAT 2013 it led to an overall score of 55.46 percentile with 53.61 in QADI and 57.23 in VALR.

My Plan

After taking CAT in the first slot for five years CAT Center, by design or otherwise, decided to schedule my CAT in the last slot (22nd November afternoon) and hence I had the advantage of knowing the structure. The student feedback on the first three slots was; very easy Quant and RC, do-able DI and difficult LR. Hence while I continued with my standard plan of 80 minutes to VALR and 90 minutes to QADI, I changed the sequenced of attempting the paper as given below:

  • Verbal Logic and English Usage
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Quantitative Aptitude
  • Data Interpretation
  • Logical Reasoning

Over to How I attempted CAT 2014.

Scanning the paper: 3 minutes

 As usual my first action was to click the Questions Paper tab, and went through the entire paper. Found that the paper structure was similar to that of the earlier three slots and comprised:

Section 1 QADI:

  • Q1 – 34 QA: 34 questions – none of them looks lengthy
  • Q35- 50 DI: 4 sets with 4 questions each

Section 2 VALR:

  • Q1 – 18: Verbal Logic and English Usage
  • Q23 – 38 RC: 4 RC with 4 questions each
  • Q19 – 22 and Q39 – 50 LR: 4 sets with 4 questions each

With the pattern along the expected lines I decided to attempt the paper in the sequence that I had planned.

I did not want to mark any answer in the test, hence on the two different sheets given for rough work I wrote down the numbers from 1 to 50 on two different sheets for recording my answers in both the sections.

Verbal logic & English usage: 29 minutes

  • Critical Reasoning: attempted all 4 questions. Did not have any problems in getting the answer, it was reasonably easy to eliminate the choices.
  • Summary/Essence: attempted all 3 questions, again the choices were not tricky and could be eliminated easily.
  • Para Jumbles: attempted all 4 questions, except for 1 question identifying the mandatory pair was not difficult.
  • Para Jumbled (Odd Man Out): attempted all 4 questions, got confused in one question but took a chance and chose an option.
  • Sentence Correction: left all 3 questions since I was not able to eliminate choices. This is my weakest area and hence did not want to take any chances.

Out of the 18 questions of Verbal Logic and English Usage I attempted 15.

Reading comprehension: 24 minutes

 I realized that reading the passage will be difficult as it will need vertical as well as horizontal scrolling. Hence clicked on the “Question Paper” tab and read the passages from this window. The first passage was easy to read and understand and the questions also were direct. However the fourth question after the passage was not connected to it, since all the earlier slots had reported this kind of situation I did not worry about this and went on to the next passage. The second one too was easy and here too the fourth question was from another passage.

Moved to the third passage but found it difficult to read. Struggled through the first paragraph but could not understand anything and hence left the passage. Went through the questions, identified the questions pertaining to the first two passages and moved to the last passage. The fourth passage again was not a problem and was able to attempt all four questions of this passage.

Out of 16 questions in this area I attempted all 12 questions of three passages. 

Quantitative Ability: 55 minutes

This section felt like CAT 2006 all over again. Except for a few questions the level of difficulty of questions was similar to that of MAT. In Round 1 of this section I attempted 27 questions leaving some of the Geometry and the couple of P&C questions. Since the first 34 questions were from QA and DI questions were from 35 to 50, I did not have to spend time evaluating the DI sets.

Out of 34 QA questions I attempted 27 questions.

Data interpretation: 8 attempts in 20 minutes

Continued with the “Questions Paper” and went through the four DI sets, they were:

  • Set 1: Calculation based set. 10,000 students are divided broken in two groups of 5,000 each and tested for knowledge in a certain area. Each of the two groups is divided as per the gender and further sub divided in three sub-groups based on the level of performance. Group 1 is given inputs for a year after which both the groups are re-tested for knowledge in the same area and the change in performance is noted for each sub group. The questions were calculation based and the number of students in each sub group had two zeros in the end. Hence to reduce the calculation effort I ignored the last two zeros, so 10,000 became 100 and 5000 became 50. Attempted all four questions.
  • Set 2: This was similar to the set on Universities (from CAT 2005) in the Mock CAT put up on the CAT 2014 website. This talked about Operating Systems and Editing software. Can be solved but since I take time in solving such sets I decided to leave it now and come back to it later.
  • Set 3: This was a case of campus recruitment, by two companies X and Y. of students of three different streams in an Engineering college. The students are further divided by their gender. This had a large amount of data and hence was not keen on attempting it. A few students have reported that this set had an error but since I did not attempt the set I cannot comment on it.
  • Set 4: A table of students taking a test in 5 different cities, the data had Cities in the columns but I am unable to recollect what the Rows stood for. The table 6 columns – one for each City and the Total, the number of rows were also 5. In each row of the table numbers were missing in 2 cells and were denoted by alphabets “a to j”. Each question gave some information and asked us to determine if it is possible to find the values of the alphabets. Can be attempted.

After going through all four sets I decided to attempt Set 1 followed by Set 4 and attempted all 8 questions from these two sets.

Logical Reasoning: 20 minutes

In the “Questions Paper” went to the four LR sets, they were:

  • Set 1: A simple set of tournament with 8 teams (A to H) participating.  Points earned by 6 teams were given and sufficient data was provided to calculate the points of the remaining two teams. Easy set and I attempted all 4 questions..
  • Set 2: This set was similar to Set 3 of DI. A University has Faculty of Arts and Faculty of Science and both have two Departments each – D1, D2 for Arts and D3, D4 for Science. While D1 and D3 award a Diploma, D2 and D4 award a Degree. The questions pertained to 6 students A, B, C, D, and E & F who take admission in the University. Did not look difficult but felt that it would be time consuming and hence would attempt it later.
  • Set 3: This was a standard LR set. Two Professors have to visit 10 Campuses (5 each) in a week from Monday to Friday. Each will visit only one Campus in a day and conditions were given under which the Professors could visit the Campus. Can be attempted.
  • Set 4: A circular train line has eight equally spaced stations from A to H and four different trains run on this line at constant speed and trains stop at all stations. For each of the four trains we were given the direction in which they ran, the time they started and the time taken to complete the round. For example Train 1 starts from A at 5 am and at every hour after that, it runs in the clockwise direction and takes 40 minutes to reach H. Appeared to be time consuming but do-able.

After going through all four sets I decided to attempt Set 1 followed by Set 3 and attempted all 8 questions from these two sets.

Quantitative Ability: 7 minutes

With about 20 minutes to go I went through the 7 un-attempted QA questions and solved another 3 questions.

Attempted 3 questions

Logical Reasoning: 10 minutes

Went through the remaining LR and DI sets and decided to solve the LR set on trains. Solved the four questions of this set and then whiled away the remaining couple of minutes.

Attempted 4 questions

My overall attempts in CAT 2014 slot 4 are:

  • Section 1: 38 Attempts with 30 of QA and 8 of DI
  • Section 2: 39 Attempts with 15 of VA, 12 of RC and 12 of LR
  • Overall   : 77 Attempts

This is higher than my normal attempts and apart from the lower level of difficulty of the paper two things that worked for me in this paper are:

  • Changing the sequence of attempt the paper.
  • Opening the complete Questions Paper for attempting RC passages and DI & LR sets.

Paper over, since I had not marked any answer the screen showed “0” attempts in both sections, submitted the feedback and moved out.

415 Comments

  1. Sir, I’m Pallavi, student of 11th class commerce maths, I want to go for MBA and the only option is IIM for me as none of the colleges from my point of view is good.
    I recently scored 9.4 cgpa in my 10th class and I’m planning to do 5 year course from IIM just after completion of my 12th. Is there any help you could do or any advice? As I strongly want to do MBA from IIM but I think I’m not that intelligent 🙁

    • Pallavi, IIM Indore’s 5 year IPM program is a great option for after 10+2 students. Please click here to know more about the program. You should consider preparing for IPM.

  3. hi sir ,my profile is as follows 10th -81 ,12th -77,B.tech-72,
    cat-14 OA 93% (92 + 87) working as senior engg in an MNC 3 years 2 months.
    what calls and coversions i can expect ? also is it true that > 36 months experience people will get lest preference.
    also 1 more thing pls help me resolve CL helpdesk Ticket request no.23027.
    the CL helpdesk guy is not responding and its very urgent for me.

    • Rohit, Please refer to the post Cutoffs of CAT allied institutes for information on the institute cutoffs.
      It is incorrect that people with over 3 year workex are less preferred. However given your profile it might be better for you to go for a retake and also take GMAT to target 1 year MBA program of ISB and IIMs.
      Will try and have your query resolved in a day.

      • hi sir,
        thanks to resolve my helpdesk ticket issue. i have taken cl power pdp as i am out of india currently ,can u provide some suggestion for online preparation for pdp .
        also being in nc-obc i am expecting call from new iim and nitie,iits should i join these programs if selected or go for the next year as u have suggested.

        thanks
        Rohit
        Cl student 2011-2014 🙂

  4. sir, what do you feel about the normalization process this year? have you come across any complaints?how much did you score with zero attempts?
    jacob.

    • Jacob, have not analysed the data this year will do so shortly and then report. I have 3.46%ile for my zero attempts.

  5. Hello GP Sir,
    My Profile: QADI-80.79 , VALR-68.71, Overall -78.71
    Category- SC
    X-90%,XII-80,Grad.-68%

    Is there any possibility of getting an IIM call( even from new ones)
    what colleges do you suggest at this percentile??

    • Shiva, calls from new IIMs, MFC, MBE, NITIE etc are possible.
      Will come out with a post on institute cutoffs in a couple of days.

  6. Sir,
    I have got 62percentile in CAT2014 and belongs to SC category.Please tell me from which colleges i have a chance of getting a call.
    Thank You

  7. Respected Sir,
    10th – 88.2% CBSE
    12th – 84.2% CBSE
    B.E. – 71.4% VTU
    CAT- QADI- 91.98% VALR- 97.98% OA- 97.41%
    What are my chances of IIMs (old and new), SPJain, FMS? Which IITs should I apply to?
    Please guide me.

  8. sir,
    10th-88%
    12th-85%
    b tech- 62%
    cat 14- 53 percntile NC OBC category
    dts a bad score i know, but still have to pursue mba this year, please suggest me possible colleges, helps appriciated.

  9. CAT 14 OA 96.72( QA 97.42 VA 89.80)
    X-95.2
    XII- 74.6
    B.Tech- 58.xx(upto 6th sem)
    General Category
    How are my chances for MFC, MBE, MDI (PGPM) and XIMB BM ?

  10. sir,
    my CAT %ile is 87
    x – 76
    xii – 74
    btech- 60
    final year

    In which colleges I should apply. do u think I can get a decent college as my academics are not so good.

  11. Sir,
    OA-89,va-69,qa-93,obc
    Suggest me a few good colleges without sectional cutoffs
    Already applied for fms,fms bhu,iit kgp,d,roorkee.

  12. Hi Sir,
    At a percentile of 99.7+ with 90+ scores in 10th and 12th and 80+ in engg with no work exp(General Engineer Male), how difficult is it to convert IIM A/B/C?
    I mean how difficult it is for a fresher?

    • PR, apologise for missing out on your query.
      Hopefully you have received calls from almost all IIMs, a good performance in the Interview and WAT will ensure conversion, work ex and acads are not very important at this stage.

  17. CAT- 98.43, Scaled Score- 182
    QA- 97.75
    VA- 96.6
    Xth- 92.8
    XIIth-87.8
    Grad-6.62
    Fresher, BITS Pilani

    Considering Indore’s criteria of 35% each to Xth and XIIth and 27% to cat.. Can I expect a call from I and K?

    Thanks!

    • Rohan, except for IIM A, B and C calls are possible for you from all other IIMs. Start your PDP classes immediately.

  18. Sir, My profile Gen. Male

    Class 10- 86%
    Class 12 89%
    Grad- B.Com 69% (till 4th sem)
    Completed IPCC
    Cat 90.75 percentille
    QA 88
    Va 89.7

    Any chance for IIM K call?

  19. Sir,
    I was a CL student (correspondence course). Had received a profile based call from SP Jain but on the day of my exam made an error of not saving 17 of my questions (realized it only when they showed the questions summary page at the end). So i got a 85.86 percentile which means I have just scraped through their 85 percentile cut-off. Is it still worth going for the interview? (on the 12th of Jan)

    • Rashika, apologise for missing out on your query. Hopefully you have had a good interview at SP Jain, at this stage it is your performance in the interview which is important and not your score.

  20. sir i got 85.33 OA in CAT 2014
    QA 90.73
    VA 65.77 in 3rd slot.
    i am a NC-OBC candidate.
    i am a fresher having 83.2 in 10th, 85.6 in 12th and 80 in Btech.
    sir do i have any chances in IITs and IIMs??
    What are other good colleges at this percentile considering my low VA percentile.??

  21. Hi Sir,
    My Profile :
    OA: 93.19 VA: 86 QA: 93.40
    10th 87 12th 89.2 BE 75.4
    GEM Candidate
    WrkEx: 15 mnths till now

    What calls can i except ? What other clgs can I fill (considering I have a pckg of 6lpa) ?
    Do I stand an outside chance of getting a call from any IIMs or IITs ?

  22. Hello Sir,

    I had the same slot as yours and got a percentile of 92.01%ile. I have applied for SPJAIN, DSE, NITIE, FMS, MDI,XIMB separately all through CAT.
    1.)I wanted to ask what are my chances in the above mentioned institutes along with newer IIM’s.
    2> Apart from these institutes is there any other good college which i can apply to (including some iit’s) where i have a reasonable chance of getting a call.
    3>I had the same centre as that of yours and we had a discussion on how this paper with 55-60 correct attempts would have fetch a better percentile given the higher notch difficulty, which i still believe . So , i wanted to ask that can i file an online RTI for my raw scores?

    My profile:-
    Male, General, Engineer(6.75 CGPA) , 10th (90%) , 12th (82%), WorkEx (14 months),
    CAT %ile:- OA-92.01%ile, VA- 83.88%ile , QA- 91.24%ile

    Thanks a Lot Sir

    BR//
    Avi

  23. Sir, here are my details, till now:

    CAT %ile: 95.96 (QA:98.03, VA: 83.83)
    10th: 93.45%
    12th: 81.0 %
    B.E(Mech): 61.3%
    Work-ex: (In a core SME) 18 months
    1. I have applied for MDI. Do you think its possible to convert it?
    2. Should i apply to IIT-Khgp?
    3.Any chance of a call from NITIE?

  24. Dear GP Sir,
    Firstly i would like to thank you for your guidance on the exam taking strategy (140/30), it proved beneficial. I would like to know my chances in the older IIMs, MDI, SP Jain, JBIMS & FMS. As i have applied to only these colleges.
    Here’s a brief recap on my education
    10th – 67%
    12th – 64.44%
    Grad – B.Tech (Electrical) – 58% (2009 pass out)
    Work Experience – 56 months as GET(3months) then moved on to Sales & Marketing(23 months), BD(30 months) rest 2 months (as on 31/03/2015)
    CAT 2014 %ile – 97.95%ile Overall
    VA/LR – 97.6%ile
    QA/DI – 94.08%ile
    What can i expect, I have very strong SOP for admission into only older IIMs(any1) and the institutes mentioned above. Apart from them i am awaiting NMAT results and expecting at least 225, because i scored 219,237,252,255 in NMAT mocks by CL itself.

  25. Hi Sir,
    My profile :
    OA : 93.19, QA:93.40, VA:86.07
    10th:87 12th:86.2 BE:75.4
    WrkEx: 15mnths
    GEM
    Can I expect calls from any decent colleges ?(applied to MDI, NITIE, SPJIMR, DSE(MIB) only)
    What other colleges I can fill now? (considering my current package is 6 lpa)

  26. Sir i scored 94.44 in cat..
    I’m disappointed because i was targeting IIM.
    my profile:
    10th-87.6
    12th-92.8
    grad-79.15
    I’m a commerce graduate.
    this was my second attempt. can i expect any calls or should i try again next year?

    • Parth, go through the process for this year as good institutes are possible at this score also. If you do not get into a decent institute you should pick up a job and go for a retake.
      Please refer to the post Cutoffs of CAT allied institutes for information on the institute cutoffs.

  27. Hello Sir
    Cat- 99.61
    10th- 93.1
    12th- 95.2
    Grad (BBA)- 83.22

    Which all calls can I expect out of ABCL, FMS?
    Can the CAT score be a hindrance to conversion of the calls from the top IIMs, if I get them?

    And when are the interviews generally held, even though I plan to start my prep immediately?
    Thanks.

    • AP, you have a good chance of calls from all institutes. Interviews will start in mid Feb but you should start your PDP classes immediately as conversion is primarily dependent upon your performance in the interview process.

  28. Sir, my profile is as follows:
    CAT 14 :
    QA/DI: 98.00
    VA/LR: 95.35
    OA: 98.31
    Std X: 90.76%
    Std XII: 94.17%
    BTech: 8.56 CGPA (Non-IIT)
    Work-ex: 5 months as of Dec-14
    I am General Category male engineer
    Which IIM calls can I get with this profile?
    IIM-B is my dream institute. Is my profile sufficient to get a call, and furthermore converting it?
    Please guide me as to which other institutes should I apply to? I have applied only for SP Jain
    I am General Category Male Engineer

    • Nikhil, new IIMs, Indore, Khozkhode, Shillong and Lucknow are possible for you, IIM B is unlikely.
      You can consider applying to JBIMS, IIT Mumbai, Delhi and Kgp.

      • Sir, My Xth and XIIth is from Maharashtra Board and BTech from Pune University. Wont these factors favour for a call from IIM-B, considering people score very less in these boards?

        • Nikhil, if the marks awarded by these boards/universities are low then normalisation of board marks will help you.

  29. Sir
    I have scored 95.66 percentile in CAT. What are my chances for NITIE- PGDIM and MDI? How good is NITIE- PGDISEM? Sir what would be the best colleges I could aim for? Also, which colleges can be good backup options at this score?
    I completed B.tech in 2013 and I don’t have any work experience. Also, one more thing to ponder upon is that I would most probably be getting a call for a Bank PO or Insurance AO till April-May. So, should I go for an MBA from the niche colleges which I could get at my low CAT score, or go for the job?
    Regards

    • Manav, NITIE IM and MDI are unlikely at 95.66%ile but PGDISEM is possible and can be considered a back up option.
      You have an outside chance of calls from some of IITs also.
      A bank PO might be a better option than PGISEM.

  30. Overall – 99.14
    Qa- 98.82
    Va- 97.45
    X- 94.8 XII- 92.2 Btech(pursuing)- 77.65
    Category – NC OBC
    What calls can i expect sir ?
    I have applied for Sp jain, mdi, nitie, fms. Also suggest a few colleges which have their registrations open.

  31. Sir Firstly when will IIM A B and L release their shortlisting…
    And here is my profile
    10- 94
    12 – 93
    Grad (B.Com) – 69
    Charteerd Accountant
    Work ex -14 months
    CAT score – 98.63 🙁
    Ccategory – Ggeneral
    Can I expect calls from IIM A, B and L ?
    Thanks in advance

  32. Hello sir ,
    I am a CL online student ,
    Sir My CAT Score and profile is as follows :
    NC-OBC
    OA – 79.79
    QA-55.78
    VA-94.78
    10th – 88.18 % 12th – 90.41 % BE – 70.20%
    Do i hav chances at MBA (IB) and MBA (HRD ) at DSE ,DU …
    Also do i stand a chance at NIT , trichy , DOMS ( BITS Pilani) ..or any other good colleges you would suggest .
    Help Appreciated . Thanks !!

  33. Hello Sir

    CAT Percentile – 98.89
    QA – 97.75 , VA – 98.23
    General Male Engineer
    30 months of Work-Ext till January 2015, 10th – 86% 12th – 88.4%
    Graduation – 70% (Inderprastha Engineering college, Ghaziabad in 2012) 1 year gap b/w 12th and graduation.
    Please tell me from which IIMs can I expect a call ? I haven’t filled any other forms.

    Regards
    Amit

  34. Sir, i got OA 82.96 VA=63.7 QA=88.8
    I have workx of 2years(on june 2015). SC category. good extra currlr.
    Last year i got 84, i got calls from S, FMS + new but i only appeared for FMS but may be with a score less than 90 it will be difficult to make in the final list.
    if with this years score can i expect any good college..??
    According to you, Should i try next year..??
    X,XII,grad = 8+,7+,7+

  35. Sir , I belong to the OBC category and have secured the following percentile :
    Section 1 :70
    Section 2 : 86
    Overall :79.79
    My acads stand at 85 in 10th , 66 in 12th and 66.2 in Btech.
    (Fresher)?
    what good colleges can i expect a call from among the new IIMs, MBE MHROD,IRMA and IITs .
    And realistically , are these calls convertable ? :<

  36. Sir i gt 99.12 this time.. which are the best collges i can expect to get at this score? General Engineer male with 11 months work ex 10-91,12-88 and grad-71.. I have 98.3x in both the sections.. I havent applied to MDI.. Also this was my 2nd attempt , Do you think i can possibly give it a try next year too?

    • Jaspreet, except A, B and C all other IIMs, FMS, SP Jain, NITIE and IITs are possible for you. Do apply to JBIMS also.
      Suggest that you start PDP classes immediately.
      Decide on retake after your covert the calls.

  38. Hello Sir,
    I had messaged you on your facebook profile the same issue.
    Based on my knowledge all normaliation steps are performed after which the scaled scores are calculated. Then, based on the number of people directly below you, you are given a percentile(in a section and as a whole as mentioned in the instructions).

    However, I have a clear instance of 105.25 fetching 99.97 for someone and 107.37 fetching 99.65 for me in the second section of the paper.

    How is this possible?

    Even if the first person had better accuracy, wasnt it already reflected in the scaled score of the person after which any percentile could be allocated to him/her.

    Please shed some light if I am wrong somewhere and the next course of action.
    Thanks.

  39. Sir
    I have got 88 percentile in cat, 🙁 which all colleges should i apply to? Would i be able to get MFC/MHROD or maybe IMI-HR delhi since i’m keen on staying in Delhi which colleges would be best for me
    Thanks

  40. Hi GP Sir,
    My CAT 2014 scores are as below:
    QA 88.81 %ile
    VA 92.53 %ile
    OA 92.76%ile

    and my profile
    10th 95.88%
    12th 94.23%
    Grad 88.4%
    Work ex of 21 months by June 2015

    I have got a profile based call from SPJIMR. What are the chances of conversion? I have also applied to MDI, NITIE… but I guess my score is way below the cut-off for them. I am going to write XAT as well on 4th jan.
    Sir, please suggest what colleges I can apply with this percentile. Is an IIM call even possible?
    Please help!!
    Thanks in advance ..

      • Deep1991, in SP Jain your CAT score has very low weight and hence you can easily convert this call with a good performance in the next stage. The SP Jain cutoff is 70%ile in each section and 85%ile overall which you have.
        Suggest that you start your PDP classes immediately to ensure conversion as this is the best call that you can get at your score.
        You should apply to Great Lakes Chennai 1 year program and IMT also.

  41. VA-92.13
    DI-99.47
    OA-99.26
    Xth-77.00
    XII-72.00
    BTech-77.20
    NC-OBC
    3.5 yrs work exp
    which colleges shall i expect?

    • Faraz, you will get calls from all IIMs and FMS is almost a confirmed admission for you. Please start with PDP classes immediately to ensure conversion to top IIMs.

  42. Sir,
    How much of an advantage is it in the final selection if you have a percentile of say 99.85 as against 99.6, with exactly the same profiles?
    Does the 99.6 person need to cover up a lot in the PI round to get the final call?
    Thanks.

    • GM, CAT socre has a weight of around 30-40% in most IIMs and hence the advantage of a higher CAT score can get easily nullified with a poor GD/Interview/WAT. Profile has a limited role and you should start your PDP classes immediately to ensure good performance in the personality assessment stage.

  43. Sir
    Has IIMC merged the PGDCM seats with PGDM this year?
    It’s not there on their site but I read this somewhere on the net.
    Can you please verify this ?
    Thanks.

  44. Sir
    I got 98.43 with sectionals 97 each. My profile is :
    X-93
    XII-90
    Eng: 78
    Work Ex- 36 months on Aug 14.
    Calls from which older IIMs can be expected?
    Already filled NITIE, MDI & SPJAIN.
    Can I expect calls from these too?

    • Avi, except A and C you have a chance of calls from all other IIMs, NITIE, MDI, SP Jain and all IITs (except Mumbai).Start your PDP classes immediatley.

  46. Sir,
    Cat percentile – 94.23
    Graduation – 75.76%
    XII – 89.8
    X- 93.6
    Work ex- 12months
    Call from which colleges can I expect?

  47. hello sir ,

    CAT score
    Quant – 93.3
    Vercbal – 77.8
    Overall – 90.83

    Academic profile
    X- 88
    XII – 94
    Bcom hons from du – 84

    I have filled sp jain , mdi, Imi. Should i expect any calls?

  50. Hi Sir,

    My Profile,

    Xth: 86.6
    XIIth: 70.7
    B.Tech 81.1
    Workex : 2.5 years(IT)

    CAT:

    QA: 84.32
    VA: 94.57
    OA: 92.20

    Sir please tell me my best options. Can I expect calls from the 6 new IIMS? What other colleges should I target? I have already filled up forms for KJ, GLIM, GIM, TAPMI.

    Thanks

    • Vishwanath, calls are not possible from the new IIMs but you could get a call from the the proposed IIMs if they decide to start operations this year.
      Calls are possible from KJ, GLIM, GIM, TAPMI.
      will post an article on cutoffs of institutes in a couple of days.

  51. sir,

    OA : 94.59%ile ,
    QA : 97.37
    VA : 73.87
    OBC
    sir do i have a chance of calls from any top institutes….and considering my low VA scores should i apply for NITIE….thankyou….

  52. Qa 97.42 Va 89.8
    OA 96.72
    X- 95.2
    XII-74.6
    B.Tech- 58.xx(upto 6th sem)
    How are my chances for MFC, MDI(PGDM) and XIMB(BM) ?

  53. Hi Sir,

    OA: 97.44 (QA: 92.28, VA: 97.85)
    10th: 92.5, 12th: 84.0, Grad:76.3
    Category: Gen / Male, Work Exp: 18 months
    Already filled MDI and SPJain. What would be my chances at nitie? Is it convertible with such a profile?

    • Godwin, new IIMs (also maybe IIMB), MDI, SP Jain and NITIE are all possible at your score and profile. Suggest that you start PDP classes immediately to ensure that you have a good chance of converting the calls.

  54. Sir I got 64 %ile with sectional scores of 64 and 65. ST category. As per cutoffs, I should get a call from I and K only from the old ones. But do I have any real chance of making it to these IIMs? X = 72%, XII = 78, B.Com = 62%. I did register for FMS also but I don’t know if I’ll get a call.

    Also sir, I’m not happy with my scores, is there anything I can do? Revaluation or something along those lines?

    • Akshay, calls from some of the IIMs, FMS and most of the IITs. Unfortunately you cannot do anything about your scores.
      Suggest that you start your PDP classes immediately to ensure that you have a good chance of converting the calls.

  55. Hi Sir,

    QA: 76.17, VA: 85.58, Overall: 82.92, 10th: 88.16,
    12th: 87.2, grad: 75.8, work exp: 28 months,
    From which colleges i can expect a call and for which colleges other than IIM’s i can apply for?

  56. my percentile are as follows
    QA:88.78%
    VA:95.46%
    OA:93.86%
    CATEGORY SC
    Xth-87.46
    XIIth-84
    BE-57.27(Mumbai University)
    Work Ex-38 months(Manager in PublicSector Bank)

    I kindlyreqest you advise me what realistic calls i can expect so that i can start my gd/pi prep with full gusto

    Thanks

    • Girish, Calls are possible for you from almost all IIMs. While you have missed IIMA, IIMC is also unlikely. FMS, JBIMS, NITIE, all IITs are possible for you. Please start your PDP classes immediately.

  57. Hi Sir,

    CAT 92.26, Quant – 94.08 VA – 77.13, CBSE 10th – 88.6, 12th – 88.8, BE – 80.53, General ——-which colleges to target now..

    Please suggest

  58. Hello Sir
    I read somewhere that last year, the least percentile for a General Category Male to get a call from IIMC was 99.61
    Do you expect this percentile to come down this year, given that
    1. The number of test takers dropped by a bit this year
    2. Since IIMA will make calls based on cat percentiles only, there will be a lot of overlapping between A and C, and so they might just choose to call a higher number of people?

    • AG, yes it could go down marginally, say to 99.5%ile.
      The overlap between IIM A and will impact the final conversions and not the interview call list.

  60. Sir i have 97.1 percentile in CAT, 94 in 10th, 89 in 12th and 89 in btech upto 6th sem. Currently in final year engg. Which IIMs can i expect a call from? And do i have any chance of getting an FMS delhi call? Please let me know at the earliest.

    • Glen, you should get calls from new IIMs, MDI, NITIE and most IITs (except Mumbai and Delhi).
      Suggest that you start PDP classes immediately to ensure you are well prepared for the next stage.

  61. Hi GP sir,
    My cat score is 98.89 with 95+ sectionals, and my academics are x:87, xii:95, Btech :72, i have got 34 months of experience as of now in IT, what are all the calls can I expect? Any chance for old iims and iitb?

    • Ranjith, except IIM A and C all other IIMs, FMS, MDI, NITIE and all IITs (except Mumbai_) are possible for you. Suggest that you start your PDP classes immediately.

  62. GP Sir,,
    i hhot 94 %le last year..
    This year i hav dozends of mocks with 99+

    All i got in CAT is 92

    Im shell shocked…no idea wer to go with this

    i even left my job fr this.
    No idea wot happened.

    I am waiting fr nmat/Snap
    Hopefully there my hard work will pay off!!

    If theres any advice u wana give..id really apreciate it sir.

  63. SIR
    I am very serious about mica but I have a very average academic background. Do I have a fair chance in interview if I crack the micat.

  64. sir, what are my chances to get iim A,B,C call with my profile–
    category SC, 10th %-84.8 ,NTSE scholarship holder, 12th %-72.3 , engg %- 64.4
    during engg. i was detained due low attendence for 1 year. i have used cat comprehensive program and with true percentile predicter my score range is QADI=47-51 and VALR=67- 75.on total score 0f 115-132 my % ranging from 87.9 to 95.4 according to predicter.

  65. Sir with cat percentile of 80 n above is it possible to convert nitie call?Also how much minimum percentile is required for an sc candidate to convert FMS call?

    • Saurabh, as a SC candidate you can convert NITIE at 80%ile.
      For a SC candidate to convert FMS you should have at least 90%ile

  66. sir,
    Can you say something about MBA program at Satya sai Institute of Higher Learning, Anatapur. How is the program?

  67. Sir,
    I am a 4th year student at IIT-Delhi. I am also a student of CL. I attempted CAT 2014 in slot-2. I answered 74 questions (41+33) in the paper ensuring high accuracy. I estimate my net score to 194/300. In your opinion, what would be my percentile at this score? Will I get IIM-A,B,C calls at this percentile? (X-92%, XII-87%, B.Tech-71%) I would also like to know whether I will have an advantage of being from IIT while getting calls from top B-schools.

    • Sri, with your academics and at your raw score you should get calls from almost all IIMs including the top ones as you would most probably be above 99.75%ile.
      Being from IIT does not give you any special advantage over others.

  68. Respcted sir,
    I appeared for cat for the first time..on 22nd nov forenoon slot. My attempts are as follows:-
    qa-di section : 20 ( with 85 % accuracy)
    va-lr section : 43 ( with 85% plus accuracy)
    Im a general category female student..and i am a b.com graduate from xaviers college Kolkata. Sir as you can see..my attenpts in the qa-di section is very low..as because im a b.com student and english and reasoning have always been my plus points. Sir, with this will i get a decent percentile? Also I have heard that my slot was the easiest of all the 4 slots hence percentile is likely to go downward? Sir Im extremely worried about this. Please help. Thanku. 🙂

  69. Hello Sir,

    I am a CA with 2 years of experience. Had All India Rank in CA Inter.

    Attended 57 (26 in QA and 36 in VA) and epecting an accurancy of 85%+…

    What is my chance in getting good colleges. Moreover I have not been shortlisted for SPJAIN..

    Thank You.

    • Basudev, as a CA with a 2 year work experience you have to restrict your self to the top 15-20 institutes. Please check the percentile predictor for an estimate of your percentile. My feeling is that your attempts in QA are possibly a bit on the lower side and could lead to you missing out on calls from top institutes.

  70. Sir , hi , when will you give analysis of snap 2014 , and will you provide answer keys with solutions like last year? what is the expected cutoff for sibm pune this year ?

  71. SIr,
    I was able to secure an IIFT call. My score according to CL keys is 41.76.
    1) What could be the overall cut off?
    2) I am not associated with CL in terms of any coaching but if there is some session/interaction/classes, I will be happy to enrol.
    IIFT is a high priority for me because of finance and it will be helpful if you could throw some light on how I should go about in the next 40-50 days

    • Ankur, apologise for the delay in responding to your query.
      The IIFT cutoff is around 37.5 marks for general category candidates.
      Please contract your nearest CL center for for PDP classes.
      A post is being uploaded on form filling and another on the interviews.

  72. Sir,
    IIFT is result is out and unfortunately i didnt a get a call.
    The official website is showing and there will be a second list of short listed candidates by 31st of Dec 2014.
    Is it for MBA (IB) 2015-2017?

    • Sumit, this is for the Certificate Programme in Export – Import Management (Jan – Apr 2015). A second list is not likely for MBA (IB)

  73. Hello sir ! Amrita here.I wish to discuss my profile with you.I don’t know if this is the right forum but still…
    10th-87% ICSE
    12th-81.6% ISC
    Graduation-61.62%(State government engineering college(Bio-chemical Engineering))
    I passed out in 2013 and worked for a food services company for 13 months after which I cleared GATE and joined Indian Institute of Technology,Roorkee but quit the course in a semester because it was too research oriented and I intend working in corporate.
    Since December 2014,I have been doing a marketing job and I would be having around 22 months of experience by august 2015.I am preparing for CAT 2015.
    Going by my profile,what chances do I have in ABC as well as other old IIMs?Will there be some trouble?

    • Amrita, there is nothing wrong about your profile and your can get into the top IIMs subject to a good CAT scoe and a good performance in the WAT and Interview.
      In the interview your GATE and M.Tech decisions will be discussed but will not eliminate you.

  74. Hi GP Sir,
    can you please shed some light on BITS PILANI MBA.I have 15 months experience till now . there placement report says 8 lakhs average.Is it worth joining ?

  75. Hi Sir, My profile
    X – 79
    XII – 72.2
    Grad (BE) – 79.2
    Cat Pred. – 99+
    Work Ex – 6.5 Years
    Slot: – 22nd, 2nd
    Well Sir my query is that even at a score of 99+ in cat will I be able to make it any IIMs (ABCLKI) ?

      • Hi Sir, thanks for the reply. Sorry, why some ? If at 99 percentile i won’t get a call than what’s the point in even writing CAT. Since i can’t go back and change my academics. This is not a fair deal 🙂 … ..

  76. sir a quite different ques
    i want to ask what is the scope of mba in it
    is mba in it gud for carrer??
    sir i completed my be from cs branch
    and i dont want to leave it sector
    sir please help me regarding this
    i ll b really greatful to u

    • Ayush, this is a personal choice. If IT is your preference and want to continue in this area then MBA does not make sense. However if you want to broaden your oppoetunities you can still consider MBA in IT/Systems.

  77. sir i graduated in 2014 since then working on a start up.
    what should i mention in various b school’s admission forms under work ex section??
    generally following three options are available :
    1) no work ex.
    2) if working in a proper organization (name and details).
    3) if working in a family business.

    your response would be highly appreciated sir.

  78. Hello Sir,
    I realised today that I have entered my Aggregate marks for B.Tech incorrectly.I have simply multiplied the CGPA by 10 whereas there is a formula that the university follows.
    Will this be a problem,and how to rectify that?
    I have attempted 62 questions in Nov 16 slot 2 and based on accuracy estimation my percentile according to CLPP is 96-98.
    Kindly guide!

    • Shuvayan, this is not a big problem, please inform the IIMs who give you a call of this error and have it corrected when you go for the interview.

  80. Sir have a poor academic profile
    10th- 83.25
    12th-66.57
    B. Tech- 63.1(passed in 2014)
    I have 1 year gap after 12th.
    Being a general category student which colleges do i have a realistic chances of getting calls and conversion considering i get over 92 percentile? Please give me your honest suggestions.
    I am jobless at the moment. I have cleared IBPS PO written this year.
    I have applied to these following colleges- LBSIM, Fore, IMT, IMI, DU MFC.
    Will apply to GIM, Tapmi. Which other colleges do I need to apply?
    Thanks in advance

  81. Hello sir,
    I have attempted 34 questions in QA-DI and 37 questions in VA-LR with 90% accuracy.According to CL -Percentile predictor its coming to be around 99.00 to 99.99.
    My profile:-
    Xth – 84.8
    XIIth -81.8
    BE-74.3
    And I have three years of experience.
    Can I expect a call from IIM C and IIM L?

    • Ipsita, with a good academic record you have a good chance of a call from both these institutes and also from all other IIMs.

  82. Sir,

    The PDP classes start in advance even before results are announced.So what if I join a PDP class and I dont get any call.Isn’t it better to start classes after results are announced

    • Sarath, this is a personal decision but if you are confident of calls from good institutes then it will be worthwhile to start preparing early.

  83. sir i have cleared my nmat exam and waiting for cat result i have joined IBM TECHNICAL SUPPORT ASSOCIATE PROFILE IN OCTOBER .but my head says it is not valuable in top b schools i was thinking to show up this in my interviews as my experience but is it really baseless I HAVE DONE BBA AND AFTER NOT GETTING GOOD JOB I HAVE GONE FOR THIS . it is basically helping the customers regarding the issues of the problems regarding softwares and servers

    • Reissue, all work experience is valued and and you should show it in the interviews. Helping customers resolve issues is an important task for all organisations.

  84. Hi Gautam sir,
    My question is regarding TISS-NET 2015, I am still confused abt the pattern of the paper.
    Paper-1 which is common to all applicants/candidates
    Paper-2 As I have applied for HRM & LR, This paper is degree program specific.
    The date for TISS-NET2015 is 10jan, can I expect both papers on the same day…or there will be another date for Paper 2…..
    And what is PIT(Pre-interview test)….is it paper-2 if not then in which area I should focuss to clear that….?
    Thank you sir(in advance) 🙂

    • Navneet, it is a new program and the first batch will pass out in 2016 and it is only then that we will know how good it is. My feeling is that it is likely to be better than SIBM Blr.

  86. Sir,
    Percentile predictor is showing 85-90 percentile for me. I am nc-obc category student. Can u tell me, which IIMs and IITs call I can get.
    My 10th- 93%
    12th- 76%
    B.tech- 9.2CGPA
    and will I miss any IIM or IIT bcoz of my poor 12th score?

    Thanks.

      • Aashish, your XII marks are fine and are unlikely to impact you adversely. With a score of 85-90%ile you can get calls from new IIMs and possibly a couple of older ones. Among the IITs except for IIT B & D you can get calls from all other IITs.

  87. sir,which college of snap is good for doing mba in marketing or HR ??
    is sibm,banglore is good for marketing?????
    thank you

    • Navneet, the top 4 colleges are all good – SIBM Pune, SCMHRD, SIIM Pune and SIBM Bangalore. The last two are good back up options.

  88. gp sir,
    i gave cat on 16th slot 2..didn’t go well
    43 attempts qa-18 va 25 (can’t say about verbal accuracy)
    just completed graduation in bcom h
    10th & 12th 90% above
    graduation 68%
    fresher…after college which ended on may took 5 mnths 4 cat preparation( was not serious )…didn’t succeed..wanted to enquire will family b/s count as work experience?
    cracking cat is the only aim now can’t understand if taking a job now would hamper cat preparation for cat 2015 or venturing into family business would be a better choice and would help more in the pi round? plz guide sir bcom h fresher jobs not that great can’t really decide..my aim is lbsim fore gim ..how to suceed?

    • Krish, family business counts as valid work experience but is taken with a pinch of salt in the interview since you can get a certificate without working. So only if you work in your family business will you be able to do well in the interview. My suggestion is family business with a half day working to leave you sufficient time for preparation.

  91. Dear Sir,

    I attempted total 67 questions in 22 nov morning slot cat .. i am expecting overall percentile in the range 97-99 as per percentile predictor…. I am Nc-OBC and i have below acads->
    X 87.5%
    XII 89.83%
    B.tech 86.1% [NIT]
    WORK Ex- 24 months in IT [at cat registration time]

    Can you please throw some light on whether i can get call from IIM A B C? If yes then what is the possibility of conversion?

    Thanks

    • Pushpendra, with a score of 97%ile as a NC OBC candidate you can get calls from all IIMs. Conversion is a function of your performance in the personality assessment stage because CAT score typically has only 35-40% weight in the final score.
      You would however have a very high chance of a final call from FMS DU.

  92. Hello GP sir,

    I need a quick reply. As you may know last date for applying to LBSIM is today and for GIM and Delhi University-MBA(IB) is tomorrow, I want to know what will be the expected percentiles for these colleges this year according to you. I am obc category student. Sir, please reply ASAP.

    Thank you

    • Abhishek, the cutoff for all these should be around 80%ile for general category candidates. NC-OBC reservation is available only in MIB among these colleges and it could go down to 80%ile.

  93. Hello Sir,

    I am a CL correspondence student.I have attempted 61 questions in slot 4 CAT2014.My academics are as follows:

    10th : 80.2%
    12th: 78%
    BE: 74%

    Work Ex of 5 years as a software professional.Do I have any chance of getting an IIM call?

    Thanks

    • Saumya, please check the Percentile Predictor to get an estimate of your percentile. However my feeling is that while the top IIMs are likely to be difficult you can get a call from the new IIMs. IIMB may also be possible due to your work experience.

      • Thanks Sir,
        I have checked the predictor it is showing 98 to 99 percentile.Do the new IIM’s include IIM Kozhikode(As I am put up in bangalore currently and have a 8 month old son so proximity would be a factor :))?
        Also Sir I have applied to SP Jain, is there a chance of me getting a profile based call?

        • Saumya, the new IIMs in my definition ar Ranchi, Raipur, Rohtak, Trichy, Udaipur and Kashipur. You have a good chance of call from Khozhikode also.
          Profile based call from SP Jain will be a function of your academic record, your answers to the questions and the relevance of your work experience.

  95. Hi sir

    I am sure that my score will be more than 99.6% in cat. I haven’t done any course in Career launcher but planning for PDP cousre for interview and GD preparation. My writing and interview skills are not that good and i just don’t to spoil my chances, so sir which course should i join. Currently i live in noida and am a working professional (18 months).

  97. Sir is there any relaxation in admission procedure of CAT n SNAP for a person who’s father has passed away ?
    (general category)

  98. Sir

    I am a CA with 20 months of experience. My acads are
    10th 92
    12th 89
    B.Com 69
    CA
    I attempted 67 with 85-90% accuracy in slot4
    What is the cut off for a like profile in older IIMs for a commerce graduate (CA)??

    Thanks in advance

  100. Sir,
    I attempted CAT without much(any) prep. I attempted 31 questions in Quant and 37 in Verbal, and found the paper quite easy, so am expecting high accuracy too. Entering these values in the percentile predictor, prediction obtained was 99% and above. I am highly skeptical about this, as I am sure people in practice and with prep would have been able to attempt much higher and with higher accuracy too. How hopeful should I be of the results? I have good back ground otherwise, 10th 12th > 90%, NIT grad and work ex of 2 years in automobile R&D. Although theres not much time left to go for the results, but your experienced view on this would be highly appreciated.

    • Memphis, in an easy paper it is accuracy that determines the winners and while many have attempted over 75 questions usually higher attempts are accompanied with lower accuracy. This is in any case the first year for the new patter Percentile Predictor and it will need fine tuning but I don’t think that it will be off by more than 0.5%ile. In any case with your acads and work experience you have a good chance of a call from IIMB and SP Jain. Calls from other old IIMs are also possible. Hopefully we will have clarity in the next 7 days.

  101. Hello Sir,
    How can we approximate the no. of correct questions that need to be entered in CLPP? My mock accuracy always had been around 70-80% but that improved to 90% in CMAT. So can’t predict my accuracy too.. please suggest..

    • Gourav, you could assume that your accuracy in CAT to be:
      1. same as that of Mock CATs in LR, DI and VL.
      2. better than that of Mocks CAT in QA and RC.
      Alternately go by your accuracy in CMAT.

  102. Sir,
    This is regarding application to the b-schools.
    I am expecting around 85 %ile in CAT……so which of the following institutes should i apply to?
    1.Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management
    2.Fore School of Management
    3.Goa Institute of Management
    4.NIRMA
    Sir please reply as soon as possible as i have to apply to these institutes before the 15th of this month.

    • Vaishali,
      These colleges offer average placements. They will call you at 85%ile most probably.
      Are you a fresher or not ? Is this your first CAT attempt? Please make an informed decision.

  103. Hi Sir,
    My CAT slot was on 22nd-9:30AM.
    Academic Record-
    Xth-92%
    XIIth-88.4%
    B.Tech-83%

    My attempts:
    Quant-38
    Estimated correct:34-37

    V.A.-30
    Estimated correct-17-22

    CLPP is showing between 94-99percentile
    Also, I am NC-OBC.

    What are my chances?Can I expect a call from the old iims considering 94 percentile

    • You might get a call from A, B, C… however IIM L , I , K , S will most probably give you a call. (Last year they had called people at 80 + %ile in NC-OBC Category)
      Conversion in NC-OBC Category was @ 85+ for IIM I , K , S

      • Thanks a lot.
        So,if something really goes wrong and i end up with 85-90 percentile,then also i have a chance with I and and L

  104. Sir,
    -how is SIIB’s IB program different from other IB programs because sir it says specialisations are offered in marketing,HR,Finance. I want to do mba in finance will SIIB a good option for mba in finance
    -sir is it true that IB has a narrow scope as compared to HR,marketing,finance
    -Is BIMTECH greater noida a good option I am expecting %tile between 81-87

    • Chirag,
      – SIIB is good for its International Business Program. If you are interested in finance go in for a general MBA with a specialization in finance.
      – Each field has its own pros & cons. Once you do a particular specialization, you can only get into some specific jobs (For ex you do HR …Jobs will generally be in Consulting, Administration, Employee Relations, Talent and Compensation, Business Partnering). IB courses prepare students to take up roles as Export managers and executives, International business consultant,Consultant, International Business Development Manager, International Marketing Manager, International Finance Manager, Global Business Manager etc
      – BIMTECH Greater Noida- You can fill this up. The placement figures you can check @ http://bimtech.ac.in/placement/the-placement-scenario/

  105. Dear GP Sir,

    I’m SC candidate and I have a poor academic record

    X- 45 % (CBSE)
    XII – 76% (CBSE)
    BBS – 55% ( Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies)

    i tired to compensate the above by getting good work ex which i did, as currently i’m working with oil and Gas consultancy firm as Sr. Manager for past 6.5 years .

    i tired my luck in CAT last year and it went good, but the normalization and Prometric had some other plans and i dont want get into it as you know the history.anyways, i wrote cat this year too and as per CL prediction i’m getting around 90-96 percentile which is as per lots of experts for SC candidate is enough, but given my academic records i always have some doubts on that.

    so, i would like you to “please” advice how much academic records play a part for me to get a call from IIMs if i get the percentile cited above. would my work ex help me in the process if i get the call ?

    eagerly waiting for your revert on above.

    Thank you in advance

    Regards
    Sunny Attri

    • Academics & Work Ex do play a part in most of the B-Schools. IIMA for ex doesn’t consider work ex but gives 30% weightage to Academic profile while shorltisting. IIM Calcutta does look at work ex marks but not the graduation score. So each B-School has its own criteria.

      With 96%ile you will most probably get a call from the top B-Schools.

      However with 6.5 years of work ex it will make sense for you to do an executive MBA. You might look at ISB or Institutes outside India.

    • XAT GK comprises of static and current GK questions. Questions from the field of Business,Economy & Commerce, Foreign Policy, Sports, Government Policies, Physics, chemistry, Constitution etc have come in various years. Students can easily attempt 10-15 questions and that is all what is required to clear the cutoff marks for this section.

      Please use your SIS account. Three documents have been uploaded for your reference
      Static GK for IIFT, SNAP and XAT
      Current Affairs for NON-CAT Exams
      Business and Economy for IIFT, SNAP and XAT

      An App has been put on Google Play Store (GK for UPSC/SSC/Bank/MBA Exams) for your reference.

  107. Good evening Sir,
    I was in the 22nd November, forenoon slot. My attempts are-
    QADI- 35 (31-33 correct)
    VALR- 37 (32-34 correct)
    Academics-
    X – 88.2% (CBSE)
    XII – 84.2% (CBSE)
    Mechanical Engineering – 71.4% (VTU)
    What are my chances for the top IIMs. I have used the CAT Percentile Predictor but the result seems surreal.
    Please guide me.

    • Rohit, go by what the Percentile Predictor says. If it is over 99.5%ile then you can expect a call from A, B and C. For the other old IIMs you will need a 99%ile and the new IIMs will be possible at 97.5%ile

  109. Hello GP sir,
    Is IIT Delhi offering admissions to non-engnieers from this time?
    I know IIT Madras is open for Non-Engineers. What about other IITs?

    • Abhilash, most of the IITs are only for Engineers or Post Graduates but we will need to wait for the notification for confirmation of changes.

  110. Dear Gautam sir ,

    I have very poor academic records .
    Xth 74.44 % 1999
    XIIth 56.66% 2001
    Btech 56.66% 2002-2008

    I have failed in engineering and did my Btech for six long years .
    Right now I am working as a school teacher for the last one and half years .I have good oratory skills . I have good knowledge in Economics and General studies .I can debate on any given issue eloquently and flawlessly .

    I am from sc category ; age 30 years .

    My siblings are CL students . I have access to their CL material and smart course cracker , which is about to expire in months time .I was very much comfortable with your videos .

    At this stage I stand somewhere near 55-60 percentile in any given cat mock test .Sometimes I feel I should also prepare for CAT exam and I also plan to enroll in SCC course (offline) .
    But my academic records pull me down every time I think about good IIM colleges like IIM A,B,C .What are my chances to get into IIM A and B ? Is it worth trying ?What are your suggestions ?

    Thanking you ,

    Regards,
    praveen s

    • Praveen, you do have a poor academic record but a good CAT score can cover up for this deficiency. In addition to MBA it might be useful for you to consider Civil Services as an option. Please call me in the evening at 9811155160 to discuss this further.

  111. Sir
    -what is the average package offered at FSM delhi for PGDM-IB ?
    -CLPP has predicted my percentile 81-90 should I apply to FSM for PGDM-IB?.

  112. Sir,

    I have my joining trivandrum TCS scheduled for the 5th of jan’15.
    But I am giving XAT on 4th and tiss on the 10th of Jan. I am really confused whether I should go to TCS or not. I also gave CAT and I am expecting I may get a few calls atleast. TCS also has the constraint of leaves and I ll have to sign a bond aswell. At the same time if I decide to go I have to inform TISS to change my centre from Delhi to Trivandrum asap.
    Please suggest sir what should I do. Please reply asap.

  113. Hi Sir,
    I wrote CAT 2014. I am currently working in IT with 3 lac pa
    if in any case my cat exam went bad, i choose colleges XIME bangalore And Nirma to join. What is your take on both he colleges. Do they have decent packages ? Please put some light on this

    • Sudhanshu, these are decent colleges but recommended mainly for freshers. The average CTC for XIME would be about 6 lpa while that of Nirma would be higher by about 50K.

  114. Sir,when is the last date to apply to Welingkar and K.J. Somaiya.I cannot find the information anywhere.

    Thanks in advance. 🙂

    • Megha, you could get interview calls from the new IIMs but it is unlikely from the older ones and FMS. Also calls are possible from most of the other government institutes like MFC, MBE, NITIE etc.

  116. sir,
    i had my cat on 16th nov second slot i did 43 attempts 18 in quant and 25 in va/lr..is there any chance to clear the cut off of fore,lbsim,imi,mbe du or should i opt for a job n prepare for cat2015?

    • Krishi, please check your estimated percentile in the Percentile Predictor, if you arre in the 85-90%ile range then you have a chance from FORE, LBSIM, MBE etc.

  117. Sir my cat percentile in percentile predictor is showing(97 – 98) . i belong to obc nc.. 10th 12th btech (85+ in all) from nit , work ex 2 years. chances for iims or fms??

  119. Sir, gave exam on 22nd Nov 2nd slot. I am expecting a raw score of 96 in QADI (includes a question which is reported to be wrong), and 63-83 in VALR. I checked the overall percentile in the predictor with different combinations. Could you please estimate sectional percentiles for these scores? Thanks sir.

  120. Sir,
    My cat exam was on 22nd nov 2nd slot,I attempted 62 questions (25 QA,37 VA-LR) percentile predictor is showing 98+ percentile.My acads,10th-90.7,12th-97.4,grad-83.7.Has work experience of 5 months in IT but not mentioned in cat application as my doj falls after submitting cat application. Any chance of iim a,b,c,l,k for 98 with my acads?

  121. hello sir,
    I am a DA candidate and could not find posts talking of cut offs for DA category and consecutively the number of attempts we should target.
    Sir my profile is:
    10th-63.83%
    12th-67.2%
    B-tech Electrical-63.32%
    M-tech Electrical-7.58(CGPA)
    Work Ex- 0
    if you could give some suggestions on number of attempts and cut-offs for IIM-A/B/C

    • Prabhakar, the cutoffs for DA/PWD category is usually similar to that of ST candidates and a score of 70%ile in CAT usually is sufficient to get calls from most of the IIMs. For IIM A a score of 80%ile will be required.

  123. Hello sir, i attempted 64 on day2 2nd slot. CL predictor shows me the percentile range between 98.5 and 99.6. I expect somewhere on the similar lines too. My profile is as below , x-90.1,xii – 95.5 , college- 83.2 , work ex- 22 months when reg for cat. Is there any chance for me to expect calls from iim-a ,b,c if i get my percentile as predicted by CL?

    • Sriram, given your work experience you have a good chance of call from IIM B. For IIM A and C you would need a score of more than 99.5%ile

  124. sir,
    i’m a graduate from hansraj college.
    10th-87.6
    12th- 92.8
    graduation(bcom)- 79.14
    i gave my cat in slot 2 with 65 attempts. im dissapointed that my attempts are bit low considering the level of paper.
    CLPP is showing 95.77-98.84
    sir can i get a call from IIMs?
    and sir what other colleges should i apply?

  125. sir, I have an online retail store(sstart-up) since 2012 and i am a retainer consultant in a comapny. since the cat form did not mention the work ex should/shouldnt be over lapping i mentioned my entreprenuerial stint and job both as work ex.
    They had only asked for sectors. Hence i juust wrote the number of months in both the sectors i have worked in.
    A few days before i dropped an email to the cat helpdesk regarding this issue and they clearly told me that no person can do two full time jobs at the same time. Sir please tel me what to do now? Will i debarred from the exam or can i edit this info at a later stage or what should my next step be. Please help me sir.

    • Sakshi, it is bot a problem. If you are a consultant you are can obviously be working for multiple companies, while the helpdesk (call center) may not understand this the interview panel will understand. Please call me at 9811155160 to work out the mail that needs to be sent to CAT Center and IIMs.

  128. Dear Sir
    NMAT SCORE – 210
    QUANT – 84
    LS – 65
    LR – 61
    CLASS X – 97.4%
    CLASS XII – 89.8%
    COLLEGE CGPA – 8.5
    ANY CHANCE FOR NMIMS MUMBAI

    • Ramesh, your LR score is on the edge, the cut off for this section is likely to be in the range of 60-63 and if you clear this section you will get an interview call from NM Mumbai. Your scores in the other two sections and overall are fine.

  130. Hi sir,
    I saw an article on rti query for class of 2013-15 iim a,b,k admitted students and the minimum cat percentile for admitted students(General category) is 97.9,92,85 respectively but people say it is impossible without 99.
    How is it possible and is it because of students with 90+ in 10th,12th and 80+ in grad ?

    • Harish, till last year IIM A had a weight for academic profile due to which one could get calls at less than 99%ile, similarly IIM A gives a direct interview call to top 50 students in each academic group (5 such groups) and for the non science groups this will be less than 99%ile.

  131. Good morning sir. I’m BE final year student. My profile is as below
    X-89.84
    Xii-77.83
    Be-65.03(7.23)
    Cat-gen
    My cat14 percentile would be in between 85-90. With sec1->95 n sec 2- <80. Which b school should I apply for?? And if I am confident about getting 95+ percentile next year, then is it advisory to take a year gap for cat?? Without job

    • Shubham, Please check the B School Advisory for the colleges that you can apply to based on your estimate CAT percentiles. My suggestion is to pick up a job in case you go for a retake becaue preparration for retake is less time consuming and the work experience is helpful in getting/converting the calls.

  132. sir, my profile is
    X = 72%
    XII = 68%
    graduation =56%
    expected CAT score 75 to 80 %ile
    and no work experience
    sir, with this profile based score which good colleges i can opt for ??? where can i actually expect a call from ??? plz do reply
    Thank you 🙂

  133. Sir. i am NC-OBC candidate. I have attempted 51 questions in 22nd nov morning shift. Percentile predictor is showing 93 percentile on 45 correct ans. Can i expect calls from iims???

  134. sir
    i am a bds graduate i took cat exam on 16 nov morning clpp is showing a percentile of 80 ,is there any chance of getting an iim call,i belong to obc ,i hav a work experience of 1 yr

  135. Dear Sir,
    You have always been a source of inspiration for 1000s of students across the country. With your blog, you have not only benifitted CL students, but also the ones who aren’t associated with the institute and herein lies your maturity and love for students. Your efforts at promoting transparency in the results is only one of your many philanthropic endeavors.

    In light of this, we kindly request you to do us just one more favor. Kindly write to the CAT authorities regarding the wrong questions in the 10 variable DI set. We don’t expect much from the IIMs and probably our mails and posts will be thrown in the bin. But with you lending your voice, it shall not only be given its due consideration but also be taken seriously and genuinely.

    I personally spent 7-8 mins over that one question, completely baffled as to why the answer wasn’t coming and then going over and checking the previous 2 questions to ensure that my understanding. Also, I believe that a few others are also facing the same doubt.

    Please don’t let us students suffer for something that isn’t our fault. We shall be highly obliged.

    Raghav
    (On behalf of many slot 4 students)

  136. Hi GP,

    My profile is:
    X: 90
    XII:88
    B.tech:73
    Category: General
    Work Ex:24 months
    I attempted a total of (26+29) 55 ques in CAT. I know it is a bit on the lesser side. I am hopeful of a high accuracy level with 1 ques in QA and 3-4 ques in VA wrong. I want to join IIT D or NITIE and the CLPP is showing around 97.7-98.58 percentile range. Is there any chance of me getting shortlisted in both the colleges??

  137. Sir my profile reads as Xth:95% XIIth:91% and B.tech(6th sm):85%.I have given CAT on 16th 2nd slot attempted 80ques (42&38) with 85% accuracy.Sir the thing that is bothering me the most is that i am not graduating from a govt college(NIT orIIT),so my confidence is very low as if even i get a call from good college i wont be able to convert it.Sir will my marks help me through the selection process?

    • Ajitesh, the college from where you have graduated does not matter and many students who make it to top IIMs are from average or below average colleges. With your expected CAT score my suggestion is to start preparing for the Personality Assessment stage asap, please contact your CL center for PDP classes.

  138. Dear Gp sir,
    Why CL is not giving Colleges like GIM and TAPMI in the B-School Advisory?
    Are they not good enough?

    Best Regards
    yash

  139. Hello Sir,

    I have attempted 62 questions with estimated 2-5 wrongs in each section.My percentile as predicted by the CL predictor is 97.97 and 99.53(optimistic estimate).But since these are based on my estimate of wrongs,and also the paper being easy,not sure how much will I eventually end up getting. 🙂
    I have 4 yrs of work exp in IT.Considering that I guess specializations in Finance or Marketing will not be good for me.Could you suggest some for my profile.
    I am B.Tech in EE(2009).
    Thanks a lot!

    • Shuvayan, You already have work ex which means you have a fair idea of how a corporate works. Your choice of specialization should be based on your interest area.
      Other than that if you have any other query let us know.

  140. Sir
    I have attempted 58 questions with around 80% accuracy which college’s should i apply to considering i live in Delhi and i want to go for college’s where fees is less than 10L
    Sir advice as always would be most awaited for me.
    Best

    • Ashish, the best colleges for you in the NCR would be the DU colleges – MFC, MBE, MIB etc. You can get calls from IMT-G, IMI, also but their fee would be over Rs 10 lakh. Please check the B school advisory for a list of colleges where you can get a call from.

  142. Sir , with the marks mentioned below :
    Xth = 85%
    XIIth = 66%
    B.Tech = 66%
    +Fresher
    Expected Cat Percentile = 89-90

    Out of the new IIM’s , DU-MBE/MFC , DU-MHROD/MIB,IRMA,NITIE and the IIT’s – where can I actually expect a call from?

    Thank you in advance

  143. Dear Sir,
    I Attempt Only 33 Questions ( 17 in QA, 16 in VA Sections) In 22 NOV. Second Slot. Sir There is any chance to get in Good MBA School.

    • Gaurav, with only 33 attempts you are likely to be below 80%ile and hence a good B school is unlikely. Focus on SNAP and XAT.

  145. sir my raw score in CAT can vary from 119 to 135 according to my accuracy and all…Raw score of individual sections are
    QA(69-77), and VA(58-50)
    Category: NC- OBC…
    25 months work ex.
    10th 88%, 12th 76%, B.E(elect) 61.23%….

    Which IIMs and Other institute i should target, I have applied for IMI, FMS, XLRI and all IIMS so far….

      • according to percentile predictor it can vary from 90 to 96 percentile…..my overall attempt is 49 with 27(QA), 22(VA)….with no of correct may be 46(optimistic), 42(conservative)…

        • sir please also tell me is this percentile is enough for having good chance to convert IIM L, K, I and FMS for NC-OBC candidate….

          • Vivek, calls are possible from new IIMs and a couple of older ones, FMS, NITIE and almost all IITs.
            Converting FMS will be possible only if you are over 94%ile, others should not be a problem.

  146. Sir, this query is not related to the CAT specifically but I didn’t know where else to ask this question. I am a Faculty at a Coaching institute in Kota, Rajashtan and teach students for JEE(Advanced). I wonder whether my experience as a faculty can be said “work experience”?

  148. SIR,
    i did 9 question in cat exam with 90%+ accuracy , and i am from (SC)category, how much percentile should i expect in cat exam ?

  149. Sir,
    What happens when a candidate doesn’t appear for the exam? Do they get a score of 0 or is their score not considered at all in the final percentile determination? Just curious.

  150. SIR ,
    i did 23 question with 99%+ accuracy , and i belongs to obc category . do i have any chance of getting above 80 percentile ?

  151. Sir, I would like to know in how many questions of section 1 you found an error. Apart from the engineering college DI set(as you have told that you did not attempt it), could you point out an error in any other question? If yes, (for example many are reporting one error in the power of 3 mistakenly written as 3 in that series of 2014^2-2013^2)), so what would be done about that/such question(s)? I did not check the power of 3 so closely I think and calculated assuming it as 2 only and got an answer from the option. So what step will CAT officials take regd this? Will they scrap the question? And of course, I will mail them reporting the error.

    • Sam, I did not find any errors in any question in QADI and while I do vaguely remember the questions mentioned by you I do not recall having any problem in solving the question. In VALR I felt that there could be an error in the sentence correction questions but given that this is not my strong area I cannot be certain.
      In case the question is found to be incorrect then the questions will be scrapped and all of us will be evaluated out of 49 questions (or 149 marks) in QADI and our marks adjusted to reflect our scores out of 150 marks.

      • Thank you sir. 🙂 Also, if a question I attempted a question with an error and if it gets scrapped, how will that affect my percentile?

      • Thank you sir 🙂 You said that if it is found to be incorrect, it will be scrapped. So will the CAT authorities look into the matter from their side or is it required that we compulsorily mail them regd this? Also sir, will a wrong question getting scrapped have any effect on the percentile (irrespective of whether you attempted rightly/wrongly or left unattempted)?

        • I know the saying that I attempted a wrong question correctly/wrongly is in itself vague. But given that I considered it in the CL percentile predictor, how will it getting scrapped affect my percentile?!

        • Sam, you should mail it to them. My experience is that CAT/IIMs do not do anything on such issues unless they are flooded with mails/letters.
          If a questions is scrapped then it your scores will be adjusted appropriately.

  152. Post reading your analysis, I realize that I too could not get the answers to the last two questions of that set on Universities!! Wasted a lot of time in that!!
    I know it’s late sir, but is there anyway in which I can get this pointed out to the relevant authorities? More importantly, would marks be awarded to everyone in slot 4 or to only those candidates who actually tried solving the set? (The first scenario would be grossly biased).

    Lastly, I also have reason to believe that there was one incorrect question in QA too.

    Is there anything that I can do about this now? Are you aware of other students doing something about it?

    Best,
    Raghav

    • Raghav, it is still not late, please report this to CAT center via email and also by registered post. Please refer to the Contact US tab on the CAT 2014 website. In case the questions are found to be incorrect, they will be deleted and and either marks will be awarded to all the students in the slot or we will be evaluated on the basis of the remaining questions.

      • Sure sir, but would it not be unfair on us? I mean a person like me who spent a lot of time on those questions and tried attempting it, as opposed to someone who did not even bother to read it. Is not the latter getting the twin advantage of marks + time and only that of time if the question is scrapped altogether? Why should we lose out because of their error? Do they consider this aspect sir?

        Best,
        Raghav

        • Raghav, it is unfair to those who wasted time on the question but this is possibly the best they can do. Ideally the marks should be increased based on the time wasted on the question but it is too much to expect from the IIMs.

  153. Hi Sir,

    I ve my exam in the same slot and attempted the placement DI. I could solve the first 2 questions but my answers did not match for the last 2. Until now I was thinking that it was my mistake but considering many people faced this, can you please recommend the correct action to report this to the concerned people.

    Also, if the two questions are found to be incorrect, then what do you think CAT authorities will do to compensate for it?

    Thanks!!

  154. @GP sir,

    Hi sir,
    i am currently working at nestle india LTd with 17 months workex and my percentile prediction based on mocks was 97.Looking at my profile,should i target colleges like mbe(DU),delhi school of economics or department of finance and control.

  155. Hi GP sir,

    I have doubts regarding some IIFT-2014 questions (which I find dubious). I know this is not the apt thread to ask about IIFT, but could you please guide me as to how can I be in touch with u for clearing those doubts.

  156. sir,
    I am CAT TS+NON CAT TS+TEST GYM online student.
    My attempt is 52 questions with 80% accuracy.
    At 80 percentile and SC category which IIM calls are possible,?
    Also i can find the gk questions but couldnt find the gk compendium anywhere for my SNAP preparation.
    Thank u in advance !!

  157. Hi Sir,
    I have been an ardent follower of blogs and reviews by you and gejo Sir which immensely helped to fine tune my strategies and attempt pattern. And the SQC techniques shared by you worked wonders for me(kudos for that). Coming to review.
    During my slot(4) I could manage to attempt only 52 questions
    26 QA/DI 90% accuracy
    26 VA/LR 85 % accuracy
    I am skeptical as my attemts are low , whether ill be able to make the IIMs. Being an SC category student will I get through . If yes, how to prepare for the next stage.
    Regards,
    gaurav

    • Gaurav, as a SC candidate you should be able to get a call from most of the IIMs as it appears that you will be above 90%ile. Please check your estimated percentile in the Percentile Predictor by submitting your attempt details.

  158. Hello Sir,
    For Xat if you can put up some video in our CL Sis Link as to how to tackle the whole paper & DM in particular with the number of attempts required to get a call from XLRI,it would be really helpful..I mean to say the strategies and all just as you have done for CAT..

    Thanks,
    Suman Gon

  159. Hello sir my attempt is 40 ! With 90%+ accurracy! Sir im beliving that igot a total of 100 + so is there any chance ofa 80+ percentile

  160. Hi GP sir,
    As now all the exams are about to complete. Can you please write something about the specializations as well.Please put some light on the specializations so that people like me wont confuse.It will be a great thing if you can write some.

      • yes sir, even im waiting for it.
        My suggestion is to elaborate it and also explain the ground level work we may have to do actually after completing MBA.

  162. Sir,
    I would request you to please release a video on how to approach Decison Making in XAT. CL previously had released a couple of videos last year or so but the text is so small in those videos that following the proceedings becomes really difficult. So if you could make a fresh video with your vintage lucid approach of tackling Decison Making problems, it would be really helpful to us CL students.

  163. Sir

    I think CL Cat percentile predictor is little wrong.
    It is showing if I do 68 questions correct i will score above 99.9 percentile.
    But dont you think out of 1.8 lakh students , there will 1800 students who will do 70 to 80 questions correctly (coz paper was so easy) , so they will cover the top 1 percentile. Sir,this is what I believe anyway you know better as you have more experience.

    • Ankit, this is based on the data submitted by all of you however this is the first year of the new pattern CAT and hence the percentile predictor is a statistical model which will get validated once CAT results are released.

  164. Thank you sir for this post.
    Although i know your accuracy is very high but still can you tell us a rough estimate of your accuracy level and your %ile as predicted by the CLPP.

  165. Hi GP Sir,

    I also attempted the paper and agree with your feedback , by the way tournament set was in LR .. and this set wasn’t easy given the fact data was present just to determine the points of remaining teams, we couldn’t answer other questions based on outcomes, would have felt glad had you agreed with that 🙂 .. Yes I couldn’t get answers for DI set on universities for last two questions .. seems data issue however I can’t comment well because I could get answers for first two questions .. would like to hear from you on the Tournament set ..

    • Ankit, since I was writing this almost a couple of weeks after taking the paper I was confused between DI and LR sets hence the error. Please let me know which DI set If you remember which DI set has been incorrectly placed in LR? I think it is Set 1, the table with blanks. IF you can confirm this I will update the write up.
      In the tournament set you are right the first two questions were easy but the remaining two took time to solve. Hopefully I got then right.

        • Tushar, can you tell me which DI set I have incorrectly placed in LR, while writing I knew the sets that I attempted but was mixed up in the nomenclature. I think the set on “table with blanks” has been incorrectly placed in LR. Please confirm.

          • Sir ,

            Set 1 in lr and set 4 in DI must be interchanged , as the former came in DI and the latter came in LR . Thank you

          • sir, set-1 of LR should swapped with set-1 of DI.. and actually i wanted to have your opinion on one question..if at all you remember sir, the question was:- (x+1/x)^2=3 and it had asked to find out the minimum value of (x^34+x^26+..+3).. as we know the min value of (x+1/x)=2 then how come its square will be 3..sir kindly comment on this.i already have mailed about this to CAT..hopefully they might take the needful steps..

          • Sidhartha, I remember the question and had the same doubt as you have and hence did not attempt the question. However have been able to solve it after the paper.

    • Set 4 of DI should be swapped with set 1 of LR GP Sir.

      Seems I am mistakken for the tournament set, since I could only solve first question. I felt the remaining three questions had answers as Can not be determined .. was sure atleast about one of those three .. it does not matter now though …

      DI Set : A-J This one had an error.
      DI Set : Engineering placements set : This one had an error too , infact two questions were wrong.

      Thanks

      • Ankit, thanks will make the change.
        Please email to CAT about the incorrect questions so that adjustments can be made.

  166. Thank you sir, we were eagerly waiting for it.
    Many people have reported that slot-4 was the most difficult set, but going by your summary, it does not seem so.

    PS. But then, no paper is difficult for you. 🙂

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