What to do after CAT Result 2025? Shortlist MBA colleges, Prepare for GD/PI
Common Admission Test 2025 ( CAT )
What after CAT result 2025? Once the CAT result is announced, MBA aspirants start evaluating their admission chances. So, what are the aspects to keep in mind for it? Read below for the answer.
CAT 2025 exam was held on November 30 and the result has been released today. With the announcement of CAT 2025 result, candidates must now assess their chance of getting the preferred college with the scores received. The most common question is, 'will I get an IIM or not?' Though every CAT aspirant hopes of scoring 99 percentile and above, the bitter truth is that only a handful of them achieve that score. Then, what after CAT result? The wise thing is to keep other options open, even if you’ve performed brilliantly in the exam. So, the next step after CAT 2025 result is to appear for other MBA entrance exams. We advise candidates to appear for other MBA entrance exams because IIM admission is based on many other factors. Even if you have a score of 99 per centile, you may not get through the top IIMs.
- Appear for other MBA entrance exams
- What after CAT result 2025?
- Apply for Admission to B-schools
- Top MBA colleges in India: Admission Process
- Prepare for WAT/GD-PI
- Plan B
Appear for other MBA entrance exams
CAT exam is followed by exam like SNAP, XAT, CMAT and MAT. But to be able to appear for these exams, you need to register beforehand. The registration cycle of these exams are same as CAT, so fill the application forms of these exams too. After CAT result declaration you will still have the chance to ace XAT, CMAT, MAT, ATMA, MAH-CET, TANCET, TSICET and other state level entrance exams held between January and March.
Take a look at colleges accepting other MBA entrance exams:
What after CAT result 2025?
After the CAT 2025 result is declared, deciding the next step becomes challenging and confusing for candidates who excel in the exam as well as those do not perform up to expectations. Some decide to start looking for a job or pursue another course, while some decide to give CAT exam another shot. The decision taken at this point of time, must be individual choice and a cautious one.
On the other hand, for those who perform well in CAT exam, the next challenge is clearing the written ability test (WAT) group discussion (GD) and personal interview (PI) round of MBA admission process. All the top MBA colleges in India, conduct WAT/GD-PI for admissions. Just like the entrance exam, this round is also not a cake walk. Given the number of aspirants applying to B-schools every year, the institutes take extra care in choosing best of the best. Shiksha brings to you a list of actionables after CAT 2025 result.
Also Read: Got a low CAT Score? Don't fret, you can still get admission in a good B-school
IIM & Non-IIM Call Predictor
Apply for Admission to B-schools
Even before the CAT result is announced, many B-schools begin application process of MBA admissions. So assess your performance (use Shiksha’s CAT percentile predictor) in CAT, check the cut off percentile of B-schools, make a list of institutes you want to target for admission, check out their application process, fees and schedule and apply.
If one gets selected in any of the IIMs, there can certainly nothing better than that, but what if this does not happen? The next step would be to look for a top B-school other than IIM. While looking for a college, a candidate must keep in mind numerous parameters like ranking, alumni, placement record, faculty, return on investment and environment.
Check: Shiksha’s IIM and non-IIM call predictor
For IIMs, you don’t need to apply separately. When you fill the CAT application form, you get the option to select the institutes you want to apply at.
Also Read: IIM admission and selection criteria
Top MBA colleges in India: Admission Process
Refer to the table below for admission process of some of the top ranked MBA institutes:
| List of Top MBA Colleges You Can Apply To |
|
|---|---|
Also Read:
- MBA from IITs: Know courses, fees, eligibility, cut offs, selection process, placements
- MBA Admissions 2026: Check application deadline and selection criteria of Top B-schools
Course/ specialisation selection: Along with college selection, it is also important to focus on selection of course/ specialization. Many candidates choose a college first, and then select their MBA specialisation, whereas, some candidates search for colleges on the basis of specialization they want to pursue. Both approaches are right. Be clear about what you are looking for. Start weighing your options well in advance, so that there is no confusion at a later stage.
Also Read:
- MBA Colleges Accepting CAT Score 85 Percentile and Above
- MBA Colleges Accepting CAT Score 80-90 Percentile Range
- MBA Colleges Accepting CAT Score 70-80 Percentile Range
- MBA Colleges Accepting CAT Score 60-70 Percentile Range
- MBA Colleges Accepting CAT Score 50-60 Percentile Range
Prepare for WAT/GD-PI
WAT/GD-PI is the second phase of MBA admission. Once the CAT result is declared, the IIMs release their cut off for shortlisting of candidates for this round. The WAT/GD-PI round takes place in February-March. Other MBA institutes also conduct this round in the same months. Thus, after CAT exam you roughly have two months to prepare for this round. To stand a better chance of successfully clearing the GD-PI, candidates can do the following:
- Join a GD/PI workshop: No matter how good you think you are, you will never know what it is to face a large audience without attending a GD/PI workshop. Before joining a workshop ensure that there are huge number of participants in the same – this will give you the confidence to face a large audience.
- Focus on case-based as well as topic-based GDs: B-schools are gradually adopting case based teaching methodology – keeping in mind the same, they are moving towards case-based WAT and GDs. However, to test the candidate’s general knowledge to the maximum, some B-schools go for topic-based GDs. The ideal approach is to prepare for both.
- Seek the guidance of seniors/ mentors: Your mentors and seniors would have certainly faced a GD-PI, and their guidance can be of good help. Also, they might provide you some tips and tricks that you will not find in books or on internet, so make the most of this.\
- Prepare for a specialisation (if holding 4+years of work experience): Professionals holding an experience of about four years or more might be quizzed on the specialisation they want to opt for – being prepared for the same in advance is extremely important.
- Keep in mind the specific format for each call: Every B-school has a distinct GD-PI procedure and criteria for giving out calls. It is extremely important to know about the format for each call, else you might reach unprepared for the same and might miss out on your chance of getting an enrolment in a top B-school.
Also Read:
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Plan B
Life is not always a bed of roses – your CAT attempt might or might not be successful. If you make it to one of the IIMs or your preferred B-School, congratulations for achieving what you had been aiming for, but if things do not fall in place you must always be ready with plan B. Consider the following in case you do not clear CAT exam are:
- Will you apply for a job?
- Will you appear for CAT 2026?
- If you plan to appear for CAT 2026, will you prepare for it full-time or do it while working on a job?
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It is difficult but not impossible. If you give yourself a good enough time to improve English comprehension, grammar and vocabulary, you will be able to do it. Yes, a non- English medium student will require longer time for CAT preparation as they will have to start reading and improving English comprehension. So, may be they need to start English preparation for CAT in the second year of graduation, instead of final year (much earlier than English medium students). They may also need two attempts to crack CAT with high percentile. But that's not true for all. If you work hard and study smartly, you will be able to crack it.
The best way to prepare for DILR section is through practice. Before starting the preparation, aspirants should check previous years’ question papers. Since there is not much conceptual understanding required in this section, practice is important.
Some of the most popular books on DILR section that you can refer are How to Prepare for Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning for CAT by Arun Sharma, Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT by Nishit Sinha, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning for CAT by Pearson, to name a few.
CAT is a speed-based test of analytical aptitude, logical reasoning skills, data interpretation and English comprehension. Now, it may sound tough, but these are the skills which we are taught in school so there is nothing new to learn. What is required is to learn these subjects at advanced level. If you are an average student but have studied Science or Commerce in Class-12 and graduation, you will find a lot of familiar topics in Data Interpretation, Quantitative Aptitude and Logical Reasoning. All you will need is brush up the basics and practice the concepts on advanced-level problems.
However, since the competition is so high in CAT and less than 95 percentile can break your dream of joining a top college like IIM, the preparation for CAT requires a lot of focus, dedication, discipline and diligence. If you can do that, despite being an average student, you can crack the CAT exam.
Hope it was helpful!!!
While candidates belonging to Science and Engineering background do have an edge over Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), it is not impossible for students from non-Science background to crack this section of an MBA entrance exam. They do need to prepare harder which includes going back to study fundamentals of Mathematics such as Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry and Mensuration.
With regular practice and understanding of the question types and topics, candidates, irrespective of the educational background, can crack this section. Aspirants must note that it is important to identify the weak areas and improve on them to get a stronghold on this section. For Logical Reasoning, a good amount of practice of sample questions will be enough.
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Vipra Shrivastava is MA in English Literature from Delhi University with extensive experience in content writing of over 14 years. She has been handling content for Management, Accounting and Commerce streams for 8
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 2 days ago
GIBS is pretty chill when it comes to entrance exams because they accept almost all the common ones that students usually write. Like CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, GMAT, ATMA, and even state CET scores are considered. So honestly you don't feel limited or stressed about writing only one specific exam. Most o
S
Beginner-Level 5
Answered 2 days ago
You can download your CDAC C-CAT 2026 response sheet by logging in to the official C-DAC Candidate Portal using your form number and password.
R
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 3 days ago
Yes, JAGSoM accepts CAT scores as part of its multi-stage admission process. Candidates are shortlisted for selection rounds based on their entrance exam scores.
B
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 4 days ago
Candidates seeking admission to GIBS Bangalore's PGDM and MBA programs can use the results of a variety of national and international management entrance tests including CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, ATMA, and GMAT. All applicants will be reviewed based on their academic record, performance in group discussi
M
Contributor-Level 8
Answered 5 days ago
No, CAT scores are not important for admission to the MBA course at the School of Business, Sushant University. As per the info. taken from the website of the university, it conducts its own entrance exam for enrollment into the MBA course.
C
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 5 days ago
RGIPT allows admission without CAT/XAT/GMAT/CMAT/MAT/CUET-PG score under two circumstances. First, you should be a company-sponsored candidate. Second, if you belong to part time registration category. You will still have to fulfil the remaining eligibility criteria.
J
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 6 days ago
Candidates with a valid score of CAT/ GMAT/ GRE score are exempted from the written test. These candidates still need to complete the form by paying the application fees. However, these aspirants may get called for the IIM Trichy - Chennai campus PGPBM interview round.
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 6 days ago
CAT is one of the accepting exams for admission to PGDM at IPE Hyderabad. Candidates with a good score in CAT can also get a scholarship. However, CAT is not mandatory. Aspirants with a score in MAT, XAT, ATMA, GMAT or CMAT exams can also get admission in the PGDM course.
N
Guide-Level 15
Answered a week ago
No, candidates who wish to apply for the Global MBA course at Lexicon MILE are required to clear the LAT conducted by Lexicon MILE. The CAT exam score at Lexicon MILE is only used for deciding the PGDM admissions along with several other entrance exams.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
CAT is one of the accepting exams for MBA admission at Karunya School of Management. However, it is not compulsory. Aspirants can also apply through XAT, MAT or KMAT scores. Candidates must also complete graduation to apply for MBA at KSM Coimbatore.
N
Guide-Level 15
Yes, CAT syllabus is difficult to crack if you do not have enough time. There are three subjects in CAT- VARC, DILR and Quantitative Aptitude. Most of the candidates find RC passages tough to crack. In Quants, Arithmetic, Algebra and Geometry pose significant challenge during preparation. In DILR, Reasoning questions often turnout to be tricky and confusion.