MBA admissions in India are extremely competitive and thus understanding the cutoff scores for the main MBA exams is essential for the students. MBA cutoffs vary according to several factors including: exam, institute, specialization and category.
This article provides a complete breakdown of MBA cutoffs in 2025 for exams including CAT, NMAT, XAT as well as institutions like IIMs, XLRI, FMS and more.
MBA Cutoff Overview
MBA cutoffs are the minimum scores, percentile or rank that a candidate must secure to qualify for the next admission stage.
What Affects MBA Cutoffs? Key Factors Explained
MBA Cutoffs 2025: IIMs (CAT Based)
The Indian Institute of Management provides admission on the basis of CAT percentile. A comprehensive expected list of the cutoffs has been provided below:
These are expected cutoffs based on past year trends. Final cutoffs may vary.
MBA Cutoffs 2025: Other Top Colleges & Exams
Many colleges accept other entrance exams including XAT, NMAT and many more. A comprehensive description of their cutoffs has been given below:
XAT 2025 Cutoffs
The following colleges accept the scores of XAT which is conducted by XLRI for MBA admissions:
XLRI Jamshedpur (Business Management): 95+ percentile
XLRI Jamshedpur (Human Resource Management): 93+ percentile
XIM Bhubaneswar: 90+ percentile
IMT Ghaziabad: 90+ percentile
SNAP (for Symbiosis) 2025 Cutoffs
The following colleges under Symbiosis accept the scores of SNAP, conducted by Symbiosis International for MBA admissions:
SIBM Pune: 98+ percentile
SCMHRD Pune: 96+ percentile
SIIB Pune: 92+ percentile
SIBM Bangalore: 88+ percentile
NMAT(for NMIMS) 2025 Cutoffs
The following branches of NMIMS accept the scores of NMAT for MBA admissions:
NMIMS Mumbai: 235-245
NMIMS Bangalore: 220-230
NMIMS Hyderabad: 210-220
Category Wise MBA Cutoff Comparison
Cutoffs differ significantly across categories due to the reservation policies. A breakdown of the same has been given below:
Cutoff Vs Admission: Understanding the Composite Scores
Many B-Schools use composite score calculation to shortlist candidates:
Example for Better Understanding
If a student scores 98 percentile in CAT, has 80% in academics, and 2 years of work experience, their composite score might be calculated as:
98 x 0.6 + Academics (80 x 0.2) + Work Ex (10 x 0.1) + PI/WAT + Diversity