Can you suggest MBA colleges that take admission with lower CAT scores? How can I prepare for the CAT exam?

The cut-offs at Altera Institute are indicative in nature and may differ each year on the basis of the applicant quality and competition. For the 2025 intake, the indicative benchmarks were CAT 85+ percentile, NMAT 220+, and XAT 85+ percentile. Final shortlisting is done on the basis of the overall profile, academics, work experience, and interview performance. Strong profiles with high growth potential are considered even if slightly below these ranges.

Yes, UPES Dehradun does accept CAT scores for MBA admissions. Students with a valid CAT score of 50 percentile or above are eligible to apply for the course. Eligible students have to appear for the Group Discussion and Personal Interview rounds for final selection.

Altera Institute cutoff changes every year based on applicant quality and competition. The cutoff for 2025 intake was 85+ percentile in CAT, 220+ in NMAT and 85+ percentile in XAT. The final selection is done on overall profile, academics, work experience and performance of the candidates in the interview round. The institute considers strong profiles with high growth potential even if slightly below these ranges.

During CDAC C-CAT counselling, seat allotment is based on your C-CAT rank, chosen preferences, and seat availability. Higher-ranked candidates get priority during the allocation process.

The CDAC C-CAT 2026 results will be published on 22 January 2026 on the official C-DAC website.