Does CAT percentile affect interview marks at IIMs after shortlisting?

CAT percentile does not directly affect interview marks at most IIMs—interview is evaluated purely on in-person performance. Your CAT score matters for shortlisting only; once you are in the room, a 99.99 percentiler and a 97 percentiler are judged identically on the same rubric. IIM Calcutta at Rs 27L fees for Rs 34.23 LPA is an exception where final composite score heavily weighs CAT, so 100 percentilers with weak interviews can still convert. IIM Ahmedabad at Rs 27.5L for Rs 35.22 LPA and IIM Bangalore at Rs 26.2L for Rs 34.88 LPA weigh interview performance around 40-50% of final composite, meaning a great interview from 98.5 can beat a mediocre one from 99.

1. Panelists may ask academic-specific questions matching the candidate's background—an engineer gets physics-math questions, a commerce grad gets finance basics. Communication quality, structured answers, and confidence drive marks. The typical scoring range is 60-80 out of 100, with panels varying in leniency. A "good" interview gets around 15-20 out of 20 on qualitative parameters. A "bad" one drops to 10-

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1. Do not walk in thinking your CAT score insulates you—IIM A has historically rejected 100 percentilers across all three. Focus on confident delivery, knowing your profile, and showing up prepared. Check your eligibility at collvera.com/eligibility