A 6 in UG can be justified in IIM interviews if you can explain it with concrete reasons and show strong recovery since. The AMA hosts confirmed: "They don't let it pass, they grill you on it. If you can justify it then you make it through.
" Typical acceptable justifications: illness during exams, project-heavy timetable at tier 1 college where grade deflation is normal, family emergency, co-curricular focus on nationals-level event, or UG college's strict grading curve. Unacceptable justifications: "I didn't study enough" or "I wasn't motivated". At IIM Ahmedabad (Rs 27.
5L fees, Rs 35.22 LPA avg), interviewers specifically probe the 6 because they want to weed out candidates who coast - your job is to show the opposite with projects, extracurriculars, and CAT percentile in the 99.9+ range.
Practical prep: prepare a 60-second explanation, back it with 2-3 data points (e.g., "90% in core subjects, 50% in electives I deprioritised for my startup project"), and pivot to what you've learned.
Top 3 IIMs love candidates who can self-critique maturely. The three AMA hosts explicitly said tier 1 brand helped their 6s slip through. For non-tier-1 candidates with 6 in UG, CAT 99.
7+ is functionally mandatory along with work-ex or certifications to compensate. Check your eligibility at collvera.