Which Top MBA Colleges Don’t Have Sectional Cutoffs? Check B-Schools List
Discover top MBA colleges that prioritize overall percentile over sectional cutoffs. It allows candidates admission if they have struggled in one exam section. This article lists institutions like FMS Delhi and IIT DMS, along with their safe CAT percentiles for admission.
Typically to get into top MBA colleges, candidates need to qualify for CAT or XAT exam. This mostly about meeting the sectional quotas in VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension) DILR (Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning) and Quantitative Aptitude rather than the overall total. Students who have done well in the overall examination may get excluded from the admission process of the MBA program because of missing few marks in any of the exam sections.
However, many leading institutions, such as FMS Delhi, some IIT DMS faculties, or many private universities, are more interested in total percentile than specific exam scores. Therefore, if someone has a good understanding of all the topics covered in the exam but was unlucky in one of the parts, they can apply to these universities. To help candidates figure out the admission possibilities to MBA colleges that don’t have sectional cutoffs, we have provided a complete list of colleges along with safe scores to get into top B-schools.
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What Are Sectional Cutoffs?
A sectional cutoff is defined as the least score you acquire to get in each of the sections in an exam like CAT or XAT (for example, Verbal, Data Interpretation or Quant). It is not just about qualifying the exams but is also about the total score. For many top B-schools, one of the hardest tasks is overcoming the sectional cutoffs. While candidates who have secured a high aggregate score can have their MBA aspirations dissolved because of a weak performance in any of the sections.
However, many B-schools, such as FMS Delhi, some IIT management programs, and some of the top private institutions, evaluate admission possibility based on your total score and overall profile. Instead of removing you from the the admissions process on the basis of one section score. If you have a good overall profile but a poor score in one section, you can get admitted to the top-ranked B-schools in this manner.
Why It Matters?
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Without sectional cutoff, candidates don’t have to panic in attempting tough questions. The difficult section or moment of anxiety will not eliminate the importance of your hard work you have put in throughout the year, provided that your overall score is good.
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It highlights your strength and emphasizes your overall potential and abilities. It focuses on problem-solving instead of making you strive for perfection in every section.
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Not having a sectional cutoff can help you get in to top B-schools. You can comfortably apply to prestigious colleges like FMS Delhi without worrying about your scores in lower-rated colleges.
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Top MBA Colleges Without Sectional Cutoffs
The table highlights top MBA colleges that don’t require sectional cutoffs. The list includes top institutions like the Indian Institute of Delhi (DMS), Indian Institute of Management, Rohtak etc. along with their safe CAT percentile. Check the complete list shared below.
| S. No. | College Name | Safe CAT Percentile |
| 1 | 98+ | |
| 2 | 97+ | |
| 3 | 95+ | |
| 4 | 94+ | |
| 5 | 90+ | |
| 6 | 90+ | |
| 7 | 90+ | |
| 8 | 90+ | |
| 9 | 88+ / 85+ | |
| 10 | 85+ | |
| 11 | Great Lakes Chennai | 85+ |
| 12 | TAPMI Manipal | 85+ |
| 13 | FORE School of Management, Delhi | 80+ |
| 14 | LBSIM Delhi | 80+ |
| 15 | K J Somaiya Institute of Management, Mumbai | 80+ |
| 16 | Welingkar Institute of Management, Mumbai | 80+ |
| 17 | BIMTECH Greater Noida | 80+ |
| 18 | IMT Hyderabad | 80+ |
| 19 | IMT Nagpur | 80+ |
Admission and Eligibility Criteria
The candidates are required to possess a bachelor’s degree with the minimum aggregate marks required (typically 50%) and pass a national level entrance examination which can be CAT or XAT with required percentile, and the later stages which consist of Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI).
Jaya Gupta is an Education Content professional with over four years of experience in writing marketing and academic content, alongside a year of experience working with an indie publishing house. Currently, she is covering higher education content for Jagran Josh (Jagran New Media), leveraging her academic knowledge. She specializes in covering management, engineering, law, medical colleges, study abroad and GATE exams. She holds a Master's degree in English Literature, successfully qualified the 2024 UGC NET, and has guided more than 100 students in framing effective study-abroad academic essays. Her writing interests vary across education, creative expression, and digital culture.
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