CAT 2016: IIM Calcutta slashes CAT score weight to 30%; admission criteria raise WAT & PI weight to 58%

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MBAUniverse.com News Desk |
August 17, 2016
Not only for CAT 2016 scores but during last 3 years IIM Calcutta has also reduced the weightage to CAT score in shortlisting from 77 to 67 and now to 56 percent
In the final admission at IIM Calcutta, PI & WAT command highest 58% weightage among 5 major components

Weightage to CAT 2016 scores has been further reduced by IIM Calcutta as compared to last year for admission to its flagship PGP 2017-19 batch. Now instead of written exam scores in CAT 2016, major component of admission criteria will the PI round scores according to the admission policy announced by the prestigious B-school to shortlist the candidates for PI round and then making final admission offer.

1st stage shortlisting: Low weight to CAT score
The selection of the candidates for admission to the 2017-19 batch of the PGP at IIM Calcutta is a two-step process. In the first step, candidates are short-listed for Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI) from among the candidates who have a valid CAT-2016 score, who have applied to the programme and who satisfy the eligibility criteria for the programme.

For the first stage shortlisting for Personal Interview round, IIM Calcutta will award only 28 out of total 50 points to CAT 2016 score. This weightage was 67% last year and for admission to PGP 2017-19 batch it has been reduced to only 56%.

Qualifying percentile
IIM Calcutta needs a minimum of 90 overall and 80 percentile in each of the 3 sections in CAT 2016 to shortlist candidates for PI round for admission to PGP 2017-19 batch.

This requirement of qualifying sectional and overall percentile in CAT 2016 for 1st stage shortlisting by IIM Calcutta is higher than that of IIM Ahmedabad that requires only 80 overall and 70 sectional percentile.

Actual cut off to go much higher
Please note that the actual cut-off, sectional as well overall may go much higher in the shortlisting process at IIM Calcutta.

An important fact is that even a 100 percentiler will get only a weightage of maximum 56% and in case a candidate has very strong academic profile, he/she even with the 96 percentile may supercede him in getting a place in shortlist.

CAT 2016 score: Conversion formula
The conversion formula to place you at the correct merit position will be based on your total CAT 2016 scores. On considering the candidate’s minimum required sectional percentile scored in CAT 2016, IIM Calcutta will calculate the weightage after dividing the candidate’s total CAT 2016 score by maximum CAT 2016 score and will then multiply it by 28 (Out of total 50 points).

If a candidate has scored 98 percentile while the maximum percentile is 100, IIM Calcutta will divide 98 by 100=.98 x 28 = 27.44.  The weightage will be on a scale of 50, so it will come to 56%.

Academic profile: Weightage increased by 10%
IIM Calcutta has increased award of weightage percentage from 30% to 40% upto class 12 marks to shortlist candidates at the first stage. Announcing its admission policy for PGP 2017-19 batch after release of CAT 2016 notification on July 31, the Indian Institute of Calcutta has placed on record the 1st stage shortlisting criteria which elaborate that apart from weightage to CAT 2016 score, major weightage will be awarded to academic profile only upto class 12 and there will be no weightage to bachelor’s degree.

If you have obtained 80 or above percentage of marks in Class X and  XII, you are entitled to get 10 out of total 50 points for each of the two exams, making it a total of 20 points.   These points will be further converted to weightage points with the application of simple formula-dividing the points awarded for aggregate percentage of marks by 10 and then multiplying it by 15. There will be a zero weightage if the candidate has scored less than 60 percent marks.

A candidate with 90 percent marks each in class 10 & 12 will get the weightage of 10+10=20 out of 50 points. It comes to 40%. Last year the weightage was of maximum 30 points out of 100 and therefore carried the total weightage of 30% only.

Shortlisting weight points: Summary

Component

Weights

CAT 2016 overall score

28/50

Class X marks

10/50

Class XII marks

10/50

Gender Diversity (For girl candidates & transgenders)

2/50 

Total

 50/50  

CAT score weight reduced drastically
During last 3 years IIM Calcutta has drastically reduced the weightage to CAT scores in the 1st stage shortlisting for PI round. It was 77% in 2014; 67% in 2015 and now the weight to CAT 2016 score has been slashed to 56% to promote academic profile and gender diversity.

Final Admission: 2nd stage - Post PI round
A candidate’s final score for selection is calculated on the basis of CAT 2016 score; performance in personal interview, performance in Written Ability Test (WAT); academic diversity and work experience. In the final admission at IIM Calcutta, PI & WAT command highest 58% weightage among 5 major components.

Following details indicate the criteria and their weights to be used for the final selection for PGP-PGDM for the 2017-19 batch at IIM Calcutta.

CAT 2016 Score: 15 points
Out of total 50 points only 15 points will be awarded to CAT 2016 score. The weight comes to 30%. Even a 100 percentiler in CAT 2016 will not get beyond 15 points in final selection.

Personal Interview (PI): 24 points
Performance in personal interview will carry a weight of 24 points out of 50 making it the highest weightage of 48% for admission to IIM Calcutta.

Written Ability Test (WAT): 5 points
5 out of 50 points will be awarded to your performance in Written Ability Test (WAT) in IIM Calcutta. The weight if converted to percentage points will come to 10%. Accordingly PI and WAT taken together will account for 58% weight in final admission process at IIM Calcutta.

Academic Diversity: 2 points
IIM Calcutta will award 2 points for Academic Diversity at Bachelor’s degree level (Academic Diversity Factor for Bachelor’s degree (ADFB)).Candidates with any of the following bachelor’s degree in the list X below are eligible for ADFB:

List X: BA, BA(H), B.Sc, B.Sc.(H), BS, B.Com, B.Com(H), BCA, BBA, B.Pharma, LL.B, MBBS, BDS or any other Non-Engineering bachelor’s degree not mentioned above.

Those who have completed their graduation with any of above streams, 2 points will be awarded to them but those who have done their graduation from engineering or other stream which does not qualify for ADFB will not be awarded any points.

Work Experience: 4 points
4 will be the maximum out of 50 points which will be awarded to the candidates with the relevant work experience. A candidate with 31 to 36 months of relevant work experience will be awarded maximum 4 points while those with less than 6 months of work experience will not be awarded any points.

Please note CAT 2016 will be the mandatory exam for admission to IIMs in 2017 and obtaining high sectional and overall percentile in the exam will be one the important components to get shortlisted by IIMs. CAT 2016 will consist of 3 sections namely Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC); Data Interpretation and Logical reasoning (DILR) and Quantitative Aptitude (Quant). CAT 2016 will be conducted in 2 sessions on December 4, 2016.

Registration process for CAT 2016 is open online and is proposed to close on September 22, 2016 at 5 PM. The registration fee for the exam is Rs. 1700/-.

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