
The Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode is one of the first choices among aspirants due to its academic excellence, strong placements, and consistent high rankings. To apply into IIM Kozhikode using
CAT 2025
, a candidate must do more than just reach the official cutoffs; the competition is quite high, and to be able to realistically prepare for it, one should aim at a much higher percentile. The true safe percentile is determined by the current trend, number of high scorers, and weightage of IIM Kozhikode on academics, diversity and work experience. This is a detailed analysis of the CAT percentile expectations, holistic selection criteria, and a table which summarises the recent cutoff trends of all categories.
Also Check -
What is a Good Score/Percentile in CAT 2025?
What Is a Safe Percentile in CAT 2025 for IIM Kozhikode?
One of the most competitive management schools in the country is IIM Kozhikode. Formally, the lowest CAT percentile to be taken into consideration is 85 for the general category, and 75 in sectional categories. Nevertheless, the real shortlisting cut-off scores are quite high; thus, aspirants should aim for higher cut-off scores for admission to IIM Kozhikode.
CAT 2025 Safe Target Percentile for IIM Kozhikode
In the case of the general category, IIM Kozhikode's shortlisting target percentile is 98 and higher. In recent years, within the general merit list, the majority of shortlisted candidates are in the range of the 97.5 to 99.7 percentiles. This is because of the high academic standards of the institute and the high competition for high-performing applicants.
Also Check -
List of MBA Colleges Accepting 90-95 Percentile in CAT 2025
Holistic Admission in IIM Kozhikode: Not Just CAT 2025
IIM Kozhikode considers the overall performance of the student, not only the CAT scores. Check the scores that are considered while getting admission to the IIM Kozhikode below:
The highest weightage is given to the CAT score, which is around 35 per cent
Class 10 and 12 scores together often account for 30 to 35 per cent of the composite score.
Academic and Gender Diversity is considered up to 10 per cent weightage.
Work Experience holds a weightage of 5 to 10 per cent, assessed on relevance and duration.
A slightly lower CAT percentile can often be offset by an outstanding previous academic record, non-engineering background, or work experience, particularly for those benefiting from the institute’s diversity emphasis.
IIM Kozhikode Percentile Trends for CAT 2025
Check the percentile trends for the CAT 2025 in the table below:
Category | Official Minimum Overall percentile | Typical Shortlist Percentile | Sectional Minima |
|---|---|---|---|
General | 85 | 98+ | 75 |
NC-OBC | 75 | 90–93 | 65 |
EWS | 75 | 90–93 | 65 |
SC | 65 | 80+ | 55 |
ST | 55 | 70+ | 40 |
PwD | 55 | 65–70 | 40 |
Note: These are indicative; actual final shortlist percentiles can vary annually based on applicant quality and intake needs.
Academic Weightage for IIM Kozhikode
In 2025, IIM Kozhikode has raised the presence of Class 12 marks (up to 20% of composite score), which puts a decisive advantage in favour of those students with solid academic records. Board exam scores and CAT percentile are necessary to maximise the overall selection probability.
To have a safe chance of joining IIM Kozhikode, the general category applicants are expected to score 98 percentile or more in CAT and have the best academic achievements and balanced profiles. Reserved category candidates have a lower cut-off, yet there is immense competition. Look at new admission advertisements at IIM Kozhikode frequently to know their policies and sectional needs, and predict your
CAT cutoff 2025
by referring to percentile calculators.
If you have further queries regarding admission to
top private management colleges in India
, you can write to hello@collegedekho.com or call our toll free number 18005729877, or simply fill out our
Common Application Form
on the website.
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FAQs
Strong academic records, non-engineering backgrounds, diversity, or substantial work experience can boost the composite score and compensate to some extent for a marginally lower CAT percentile, but extremely low CAT scores are rarely overlooked.
Yes, each category (General, NC-OBC, EWS, SC, ST, PwD) has its own minimum sectional cutoffs, generally lower for reserved categories, for example, 75 in each section for General, and as low as 40–55 for ST/PwD.
IIM Kozhikode uses a composite score that includes the CAT percentile, Class 10 and 12 marks, academic and gender diversity, and relevant work experience for shortlisting and final admission.
For the general category, aiming for a 98 percentile or higher is considered “safe” due to high competition and shortlist trends; for NC-OBC/EWS, 90 to 93 percentile is recommended, and for SC/ST, 80 and above
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