A lot of aspirants think hitting 99%ile in CAT automatically means a ticket to IIMs. Harsh truth? It doesn’t.

IIMs don’t just look at your CAT score. They also weigh in your 10th, 12th, graduation marks, work experience, gender/academic diversity — basically the whole package. That’s why two people with the same 99%ile can have very different outcomes.

But here’s the flip side: if your profile isn’t “perfect,” it doesn’t mean game over. Many top IIMs give heavy weightage to CAT, and even if some calls don’t land, there are plenty of great B-schools where a strong score is more than enough.

So don’t stress over what’s not in your control. Focus on the exam, play to your strengths, and let the calls come as they may. The score opens the door, but your profile decides how many rooms you get invited into.