How Can I Get An Interview Call From IIM Calcutta - CAT 2018 - PGP 2019 - 2021

Category	QA	DI-LR	VA-RC	Overall
General	≥80	≥80	≥80	≥90
NC-OBC	≥75	≥75	≥75	≥85
SC	≥65	≥65	≥65	≥70
ST	≥60	≥60	≥60	≥70
PWD	≥60	≥60	≥60	≥70

The CAT percentile of a shortlisted candidate may be much higher than the mentioned percentile and the overall percentile cut-off for an ideal candidate is likely to be set in excess of 98-99 percentile.

Table 2:

Points For 10th And 12th Marks:

10th Marks	Points	12th Marks	Points
≥80	10	≥80	10
≥ 75 and < 80	8	≥ 75 and < 80	8
≥ 70 and < 75	6	≥ 70 and < 75	6
≥ 65 and < 70	4	≥ 65 and < 70	4
≥ 60 and < 65	2	≥ 60 and < 65	2
< 60	0	< 60	0

Table 3:

Criteria For Shortlist Call:

Component	Weights
CAT 2018 Overall Score	28
Class 10th Marks	10
Class 12th Marks	10
Gender Diversity	2
Total	50

To calculate the CAT overall score, the method used would be:

(A/B) x 28

Where A = Candidate's CAT 2018 Score and B = Maximum CAT 2018 Score

Table 4:

Criteria for final selection and admission offer:

Criterion	Weights
CAT 2018 Score	15
Personal Interview (PI)	24
Written Ability Test (WAT)	5
Point awarded for Academic Diversity at Bachelor’s degree level (Academic Diversity Factor for Bachelor’s degree (ADFB)):	If (Bachelor’s degree is from the list X) ADFB=2; else ADFB=0
Work Experience	4
Total	50

For ADFB, if you're not an Engineer, you will be allotted 2 extra points for academic diversity at the undergraduate level.

Table 5:

Marks for work experience.

Months	Points
< 6	0
6 to 12	2
13 to 24	3
25 to 36	4
37 to 48	3
>48	2

Work experience till 31st of January, 2019 will be counted in months. However, this excludes any project work/Training/work done as a part of the curriculum.

Let's explore what the IIM Calcutta selection criteria mean for the different type of applicants:

Non-Engineer, Female Candidate  - This is an ideal candidate for IIM Calcutta, and has the potential to get a high composite score. If the lady has close to 3 years of work experience, has over 80% marks in 10th and 12th and manages to score in excess of 99.5 percentile, then there is a very high chance for her to get admission into IIM Calcutta. The deciding factor would be the WAT-PI performance, which accounts for 30% of the total marks.

Non-Engineer, Male Candidate - A male non-engineer will miss out on the 2 gender diversity points but still manages to be an ideal candidate, provided the above-mentioned criteria are met.

Engineer, Female Candidate - A female engineer gains 2 gender diversity points, but does not gain the advantage of academic diversity. Therefore, the candidate will have to compensate for the same with a relatively higher CAT percentile and an excellent WAT-PI performance, as compared to her non-engineer counterpart.

Engineer, Male Candidate - GEMs will miss out on 4 points (Gender Diversity+Academic Diversity). However, 76% of the total marks are in the hands of a male engineering candidate. A CAT percentile in excess of 99.7 percentile (based on previous trends) and an excellent WAT-PI performance would be sufficient to be a part of the Class of 2021 at IIM C.

Verdict:

With no changes in selection criteria from last year, IIM Calcutta seems to have gotten the formula right.

For aspirants, the institute offers a chance to wash off their past "sins". With 43% of the total weight being given to CAT, a less-than-stellar academic background is no longer an excuse. Graduation marks, the downfall for most aspirants, is also not a selection criterion. Most CAT aspirants are likely to have scored above 80% in either 10th or 12th, if not both. Therefore, their CAT performance will play a major role in deciding if they become Gems of Joka. 

With both gender diversity and academic diversity points being regularly made a part of the selection criteria every year, it is clear that the IIM Calcutta is driven to get that 1:1 gender ratio, and wants to get rid of the image that only Engineers can make it to the holy trinity of IIMs.

Selection Criteria - IIM Calcutta Official Website

Also read:

1. CAT 2018 Official Notification. 

If you have any questions related to CAT or any other queries, ask them on the InsideIIM Q&A Section!