# CAT percentile is just the opening chapter, business schools say 2026-08-20T13:55:58+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet CAT results often reduce MBA aspirants to a single number, but business schools look beyond the percentile for qualities like curiosity, judgment, and the ability to take responsibility, according to an article by Dr. Sakshi Arora, Assistant Professor at Woxsen University. She argues that while the CAT exam tests analytical ability and discipline, a percentile is only a snapshot, whereas an MBA is a journey of learning and reinvention. Dr. Arora emphasises that schools increasingly evaluate what a candidate actually did: solve a problem, manage a team, or learn from failure. Academic consistency and work experience matter, but the context behind them is key. She notes that the most valuable quality is the disposition to keep asking 'why,' which translates into discernment and ownership, qualities no percentile can measure. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The piece reflects a long-standing debate in Indian management education: the CAT score opens the door, but it does not guarantee success inside it. Over 2.5 lakh candidates appear for CAT each year, yet only about 5,000 seats exist at the top IIMs alone. The real differentiator, what happens after the exam, is rarely discussed in the percentile frenzy. Watch for how IIMs and top B-schools tweak their selection criteria for the 2025, 27 batch, especially in personal interviews and work-experience weightage, which already account for 30, 50% of the final composite score at most institutes. ## Coverage - hindustantimes.com Presents a professor's opinion piece without editorial slant or additional reporting This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: CAT, IIM Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/cat-percentile-is-just-the-opening-chapter-business-schools-say/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/cat-percentile-is-just-the-opening-chapter-business-schools-say/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/