Unfortunately, the example of the TN prof. courses cut-off marks is not replicated in the case of the IIMs or the IITs. The diff. in cut off marks in the case of the TN courses is entirely due to the fact that the number of seats available is a million (in a manner of speaking) compared to the thousand or so available for the IIMs. The no. of students competing for the prof. courses' seats in TN and in other states is only slightly higher than the no. of seats actually available.
Whereas in the case of the IIMs, about 2.5 lakhs compete for a thousand seats and 3 lakhs compete for about 5000 seats in the IITs.
Now to the most interesting part :
The cut off for general category seats in the IIMs year after year has been in the range of 105 to 120 (all four sections combined). And for SCs and STs, this cut off has consistently been a ridiculously low 60 or thereabouts (if it is kept any higher, the IIMs will not be able to fill their reserved quota of seats !!!). Imagine the gap in aptitude this gulf of around 50 represents - with the securing of every point higher than the 70s or 80s a battle in it's own right. The CAT's formidable fame is derived in the main from the sheer toughness a general category student faces in going from the 90s to the 110s (it is here that the cutting edge of his aptitude and mental make up is really tested). Just imagine his incredulousness when after scoring about 110 and getting interview calls from one or two IIMs, he meets a reserved
