CAT cutoff 2026: Expected percentile, category-wise cutoffs, and cutoff trends for top IIMs and B-Schools

What is the CAT cutoff 2026?

The CAT cutoff refers to the minimum percentile or score a candidate must achieve in order to be shortlisted for the next stage of the admission process by various management institutes accepting CAT scores. These cutoffs serve as a benchmark to filter candidates based on their performance in the exam.

The Common Admission Test cut off differs for each institute and category, and even varies by academic and gender diversity. Cutoffs are typically declared for each section of the exam as well as for the overall score. Knowing the trends and expected cutoffs helps aspirants prioritize their section-wise preparation and benchmark their mock performance.

There are two types of CAT cutoffs:

• Qualifying cutoff: This is the minimum sectional and overall percentile required to be eligible for consideration. It is announced by the institutes in their admission criteria.
• Final cutoff: This is the actual cutoff percentile at which candidates are shortlisted for further rounds like WAT, GD, and PI. It is usually higher than the qualifying cutoff

Key highlights:

• Most IIMs specify both sectional and overall cutoffs to ensure balanced performance.
• Top IIMs such as IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Calcutta often have cutoffs exceeding the 98 percentile mark for General category candidates.
• Newer IIMs like IIM Ranchi, IIM Rohtak, and IIM Trichy typically set cutoffs between 90 and 93 percentile.
• The cutoffs for reserved categories such as SC, ST, OBC, and PwD are significantly lower, sometimes going as low as 50 percentile, to promote diversity and inclusion.
• In addition to percentile, factors such as academic scores, work experience, and diversity may influence shortlisting even after meeting the cutoff.

For official information on CAT 2026, please visit the official IIM CAT website.

Factors affecting CAT cutoff 2026

The CAT exam cutoff is dynamic and changes every year due to a combination of quantitative and qualitative factors. Understanding these elements can help aspirants estimate realistic percentile targets and make informed decisions while applying to B-schools.

Here are the major factors that influence the CAT cutoff:

1. Number of candidates appearing: A higher number of test-takers increases competition, potentially raising the cutoff percentile, especially for top-tier institutes.
2. Difficulty level of the exam: If the exam is tougher than usual, the raw scores might be lower, which can lead to a relatively lower cutoff percentile and vice versa.
3. Normalization across slots: CAT is conducted in multiple slots, and the normalization process adjusts scores to account for differences in difficulty levels across these slots, affecting the final percentile.
4. Seat intake of institutes: Institutes with a larger number of seats may have relatively lower cutoffs compared to institutes with fewer seats.
5. Reservation policies: Category-wise reservation (SC/ST/OBC-NCL/PwD) leads to varied cutoffs for different groups, with reserved category candidates often requiring lower percentiles to qualify.
6. Academic diversity and gender diversity factors: Some IIMs provide additional weightage to non-engineering backgrounds or female candidates, which can result in calls being issued at lower cutoffs for these profiles.
7. Institute-specific selection criteria: Each IIM or B-school has its own criteria, such as giving more weight to academic background, work experience, or gender diversity, which affects how strictly they enforce cutoff percentiles.

The latest admission policies demonstrate why candidates should not focus only on the overall percentile. IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, and IIM Indore all use additional parameters while preparing their interview or final admission lists.

Expected CAT cutoff 2026

As CAT 2026 approaches, one of the most frequently asked questions among aspirants is: "What percentile is good enough to get into an IIM or a top B-school?" While the actual cutoffs are revealed post-result, based on previous years’ trends, exam difficulty, and intake changes, we can reasonably estimate the likely range for various institutes.

The CAT exam cutoff varies widely depending on the reputation of the institute, number of applicants, and reservation category. Top IIMs like Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Calcutta typically demand a 98–99+ percentile for the General category, whereas newer IIMs and other Tier-1 institutes may accept candidates in the 90–95 percentile range.

Based on past trends and expected competition level, here’s a projected range of CAT 2026 expected cutoffs for General category: on past trends and expected competition level, here’s a projected range of CAT 2026 expected cutoffs for General category:

Note: These figures should be treated as pre-exam target ranges rather than official CAT 2026 cutoffs. The final requirements can change after CAT 2026 results depending on institute admission policies, applicant profiles, and composite scores.

Category-wise CAT cutoff 2026

Understanding the category-wise CAT exam cutoff is crucial for candidates as it directly impacts their chances of receiving a call from IIMs and other top B-schools. Since the Common Admission Test follows reservation norms as per Government of India regulations, the required percentile varies significantly across different categories. Candidates belonging to SC, ST, OBC-NCL, and PwD categories often benefit from relaxed cutoffs, which are set to promote inclusivity in management education.

Here is an indicative table for category-wise cutoff percentiles based on the trends from CAT 2024 and CAT 2026, which can serve as a reference point for CAT 2026 aspirants:

Note: Keep in mind that these are estimated cutoffs. The actual figures may vary depending on the number of applicants, exam difficulty, and specific institutional policies for each admission cycle.

Qualifying CAT cutoff vs final CAT cutoff

When preparing for the CAT exam, it is crucial to understand that not all cutoffs serve the same purpose. Aspirants often confuse the qualifying cutoff with the final cutoff, but the two are fundamentally different in how they influence the selection process. The qualifying CAT cutoff is the minimum benchmark that makes a candidate eligible to be considered by an IIM, while the final CAT cutoff is the actual percentile at which a candidate receives an interview call.

Here’s a detailed comparison of the two types of CAT cutoffs to help you understand their purpose and implications better:

This distinction is vital while the qualifying cutoff ensures your application is considered, the final cutoff determines your actual chances of getting an interview call.

CAT cutoff for IIMs (2025 vs 2026)

To help aspirants assess the competitive landscape of IIM admissions, it's important to examine the trends in CAT exam cutoff percentiles across the years. While the qualifying cutoffs remain relatively stable and are officially released by each IIM, the final cutoffs fluctuate based on the performance of candidates, difficulty level of the exam, and other dynamic admission factors such as academic profile and diversity weightage.

To understand the changing admission requirements at the IIMs, candidates can compare the minimum CAT qualifying percentiles across recent years. These are the minimum overall percentile requirements for General category candidates and should not be confused with the actual percentile at which candidates receive interview calls.

Below is a comparative table showing the Common Admission Test cut off percentiles (final cutoffs) for the General category in 2025 and 2024 for top IIMs:

CAT cutoff for top B-Schools (non-IIMs)

Apart from IIMs, several other top B-schools in India accept CAT scores for admission to their MBA/PGDM programs. These institutes also publish their own CAT cutoffs, which are typically lower than those of the top IIMs but still highly competitive. The cutoffs for these B-schools are influenced by factors like academic rigor, placement records, reputation, and applicant volume.

Here’s an overview of the expected CAT cutoff percentiles for top non-IIM B-schools for General category candidates:

CAT cut off 2026: score vs percentile

A common area of confusion among CAT aspirants is the relationship between raw scores and percentiles. The CAT exam uses a scaled scoring mechanism, and the percentile is a rank-based score that indicates the percentage of candidates who scored less than a particular candidate.

Here’s an approximate breakdown of CAT 2026 score vs percentile based on past trends and difficulty levels:

Please note:

• The exact scores corresponding to percentiles vary every year based on the difficulty level of the exam and scaling mechanism.
• Sectional scores also affect the overall percentile, especially in cases where a student performs extremely well in one section and poorly in others.
• These numbers are only indicative and should be used for broad benchmarking.

Being aware of the score vs percentile trends can help you set more realistic targets during your CAT preparation and mock test assessments.

CAT cut offs: IIM admission and selection criteria

Candidates who meet the required CAT cut off are eligible to apply for the WAT/GD-PI round. The IIM selection process includes multiple stages: shortlisting based on CAT score, evaluation in the WAT/GD-PI round, and final admission decision.

Most IIMs conduct WAT and PI rounds between February and April, with final admission offers sent to successful candidates by May. Nine newer IIMs participate in a Common Admission Process (CAP), which includes a combined WAT-PI round for streamlined evaluation.

Upon receiving an invitation to the WAT/GD-PI round, candidates are required to present the following documents to confirm their participation:

• Original and self-attested copies of marksheets from Class 10, Class 12, and graduation.
• Original and self-attested caste/class and/or disability certificate (if applicable to SC, ST, NC-OBC, or PwD categories).
• For final-year bachelor's degree students: an original certificate from the Principal/Registrar/Director of the college/institution stating that the candidate has scored a minimum of 50% aggregate (or 45% for SC, ST, and PwD) based on the latest available marks.

The final selection is based on a composite score derived from CAT percentile, academic background, work experience, performance in WAT-PI, and academic diversity factors.

Each IIM follows a unique admission and selection policy, often combining CAT scores with other academic and profile-based factors. The overall weightage to the CAT score varies across IIMs, with older IIMs generally placing less emphasis on CAT score alone compared to newer ones.