CAT Cutoff For General Category 2026: IIM Admission Percentile & Selection Process
General category candidates typically aim for a 99+ percentile in the CAT exam for admission to top-tier IIMs like Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Calcutta. The CAT Cutoff For General Category is the minimum percentile required for shortlisting to the Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI) rounds, with IIM Ahmedabad’s qualifying cutoff for 2025 being 80 percentile, while IIM Lucknow required 90 percentile. The official CAT 2026 cutoff will be updated post-release, as it is expected in December 2026 or January 2027.
CAT Cutoff For General Category 2026: Notification, Application & Exam Date Schedule
The Common Admission Test (CAT) 2026 schedule outlines key dates for notification, application, and the examination itself.
| Event | Date (Expected) |
|---|---|
| Notification Release | July 26, 2026 |
| Application Start | August 1, 2026 |
| Application Close | September 20, 2026 |
| Correction Window | September 24-27, 2026 |
| Admit Card Release | November 12, 2026 |
| Exam Date | November 29, 2026 |
| Result Announcement | December 2026 |
IIM CAT 2025 Category-wise Cutoff: General, OBC, SC, ST & EWS Qualifying Percentiles (Latest — 2026 awaited)
The CAT 2025 qualifying cutoffs for various IIMs show the minimum percentile required for different categories.
| IIM | General | NC-OBC | EWS | SC | ST | PwD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IIM Ahmedabad | 80 | 75 | 80 | 70 | 60 | — |
| IIM Bangalore | 85 | 75 | 75 | 70 | 65 | 60 |
| IIM Calcutta | 85 | 75 | 75 | 70 | 65 | 55 |
| IIM Lucknow | 90 | 82 | 82 | 65 | 60 | 60 |
| IIM Indore | 90 | 80 | 90 | 60 | 50 | 50 |
| IIM Kozhikode | 85 | 75 | 75 | 65 | 55 | 55 |
IIM CAT Cutoff Trends: Sectional Percentiles 2024 vs 2025 for General Category
Analyzing the year-on-year trend for CAT sectional cutoff reveals shifts in competitive requirements for top IIMs for the General category.
| IIM | Section | 2024 Percentile | 2025 Percentile (Latest) |
|---|---|---|---|
| IIM Ahmedabad | VARC | 70 | 85 |
| IIM Ahmedabad | DILR | 70 | 85 |
| IIM Ahmedabad | QA | 70 | 85 |
| IIM Bangalore | VARC | 80 | 80 |
| IIM Bangalore | DILR | 75 | 75 |
| IIM Bangalore | QA | 75 | 75 |
| IIM Calcutta | VARC | 80 | 80 |
| IIM Calcutta | DILR | 80 | 80 |
| IIM Calcutta | QA | 75 | 75 |
CAT Cutoff For General Category 2026 Counselling Schedule: Registration, Choice Filling & Seat Allotment Dates
The CAT 2026 admission process for the 2026-28 MBA batch involves several stages post-result announcement, as IIMs conduct their own selection procedures.
| Event | Date (Expected) |
|---|---|
| IIM Shortlisting (WAT–PI Calls) | January–February 2027 |
| WAT / GD / PI Rounds | February–March 2027 |
| Final Merit List & Offers | April–May 2027 |
| MBA Session Begins | June–July 2027 |
FAQs
Q? When will the CAT 2026 cutoff be released?
The official CAT 2026 cutoff will be released by individual IIMs and other B-schools after the CAT 2026 results are announced, which is expected in December 2026 or January 2027.
Q? What is a good CAT percentile for the General category?
For top-tier IIMs like Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Calcutta, a 99+ percentile is generally considered a good score for the General category. For newer IIMs, a percentile in the 90-95 range can open up opportunities.
Q? Do IIMs have sectional cutoffs for the General category?
Yes, most IIMs specify minimum sectional cutoffs for VARC, DILR, and QA, which candidates must clear in addition to the overall cutoff. These sectional cutoffs can range from 70-85+ percentile for the General category depending on the IIM.
Q? What is the difference between qualifying and final CAT cutoffs?
The qualifying CAT cutoff is the minimum percentile required to be eligible for the Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI) rounds, often lower than the actual percentile at which interview calls are made. The final CAT cutoff, or actual call percentile, is typically much higher and represents the percentile of candidates who actually received interview calls.
Q? Are there non-IIM colleges that accept CAT scores for the General category?
Yes, many top non-IIM colleges like FMS Delhi, SPJIMR Mumbai, MDI Gurgaon, and IIT B-schools (e.g., SJMSOM IIT Bombay) accept CAT scores for MBA/PGDM admissions, with cutoffs often comparable to or slightly lower than IIMs.
Q? What factors influence the CAT cutoff for the General category?
Several factors influence the CAT cutoff, including the overall difficulty level of the exam, the total number of candidates who appeared, the number of available seats in each institute, and the overall performance of candidates.
