CAT Cutoff For IIM For OBC 2026: Percentile, Admission Criteria & Top Iims
The CAT Cutoff For IIM For OBC 2026, representing the minimum qualifying percentile for admission to the 2026-28 MBA batch, typically ranges from 74 to 90 percentile across various Indian Institutes of Management. For instance, IIM Jammu set its OBC cutoff at 74 percentile, while IIM Ahmedabad required a higher 90 percentile for OBC candidates. While the IIMs have released their admission criteria based on CAT 2025 scores for the 2026-28 batch, the official notification and schedule for the CAT 2026 examination (for the 2027-29 batch) are still awaited and will be updated post-release.
CAT Cutoff For IIM For OBC 2026: Notification, Application & Exam Date Schedule
The following table outlines the key dates for the CAT 2025 examination, which forms the basis for IIM admissions in the 2026-28 academic session. The CAT 2026 schedule will be updated upon official release.
| Event | Date (2025 – Latest, 2026 Awaited) |
|---|---|
| Notification Release | July 27, 2025 |
| Application Start | August 1, 2025 |
| Application Close | September 20, 2025 |
| Admit Card Release | November 5, 2025 |
| Exam Date | November 30, 2025 |
| Result Announcement | January 2026 |
IIM CAT 2026 Category-wise Cutoff: OBC, General, SC, ST & EWS Percentiles
The table below presents the overall qualifying CAT percentiles for various IIMs for the 2026-28 MBA batch, categorized by different reservation categories including OBC, General, SC, ST, and EWS.
| IIM | General (Percentile) | OBC (Percentile) | EWS (Percentile) | SC (Percentile) | ST (Percentile) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IIM Ahmedabad | 95 | 90 | 95 | 85 | 75 |
| IIM Bangalore | 85 | 75 | 75 | 70 | 65 |
| IIM Lucknow | 90 | 82 | 82 | 65 | 60 |
| IIM Indore | 90 | 80 | 90 | 60 | 45 |
| IIM Udaipur | 94 | 81 | 81 | 66 | 42 |
| IIM Rohtak | 97 | 83 | 88 | 60 | 50 |
| IIM Jammu | 91 | 74 | 74 | 54 | 32 |
IIM CAT 2026 Sectional Cutoff: VARC, DILR & QA Percentiles for OBC
OBC candidates must meet specific sectional cutoffs in addition to the overall percentile to qualify for IIM admissions for the 2026-28 batch, as detailed in the table below.
| IIM | VARC (Percentile) | DILR (Percentile) | QA (Percentile) |
|---|---|---|---|
| IIM Ahmedabad | 80 | 80 | 80 |
| IIM Bangalore | 70 | 65 | 65 |
| IIM Lucknow | 77 | 77 | 77 |
| IIM Indore | 70 | 70 | 70 |
| IIM Udaipur | 55 | 55 | 55 |
| IIM Jammu | 48 | 48 | 48 |
| IIM Raipur | 65 | 65 | 65 |
IIM CAT Cutoff Trends: OBC Percentiles 2023 vs 2024 vs 2025
Analyzing the trend in OBC qualifying percentiles across different IIMs provides insight into the evolving competitiveness for admission over recent years.
| IIM | OBC Percentile (2023) | OBC Percentile (2024) | OBC Percentile (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
| IIM Indore | 80 | 80 | 80 |
| IIM Rohtak | 78 | 83 | 83 |
| IIM Jammu | N/A | 74 | 74 |
FAQs
Q. When will the CAT 2026 cutoff for IIMs be officially released?
The CAT 2026 cutoff for IIM admissions (for the 2027-29 batch) is typically released by individual IIMs in January 2027, following the CAT 2026 exam results. The cutoffs for the 2026-28 batch, based on CAT 2025 scores, have already been released.
Q. What is the expected CAT percentile for OBC candidates to get into top IIMs in 2026?
For top-tier IIMs like Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Lucknow, OBC candidates generally need a qualifying CAT percentile ranging from 75 to 90 for the 2026-28 batch. Newer IIMs may have slightly lower cutoffs, often in the 70-80 percentile range.
Q. Do IIMs have separate sectional cutoffs for OBC category candidates?
Yes, most IIMs implement sectional cutoffs for OBC candidates, requiring a minimum percentile in each of the three sections: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA). These sectional cutoffs vary by institute.
Q. Which IIMs have relatively lower CAT cutoffs for OBC candidates?
Generally, newer IIMs such as IIM Jammu, IIM Raipur, and IIM Udaipur tend to have comparatively lower overall and sectional CAT cutoffs for OBC candidates, making them more accessible for a broader range of applicants.
Q. Is the IIM admission process solely based on CAT cutoff for OBC candidates?
No, meeting the CAT cutoff is only the initial screening stage for IIM admissions. The final selection for OBC candidates, like other categories, considers a holistic profile including academic performance, work experience, diversity factors, and performance in the Personal Interview (PI) and Written Ability Test (WAT) rounds.
