CAT Cutoff For MBA Colleges 2026: Branch-Wise Percentiles, Top Iims & Admission Process
CAT Cutoff For MBA Colleges for top IIMs like Ahmedabad and Bangalore settled around the 99th percentile for General category candidates in 2025, a significantly higher threshold compared to the 85th percentile required by SPJIMR for its PGDM programs. The CAT Cutoff For MBA Colleges is the minimum percentile score required for admission to various management programs, with IIM Kozhikode also setting a qualifying percentile of 85 for General category students in 2025. The 2026 cutoff will be updated post-release.
CAT 2026: Notification, Application & Exam Date Schedule
The Common Admission Test (CAT) 2025 schedule provides key dates for aspirants, with the 2026 schedule expected to follow a similar timeline.
| Event | Date (2025) |
|---|---|
| Notification Release | July 27, 2025 |
| Application Start | August 1, 2025 |
| Application Close | September 13, 2025 |
| Admit Card Release | November 5, 2025 |
| Exam Date | November 30, 2025 |
| Result Announcement | December 24, 2025 |
CAT 2025 (Latest — 2026 awaited) Program-wise Closing Percentiles: MBA, PGDM & PGP
The table below outlines the overall CAT 2025 closing percentiles for various MBA and PGDM programs at leading institutions.
| Institute | Program | Overall Percentile (General Category) 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| IIM Ahmedabad | PGP | 99+ |
| IIM Bangalore | PGPM, PGPBA | 99 |
| IIM Calcutta | MBA | 99 |
| IIM Kozhikode | PGPM, PGP BL, PGP LSM | 97 |
| FMS Delhi | MBA | 98 |
| MDI Gurgaon | PGDM, PGDM-HRM, PGDM-IB | 95-96 |
| SPJIMR | PGDM, PGPM | 85 |
CAT 2025 (Latest — 2026 awaited) Category-wise Cutoff: General, OBC, SC, ST & EWS Closing Percentiles
Here are the qualifying CAT 2025 cutoff percentiles for different categories across prominent IIMs and other top B-schools.
| Institute | General Percentile 2025 | NC-OBC Percentile 2025 | EWS Percentile 2025 | SC Percentile 2025 | ST Percentile 2025 | PwD Percentile 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IIM Ahmedabad | 80 | 75 | 80 | 70 | 60 | — |
| IIM Bangalore | 85 | 75 | 70 | 65 | 55 | 50 |
| IIM Calcutta | 85 | 75 | 75 | 70 | 65 | 55 |
| IIM Kozhikode | 85 | 75 | 75 | 65 | 55 | 55 |
| FMS Delhi (Overall Percentile) | 98 | 95.6 | 90 | 80 | 70 | 60 |
| MDI Gurgaon | 95-96 | 95-96 | 95-96 | 95-96 | 95-96 | 95-96 |
| SPJIMR | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 |
CAT Cutoff Trends: Closing Percentiles 2023 vs 2024 vs 2025 by Program
Analyzing the CAT cutoff trends provides insight into the competitive landscape for MBA admissions over recent years.
| Institute | Program | Overall Percentile (General) 2025 | Overall Percentile (General) 2024 | Overall Percentile (General) 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IIM Ahmedabad | PGP (Qualifying) | 80 | 80 | 80 |
| IIM Bangalore | PGPM (Qualifying) | 85 | 85 | 85 |
| IIM Calcutta | MBA (Qualifying) | 85 | 85 | 85 |
| MDI Gurgaon | PGDM | 95-96 | 95 | 97 |
| SPJIMR | PGDM | 85 | 85 | 85 |
| FMS Delhi | MBA | 98 | 98 | 98 |
CAT 2026 Counselling Schedule: Registration, Choice Filling & Seat Allotment Dates
The CAT 2026 counselling process, following the 2025 exam, involves several stages conducted individually by participating institutions.
| Event | Tentative Dates (2026) |
|---|---|
| IIM Counselling Process Starts | January 2026 |
| Shortlisting for WAT/PI Rounds | February – April 2026 |
| Interviews Conducted | February – April 2026 |
| Final Admission Offers | May 2026 |
| Document Verification & Formalities | June 2026 |
FAQs
Q: When will the CAT 2026 cutoff be officially released?
A: The official CAT 2026 cutoffs are expected to be released by individual IIMs and other MBA colleges in July 2026, following the release of their admission policies for the 2027-29 batch, and after the CAT 2026 results are announced in December 2026.
Q: What is a good CAT percentile for admission to top MBA colleges?
A: For admission to top-tier IIMs like Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Calcutta, a CAT percentile of 99+ is generally considered competitive for General category candidates. For other leading MBA colleges, a percentile in the 90-95 range can open up many options.
Q: Do all MBA colleges consider sectional cutoffs in CAT?
A: Many IIMs and top MBA colleges consider both overall and sectional cutoffs. However, some institutions like MDI Gurgaon do not have sectional cutoff requirements, focusing solely on the overall percentile for shortlisting.
Q: How does the CAT cutoff vary for different categories?
A: CAT cutoffs are significantly relaxed for reserved categories (NC-OBC, EWS, SC, ST, PwD) compared to the General category. The percentile difference can range from 5 to 15 points or more, depending on the institute and category.
Q: Is there a common counselling process for all MBA colleges accepting CAT scores?
A: No, there is no centralized counselling process for all MBA colleges. Each IIM and other CAT-accepting B-school conducts its own admission and selection process, including shortlisting, Written Ability Test (WAT), and Personal Interview (PI) rounds.
Q: What factors influence the CAT cutoff for MBA colleges?
A: Several factors determine the CAT cutoff, including the overall difficulty level of the CAT exam, the total number of candidates who appeared, the number of seats available in a particular program or institute, and previous years’ cutoff trends.
