CAT Cutoff For OBC Category: Iims, Top MBA Colleges & Admission Percentiles 2026
How competitive was the CAT Cutoff For OBC Category for 2025 admissions to top management programs? For premier IIMs like Lucknow and Indore, the overall percentile typically ranged from 80 to 82, while some newer IIMs saw cutoffs as low as 45-63 percentile. The CAT Cutoff For OBC Category is the minimum percentile required for candidates to be shortlisted for the Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI) rounds, with IIM Indore setting its overall qualifying percentile at 80 for OBC candidates for the 2026-28 batch. This reflects a consistent demand for strong performance within the reserved category. 2026 cutoff will be updated post-release.
CAT Cutoff For OBC Category 2026: Notification, Application & Exam Date Schedule
The Common Admission Test (CAT) 2026 schedule outlines key dates for notification, application, and examination, providing a roadmap for aspiring candidates.
| Event | Date (2026) |
|---|---|
| Notification Release | July 26 |
| Application Start | August 1 |
| Application Close | September 20 |
| Correction Window | September 24-27 |
| Admit Card Release | First week of November |
| Exam Date | November 29 |
| Result Announcement | Late December |
IIMs CAT 2025 Qualifying Overall Percentiles: General, OBC, SC, ST & EWS (Latest — 2026 awaited)
The following table presents the qualifying overall CAT percentiles for various IIMs for the 2025 admission cycle, categorized by different reservation categories.
| IIM | General | OBC | SC | ST | EWS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IIM Ahmedabad | 95 | 75 | 70 | 60 | 80 |
| IIM Bangalore | 85 | 75 | 70 | 65 | 75 |
| IIM Indore | 90 | 80 | 60 | 45 | 90 |
| IIM Lucknow | 90 | 82 | 65 | 60 | 82 |
| Newer IIMs (Range) | 90-95 | 45-63 | 35-70 | 25-60 | 63-80 |
IIM Indore CAT Cutoff Trends: Overall Percentiles 2023 vs 2024 vs 2025 by Category (Latest — 2026 awaited)
IIM Indore’s CAT overall percentile trends for various categories show a consistent yet dynamic admission landscape over recent years.
| Category | 2023 (for 2024-26 Batch) | 2024 (for 2025-27 Batch) | 2025 (Expected for 2026-28 Batch) |
|---|---|---|---|
| General | 92.92 | 92.43 | 92.5 |
| NC-OBC | 80.44 | 80 | 81 |
| SC | 68.93 | 60 | 66.5 |
| ST | 52.3 | 45 | 51 |
CAT 2026 Selection Process Schedule: Shortlisting, Interview & Final Offer Dates
The CAT 2026 selection process involves several stages post-exam, from shortlisting for interviews to final admission offers.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| CAT 2025 Result Announcement | December 24, 2025 |
| IIM Shortlisting (PI Calls) | January 2026 |
| Personal Interview (PI) Rounds | February – March 2026 |
| Final Admission Offers | May 2026 |
| Provisional Admission & Document Submission | June 30, 2026 |
FAQs
Q: When will the CAT 2026 cutoff for OBC category be released?
A: The official CAT 2026 cutoffs for the OBC category are expected to be released by individual IIMs in January 2027, following the CAT 2026 results in late December 2026.
Q: What is the expected CAT 2026 OBC cutoff for top IIMs?
A: Based on previous trends, the qualifying CAT 2026 OBC cutoff for top IIMs is expected to range from 75 to 85 percentile overall, with specific sectional cutoffs also applying.
Q: Do IIMs have sectional cutoffs for OBC candidates?
A: Yes, most IIMs implement both overall and sectional cutoffs for all categories, including OBC, meaning candidates must meet minimum percentiles in each section (VARC, DILR, QA) of the CAT exam.
Q: What factors influence the CAT cutoff for OBC category?
A: Factors influencing the CAT OBC cutoff include the overall difficulty of the CAT exam, the number of candidates appearing, the number of seats available, and the specific IIM’s admission policy and academic diversity goals.
Q: Is the CAT cutoff for OBC lower than the General category?
A: Yes, the CAT cutoff for the OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) category is consistently lower than that for the General category, reflecting the reservation policies implemented by the Indian government for higher education institutions.
Q: Which IIMs have the lowest CAT cutoff for OBC candidates?
A: Generally, the newer or “baby” IIMs tend to have slightly lower CAT cutoffs for OBC candidates compared to the older, more established IIMs like Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Calcutta.
