CAT Cutoff Percentile 2026: Iims, Top B-Schools & Admission Criteria
CAT Cutoff Percentile for top Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) like Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Calcutta typically settled above the 99th percentile for the General category in 2025. This CAT percentile cutoff is the minimum qualifying threshold for shortlisting, reflecting a candidate’s relative performance against all test-takers. For newer IIMs, the cutoff generally ranged between 90-95 percentile, with a 99 percentile in CAT 2025 corresponding to approximately 80-90+ marks. 2026 cutoff will be updated post-release.
CAT Cutoff Percentile 2026: Notification, Application & Exam Date Schedule
The Common Admission Test (CAT) 2026 schedule outlines key dates for notification, registration, and the examination itself.
| Event | Date (Expected) |
|---|---|
| Notification Release | Last week of July 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 21, 2026 |
CAT 2025 Category-wise Qualifying Cutoff: General, OBC, SC, ST & EWS Percentiles (Latest — 2026 awaited)
The CAT 2025 category-wise qualifying percentiles for various IIMs are crucial for candidates aiming for admission to MBA programs.
| IIM | General (Percentile) | OBC (Percentile) | EWS (Percentile) | SC (Percentile) | ST (Percentile) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IIM Ahmedabad | 95 | 75 | 80 | 70 | 60 |
| IIM Bangalore | 85 | 75 | 75 | 70 | 65 |
| IIM Calcutta | 85 | 75 | 75 | 70 | 65 |
| IIM Lucknow | 90 | 82 | 82 | 65 | 60 |
| IIM Indore | 90 | 80 | 90 | 60 | 50 |
| IIM Kozhikode | 85 | 75 | 75 | 65 | 55 |
CAT Cutoff Trends: Qualifying Percentiles 2023 vs 2024 vs 2025 for Top IIMs (Latest — 2026 awaited)
Analyzing the CAT percentile cutoff trends across previous years provides insight into the competitive landscape for IIM admissions.
| IIM | General Qualifying Percentile 2023 | General Qualifying Percentile 2024 | General Qualifying Percentile 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| IIM Ahmedabad | 80 | 80 | 95 |
| IIM Bangalore | 85 | 85 | 85 |
| IIM Calcutta | 85 | 85 | 85 |
| IIM Lucknow | 90 | 90 | 90 |
| IIM Indore | 90 | 90 | 90 |
| IIM Kozhikode | 85 | 85 | 85 |
FAQs
Q. When will the CAT 2026 cutoff be released?
The official CAT 2026 cutoffs are typically released by individual IIMs after the CAT 2026 results are announced, usually in December 2026 or January 2027, as part of their admission policies for the 2027-29 batch.
Q. What is CAT percentile cutoff?
The CAT percentile cutoff is the minimum percentile score a candidate must achieve to be considered for the subsequent stages of the admission process, such as Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI) rounds, at IIMs and other top B-schools.
Q. What is a good CAT percentile for IIMs?
For top-tier IIMs like Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Calcutta, a good CAT percentile for the General category is typically above 99. For newer IIMs, a percentile in the 90-95 range is often considered competitive for shortlisting.
Q. How is CAT percentile calculated?
The CAT percentile indicates the percentage of candidates who scored equal to or less than a particular candidate. It is a relative measure of performance, calculated based on the scaled scores after normalization across different exam slots.
Q. Do IIMs have sectional cutoffs?
Yes, most IIMs specify minimum sectional cutoffs in addition to the overall CAT cutoff. Candidates must clear these individual percentile thresholds for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (QA) sections to be eligible for shortlisting.
Q. What is the difference between qualifying and final CAT cutoff?
The qualifying CAT cutoff is the minimum eligibility percentile announced by IIMs to screen candidates for WAT-PI rounds. The final CAT cutoff, however, is the actual higher percentile at which interview calls are made, determined post-results based on the applicant pool and composite scores, and is often significantly higher than the qualifying cutoff.
