CAT Sectional Cutoff For Iims 2026: IIM Admission Percentiles, Category-Wise & Latest Trends
CAT Sectional Cutoff For IIMs for the 2026-28 Post Graduate Programme (PGP) admissions saw a notable tightening for top institutes, with IIM Ahmedabad raising its General category overall qualifying percentile from 80 in 2024 to 95 in 2025, a significant 15 percent increase. This CAT sectional cutoff for IIMs is the minimum percentile required in each of the three sections—Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA)—to be eligible for the Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI) rounds. While qualifying cutoffs provide a baseline, actual interview calls from older IIMs often require percentiles well above these minimums, frequently reaching 99+ for the General category.
2026 cutoff will be updated post-release.
CAT Sectional Cutoff For IIMs 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 cycle.
| Event | Date (2025) |
|---|---|
| Notification Release | July 27 |
| Application Start | August 1 |
| Application Close | September 20 |
| Admit Card Release | November 5 |
| Exam Date | November 30 |
| Result Announcement | December 24 |
IIM Ahmedabad CAT 2025 Sectional & Overall Cutoff: General, OBC, SC, ST & EWS Percentiles
IIM Ahmedabad’s CAT 2025 cutoffs for the 2026-28 PGP batch reflect increased competitiveness across all categories.
| Category | Overall Percentile (2025) | VARC Sectional Percentile (2025) | DILR Sectional Percentile (2025) | QA Sectional Percentile (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | 95 | 85 | 85 | 85 |
| EWS | 95 | 85 | 85 | 85 |
| NC-OBC | 90 | 80 | 80 | 80 |
| SC | 85 | 75 | 75 | 75 |
| ST | 75 | 65 | 65 | 65 |
IIM Bangalore CAT 2025 Sectional & Overall Cutoff: General, OBC, SC, ST & EWS Percentiles
IIM Bangalore’s CAT 2025 qualifying cutoffs for the 2026-28 PGP batch are presented below, with actual calls often higher.
| Category | Overall Percentile (2025) | VARC Sectional Percentile (2025) | DILR Sectional Percentile (2025) | QA Sectional Percentile (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | 85 | 80 | 75 | 75 |
| EWS | 80 | 75 | 70 | 70 |
| NC-OBC | 75 | 70 | 65 | 65 |
| SC | 70 | 65 | 60 | 60 |
| ST | 65 | 60 | 55 | 55 |
IIM Calcutta CAT 2025 Sectional & Overall Cutoff: General, OBC, SC, ST & EWS Percentiles
The IIM Calcutta CAT 2025 qualifying cutoffs for the 2026-28 PGP batch are detailed in the table below.
| Category | Overall Percentile (2025) | VARC Sectional Percentile (2025) | DILR Sectional Percentile (2025) | QA Sectional Percentile (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | 85 | 80 | 80 | 75 |
| EWS | 80 | 75 | 75 | 70 |
| NC-OBC | 75 | 70 | 70 | 65 |
| SC | 70 | 65 | 65 | 60 |
| ST | 65 | 60 | 60 | 55 |
IIM Lucknow CAT 2025 Sectional & Overall Cutoff: General, OBC, SC, ST & EWS Percentiles
IIM Lucknow’s CAT 2025 cutoffs for the 2026-28 PGP batch demonstrate the minimum requirements for shortlisting.
| Category | Overall Percentile (2025) | VARC Sectional Percentile (2025) | DILR Sectional Percentile (2025) | QA Sectional Percentile (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | 90 | 85 | 85 | 85 |
| EWS | 82 | 77 | 77 | 77 |
| NC-OBC | 82 | 77 | 77 | 77 |
| SC | 70 | 55 | 55 | 55 |
| ST | 60 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
| PwD | 60 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
IIM Indore CAT 2025 Sectional & Overall Cutoff: General, OBC, SC, ST & PwD Percentiles
The IIM Indore CAT 2025 qualifying cutoffs for the 2026-28 PGP batch are provided below.
| Category | Overall Percentile (2025) | VARC Sectional Percentile (2025) | DILR Sectional Percentile (2025) | QA Sectional Percentile (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | 90 | 80 | 80 | 80 |
| EWS | 90 | 80 | 80 | 80 |
| NC-OBC | 80 | 70 | 70 | 70 |
| SC | 60 | 55 | 55 | 55 |
| ST | 45 | 40 | 40 | 40 |
| PwD | 45 | 40 | 40 | 40 |
New & Baby IIMs CAT 2025 Sectional & Overall Cutoff Trends
Newer and baby IIMs generally have slightly lower CAT 2025 cutoffs compared to the older IIMs, making them accessible to a broader range of candidates for the 2026-28 batch.
| IIM Type | Overall Percentile (2025) | Sectional Percentile (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| New IIMs (e.g., Ranchi, Raipur, Udaipur, Trichy, Kashipur) | 90-95 | 70-75 |
| Baby IIMs (e.g., Amritsar, Bodh Gaya, Jammu, Nagpur, Sambalpur) | 85-92 | 70-75 |
FAQs
Q. Has the CAT 2026 cutoff for IIMs been officially released yet?
No, the official CAT 2026 cutoffs for IIMs have not yet been released. The cutoffs for the 2026-28 admission cycle are currently based on the CAT 2025 exam, and official 2026 figures will be updated post-release.
Q. What is the difference between qualifying and final CAT sectional cutoff for IIMs?
The qualifying CAT sectional cutoff is the minimum percentile required in each section to be considered for the next stage of the admission process (WAT/PI). The final cutoff, or actual call cutoff, is typically much higher and represents the percentile at which candidates actually receive interview invitations.
Q. Did IIM Ahmedabad increase its CAT sectional cutoff for 2025 admissions?
Yes, IIM Ahmedabad significantly increased its CAT 2025 overall qualifying cutoff for the General category to 95 percentile, up from 80 percentile in 2024, with sectional cutoffs also rising to 85 percentile each.
Q. Do all IIMs consider sectional cutoffs for admission?
Most IIMs consider sectional cutoffs in addition to the overall CAT percentile for shortlisting candidates, ensuring a balanced performance across all three sections of the exam. IIM Rohtak is an exception that does not consider sectional cutoffs.
Q. What are the typical CAT sectional cutoffs for newer IIMs?
For newer IIMs, the typical CAT sectional cutoffs for the General category usually range from 70-75 percentile in each section, with overall cutoffs generally between 90-95 percentile for interview calls.
