CUTOFF OF CAT FOR IIM 2026
Cutoff Of CAT For IIM for the 2026-28 MBA batch is anticipated to maintain highly competitive percentiles, with top IIMs like Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Calcutta expected to require 99+ percentile for General category candidates. While official 2026 cutoffs are awaited post-exam results in December, the 2025 trends indicate that qualifying cutoffs for older IIMs ranged from 85-95 percentile, with actual interview calls demanding significantly higher scores. This year, IIM Ahmedabad notably increased its qualifying cutoff for the General category to 95 percentile, reflecting heightened competition.
Exam & Application Dates 2026
The Common Admission Test (CAT) 2026 schedule outlines key dates for aspirants, from notification release to result announcement.
| Event | Date (2026) |
|---|---|
| Notification Release | July 26 |
| Application Start | August 1 |
| Application Close | September 20 |
| Correction Window | September 24 – 27 (Tentative) |
| Admit Card Release | November 12 (Expected) |
| Exam Date | November 29 (Sunday) |
| Result Announcement | December 21 (Expected) |
Cutoff Of CAT For IIM: Category-wise Cutoff 2025 (Latest — 2026 awaited)
The IIM CAT cutoff for IIMs varies significantly across different categories, with reserved categories benefiting from considerable relaxations in percentile requirements.
| IIM | General (Percentile) | NC-OBC (Percentile) | EWS (Percentile) | SC (Percentile) | ST (Percentile) | PwD (Percentile) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IIM Ahmedabad | 95 | 90 | 95 | 85 | 75 | 75 |
| IIM Bangalore | 85 | 75 | 75 | 70 | 65 | 60 |
| IIM Calcutta | 85 | 75 | 75 | 70 | 65 | 60 |
| IIM Lucknow | 90 | 82 | 82 | 65 | 60 | 60 |
| IIM Raipur | 92 | 74 | 70 | 54 | 40 | – |
Cutoff Of CAT For IIM: Year-on-Year Trend
The CAT cutoff for IIMs, particularly for the top-tier institutes, demonstrates a consistent trend over recent years, with minimal fluctuations for the General category.
| IIM | 2021 (Percentile) | 2022 (Percentile) | 2023 (Percentile) | 2024 (Percentile) | 2025 (Percentile) | 2026 (Expected Percentile) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IIM Ahmedabad | 99+ | 99+ | 99+ | 99+ | 99+ | 99+ |
| IIM Bangalore | 99+ | 99+ | 99+ | 99+ | 99+ | 99+ |
| IIM Calcutta | 99+ | 99+ | 99+ | 99+ | 99+ | 99+ |
| Older IIMs (e.g., Lucknow, Indore, Kozhikode) | 97-99 | 97-99 | 97-99 | 97-99 | 97-99 | 97-99 |
| Newer IIMs (e.g., Amritsar, Nagpur, Trichy) | 90-95 | 90-95 | 90-95 | 90-95 | 90-95 | 90-95 |
FAQs
Q. When will the CAT 2026 cutoff be released?
The official CAT 2026 cutoff for IIMs will be released after the CAT 2026 results are declared, which is expected around December 21, 2026. Individual IIMs will then release their specific admission policies and cutoffs in January 2027.
Q. What is a good CAT percentile for IIMs in 2026?
For top-tier IIMs like Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Calcutta, a percentile of 99+ is generally considered good for General category candidates. For other older IIMs, a 97-99 percentile is competitive, while newer IIMs may accept 90-95 percentile.
Q. Do IIMs have sectional cutoffs?
Yes, most IIMs enforce both an overall CAT cutoff and individual sectional cutoffs for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (QA). Failing to clear any one sectional cutoff can lead to disqualification, regardless of the overall score.
Q. How does the CAT cutoff for reserved categories differ?
Reserved categories (NC-OBC, SC, ST, EWS, PwD) receive significant relaxation in both overall and sectional CAT cutoffs compared to the General category. For instance, while General category might need 99+, OBC could be 90-95, SC 80-85, and ST 70-75 for top IIMs.
Q. What is the difference between qualifying and final CAT cutoff?
The qualifying CAT cutoff is the minimum percentile required to be eligible for further selection rounds like Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI). The final CAT cutoff (or actual call cutoff) is the significantly higher percentile at which IIMs actually issue interview calls, which can be much higher than the qualifying cutoff.
