IS THERE SECTIONAL CUTOFF IN CAT 2026

General-category candidates aiming for top IIMs typically face a sectional cutoff of 70-85 percentile in each section of the Common Admission Test (CAT). This sectional cutoff in CAT 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 Aptitude (QA)—which candidates must clear alongside the overall cutoff to be considered for further selection rounds. For the 2026 admission cycle, IIM Ahmedabad, for instance, has set its overall qualifying cutoff for General candidates at 95 percentile, with individual sectional cutoffs at 70 percentile each. The official CAT 2026 cutoff will be updated post-release, as it is not yet officially announced.

Exam & Application Dates 2026

The table below outlines the expected key dates for the CAT 2026 examination and application process.

Is There Sectional Cutoff In CAT: Sectional Cutoff 2025 (Latest — 2026 awaited)

The following table details the expected sectional cutoffs for the General category at various IIMs based on 2025 data, which serves as a benchmark for 2026 admissions.

Is There Sectional Cutoff In CAT: Category-wise Cutoff 2025 (Latest — 2026 awaited)

The table below presents the expected overall qualifying CAT cutoffs for different categories at select IIMs for the 2025 admission cycle, providing insight for 2026.

Is There Sectional Cutoff In CAT: Year-on-Year Trend (IIM Ahmedabad Sectional Cutoff)

The sectional cutoff trends for IIM Ahmedabad demonstrate consistency across recent years, serving as a reliable indicator for future expectations.

FAQs

Q. Is there sectional cutoff in CAT exam?

A. Yes, most IIMs and many other top MBA colleges enforce sectional cutoffs in the CAT exam, meaning candidates must meet minimum percentile requirements in each of the three sections (VARC, DILR, QA) in addition to the overall cutoff.

Q. What is sectional cutoff in CAT exam?

A. Sectional cutoff in the CAT exam refers to the minimum percentile score a candidate must achieve in each individual section (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Aptitude) to be eligible for the next stages of the admission process, such as the Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI) rounds.

Q. Are CAT cutoffs announced along with the CAT result?

A. No, CAT cutoffs are typically not announced along with the CAT result. IIMs and other participating institutes release their specific cutoffs in their respective admission criteria, often after the results are declared.

Q. What is the minimum IIM cutoff 2026 for CAT?

A. The minimum IIM cutoff for 2026 CAT is expected to range from 60 percentile and above for Tier 3 colleges, and typically 70 to 80 percentile and above for Tier 2 colleges, with top IIMs requiring much higher percentiles.

Q. When will the CAT 2026 cutoff be officially released?

A. The official CAT 2026 cutoffs will be released after the CAT 2026 results are announced in December 2026, and IIMs publish their 2027-29 admission policies, expected around July 2026.

Q. How many candidates appear for CAT every year?

A. Around 3-4 lakh aspirants are expected to appear for CAT 2026, with approximately 2.50 lakh candidates appearing annually.

Written by Nishit Kumar

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms. He was instrumental in building Collegedunia from the ground up, shaping its product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection, content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

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