CAT Cutoff 2026 – Check Expected Cutoffs for IIM & Top MBA Colleges

What is CAT cutoff for 2026? The expected CAT 2026 for IIMS and Top MBA colleges are as follows. CAT 2026, expected on 29 November 2026 and likely conducted by IIM Indore, is the gateway to 21 IIMs and 1,300+ top MBA colleges. Aspirants must distinguish between qualifying cutoffs (eligibility for WAT-PI) and final calling cutoffs (actual percentile for a PI call). Based on 2026–28 IIM admission policies and CAT 2025 trends, IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Calcutta demand 99+ percentile for General candidates, while IIM Lucknow, Kozhikode, and Indore call at 97–99 percentile. Notably, IIM Ahmedabad has hiked its qualifying cutoff from 80 to 95 percentile. New IIMs typically shortlist at 94–97 percentile and baby IIMs at 90–95. Among top non-IIMs, FMS Delhi and JBIMS Mumbai require 99+ percentile, MDI Gurgaon 95–97, SPJIMR 85+ (profile-based), and IIT B-schools 90–96. Sectional cutoffs in VARC, DILR, and QA remain the silent disqualifier, with IIM Lucknow’s 85-per-section benchmark the toughest. Realistic CAT 2026 targets: 99+ for IIM ABC, 97+ for IIM LKI, 94–96 for new IIMs and top non-IIMs, paired with balanced sectional preparation.

The Common Admission Test (CAT) opens doors to 21 IIMs and more than 1,300 top business schools in India. With CAT 2026 likely on Sunday, 29 November 2026, thousands of students are already setting their target percentiles for their preferred institutes.

Since CAT 2026 is still several months away, there are no official cutoffs yet. This blog offers a data-driven estimate of CAT 2026 cutoffs, based on CAT 2025 official cutoffs (announced on 24 December 2025 by IIM Kozhikode), past RTI data from IIMs, and the latest 2026–28 admission policies from top business schools.

CAT 2026: Quick Snapshot of the Exam

IIM Indore is expected to conduct CAT 2026 according to the usual rotation. The official notification should come out in the last week of July 2026, with registrations starting around 1 August. The exam will take place in three slots on one day across about 170 cities. In 2025, there were 2.95 lakh registrations and 2.58 lakh test-takers, with 12 people scoring a perfect 100 percentile. CAT 2026 will likely see even more candidates, so cutoffs are expected to stay high.

Qualifying Cutoff vs Final Cutoff: Know the Difference

Before looking at any cutoff table, it’s important to know that IIMs publish two different numbers. Mixing them up is the most common mistake candidates make. The qualifying cutoff is the minimum sectional and overall percentile listed in an IIM’s admission policy. Meeting this cutoff only makes you eligible for the next stage of selection; it does not guarantee a WAT/PI call.
The final calling cutoff, or actual cutoff, is the percentile at which candidates are shortlisted for WAT-PI based on their composite score. This cutoff is much higher than the qualifying cutoff and is not officially published. It can only be estimated from RTI data and from candidates who received calls. At top IIMs, the difference between the two is large. For instance, IIM Bangalore’s qualifying cutoff for the General category is 85 percentile, but the actual percentile needed for a call is usually between 97 and 100.

Expected CAT 2026 Qualifying Cutoffs for Older IIMs (General Category)

These numbers come from the official admission policies for the 2026–28 batch at IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Lucknow, Indore, and Kozhikode. The admission policies for the 2027–29 batch, which CAT 2026 candidates will join, are usually released with the CAT 2026 notification in July 2026. Until then, these cutoffs are the best benchmark available.

One major change for the 2026–28 cycle is that IIM Ahmedabad increased its General-category overall qualifying cutoff from 80 to 95 percentile, which is the biggest jump at any IIM in recent years. IIM Lucknow and IIM Indore also have the highest sectional cutoffs among the older IIMs, at 80–85 in each section. This means you must prepare well for all sections at these campuses.

Expected Final Calling Cutoffs for Top IIMs (General Category)

The final cutoff is whaThe final cutoff is the key number if you want a PI call. Using RTI data and call patterns from CAT 2024 (for 2025–27 admissions), here are the realistic targets for CAT 2026:and IIM Bangalore, anything below 99 percentile makes a General-category call extremely difficult unless the candidate has an exceptional academic record, work experience, or qualifies for diversity weightage. IIM Calcutta, while marginally lower, is still effectively a 99+ college for non-engineer males with average academics.

Expected CAT 2026 Cutoffs for New and Baby IIMs

The new IIMs, set up between 2008 and 2010 and often called the 9 IIMs of the CAP group, and the baby IIMs, started after 2015, usually have lower cutoffs. However, they still tend to call candidates who score above 90 percentile.

CAP, or Common Admission Process, is how 9 newer IIMs jointly shortlist candidates. Usually, you need at least a 95 percentile for a CAP call, but in later rounds, non-engineer female candidates with strong academics have been admitted with scores as low as 89–90 percentile.

Expected CAT 2026 Cutoffs for Top Non-IIM MBA Colleges

More than 1,300 business schools in India accept CAT scores. Some non-IIMs have cutoffs as high as IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Calcutta, while others place more weight on your profile and academic background. Here’s what to expect for the most popular non-IIMs in 2026–28:

FMS Delhi remains a special case — its near-zero fee (around ₹2.5 lakh for two years) against an average placement of over ₹32 LPA makes its cutoffs effectively as competitive as IIM-ABC for the General category.

CAT 2026 Category-wise Cutoff Trends

IIMs publish significantly relaxed cutoffs for reserved categories, and these have remained largely consistent over the years. For the 2026–28 cycle at IIM Ahmedabad, for example, the overall qualifying cutoffs have been revised upward across categories — General 95, NC-OBC 90, SC 85, ST 75, EWS 95, PwD 75. Across the older IIMs, broad ranges look like this:

• NC-OBC: 75–82 percentile (qualifying); 90–95 percentile (final calls at top IIMs)
• EWS: 75–95 percentile (qualifying); 95+ percentile (final calls)
• SC: 65–85 percentile (qualifying); 75–92 percentile (final calls)
• ST: 55–75 percentile (qualifying); 60–85 percentile (final calls)
• PwD: 50–75 percentile (qualifying); 50–80 percentile (final calls)

The biggest drop in cutoffs is seen for SC, ST, and PwD categories at newer and baby IIMs. In recent years, final calls for these groups have been made at percentiles as low as 30–55.

What is CAT Score vs Percentile?

Many candidates ask what raw score matches a certain percentile. Looking at CAT 2025 score-versus-percentile data, where the DILR section was a bit tougher, here’s a rough guide:

Sectional scores work similarly: a raw score of around 30–35 in QA, VARC, or DILR typically translates to a 95+ sectional percentile. Note that the exact mapping shifts every year based on slot difficulty and normalisation.

What Drives CAT Cutoffs?

CAT cutoffs are not arbitrary; they move with measurable factors. The difficulty level of the paper is the biggest single driver — an easier paper compresses the top of the distribution and raises the raw marks needed for 99+, while a tougher paper pushes raw marks down. The number of test-takers also matters: CAT registrations dipped from 3.30 lakh in 2023 to 2.95 lakh in 2025, but per-seat competition has stayed intense because total IIM seats have not expanded proportionally. Finally, admission policy changes at individual IIMs — like IIM Ahmedabad’s recent jump from 80 to 95 percentile in the qualifying cutoff — can shift the goalposts substantially.

Apart from your CAT score, every IIM uses a composite score that includes your marks in Class 10, Class 12, graduation, work experience, academic diversity, and gender diversity. This means two candidates with the same percentile can get different results. For example, a non-engineer female with strong academics might get a call that an engineer male with average 10th and 12th marks does not.

What are Sectional Cutoffs in CAT?

Every IIM applies sectional cutoffs alongside the overall percentile, and missing even one section by a single percentile point disqualifies the candidate, regardless of how high the overall score is. IIM Lucknow currently sets the toughest sectional bar at 85 percentile in each section for General candidates. This is why CAT toppers consistently advise that balanced preparation beats lopsided brilliance — a 99.8 overall with a 70 in one section will lose to a 99.2 overall with 85 in each.

Realistic Targets for CAT 2026 Aspirants

If your goal is IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, or Calcutta as a General-category candidate, the realistic target is 99+ percentile with no section below 85. For IIM Lucknow, Kozhikode, and Indore, 97+ percentile with strong sectionals is the sweet spot. For newer IIMs and good non-IIMs (MDI, SPJIMR, IIFT, IIT B-schools), 94–96 percentile opens up a wide set of options. For baby IIMs and second-tier private B-schools, 90–94 percentile is workable, especially with a strong profile.

CAT 2026 cutoffs will only be official after IIMs release their 2027–29 admission policies in July 2026 and the CAT 2026 results come out in December 2026. Until then, the projections in this blog, based on CAT 2025 official cutoffs and 2026–28 IIM admission policies, are the most reliable benchmarks you can use.

Two things are almost certain. First, the older IIMs and FMS Delhi will keep requiring a 99+ percentile from General-category candidates. Second, having balanced section scores will still be crucial for a strong CAT result. Focus your preparation on these two points, and the cutoffs will follow.

​Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cut-off for IIM CAT 2026?

IIM CAT 2026 cut-offs for top-tier institutes (IIM A, B, C) are expected to remain high, with general category overall percentiles likely around 99+ for top, and 95–98 for newer IIMs. Sectional cut-offs typically remain above 75–85+ percentile. Qualifying cut-offs for IIM ABC are set at 95+ (General), 90 (NC-OBC), 85 (SC), and 75 (ST). 

Is 37 a good score in CAT?

37 in CAT is a decent score, which puts you in the 80-85th percentile.

Is 72 a good score in CAT?

A CAT score of 72 is considered above average.

Which IIM will set CAT 2026?

IIM Indore is expected to conduct the CAT 2026 exam.