The CAT Cutoff 2026 is the minimum CAT percentile or score level used by IIMs and other MBA colleges to screen candidates for different stages of the admission process.

However, one of the biggest mistakes CAT aspirants make is assuming that the published minimum cutoff is the percentile at which admission becomes easy.

It is not.

For many leading B-schools, there can be a significant difference between:

• minimum qualifying CAT cutoff;
• actual interview-shortlisting level;
• competitive CAT percentile;
• final admission requirement.

CAT 2026 is scheduled for 29 November 2026, and the result will determine admission possibilities for the 2027–29 MBA/PGP batch.

Quick Answer: For General-category candidates, the most competitive IIMs may require a CAT performance in the high-90s to be realistically competitive, although their published minimum qualifying cutoffs can be considerably lower. Other IIMs and CAT-accepting B-schools may become relevant across the 80–95+ percentile range depending on category and profile.

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CAT Cutoff 2026: Quick Overview

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What Is CAT Cutoff?

The CAT cutoff is a minimum score or percentile requirement used by a management institute during its admission process.

An institute can prescribe:

Overall CAT Cutoff

The minimum overall CAT percentile.

Sectional CAT Cutoff

Minimum percentile required separately in:

• VARC;
• DILR;
• QA.

A candidate may satisfy the overall cutoff but still become ineligible if one section falls below the required sectional percentile.

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CAT Cutoff vs CAT Percentile

These terms are different.

CAT Percentile

Your CAT percentile tells you how your performance compares with other candidates.

For example:

95 percentile

means you performed better than approximately 95% of test takers.

CAT Cutoff

The cutoff is the requirement set by a college.

Example:

Your CAT percentile:

94

College’s minimum cutoff:

90

You satisfy the minimum CAT requirement.

But that still does not guarantee an interview call.

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Minimum CAT Cutoff vs Competitive CAT Percentile

This is the most important concept on this page.

Suppose an IIM publishes:

Minimum General-category overall CAT cutoff: 85 percentile.

A student may conclude:

“If I score 86 percentile, I should get an interview.”

That conclusion is incorrect.

The published 85 percentile may only make the candidate eligible for further consideration.

Actual shortlisting can depend on:

• CAT score;
• academic record;
• number of applicants;
• work experience;
• diversity;
• category;
• institute’s composite score.

For example, one current 2027–29 admission policy specifies a minimum OPEN-category overall CAT percentile of 85, along with sectional requirements of 80 in VARC, 80 in DILR and 75 in QA, while explicitly stating that actual cutoffs can be much higher depending on the number of candidates shortlisted.

Therefore:

Minimum cutoff ≠ actual call percentile ≠ guaranteed admission.

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CAT 2026 Cutoff: Expected Percentile Bands

For planning purposes, General-category candidates can use the following broad framework.

These are planning bands, not official admission guarantees.

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CAT Cutoff for IIMs 2026

There is no single CAT cutoff applicable to every IIM.

Each IIM sets its own:

• overall percentile threshold;
• sectional percentile requirement;
• category cutoff;
• selection weights.

Some IIMs may place greater emphasis on CAT.

Others may give substantial weight to:

• Class 10;
• Class 12;
• graduation;
• work experience;
• gender diversity;
• academic diversity.

Therefore, students should not compare IIMs using CAT percentile alone.

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Indicative CAT Percentile for Older IIMs

For General-category candidates, a practical planning range for highly competitive older IIMs can look like this:

*These are broad competitive planning ranges, not official minimum cutoffs or guaranteed interview-call levels.

A candidate with a lower percentile but a particularly strong profile may sometimes remain competitive under an institute’s selection formula, while another candidate with a higher percentile may not receive the same shortlist.

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CAT Cutoff for Second-Generation IIMs

Broadly, several second-generation IIMs can become relevant in approximately the:

90–97+ percentile range

depending on:

• institute;
• category;
• academics;
• admission year.

Examples include:

• IIM Udaipur;
• IIM Tiruchirappalli;
• IIM Raipur;
• IIM Ranchi;
• IIM Kashipur;
• IIM Rohtak;
• IIM Shillong.

Do not assume they all have identical requirements.

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CAT Cutoff for Newer IIMs

Some newer IIMs can become relevant at comparatively lower percentile levels than the most established IIMs.

Examples include:

• IIM Amritsar;
• IIM Nagpur;
• IIM Visakhapatnam;
• IIM Sambalpur;
• IIM Sirmaur;
• IIM Jammu;
• IIM Bodh Gaya.

For many candidates, the practical competitive range can fall broadly around:

85–95+ percentile

depending heavily on category and profile.

Again, this is not a guaranteed admission band.

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CAT 2026 Sectional Cutoff

A strong overall percentile is not always enough.

Many IIMs require candidates to clear all three sectional cutoffs.

The sections are:

VARC

Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension

DILR

Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning

QA

Quantitative Ability

For example, an officially published 2027–29 policy currently requires OPEN-category minimum percentiles of:

The same policy explicitly warns that actual cutoffs can be higher.

This illustrates why students must check both overall and sectional CAT scores.

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Why Sectional CAT Cutoffs Matter

Consider this example:

The candidate has an excellent overall percentile.

But if a target institute requires:

QA ≥ 75 percentile

the candidate may fail the initial cutoff despite the 95 overall percentile.

Therefore:

Do not sacrifice one CAT section completely to maximise another.

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CAT Cutoff by Category

IIM CAT cutoffs differ across reservation categories.

Typical categories include:

• General/Open;
• EWS;
• NC-OBC;
• SC;
• ST;
• PwD.

An example from a currently published 2027–29 admission policy shows the following minimum overall percentiles:

These figures relate to one specific admission policy and should not be applied to every IIM.

Every candidate must check the policy applicable to their category and target institute.

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CAT Cutoff for General Category

General-category candidates usually face the highest competition.

For the most sought-after IIMs, merely satisfying a published cutoff such as 80–85 percentile may not be sufficient to become realistically competitive.

For top institutions, many General-category applicants target:

98–99+ percentile

particularly when aiming at highly competitive flagship programmes.

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CAT Cutoff for NC-OBC Candidates

NC-OBC thresholds can be lower than General-category thresholds.

However:

• the candidate must qualify under the applicable Central NC-OBC requirements;
• category documentation must be valid;
• sectional cutoffs may still apply.

A lower category cutoff does not mean admission is automatic.

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CAT Cutoff for EWS Candidates

EWS applicants should check:

• overall CAT cutoff;
• sectional cutoffs;
• EWS certificate requirements;
• institute-specific selection process.

EWS minimum percentiles may be lower than General-category thresholds at several IIMs.

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CAT Cutoff for SC Candidates

SC candidates usually have category-specific relaxed minimum thresholds.

However, final admission still depends on:

• CAT performance;
• profile;
• interview;
• institute-specific composite score.

Candidates should aim significantly above the minimum whenever possible.

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CAT Cutoff for ST Candidates

ST candidates also have separate category-specific thresholds.

Do not treat the minimum percentile as a target score.

A better approach is:

Aim as high as possible and use the category cutoff only as an eligibility reference.

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CAT Cutoff for PwD Candidates

Eligible PwD candidates receive category-specific admission considerations under applicable rules.

Individual institutes publish:

• overall thresholds;
• sectional thresholds;
• programme-specific criteria.

Always check the current admission policy.

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CAT Cutoff 2026 for Non-IIM MBA Colleges

CAT is accepted by many management institutes beyond the IIMs.

The competitive percentile varies widely.

A broad planning framework is:

Around 98–99+ Percentile

May bring highly competitive institutions into consideration.

Around 95–98 Percentile

Several leading CAT-accepting B-schools may become relevant.

Around 90–95 Percentile

A strong range with multiple recognised MBA/PGDM options.

Around 80–90 Percentile

A large number of credible private, university and regional B-schools may become relevant.

Around 70–80 Percentile

Candidates still have multiple options, but should compare:

• fees;
• placements;
• accreditation;
• ROI;
• programme quality.

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CAT Cutoff for FMS Delhi

FMS is among India’s most competitive MBA institutions because of:

• very low programme fees relative to many top B-schools;
• strong placement outcomes;
• high applicant demand.

Candidates should expect CAT competition to be extremely high.

A percentile around the top end does not automatically guarantee selection because the institute uses its own admission formula.

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CAT Cutoff for IIT MBA Programmes

Several IITs offer management programmes and accept CAT.

Examples include:

• IIT Bombay;
• IIT Delhi;
• IIT Kharagpur;
• IIT Madras;
• IIT Kanpur;
• IIT Roorkee;
• other IIT management departments.

CAT requirements vary substantially.

A broad competitive range across stronger IIT MBA programmes can often fall around:

90–98+ percentile

depending on institution, category and profile.

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CAT Cutoff for Private B-Schools

Leading private B-schools can have highly competitive CAT requirements.

Depending on the institute, practical CAT levels can range from:

80 percentile to 98+ percentile

Do not assume private college means lower cutoff.

Some premier private institutions receive extremely competitive applicant pools.

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CAT Cutoff vs College Eligibility Cutoff

There can be several different “cutoffs”.

Eligibility Cutoff

Minimum percentile required to be considered.

Shortlisting Cutoff

Actual threshold/composite score needed to receive an interview.

Final Selection Cutoff

The final composite score at which admission offers close.

These should not be mixed together.

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CAT Cutoff vs Composite Score

Many IIMs do not simply rank students by CAT percentile.

They create a composite score.

For example:

Composite Score

may include:

• CAT score;
• Class 10;
• Class 12;
• graduation;
• gender diversity;
• academic diversity;
• work experience.

One currently published 2027–29 IIM policy gives CAT a weight of 56 points at an interview-shortlisting stage, along with Class 10, Class 12 and gender-diversity components.

This explains why candidates with the same CAT percentile may receive different interview outcomes.

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CAT Cutoff and Academic Profile

Consider two candidates.

Candidate A

CAT: 98 percentile
Class 10: 72%
Class 12: 70%
Graduation: 65%

Candidate B

CAT: 96.5 percentile
Class 10: 95%
Class 12: 94%
Graduation: 88%

Depending on the IIM’s scoring formula, Candidate B may sometimes become more competitive despite the lower CAT percentile.

CAT should therefore be evaluated together with the academic profile.

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CAT Cutoff and Work Experience

Some institutes give weight to full-time work experience.

However:

Work experience generally does not replace the need to meet the minimum CAT cutoff.

It can help at subsequent selection stages.

Candidates should check:

• how months of experience are calculated;
• maximum points;
• eligible type of employment.

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CAT Cutoff and Academic Diversity

Several MBA selection systems encourage academic diversity.

Candidates from backgrounds such as:

• Commerce;
• Arts;
• Humanities;
• Law;
• Medicine;
• Science;
• CA/CS/CMA

may receive diversity-related consideration at selected institutes.

This does not mean non-engineers need a low CAT score.

It simply means the final selection formula may differ.

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CAT Cutoff and Gender Diversity

Some institutes award additional points to female or transgender candidates.

For example, one current 2027–29 shortlisting framework awards 4 points for gender diversity at the PI/WAT-shortlisting stage.

Again, this demonstrates why cutoff and actual shortlist are not identical.

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CAT Cutoff 2026 by Percentile: What Colleges Should You Explore?

A useful MBA4U navigation structure would be:

CAT 99+ Percentile

Explore:

• highly competitive IIMs;
• leading non-IIM B-schools;
• top IIT management schools.

CAT 95–99 Percentile

Explore:

• older/second-generation IIM possibilities;
• leading private B-schools;
• IIT MBA programmes;
• strong university departments.

CAT 90–95 Percentile

Explore:

• several IIM possibilities depending on profile;
• IIT MBA programmes;
• good private B-schools;
• strong ROI institutions.

CAT 85–90 Percentile

Explore:

• newer IIM possibilities depending on category/profile;
• university MBA programmes;
• established private B-schools.

CAT 80–85 Percentile

Explore:

• quality private B-schools;
• university departments;
• regional management institutes.

CAT 70–80 Percentile

Focus more carefully on:

• placement quality;
• fees;
• accreditation;
• ROI.

Avoid choosing a college purely because it accepts your percentile.

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CAT Cutoff 2026: Dream, Target and Safe/More Accessible Colleges

MBA4U should encourage candidates to create three categories.

Dream

Institutes where your percentile/profile is below or near a very competitive range.

Target

Institutes where your percentile and profile align reasonably well.

More Accessible

Colleges where your percentile is comfortably above the usual screening level.

I recommend using “More Accessible” rather than “Safe” because no MBA admission is completely guaranteed.

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CAT Score vs Cutoff

CAT cutoffs are usually expressed as percentiles.

But before the result, candidates often have only:

Raw CAT Score

So the sequence is:

Raw Score

↓

Estimated Percentile

↓

Compare Cutoffs

↓

Shortlist Colleges

Visit:

CAT Score vs Percentile – Click Here

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How Much CAT Score Is Needed for 99 Percentile?

There is no permanent answer.

The marks required for a percentile vary according to:

• exam difficulty;
• slot difficulty;
• number of candidates;
• score distribution.

Therefore, a score that produces 99 percentile in one CAT year may produce a different percentile the next year.

Do not build your strategy around a fixed raw-score assumption.

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Why CAT Cutoffs Change Every Year

Cutoffs can change because of:

• number of applicants;
• CAT difficulty;
• seat availability;
• admission-policy changes;
• category distribution;
• institute strategy;
• academic/profile criteria.

Therefore, a previous year’s cutoff is useful only as a reference.

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CAT 2026 Expected Cutoff vs Official Cutoff

Before CAT results and admission policies are fully published, many websites publish:

Expected CAT Cutoff

This is only an estimate.

An official cutoff is one published by the institute in its admission criteria.

MBA4U always clearly label tables as:

Official

or

Indicative / Expected

We never mix them.

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How to Read a CAT Cutoff Table Correctly

Suppose a table shows:

This means:

• 85 may satisfy basic eligibility;
• candidates receiving actual calls may frequently have much higher percentiles.

So do not assume just:

College A CAT Cutoff = 85

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CAT Cutoff and Sectional Balance

A good preparation strategy should aim for:

• strong overall CAT score;
• no extremely weak section.

For example:

Candidate A

VARC: 99
DILR: 98
QA: 65
Overall: 97

Candidate B

VARC: 95
DILR: 94
QA: 93
Overall: 96

Depending on the college’s sectional requirements, Candidate B may have access to opportunities Candidate A does not.

Balanced preparation therefore matters.

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What to Do if You Miss One Sectional Cutoff

If one section falls below a target IIM’s minimum:

1. Do not assume all MBA options are lost.
2. Check other IIMs.
3. Check non-IIM institutions.
4. Identify colleges without the same sectional requirement.
5. Use your overall percentile strategically.

A strong overall result can still create several excellent MBA options.

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CAT Cutoff and Admission Probability

CAT cutoff should never be interpreted as:

“Above cutoff = admission.”

A better model is:

Minimum Cutoff

↓

Eligible for Consideration

↓

Composite Shortlisting

↓

PI/WAT or Other Selection Stage

↓

Final Composite Score

↓

Admission Offer

This is why MBA4U’s CAT College Predictor should consider profile information wherever possible instead of using percentile alone.

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CAT Cutoff 2026: How to Build Your College List

Once the result is declared:

Step 1

Record:

• overall percentile;
• VARC percentile;
• DILR percentile;
• QA percentile.

Step 2

Check category-specific cutoffs.

Step 3

Compare profile criteria.

Step 4

Create:

• Dream colleges;
• Target colleges;
• More Accessible colleges.

Step 5

Compare:

• fees;
• placements;
• ROI;
• specialisation;
• location.

Step 6

Apply before deadlines.

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CAT Cutoff 2026 Student Checklist

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Common CAT Cutoff Mistakes

Mistake 1: Treating Minimum Cutoff as Interview Cutoff

This is the biggest mistake.

Mistake 2: Ignoring Sectional Cutoffs

Overall percentile alone may not qualify you.

Mistake 3: Comparing Different Categories

Use your own category requirements.

Mistake 4: Assuming Last Year’s Cutoff Will Be Identical

Admission policies change.

Mistake 5: Ignoring Academic Profile

Many IIMs use past academics.

Mistake 6: Applying Only to IIMs

Several excellent non-IIM colleges accept CAT.

Mistake 7: Applying Only to Colleges Below Your Percentile

Maintain Dream, Target and More Accessible options.

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CAT Cutoff 2026 FAQs

What is CAT cutoff?

CAT cutoff is a minimum percentile/score criterion used by an institute for admission screening.

What CAT percentile is required for IIMs?

It varies by institute, category and profile. For General-category candidates, highly competitive IIMs often require performance in the upper-90 percentile range to be realistically competitive.

Is 99 percentile compulsory for IIM admission?

No. Several IIMs admit candidates below 99 percentile depending on institute, category and profile.

Is 95 percentile good in CAT?

Yes. It can create several strong IIM and non-IIM opportunities depending on profile and sectional scores.

Can I get an IIM at 90 percentile?

It may be possible at selected IIMs depending on category, academic profile and the current selection criteria, but admission is not guaranteed.

Can I get an IIM at 85 percentile?

Certain IIM possibilities may become relevant depending on category and admission policy, particularly outside the most competitive institutes. Check the latest official criteria.

Is there a sectional cutoff in CAT?

CAT itself gives section-wise percentiles. Many IIMs then apply minimum VARC, DILR and QA percentile requirements during admission.

Can I get admission if I clear the official IIM cutoff?

Clearing the minimum cutoff only makes you eligible for further consideration. It does not guarantee a PI call or admission.

Do Class 10 and 12 marks matter after CAT?

Yes, several IIMs use previous academic performance in their shortlisting or final-selection formulas.

Does work experience affect CAT cutoff?

It does not normally replace the minimum CAT requirement, but it can contribute to an institute’s composite selection score.

Are CAT cutoffs different for reserved categories?

Yes. IIMs typically publish category-specific overall and sectional requirements.

Is CAT cutoff the same for every IIM?

No. Every IIM can set its own criteria.

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CAT Cutoff vs CAT Score vs CAT Percentile

Remember:

CAT Score

Marks obtained from your performance.

↓

CAT Percentile

Relative performance against other candidates.

↓

CAT Cutoff

Threshold applied by a particular college.

↓

College Shortlisting

Depends on CAT + profile + institute rules.

This distinction is essential for correct MBA planning.

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What to Do After Checking CAT Cutoff

The next step should be:

Check Your CAT Percentile

↓

Compare Overall + Sectional Cutoffs

↓

Use CAT College Predictor

↓

Explore CAT Colleges

↓

Compare Fees & Placements

↓

Check ROI

↓

Apply Before Deadline

Do not stop at the cutoff table.

Final MBA4U Guidance

The CAT Cutoff 2026 should be used as a decision-making tool—not as a guaranteed admission score.

Always distinguish between:

Official Minimum Cutoff

and

Realistic Competitive Percentile

Then look beyond CAT.

Your MBA admission prospects can depend on:

CAT Overall Percentile

•  

Sectional Percentiles

•  

Class 10 / 12 / Graduation

•  

Work Experience

•  

Diversity Factors

•  

PI Performance

For this reason, never reject an institute merely because its previous competitive percentile appears slightly above your score, and never assume admission merely because you have crossed its published minimum.

Once your CAT result is available, use this sequence:

CAT Result → CAT Cutoff → Score vs Percentile → College Predictor → CAT Colleges → Compare Fees & ROI

That will help MBA4U visitors move from simply asking “What is the CAT cutoff?” to the more useful question:

“Which colleges are realistically suitable for my CAT percentile and profile?”