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CAT Cut Off 2026: Category-wise IIM & Non-IIM Percentile Cut Offs

CAT Cut Off 2026 includes expected category-wise qualifying percentiles for IIMs, CAP participating institutes and top non-IIM B-schools. Use these cut-offs as a benchmark to assess your shortlisting chances until the official CAT 2026 admission criteria are released.
authorImageSubham Sahoo3 Sept, 2026
CAT Cut Off 2026: Category-wise IIM & Non-IIM Percentile Cut Offs

After the CAT result, your percentile becomes an important factor in determining which IIMs and B-schools you may be shortlisted for. However, each institute has its own sectional and overall cut-off requirements, making it important to know the expected percentile before planning your applications.

CAT Cut Off 2026 gives you a clear view of category-wise IIM cut-offs, sectional and overall requirements, IIM CAP cut-offs and expected cut-offs for top non-IIM B-schools. These benchmarks can help you assess your shortlisting chances and understand the admission requirements you may need to meet.

CAT Cut Off 2026 Overview

The CAT cut-off is the minimum percentile used by IIMs and other MBA colleges to shortlist candidates. Along with CAT percentile, institutes also consider academics, work experience and overall profile during the final admission process.

Particular

Details

CAT Result

Expected in the first week of January 2027

Cut-off Purpose

MBA shortlisting

Selection Method

Sectional + Overall percentile

Additional Factors

Academics, work experience & profile

 Note: The highlights below are based on CAT 2025 admission trends.

CAT Sectional vs Overall Cut Off

Every IIM considers both sectional and overall percentiles. Clearing only the overall percentile is usually not enough if you fail to meet the minimum requirement in VARC, DILR or QA.

Sectional Cut Off

Overall Cut Off

Minimum percentile in VARC, DILR & QA

Minimum overall CAT percentile

Evaluated separately for each section

Based on total CAT performance

Mandatory for most IIMs

Required for first-stage shortlisting

Missing one section may affect eligibility

Must be cleared alongside sectional cut-offs

Note: Based on the CAT 2025 admission criteria followed by IIMs.

IIM CAT Cut Off 2026 (Category-wise)

The tables below show the expected CAT 2026 qualifying percentiles based on CAT 2025 admission data.

IIM

Category

VARC

DILR/LRDI

QA

Overall

IIM Ahmedabad

General/EWS

70

70

70

80

NC-OBC

65

65

65

75

SC

60

60

60

70

ST

50

50

50

60

PwD

60

60

60

70

IIM Bangalore

General

80

75

75

85

EWS/NC-OBC

70

65

65

75

SC

65

60

60

70

ST

55

55

55

65

PwD

50

50

50

60

IIM Calcutta

Open

80

80

75

85

EWS/NC-OBC

70

65

65

75

SC

65

60

60

70

ST

55

55

55

65

PwD

45

45

45

55

IIM Lucknow

General

85

85

85

90

EWS/NC-OBC

77

77

77

82

SC

55

55

55

65

ST

50

50

50

60

PwD

50

50

50

60

IIM Kozhikode

General

75

75

75

85

EWS/NC-OBC

65

65

65

75

SC

55

55

55

65

ST/PwD

45

45

45

55

IIM Mumbai

General

80

80

75

85

EWS/NC-OBC

70

65

65

75

SC

65

60

60

70

ST

55

55

55

65

PwD

45

45

45

55

IIM Indore

General/EWS

80

80

80

90

NC-OBC

70

70

70

80

SC

55

55

55

60

ST

40

40

40

45

PwD

40

40

40

45

IIM Shillong

Others

75

75

75

—

EWS

75

75

75

—

SC

60

60

60

—

ST

50

50

50

—

DA

50

50

50

—

IIM Rohtak

General

—

—

—

96

EWS

—

—

—

92

NC-OBC

—

—

—

82

SC

—

—

—

60

ST

—

—

—

50

IIM Visakhapatnam

General

70

70

70

82

EWS/NC-OBC

63

63

63

72

SC

40

40

40

50

ST

30

30

30

40

PwD

30

30

30

40

IIM Amritsar

General/EWS

75

75

80

88

NC-OBC

60

60

65

78

SC

50

50

55

55

ST

35

35

35

40

PwD

35

35

35

40

 Note:  The above cut-offs are based on the latest CAT 2025 category-wise cut-off data. The CAT 2026 cut-offs will be updated once the CAT 2026 results are announced

IIM CAP Cut Off 2026

The Common Admission Process (CAP) is conducted for several newer IIMs using a common qualifying percentile. While the interview process is common, each IIM prepares its own final merit list using a composite score.

Participating IIMs

  • IIM Kashipur

  • IIM Nagpur

  • IIM Raipur

  • IIM Ranchi

  • IIM Trichy

  • IIM Udaipur

  • IIM Bodh Gaya

  • IIM Jammu

  • IIM Sirmaur

Category-wise CAP Cut Off

Category

VARC

LRDI

QA

Overall

General

73

73

73

94

EWS

50

50

50

77

NC-OBC

50

50

50

77

SC

44

44

44

60

ST

25

25

30

40

DAP

25

25

30

40

Note: The above cut-offs are based on the CAT 2025 CAP criteria and will be updated once the CAT 2026 results are announced.

CAT Cut Off 2026 for Top Non-IIM B-Schools

Apart from the IIMs, many leading MBA institutes accept CAT scores. The following expected percentile ranges are based on previous admission trends.

Institute

Expected Percentile

FMS Delhi

99.3+

JBIMS Mumbai

99.9+

MDI Gurgaon

97+

SIBM Pune

98.5+

SCMHRD Pune

97+

DMS IIT Delhi

98+

IIT Kharagpur (VGSOM/MHRM)

94+

DoMS IIT Roorkee

94+

IME IIT Kanpur

92+

Great Lakes Chennai

90+

GIM Goa

90+

IMT Ghaziabad

90+

IMI Delhi

88+

BIM Trichy

87+

IRMA

86+

TAPMI Manipal

85+

FORE School of Management

85+

Delhi School of Economics

85+

DoMS IIT Madras

85+

NIBM Pune

85+

KJ Somaiya

84+

LIBA Chennai

80+

Welingkar

77+

Vivekananda Business School

75+

MICA

45+ MICAT Marks

CAT Cut Off 2026 can help aspirants understand the percentile requirements for IIMs, CAP participating institutes, and leading non-IIM B-schools. Since the cut-offs mentioned above are based on previous admission trends, candidates should use them as an initial reference and check the official admission criteria once released. A strong CAT percentile, combined with a well-rounded profile and timely applications, can improve your chances of moving ahead in the MBA admission process.

Also Check 

CAT Cut off 2026 FAQs

When will the CAT Cut Off 2026 be released?

The official CAT Cut Off 2026 is expected after the CAT 2026 result, likely in the first week of January 2027.

Is clearing the CAT cut-off enough for IIM admission?

No. IIMs also consider academics, work experience, diversity, GD/PI/WAT and the composite score during final selection.

What is the difference between sectional and overall CAT cut-off?

Sectional cut-offs require minimum percentiles in VARC, DILR and QA individually, while the overall cut-off refers to your total CAT percentile.

Which IIM has the highest expected CAT cut-off?

Based on previous trends, IIM Lucknow, IIM Indore and IIM Rohtak have among the highest qualifying overall percentile requirements.
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