CAT Eligibility Criteria 2026, Age Limit, Qualification, and Reservation Criteria

CAT Eligibility Criteria 2026 is one of the first things you need to know as an MBA student before you fill out the CAT form. CAT is an exam which holds great significance for students who wish to pursue an MBA from India’s top IIMs and other good management colleges. Lakhs of students take up CAT every year. Only those students who satisfy the complete CAT Eligibility Criteria 2026 are allowed to attempt the exam. This is why the rules for qualification, marks, age limit, and reservation etc., become very crucial for students. 

Students tend to look for phrases such as CAT Eligibility Criteria 2026 for MBA, CAT exam eligibility 2026, and CAT 2026 eligibility criteria on search engines as they seek a clear information written in simple and lucid language.

CAT Eligibility Criteria 2026 for MBA

As most CAT exam candidates are students who have completed their graduation and aim to get admission into MBA or PGDM courses, we would like to first highlight the CAT Eligibility Criteria 2026 for MBA students. CAT eligibility criteria 2026 for MBA are the same for all IIMs as well as for most management colleges.

CAT has eligibility criteria for all streams – science, humanities, commerce, engineering, open university, etc., but one thing must be noted is that the open university must be a recognized university.

CAT 2026 Educational Qualification Requirements

Educational qualification is the most important part of the CAT Eligibility Criteria 2026. Students must meet the following education rules:

1. Students Must Have a Bachelor’s Degree

The degree must be from a recognized university. A recognized university is one approved by UGC, AIU, AICTE, or the Government of India. Degrees from distance education universities are also valid if the university is officially recognized.

2. Minimum Marks Required

To be eligible for CAT, a student must have:

50% marks for General, OBC, and EWS
45% marks for SC, ST, and PwD

These marks must be the final aggregate score of the degree. The IIMs accept percentage, CGPA, or grade scores. If CGPA is given, students must use the official conversion formula of their college.

3. Any Stream is Acceptable

CAT does not limit students based on the subject they studied. Degrees accepted include:

• B.A., B.Com, B.Sc., BBA, BCA

• B.Tech, B.E.

• Hotel Management

• Vocational Degrees

• Open University Degrees

This wide acceptance shows how open the CAT Eligibility Criteria 2026 is for students from different fields.

CAT 2026 Age Limit​

CAT Eligibility Criteria 2026 mentions there is no upper age or lower age limit for any student who aspires to appear for CAT. Thus, any learner can appear for the CAT exam, provided the educational qualification is in line with the rules. The CAT 2026 age limit is the same for all categories: General, OBC, SC, ST, and PwD. There is no upper age limit or lower age rule for students to be concerned about. As the exam is conducted only based on the education marks and qualifications, candidates are not required to be of a specific age.

CAT Eligibility Criteria for Final Year Students

Final year Graduation students who have not yet received their final results are eligible to apply for CAT 2026. The student will have to produce a certificate issued by their college authorities stating the fact that they are a final year student and will be completing their degree in time. The student will have to provide proof of passing and minimum marks at the time of admission. In the event they do not complete their degree, their admission will be cancelled. This rule has been put in place to allow students to prepare for CAT without losing a year.

CAT Eligibility Criteria for Professional Degree Holders

As per the CAT Eligibility Criteria 2026, students with specific professional degrees from the following list are also eligible for CAT 2026.

• CA (Chartered Accountant) 

• CS (Company Secretary) 

• ICWA (Cost Accountant) 

• FIAI (Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of India)

Students who have any of these professional degrees can also take the CAT 2026 exam without having a regular Bachelor’s degree. The exam authority recognizes these professional degrees as equivalent to a graduation degree. As such it lets working professionals who studied through these mediums sit in the exam without fulfilling any additional criteria.

CAT Reservation Criteria

The CAT Eligibility Criteria 2026 also mentions the reservation policy which is being followed in the admission process. CAT does not provide separate cutoffs, but IIMs follow the reservation policy as per the norms of the Government of India. This ensures seats are reserved for certain categories in IIMs to provide equal opportunities to all the students. The reservation rules include:

• SC (Scheduled Caste) – 15%

• ST (Scheduled Tribe) – 7.5%

• OBC-NCL (Other Backward Classes – Non-Creamy Layer) – 27%

• EWS (Economically Weaker Section) – 10%

• PwD (Persons with Disabilities) – 5% horizontal reservation