CAT Cutoff 2026 for IIMs: Category-Wise & IIM-Wise Cutoff

CAT Cutoff 2026 IIMs can be considered one of the most crucial things for candidates aspiring to secure admission in the IIMs. The cutoff is usually given in terms of percentile and it may differ based on the IIM, category of the candidate, education of the candidate and many other factors related to selection. Students should keep in mind that the minimum qualifying CAT cutoff may not necessarily be the percentile at which the candidate gets a call for interview.

The IIMs would take into consideration CAT marks along with their own shortlisting and selection criteria for 2026 admission process. For example, the IIM Ahmedabad takes into account CAT score along with academic record and Analytical Writing Test and Personal Interview in the admission process.

CAT Cutoff 2026 for IIMs: Expected Category-Wise Percentile

The following range can be used as a general expectation rather than an official cutoff. The actual cutoff and interview shortlist can differ from one IIM to another.

The percentile required could be higher for highly competitive IIM programs, especially if the applicant pool is good. This means that students shouldn't consider any range as an assured cutoff score.

IIM-wise CAT Cutoff 2026

The IIM-wise CAT cutoff 2026 will differ significantly since each institute has a separate admission process. There may also be individual sectional and overall percentile requirements for each program.

For instance, as per the official shortlisting criteria of IIM Ahmedabad for PGP 2026-28 batch, the minimum overall CAT 2025 percentile requirement is 95 for General/EWS, 90 for NC-OBC, 85 for SC and 75 for ST applicants. Sectional percentile requirement varies from category to category.

The above numbers justify why it is important for applicants to refer to individual admission policies of all IIMs.

Expected IIM-Wise CAT Cutoff 2026

These ranges are indicative and not official admission guarantees. The actual percentile needed for an interview call may be higher because IIMs shortlist candidates using multiple parameters.

Difference Between Qualifying Cutoff and Final Cutoff?

There exists confusion among CAT aspirants about the difference between the minimum qualifying percentile and the percentile which guarantees an interview call at IIMs. Minimum qualifying percentile is the minimum percentile that must be obtained in order to qualify based on the specified criteria of the institute.

However, the final shortlist may depend on other aspects as well. IIM Ahmedabad’s 2026-28 criteria consider CAT performance along with academic assessment as well as AWT-PI performance.

This means that merely scoring the minimum cutoff percentile doesn’t guarantee an interview call.

Sectional CAT Cutoff for IIMs

In addition to CAT percentile, many IIMs also have sectional CAT cutoff for VARC, DILR and QA. This means that aspirants need to score well in all sections of CAT.

For example, IIM Ahmedabad’s 2026-28 criteria contain sectional and overall CAT percentile separately for General/EWS, NC-OBC, SC and ST categories.

So, those aspiring to IIMs must concentrate on both overall CAT percentile as well as sectional percentile.

Factors Influencing Admission to IIMs after CAT Percentile

CAT percentile is just one of the aspects of the IIM admission procedure. The IIM admission procedure may depend on:

• CAT overall percentile and sectional percentile
• 10th and 12th class academics
• Academic records
• Graduation percentage
• Work experience
• Gender or diversity requirement, as appropriate
• Written exam
• Personal Interview

IIM Ahmedabad’s renowned PGP program admission procedures include CAT percentile followed by other evaluation stages, where finally the selection will be done through various parameters and not just the CAT percentile.

CAT Percentile Required for Admission to IIM

There is no particular CAT percentile that ensures admission to IIM. An individual having very good percentile will have to fulfill certain criteria as set by the institute and the criteria may also differ as per categories.

It must be noted that the admission policy of IIM can change from time to time. That’s why the admission criteria of the concerned IIM must be checked first before applying.

Conclusion

CAT Cutoff 2026 IIMs will differ from institute to institute and from candidate category to category. Even if the estimated CAT percentile helps the student to determine his/her target percentile, it does not guarantee that it is going to be the actual percentile at which the candidate can get admission. The student should try to obtain a high CAT percentile overall as well as per section along with other academic achievements and other rounds of selection.

For more precise details, the students are advised to go through the Admission Policy of the respective IIM for the concerned admission year.