CAT Cutoff 2026: Expected Percentile, 5-Year Trend and Colleges

The CAT cutoff 2026 is one of the first figures that aspirants reference after the examination, yet it is one of the most misunderstood figures. An IIM's released CAT exam cut off is typically a minimum qualifying percentile and not the exact percentile at which every candidate gets called for an interview. For example, IIM Ahmedabad's minimum qualifying criterion for PGP 2026-28 is 95, while it also takes into consideration other parameters such as academic performance.

The CAT 2026 has not been conducted yet. Therefore, the actual cutoff cannot be determined at this point. The estimates provided in this blog are therefore based on the latest IIM admission policies, CAT 2021-2025 trends, the participation of candidates and criteria for selection.

CAT 2026 Cutoff Overview: What You Need to Know

CAT exam cut off marks can be defined as a percentile benchmark that is applied at different points of the MBA admission process. Before calculating different cutoffs, it is important for the applicants to know three terminologies:

• Qualifying cutoff: This is the lowest percentile that a specific university requires for an applicant to be eligible for consideration.
• Call or shortlist cutoff: This is the actual or effective percentile at which applicants are eligible for receiving interview calls, which is usually higher than the qualifying cutoff.
• Competitive target: This is the percentile that an applicant should target in order to expand their choices when it comes to selecting institutions.

For CAT 2026, a practical General-category candidate target would be:

These are only estimated cutoff scores and not the final CAT 2026 cutoff. The final CAT exam cut off will depend on how applicants perform in CAT 2026, the category they belong to, their individual percentiles and the cutoff trends of respective institutes.

CAT is considered to be too competitive. For CAT 2025, nearly 295,000 applicants registered, while 258,000 actively took the test.

Official CAT Qualifying Cutoff vs Actual Call Cutoff

The biggest mistake students make is treating the announced cutoff as a “safe percentile.”

BUT, it is not.

What Is the Minimum Qualifying Cutoff?

The minimum percentile defined by an Indian Institute of Management in its admission procedure is referred to as the threshold score. Candidates scoring less than the threshold level will not move to the next stage in the admission process. 

For example, for the 2026-28 PGP admission cycle, IIM Ahmedabad has set a requirement to obtain a minimum of 95 percentile overall and 85 percentile in each section for General or Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category candidates. Therefore, NC-OBC candidates need at least 90 percentile overall and 80 percentile in each section, while the CAT exam cut off for SC candidates is at least 85 and 75 percentiles.

What Is the Actual Call Cutoff?

The actual shortlist can be far more competitive.

IIM Bangalore states that the minimum percentiles provided in its notification are to create the preliminary shortlist, but the scores of the candidates who have been invited for the interview rounds have been higher.

In the same way, IIM Calcutta states that candidates who meet the minimum CAT requirements will be considered for the next steps in the selection process. However, the actual cutoff score for each category will depend on the total number of candidates shortlisted.

What Should a Student Target?

If your goal is simply to cross the eligibility threshold, the CAT exam cut off matters. But if your goal is to maximise your chances of receiving calls, it is important to target higher scores.

A useful rule is:

Treat the published cutoff as the floor, not the target.

CAT Cutoff Trends: What Happened Over the Last 5 Years?

The trend from the last five years indicates that the qualifying cut off for the CAT exam for major IIMs has remained in a limited range, even though there have been some changes in policies by individual institutions.

5-Year Overall Qualifying Cutoff Trend

Below is a table showing the comparison of published available general category overall cutoff scores for six IIMs, which represent minimum required thresholds rather than actual final admission scores.

Historical figures are compiled from IIM admission policies and established education sources. Because universities can revise their criteria, the current year's official policy should always be the priority.

What Does This Trend Tell CAT Students?

The biggest change is the rise of IIM Ahmedabad's minimum qualifying cutoff from 80 in earlier cycles to 95 for the admissions for the 2026-28 PGP program.

However, this does not imply that IIM Ahmedabad may only accept scores that are equal to 95 for an interview call. It shows that 95 was the benchmark minimum qualifying cutoff for the present admission cycle.

The well-known IIMs set qualifying cutoffs for General category candidates between 85 and 90. However, this consistency should not be seen as a fixed percentile for calls.

CAT Cutoff 2021: What Happened?

The qualifying CAT exam cut off marks at the major IIMs were generally:

• IIM Ahmedabad: 80
• IIM Bangalore: 85
• IIM Calcutta: 85
• IIM Lucknow: 90
• IIM Kozhikode: 85
• IIM Indore: 90

IIM Bangalore, for instance, takes only a minimum score of 85 for General students in the 2021 admission cycle, while there were also category-wise minimum scores. IIM Ahmedabad has released a minimum of 80 for General candidates.

CAT Cutoff 2022: What Changed?

In 2022, the broad pattern for CAT cutoff remained similar:

• IIM Ahmedabad: around 85
• IIM Bangalore: 85
• IIM Calcutta: 85
• IIM Lucknow: 90
• IIM Kozhikode: 85
• IIM Indore: 90

The important thing here is that these were the minimum qualifying marks and not the final percentile at which any candidate received a call.

CAT Cutoff 2023: Major IIM Trend

The qualification scores for IIMs are mostly the same. IIM Ahmedabad requires a score of 80, while IIM Bangalore and IIM Calcutta require a score of 85. IIM Lucknow and IIM Indore ask for a score of 90 from general category applicants.

For different categories, the cut-off scores change. For example, IIM Ahmedabad has a minimum score of 75 overall for NC-OBC candidates and the CAT exam SC cut off to be 70. IIM Bangalore also requires an overall score of 75 for NC-OBC/EWS and 70 for SC candidates.

CAT Cutoff 2024: Qualifying vs Actual Cutoff

The qualifying scores again remained relatively stable in the year 2024 across the major IIMs. For General candidates, the commonly published overall minimums were:

• IIM Ahmedabad: 80
• IIM Bangalore: 85
• IIM Calcutta: 85
• IIM Lucknow: 90
• IIM Kozhikode: 85
• IIM Indore: 90

However, Data from RTI shows that the percentage of candidates actually selected may be quite different from the published minimum. For instance, RTI reports indicate that final-selection percentages varied significantly by institute and category.

This is exactly why students should not use a qualifying cut off for CAT exam as their “safe score.”

CAT Cutoff 2025: What Changed?

CAT exam cut off 2025 is particularly important for predicting CAT 2026 because several institutes' 2026–28 admission policies are now available.

CAT 2025 Category-Wise Qualifying Cutoff for Major IIMs

These are the minimum qualifying CAT exam cut off category wise for admissions in the 2026-28 cycle. These scores do not guarantee an interview. Each IIM has its specific policies and makes a clear distinction between minimum scores and those used for shortlisting candidates.

Important: Read the CAT cutoff data for each institute individually. There is no single "CAT exam cut off 2025" that applies to all IIMs.

5-Year CAT Cutoff Analysis: Has the Competition Increased?

Competition has increased, but the qualifying cutoff alone does not show the full picture. Here are some reasons that have affected the cutoff range for the last 5 years:

Candidate Volume

CAT 2025 recorded about 2.58 lakh candidates, which means that even a minor change in the number of candidates scoring high percentiles can bring a difference in competition for the most sought-after courses.

Exam Difficulty

CAT percentile is a relative concept. A tougher exam can mean that even lower scores can lead to a higher percentile. On the other hand, in a less difficult exam, even the same raw score can give a lower percentile.

Hence, students must avoid carrying over their fixed raw-score goal from one year of CAT to the next year.

Seat Availability

The number of seats, overall capacity and distribution of seats in various categories can impact the level of competition. However, considering a growth in the number of seats does not always mean a lower cutoff since the number of applicants and their profiles may vary at the same time.

Admission Policy

The criteria for admission can change even if the exam pattern remains the same. A recent example of this is IIM Ahmedabad's change to its cutoff.

What Will Influence CAT 2026 Cutoffs?

The final CAT 2026 cutoff will depend on factors that cannot be determined before the exam takes place:

• Difficulty level of CAT 2026
• Number of candidates appearing
• Distribution of high percentiles
• Number of available seats
• Category-wise applicant pool
• Sectional performance
• IIM-specific admission criteria
• Any changes to the CAT examination pattern
• Programme demand
• Changes in shortlisting methodology

For this reason, a prediction should be treated as a target-setting tool, not an admission confirmation.

CAT 2026 Cutoff Prediction: IIM-Wise Expected Percentiles

The following are competitive target ranges as per the prediction, not official CAT 2026 qualifying cutoffs.

These targets only show how competitive the applicant pool is, not how to guarantee an interview. The number of interview calls can vary widely based on category and profile.

New & Baby IIMs

For the newer IIMs, the cutoff criteria should range from 90 to 95+ as the lowest qualifying score. In competitive situations, the range can go from 95 to 99+, depending on the specific institution. 

Different institutions set their own minimum scores. For example, the minimum scores for newer IIMs published for CAT-2025 fall between the 80s and the mid-90s.

Top Non-IIM B-Schools

Do not categorise non-IIM business schools according to one cutoff score. Certain top-ranking CAT-accepting business schools may be looking for very high percentiles in contrast to other institutions that consider CAT along with academics, work experience, diversity and other profile factors.

Before applying, verify:

1. Whether the institute accepts CAT 2026
2. The programme for which CAT is accepted
3. Minimum qualifying percentile
4. Application deadline
5. Shortlisting criteria
6. Final-selection criteria

CAT 2026 Expected Cutoff by Percentile Range

Your percentile should determine your application strategy, not simply whether you “can get an IIM.” The table below gives an overview of what colleges you can prefer under certain percentiles:

Colleges to Target at 99.5+ Percentile

Achieving a percentile of 99.5 or more gives candidates a competitive edge at the top B-schools, but does not guarantee admission into IIM A, B, or C.

Along with a candidate’s score, their academic record, background, gender diversity and experience become critical factors.

Colleges to Target at 99–99.5 Percentile

Reaching 98–99 percentile opens a multitude of chances with many IIMs and top non-IIM B-Schools. Applicants must look at a wider set of Institutes and not assume any one as the only target.

Colleges to Target at 98–99 Percentile

Applicants may expect admission into multiple IIMs and other top-rated management schools. Among the top options, it is critical to check profile-based choices.

Colleges to Target at 95–98 Percentile

This score can allow applicants access to new IIMs and various non-IIM B-Schools. The focus should be on all the elements that contribute to the quality of the program rather than just the IIM tag.

Colleges to Target at 90–95 Percentile

The shortlist needs to be much longer at this stage. While some institutes may still be options for applicants, it's important to focus on the IIM choices as well.

Colleges to Target at 85–90 Percentile

Opportunities for candidates depend on their profiles. Each category has specific thresholds, which allow candidates to apply to schools where they meet the minimum eligibility criteria. 

Colleges to Consider Below 80 Percentile

Candidates scoring below the 80 percentile should expand their search for relevant institutes that accept CAT scores and other tests.

CAT Percentile vs Colleges: Quick Prediction Table

A candidate’s CAT percentile is a basic criterion to determine their eligibility for top B-schools. In the table below, you will see different percentile ranges that show which universities you can target along with the competition level:

CAT Score vs Percentile: What Score Might You Need?

There is no fixed CAT exam cut offmarks figure that guarantees a particular percentile every year. For example, the raw score required for 99 percentile can change significantly depending on the difficulty and score distribution of the paper.

Students should therefore avoid preparation targets such as:

“I need exactly 80 marks for 99 percentile.”

Instead, track your mock-test percentile and accuracy trend. Use raw scores to evaluate progress within a particular mock series, but use percentile as the more relevant measure when comparing your performance with other candidates.

Overall Cutoff vs Sectional Cutoff: Why Both Matter

A candidate can perform exceptionally well overall and still fail to qualify for an institute if a required sectional threshold is not met.

The three CAT sections are:

• VARC
• DILR
• QA

For example, IIM Ahmedabad currently requires General/EWS candidates to meet both a 95 overall percentile and 85 in each section.

IIM Bangalore's current published requirements are 85 overall, with 80 in VARC and 75 each in DILR and QA for General candidates.

Therefore, Don't prepare only for your overall percentile. Set a minimum safety target for every section.

Can You Get an IIM Below the Published Cutoff?

In general, candidates who do not meet an institute's published minimum requirement cannot proceed through the standard selection route. But there is an equally important point:

Clearing the published cutoff does not guarantee a call.

IIM Bangalore says that candidates actually called for interviews had scores higher than its minimum first-shortlist cutoff.

Similarly, IIM Calcutta states that its actual section-wise and overall cutoffs can be much higher than the published minimum depending on the number of candidates shortlisted.

So if an IIM says 85 percentile, do not interpret that as:

“85 percentile is enough to get an interview.”

Interpret it as:

“85 percentile is the minimum threshold for consideration under the stated criteria.”

Why CAT Percentile Alone Cannot Predict an IIM Call

Two students with the same CAT percentile can get different results in the IIM selection process. IIMs may also look at:

• CAT overall percentile
• Sectional performance
• Class 10 marks
• Class 12 marks
• Graduation marks
• Academic discipline
• Work experience
• Gender diversity
• Academic diversity
• Category
• Personal interview
• Written assessment
• Other institute-specific criteria

For instance, IIM Bangalore considers various components such as CAT career score, prior academic records, bachelor's results, professional background, and gender diversity in its initial screening.

Likewise, IIM Calcutta uses the same components as IIM Bangalore, such as CAT scores, Class 10 and Class 12 results and general diversity, which are calculated at various steps in the short-listing process.

For these reasons, getting 99 percentile does not guarantee admission into IIMs, whereas achieving below 99 would not mean elimination from the race.

How We Predicted the CAT 2026 Cutoff

The CAT 2026 prediction in this guide is based on five factors:

1. Historical cutoff data

We examined the published qualifying-cutoff pattern from CAT 2021 to CAT 2025.

2. Current admission policies

The latest admission policy for IIM for 2026–28 is prioritised over older information.

3. Candidate competition

CAT participation and the number of high-performing candidates influence the competitive percentile environment.

4. Selection methodology

An IIM that gives significant weight to academics, diversity or work experience can produce very different call patterns from another institute with different criteria.

5. Separation of qualifying and competitive cutoffs

We do not treat the minimum qualifying percentile as the expected interview-call percentile. This distinction is essential for producing a useful CAT cutoff 2026 guide.

How Reliable Is the CAT 2026 Cutoff Prediction?

The reliability of CAT 2026 cutoff depends on what is being predicted. Here is a categorisation of fact-based, estimated and variable factors that can influence the actual CAT cutoff: 

High confidence:

• Officially published qualifying cutoffs
• Current admission-policy requirements
• Historical cutoff trends

Medium confidence:

• Competitive target percentiles
• Broad percentile-to-college ranges
• CAT 2026 expected cutoff ranges

Lower confidence:

• Exact raw score needed for a specific percentile
• Exact interview-call percentile
• Individual candidate's probability of receiving a call

The CAT 2026 prediction should therefore be used to set preparation and application targets, not as an admission guarantee. These parameters are an important tool for you to develop an effective preparation strategy and ace the actual CAT 2026 exam.

CAT 2026 Cutoff FAQs

• What is the expected CAT cutoff for 2026?

The cutoff for CAT 2026 will be announced according to the admission policy of each respective institute. Based on previous years, candidates wishing to apply to prestigious IIMs should target 99+ percentile, while the minimum score for those seeking admission into the top programs is above 99.5 percentile.

• What percentile is needed for IIM Ahmedabad?

As far as the PGP 2026-2028 course is concerned, IIM Ahmedabad has announced a minimum of 95 overall and a minimum cutoff of 85 per section for candidates for General/EWS category. However, these scores serve as qualifying scores only for candidates but do not guarantee an interview call.

• What percentile is needed for IIM Bangalore?

IIM Bangalore has recently announced a minimum score of 85 overall for applicants belonging to the General category, while candidates need to score a minimum of 80 marks in the VARC and a minimum score of 75 marks in DILR and QA.

• Can I get an IIM at 95 percentile?

Yes, depending on the IIM, category and candidate profile. However, 95 percentile should not only be a strong target for the most selective IIMs, particularly for candidates with a profile that receives little additional selection advantage.

• Which colleges accept 90 percentile?

At 90 percentile, candidates should consider selected IIMs where they meet the relevant category-specific requirements, along with a wider range of non-IIM CAT-accepting B-schools.

• Which colleges accept 85 percentile?

Some IIMs may accept an 85 percentile score for specific categories, but the actual score needed to receive a call is often much higher.

• Is 99 percentile enough for IIM?

A 99 percentile is an excellent CAT result, but it does not guarantee an IIM call. Academic performance, category, work experience, diversity factors and sectional scores can influence shortlisting.

• Do IIMs have sectional cutoffs?

Yes. Many IIMs have minimum VARC, DILR and QA percentiles in addition to the overall CAT percentile.

• Does academic profile affect IIM calls?

Yes. Several IIMs use academic performance and other profile factors in their shortlisting or final selection process. IIM Bangalore and IIM Calcutta are current examples.

• What was last year's CAT exam cutoff?

For CAT 2025, the published General-category qualifying cutoffs for major IIMs included 95 at IIM Ahmedabad, 85 at IIM Bangalore and IIM Calcutta, 90 at IIM Lucknow and IIM Indore, and 85 at IIM Kozhikode. These should not be confused with actual interview-call or final-admission percentiles.

• What is the difference between CAT cutoff marks and CAT cutoff percentile?

CAT admission cutoffs are usually shown as percentiles instead of fixed scores. This means the number of correct answers needed to reach a certain percentile varies based on how hard the exam is and how scores are distributed among all test takers.