CAT Eligibility Criteria 2026: Age Limit & Reservation Criteria for General, SC/ST/PwD

Applying for CAT 2026? Check here latest CAT exam eligibility criteria and academic requirement to appear for the national level MBA entrance exam. 

Common Admission Test or CAT is conducted for admission to MBA/PGDM programmes offered by IIMs and over 1,300 other B-schools in India. Since MBA is a post graduation programme, the basic CAT eligibility criteria is graduation. If not a graduate, they should have an equivalent degree or a professional degree such as CA/CS/ICWAI. Minimum marks criteria apply to both Reserved and Unreserved category students and the aggregate percent is different for both categories.

CAT exam 2026 registrations will start from first week of August and will end in the third week of September 2026. Candidates interested in appearing in CAT exam 2026 must fill the application form only if they meet the minimum eligibility criteria. Detailed CAT exam eligibility criteria 2026 has been shared below in detail. Check here who can give CAT exam?

Also read: CAT registration and application process 2026

 CAT Exam Eligibility 2026 - Graduation Marks

Check below, minimum marks required by General and Reserved category students, for appearing in CAT 2026 exam. 

Post graduation is a desirable requirement for CAT exam but not mandatory. Candidates who have post graduation degree can mention the scores in the CAT application form. Mentioning PG qualification will be beneficial for students at the time of PI and admission shortlisting, as it will give weightage to candidate’s overall profile. The option of mentioning professional degrees or additional degrees is also there in the CAT 2026 application form. So, mention all you relevant qualification as the CAT 2026 application form will be used for IIM PI shortlisting.

CAT Eligibility Criteria: General and NC-OBC Candidates

• Candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent from a university or educational institution recognized by the Government of India
• Candidates must have scored minimum 50 per cent aggregate in graduation (or equivalent) in any stream
• Candidates must be in their final year of graduation or awaiting result
• Candidates must have professional degrees like CA/CS/ICWA with minimum 50 per cent aggregate

CAT Eligibility Criteria for SC, ST and PwD Candidates

• Candidates belonging to SC/ST/PwD categories must have scored minimum 45 per cent aggregate in graduation (or equivalent) in any stream
• Candidates must be in their final year of graduation or awaiting result
• Candidates must have professional degrees like CA/CS/ICWA with minimum 45 per cent aggregate are also eligible to apply

CAT Exam Eligibility Criteria 2025: Equivalent Degrees

• In case the marking scheme of any candidate’s degree is in grades or CGPA, percentage of marks would be calculated on the basis of practice as followed by the respective University/Institution.
• If any University/Institution confirms that they do not follow any scheme for converting CGPA into marks, calculation will be done by dividing candidate’s CGPA by the maximum possible CGPA, and multiplying the result with 100.

CAT Age Limit

There is no age limit to appear for CAT exam. Candidates can be as young as 20 years old or 40 years old. The PG level entrance exam and accepted for several Executive MBA, PhD and FPM programmes too, thus is open for both fresh graduates and working professionals (at any stage of their career). 

Who is Not Eligible to Apply for the CAT Exam 2026?

While it is clear that who can apply of CAT exam, it is also important to know that who cannot apply for it. Check below six situations under which a candidate cannot apply for the CAT exam 2026. 

• If the candidate has not scored 50 per cent in graduation (45 per cent for SC/ST/PwD candidates)
• Candidates who don’t have either a bachelor’s degree or any equivalent degree like CA/CS/ICWA
• Candidates whose two years average in bachelor's degree does not make up 50 per cent (45 per cent or SC/ST/PwD candidates)
• Candidates who are not in the final year of their bachelor’s degree programme
• Candidates who are pursuing (not completed) professional degree like CA/CS/ICWA
• If the candidates' bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) is not recognized by UGC/AICTE/MHRD-Govt

Difference between IIM Eligibility and CAT Eligibility Criteria

The basic academic eligibility criteria of CAT and IIM are same. However, while to appear in CAT exam, one has to fulfill mainly academic criteria which is graduation, to be eligible for admission to the IIMs, one has to meet the CAT cut off percentile.

Also read: IIM Shortlist, Selection and Admission Criteria

CAT Reservation Criteria 2026

There is no reservation criteria for CAT exam apart from 5 per cent relaxation of marks in graduation for SC/ST/PwD candidates. However, the IIMs follows reservation criteria fixed by the Government of India for seat allotment.

What is the meaning of Person with Benchmark Disability (PwD) in CAT?

Persons with benchmark disability means a person with not less than 40 per cent of a specified disability as specified in the Schedule of the RPwD Act 2016. Given below are disabilities that fall under CAT’s PwD category:

• Blindness and low vision
• Deaf and hard of hearing
• Locomotor disability including cerebral palsy, leprosy cured, dwarfism, acid attack victims and muscular dystrophy.
• Autism, intellectual disability, specific learning disability and mental illness
• Multiple disabilities from amongst persons under clauses (a) to (d)
• Other 'specified disabilities' mentioned in 'The Schedule' of the RPwD Act 2016