IIM CAT Cut Off 2026: Know Expected and Previous Years' CAT Cutoff Percentile
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IIM cut offs for admission to MBA/PGP programmes of top institutes are generally between 98 to 100 percentile. The IIM cutoff 2026 for MBA admission will be in the same range, as previous years. At some IIMs, there can be a slighrchange of decimal points. Check CAT cut off for IIMs (general and reserved) categories.
Check campus wise IIM Cut Off 2026
IIM cutoff is always high for top 6 campuses (BLACKI); For General category, the IIM cut off percentile range is 97 to 100 percentile for full-time MBA programme. CAT cut off for IIM for Reserved category candidates is much lower. MBA aspirants who score 98+ percentile in the CAT exam can expect to get admision into IIM. But only meeting the CAT cut off is not enough. You need to have stellar academic profile too.
CAT cut off for IIM is determined individually by each campus. CAT test takers are invited for WAT/PI round only if they have scored as much or above the minimum IIM cut off percentile in CAT exam. The first round of selection is done on the basis of qualifying CAT cut offs, i.e. candidates are selected if they meet the minimum CAT cut off. Final cut offs are known after admissions. In this article, we have provided all the information related to the IIM CAT percentile cut off for MBA admission. Those aiming for IIM MBA in 2027, must know how much CAT percentile is required for which campus and then make an informed selection in the CAT application form while choose IIMs for PI shortlisting. Ideally a candidate must select top IIMs and newer IIMs both in good numbers to have better chance of getting a campus for admission.
- What is IIM CAT Cut Off?
- IIM Call Cut Off vs Shortlist Cut Off – What is The Difference?
- IIMs with Lowest Cut Offs
- IIM Cut Offs of Previous Years
- IIM Cut Off 2026: Campus Wise
- IIM Cut Off 2019 (Bodh Gaya)
- IIM Selection Procedure and Admission Criteria 2026
- Final Selection through IIM CAT Cut Off: Parameters and Weightage
- Campus wise: IIM CAT Cut Off, Shortlist and Admission Criteria
What is IIM CAT Cut Off?
IIM cut off refers to the minimum CAT percentile a candidate has to get as CAT score to be eligible for WAT/PI round of the institutes. The IIM cut offs are different for different categories of students. While the minimum CAT cut off for IIMs for General category is usually 95-100, the cut offs for reserved category students is 85-95. The CAT percentile for IIM admission vary campus wise. IIM BLACKI minimum percentile for CAT 2026 will be between 97-100 percentile. Usually, for IIM Ahmedabad, the cut off for General category is 99-100 percentile. For IIM Calcutta, it is around 92-99 percentile (category-wise). However, if your academic record is exceptional, CAT score lower than 95 may get you an IIM.
The CAT cutoff for IIM MBA admissions vary slightly every year. Some of the determining factors that decide IIM CAT cut offs are:
- Difficulty Level of CAT exam – If the difficulty level is high, the cut off percentile for that year will be comparatively lower. This happens because of the lower average scores in the examination.
- Number of students who took CAT – The final CAT cut off percentile for IIMs would also depend on the number of students appearing in CAT. Higher the number, higher will be the qualifying CAT cut off, and vice versa.
- Number of seats available – The number of available seats in a particular IIM can vary annually. Any increase or decrease in the number of available seats will directly reflect on the cut-off percentile required for IIM.
IIM Call Cut Off vs Shortlist Cut Off – What is The Difference?
IIM CAT cut offs are of two types – qualifying and final. Qualifying IIM CAT cutoff is released as part of IIM admission policy. It is the minimum CAT score required by a candidate of a particular category to be eligible for PI shortlisting. Clearing the qualifying CAT cut off does not mean you have been shortlisted. Your interview call will depend upon whether you meet the IIM call cut off or the final CAT cut off which way higher.
IIMs with Lowest Cut Offs
In newer IIMs, the CAT cut offs are lower as compared to rest of the campuses. Given below are IIMs with lowest cut offs.
- IIM Ranchi - 92+ percentile
- IIM Raipur - 90 + percentile
- IIM Kashipur - 90+ percentile
- IIM Udaipur - 90+ percentile
Even for Reserved category students, the IIM cut offs don't drop. Which is why it is imperative to score 90+ percentile in CAT for IIM admission.
Also read:
- CAT Score vs Percentile 2026: Know the difference
- Understanding IIM Eligibility Criteria
- What is IIM CAP? Know process, criteria and participating IIMs
- What is IIM SAP? Know process, criteria and cut offs
- What is IIM JAP? Know process, participating colleges
IIM Cut Offs of Previous Years
Those who shall have an idea of their performance in the CAT exam and know the expected score, they can guess which IIMs will take them in. The knowledge of CAT cut off for IIM is of great help in this process. It allows students to make an informed decision when the application window for WAT and PI rounds opens. In case you want to calculate your expected CAT score, use this CAT Percentile Predictor by Shiksha.
IIM Cut Off 2026: Campus Wise
Given below are the qualifying CAT cut offs and estimated IIM CAT percentile final cutoffs. CAT cut off for IIM MBA batch 2027 are expected to be same.
| IIM |
Qualifying CAT Cut Off for IIM |
Final CAT Cut Off for IIM |
|---|---|---|
| 95 |
99-100 |
|
| 85 |
99-100 |
|
| 85 |
98-99 |
|
| 90 |
97-99 |
|
| 90 |
97-98 |
|
| 85 |
97-98 |
|
| 75 |
90 |
|
| 92 |
92-94 |
|
| 95 |
96-97 |
|
| 80 |
94-95 |
|
| 93 |
94-95 |
|
| 92 |
94-95 |
|
| 85 |
94-95 |
|
| 90 |
94-95 |
|
| 92 |
94-95 |
|
| 92 |
95-96 |
|
| 92 |
94-95 |
|
| 85 |
95-96 |
|
| 92 |
94-95 |
|
| 92 |
94-95 |
Commonly asked questions
The CAT cut offs for IIM Bangalore hovers between 97-100 percentile. The qualifying CAT cut off required for being eligible for IIM Bangalore's Written Ability test (What) and Personal Interview PI is 85 percentile for General category students, whereas for SC candidates, it is 70 percentile. For ST candidates, it is 65 percentile and for PwD candidates it is 60 percentile. Given below are the sectional and overall qualifying CAT cut offs for IIM Bangalore.
- General category: 80 VARC 75 DILR 75 Quantitative Aptitude 85 (Overall)
- NC-OBC category: 75 VARC 65 DILR 65 Quantitative Aptitude 75 (Overall)
- EWS category: 70 VARC 65 DILR 65 Quantitative Aptitude 75 (Overall)
- SC category: 65 VARC 60 DILR 60 Quantitative Aptitude 70 (Overall)
- ST category: 55 VARC 55 DILR 55 Quantitative Aptitude 65 (Overall)
- PwD category: 50 VARC 50 DILR 50 Quantitative Aptitude 60 (Overall)
IIM Cut Off 2019 (Bodh Gaya)
IIM Bodh Gaya released official CAT cut offs publicly in 2019. Check the tables below for section-wise cut offs for male and female candidates.
| IIM Bodh Gaya cut off for male candidates |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category |
Overall |
QA |
DILR |
VARC |
| General |
91 |
80 |
80 |
80 |
| EWS |
70 |
60 |
60 |
60 |
| NC-OBC |
73 |
60 |
60 |
60 |
| SC |
50 |
45 |
45 |
45 |
| ST |
38 |
30 |
30 |
30 |
| PWD |
35 |
30 |
30 |
30 |
| IIM Bodh Gaya cut off for female candidates |
||||
| Category |
Overall |
QA |
DILR |
VARC |
| General |
88 |
75 |
75 |
75 |
| EWS |
70 |
55 |
55 |
55 |
| NC-OBC |
70 |
60 |
60 |
60 |
| SC |
50 |
43 |
43 |
43 |
| ST |
35 |
30 |
30 |
30 |
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IIM Cut Offs 2018
In 2018, IIM cut off percentiles of top campuses remained high in the range of 97 to 99 percentile.
| IIMs |
CAT cut off 2018 (in percentile) |
|---|---|
| IIM Ahmedabad |
98 |
| IIM Bangalore |
99 |
| IIM Calcutta |
98 |
| IIM Lucknow |
97 |
| IIM Indore |
92 |
| IIM Kozhikode |
95.5 |
| IIM Rohtak |
94 |
| IIM Kashipur |
93 |
| IIM Shillong |
92 |
| IIM Trichy |
93 |
| IIM Udaipur |
94 |
Commonly asked questions
Qualifying CAT cut off percentiles of Iims for Written Ability Test (What) and Personal Interview PI are listed below. Candidates who MET the qualifying CAT cut off, were eligible for What-PI round. These qualifying CAT cut offs are for General Category. The cut offs for Reserved category students are lower:
- IIM Ahmedabad: 95 percentile
- IIM Bangalore: 85 percentile
- IIM Calcutta: 85 percentile
- IIM Lucknow: 90 percentile
- IIM Kozhikode: 85 percentile
- IIM Indore: 90 percentile
- IIM Udaipur: 93 percentile
- IIM Shillong: 75 percentile
- IIM Trichy: 93 percentile
- IIM Visakhapatnam: 80 percentile
- IIM Rohtak: 95 percentile
- 1IIM Nagpur: 85 percentile
- IIM Jammu: 93 percentile
- IIM Ranchi: 90 percentile
- IIM Sirmaur: 92 percentile
- IIM Bodhgaya: 93 percentile
- IIM Sambalpur: 93 percentile
- IIM Kashipur: 94 percentile
- IIM Raipur: 93 percentile
- IIM Amritsar: 90 percentile
For complete details of IIM selection and admission process read this article: https://www.shiksha.com/mba/articles/iim-shortlist-selection-admission-criteria-blogId-18787.
The general category CAT percentile cutoff at IIM Raipur normally lies between 92 and 95%, though it could differ somewhat depending on the category (OBC, SC, ST) and applicant pool. At somewhat lower percentiles, candidates with a solid academic background and pertinent professional experience may be given consideration. A comprehensive review that takes into account the candidate's performance on the Written Ability Test (WAT), academic background, and personal interview (PI) is required for the ultimate selection. The likelihood of being shortlisted for the following round of the selection process increases with higher scores.
IIM Cut Offs 2017 and 2016
In 2016 and 2017, IIM Ahmedabad cut off was 100 percentile. IIM Bangalore and other top colleges inducted candidates with score between 95 to 99 percentile.
| IIM | CAT cut off 2017 (in percentile) | CAT cut off 2016 (in percentile) |
|---|---|---|
| IIM Ahmedabad | 100 | 100 |
| IIM Bangalore | 99.72 | 99.48 |
| IIM Kozhikode | 95.16 | 94.82 |
| IIM Indore | 90.05 | 90.01 |
| IIM Trichy | 95 | 96 |
| IIM Raipur | 95 | 96 |
| IIM Rohtak | 95 | 96 |
| IIM Udaipur | 95 | 96 |
| IIM Sirmaur | 95 | 81.23 |
| IIM Nagpur | 90.09 | 90.08 |
| IIM Visakhapatnam | 90.09 | 90.02 |
| IIM Amritsar | 94.76 | 94.9 |
| IIM Sambalpur | 95 | NA |
*These cut-off scores have been obtained by Shiksha through Right To Information Act.
IIM Selection Procedure and Admission Criteria 2026
The main criteria for selection are CAT score, WAT/GD-PI, academic record, work experience. IIM admission process includes selection in three phases. Candidates are evaluated on these main criteria in every selection round. Check below:
- First phase: Shortlisting of candidates on the basis of CAT score
- Second phase: Conduct of WAT and PI
- Third phase: Final selection on the basis of performance in CAT exam, WAT-PI, academics, etc.
Also Read:
Commonly asked questions
On an average, about 10-15 CAT aspirants score 100 percentile. Given below is the data of CAT 100 percentilers of last 4 years:
Exam year | CAT 100 percentilers | State wise numbers |
|---|---|---|
CAT 2025 | 12 | 1- Uttar Pradesh 1- Karnataka 1- Maharashtra 3- Delhi 2- Haryana 2- Gujarat 1- Jharkhand 1- Odisha |
CAT 2024 | 14 | 1- Andhra Pradesh |
CAT 2023 | 14 | 1 – Andhra Pradesh |
CAT 2022 | 11 | 2 - Delhi 1 - Gujarat 1 - Haryana 1 - Kerala 1 - Madhya Pradesh 2 - Maharashtra 2 - Telangana 1 - Uttar Pradesh |
Yes, the CAT accepting MBA colleges conduct either GD/PI or WAT/PI. Since MBA is a professional course about business and team management, personality assessment round is essential to ensure that the aspirant has the flair for management which can be polished during the programme. Communication skills, problem solving ability, management and leadership are essential qualities for MBA thus, every B-School conducts GD/PI or WAT/PI.
No, securing a high CAT percentile is not enough for admission. One has to clear the selection process round too, like WAT and PI.
Apart from the CAT scores, B-schools consider candidates' written and spoken communication skills through Written Ability Test or Essay Writing, Group Discussion and Personal Interview rounds. The B-schools also consider candidates' overall profile such as past academic records, work experience and extracurricular activities or abilities. Candidates Class 12 scores and overall academic profile plays a decisive role in selection as institutes look for consistency in excellence.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered Yesterday
For CAT Data Interpretation preparation, candidates can refer to Arun Sharma's books for CAT DILR. His books cover this topic comprehensively.
A
Contributor-Level 7
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Yes, Data Interpretation is important for CAT as it makes up for 50 percent of the DILR sections, which carries a weightage of 66 marks.
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Contributor-Level 7
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There are usually 8-10 questions on Data Interpretation in CAT. The questions are in sets of 4 or 5.
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Practise previous-year CAT questions, mock tests, and vocabulary books such as Word Power Made Easy. Reading editorials and quality articles can also help.
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Contributor-Level 10
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Yes. It improves grammar, vocabulary, context-based understanding, and sentence interpretation, which are useful for VARC preparation.
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CAT does not have a fixed number of Sentence Completion questions. Direct questions on this topic are uncommon.
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Aspirants should attempt CAT DILR practise questions as timed mock exercises without checking the answers, and solutions. Candidates must go through answers and solutions after completing each set.
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No. These are original practice questions curated from past-paper reasoning structures, not guaranteed exam questions.
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Contributor-Level 7
Answered 2 days ago
Yes, ISBR Business School give scholarship based on the CAT score. Below given is the scholarship criteria and percentage of tuition fee waiver given by the ISBR Business School based on the CAT score.
| Examination | Scholarship Criteria | Category | Quantum of Scholarship | Nos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAT | 90 percentile or above | Merit / Industry Sponsored | 100% Full Ride | 5 Nos. |
| 85 percentile or above | 50% Waiver in Tuition Fee | 20 Nos. | ||
| 80 percentile or above | 25% | 25 Nos. |
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 days ago
To prepare for CAT Arithmetic section, refer to Class 9 and 10 NCERT Math books. These books will help you recap fundamental concepts and formulae. For advance level questions, refer Arum Sharma and Nishit Sinha books recommended for CAT quantitative aptitude preparation.
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