CAT cutoffs

CAT cutoffs are percentiles, not marks — and there are two different kinds. A qualifying cutoff is the minimum overall and sectional percentile an IIM requires before your profile is even considered for its composite-score shortlist; it is published in each IIM's admission policy. The shortlist cutoff — the percentile that actually gets you the interview call — is much higher and is never published as a single number, because shortlists are built from a composite score (CAT percentile plus Class 10, Class 12 and graduation marks, work experience and gender/academic-diversity factors, with weights that vary by institute and change year to year). The rows below therefore carry two labels: official qualifying cutoffs (from the IIMs' own admission pages, reproduced in education-portal compilations) and typical shortlist bands (compiled ranges from education-portal and test-prep coverage — treat them as targets, not promises). Percentile cutoffs move every year with paper difficulty and the candidate pool; the institute's own policy PDF is always canonical. Reserved-category (EWS, NC-OBC, SC, ST, PwD/DAP) call bands run well below the General band, but no IIM publishes them as single numbers.

IIM Ahmedabad — PGP

Old IIM (top three)

PGP 2026-28 admission (based on CAT 2025)

Official qualifying percentile — minimum to be considered for shortlisting

General:
95 overall · 85 in each of VARC, DILR, QA
EWS:
95 overall · 85 in each section
NC-OBC:
≈90 overall (category compilation)
SC:
≈90 overall (category compilation)
ST:
≈90 overall (category compilation)
Pw D:
≈90 overall (category compilation)
Notes:
Raised in January 2026 from the earlier bar of 80 overall / 70 sectional when IIM Ahmedabad released its PGP 2026-28 shortlisting criteria.

Typical interview-call band (compiled; not an official cutoff)

General:
99+ percentile
Notes:
Shortlist is a composite score — CAT percentile weighted about 65% plus an Application Rating (Class 10/12/graduation marks). A strong academic profile can convert slightly below 99; a weak one may not convert even at 99.5+.

IIM Bangalore — PGP

Old IIM (top three)

PGP 2026-28 admission (based on CAT 2025)

Official qualifying percentile (as reproduced in compilations of the published criteria)

General:
85 overall · 80–85 in each section
EWS:
≈75 overall
NC-OBC:
≈75 overall
SC:
≈70 overall
ST:
≈65 overall
Pw D:
≈60 overall
Notes:
One compilation reports the General sectional bar moving from 80 to 85 in each section for the 2026-28 criteria — verify against the official document on iimb.ac.in.

Typical interview-call band (compiled; not an official cutoff)

General:
99.5+ percentile (median call)
Notes:
IIM Bangalore weights academics and work experience heavily alongside CAT; information-document verified calls show the median called candidate well above 99, with the composite formula extending the tail lower for strong profiles.

IIM Calcutta — MBA

Old IIM (top three)

MBA 2026-28 admission (based on CAT 2025)

Official qualifying percentile (sectional minimums per section, then overall)

General:
VARC ≥80 · DILR ≥80 · QA ≥75 · Overall ≥85
EWS:
VARC ≥70 · DILR ≥65 · QA ≥65 · Overall ≥75
NC-OBC:
VARC ≥70 · DILR ≥65 · QA ≥65 · Overall ≥75
SC:
VARC ≥60 · DILR ≥60 · QA ≥60 · Overall ≥70
ST:
VARC ≥55 · DILR ≥55 · QA ≥55 · Overall ≥65 (approx.)
Pw D:
VARC ≥55 · DILR ≥55 · QA ≥55 · Overall ≥65 (approx.)
Notes:
From the official admission-procedure page for domestic candidates as reproduced in compilations; the ST and PwD rows are approximations — verify in the policy PDF on iimcal.ac.in.

Typical interview-call band (compiled; not an official cutoff)

General:
99+ percentile
Notes:
The PI shortlist is a composite of the scaled CAT score, Class 10 and Class 12 marks and diversity factors — meeting the qualifying cutoff alone almost never produces a call.

IIM Lucknow — PGP

Old IIM (next tier)

Current admission cycle (based on CAT 2025)

Qualifying percentile (compiled from published criteria)

General:
≈90 overall · 85+ in each section
Notes:
Category-wise qualifying minimums for the current cycle were not verifiable from consistent sources — check the official policy on iiml.ac.in.

Typical interview-call band (compiled; not an official cutoff)

General:
97–99 percentile
Notes:
Multiple programs (PGP, ABM, PGP-SM) carry separate shortlist criteria.

IIM Kozhikode — PGP

Old IIM (next tier)

Current admission cycle (based on CAT 2025)

Qualifying percentile (compiled from published criteria)

General:
85 overall · 75 in each section
Notes:
Category-wise minimums for the current cycle were not verifiable from consistent sources — verify on the official admission page.

Typical interview-call band (compiled; not an official cutoff)

General:
97–99 percentile
Notes:
IIM Kozhikode conducted CAT 2025 and also applies profile-based shortlisting beyond the raw percentile.

IIM Indore — PGP

Old IIM (next tier)

Current admission cycle (based on CAT 2025)

Qualifying percentile (sectional minimums, as compiled)

General:
80 in each section
NC-OBC:
80 in each section
SC:
60 in each section
ST:
45 in each section
Notes:
Compiled from coverage of the institute's published criteria; confirm the overall minimum and PwD bar in the official policy on iimidr.ac.in.

Typical interview-call band (compiled; not an official cutoff)

General:
96–98 percentile
Notes:
Composite shortlists add academics and diversity factors to the CAT percentile.

IIM Shillong — PGPM

Old IIM (next tier)

Current admission cycle (based on CAT 2025)

Qualifying percentile (sectional minimums, as compiled)

General:
75 in each section
NC-OBC:
75 in each section
SC:
60 in each section
ST:
50 in each section
Pw D:
50 in each section (DAP)
Notes:
Compiled from admission-criteria coverage; no separate overall minimum was reported for the current cycle — verify on the official site.

Typical interview-call band (compiled; not an official cutoff)

General:
95–97 percentile
Notes:
Selection is GD/PI-centric after the CAT-based shortlist.

Newer IIMs via CAP (Common Admission Process)

New IIMs (group)

CAP for the 2026-28 admission cycle

Qualifying percentile (compiled; sectional bars also apply)

General:
≈80 overall
SC:
≈66 overall
ST:
≈42 overall
Pw D:
≈42 overall
Notes:
Participating institutes typically include IIM Bodh Gaya, Jammu, Kashipur, Ranchi, Sirmaur and Udaipur, but participation varies year to year and each institute keeps its own composite weights.

Typical interview-call band (compiled; not an official cutoff)

General:
90–96 percentile
Notes:
One shared WAT-PI round on the CAP portal; final offers are made institute-wise with their own composite weights.

Cutoff rows are compiled from official result notices and reputable reproductions — see the notes above for what each row means. Always confirm on the official website.