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    CAT Cutoff 2026 for General Category: IIM and Non-IIM Expected Cutoffs

    CAT Cutoff 2026 for General Category: IIM and Non-IIM Expected Cutoffs

    Team Careers360Updated on 31 Aug 2026, 12:45 PM IST

    CAT cutoff 2026 for the general category is higher compared to other reserved categories. The CAT 2026 cutoff for the general category for IIMs and non-IIM admissions will be released for the academic year 2027-29 after the CAT 2026 results. The general category does not get any reservations in the seats for IIMs as well as non-IIMs. The collective seats for MBA/PGDM courses that the IIMs offer are close to 5500. The CAT percentile range required by IIMs for general-category candidates is between 95 and 99.9. Check out the expected CAT 2026 cutoff for the general category along with past years' data for comparison and estimation.

    This Story also Contains

    1. CAT 2026 Cutoff for General category (Expected): IIMs and Non-IIMs
    2. CAT cutoff for General category: IIMs and non-IIMs Past Trends
    3. What After Qualifying the IIM CAT Cutoff 2026?
    4. Why are CAT Cutoffs 2026 Important for MBA Aspirants?
    CAT Cutoff 2026 for General Category: IIM and Non-IIM Expected Cutoffs
    Check CAT cutoff 2026 for General category candidates

    CAT 2026 Cutoff for General category (Expected): IIMs and Non-IIMs

    The CAT cutoff for the general category for IIMs will depend on the CAT 2026 difficulty level, the number of appearing candidates, seats offered, and the normalisation process. The expected CAT cutoff for general category candidates for IIMs and non-IMs is mentioned in the table below.

    CAT cutoff for General category: IIMs and non-IIMs Past Trends

    The trends have remained unchanged when it comes to the CAT exam cutoff for the general category. The previous year's minimum IIM general cutoff and general cutoff for non-IIMs accepting CAT 2026 scores are listed in the table below.

    Name of the College

    CAT cutoff for General Category 2024

    CAT cutoff for General Category 2023

    IIM Ahmedabad

    90.98

    93.76

    IIM Bangalore

    95.45

    91.97

    IIM Calcutta

    -

    -

    IIM Lucknow

    Non-Pwd91.02

    92.48

    PwD60.16

    IIM Indore

    92.43

    92.92

    IIM Kozhikode

    91.03

    88.14

    IIM Amritsar

    -

    88.37

    IIM Nagpur

    -

    94

    IIM Sambalpur

    85.01

    80.02

    IIM Trichy

    95.01 (non-DAP)

    94.01

    IIM Raipur

    -

    -

    IIM Ranchi

    -

    -

    IIM Vizag

    82.03

    82.03

    IIM Udaipur

    95.26

    95.85

    IIM Bodh Gaya

    -

    -

    IIM Kashipur95.0994

    IIM Shillong

    -

    98.45

    IIM Sirmaur

    Non-PwD95

    90

    PwD43.29

    IIM Rohtak

    97

    96

    IIM Jammu90.0689.01

    IIM Mumbai

    97.04

    -

    FMS

    98

    98-99

    BITSOM

    85

    85+

    DMS, IIT Delhi

    90

    90

    Loyola Institute of Business Administration (LIBA) Chennai

    80

    80-85

    SJMSOM, IIT Bombay

    90

    90+

    Institute of Management Technology (IMT) Ghaziabad

    90

    90

    MDI Gurgaon

    94+

    95+

    National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE) Mumbai

    85+

    85+

    SPJIMR

    85

    92

    XIMB

    81-86

    80+

    Department of Management Studies, IIT Madras

    90

    85+

    T A Pai Management Institute (TAPMI) Manipal

    85

    85

    What After Qualifying the IIM CAT Cutoff 2026?

    After the candidate has met the IIMT CAT Cut Off, the following are the next steps that they will need to follow:

    • Shortlisting by IIMs: Each IIM will individually shortlist candidates who will meet their respective cut offs. One must note that these cutoffs will vary significantly between the older and more prestigious IIMs and the newer IIMs. Furthermore, the shortlisting criteria typically consider the CAT score, academic performance (in 10th, 12th and graduation), and sometimes even work experience and diversity factors are included.

    • Written Ability Test (WAT) and Group Discussion (GD): Based on the CAT score, all shortlisted candidates will then be called for further selection rounds, which will include WAT/GD.

    • Personal Interview (PI): All those who clear the WAT-GD rounds will further be called for the Personal Interview (PI) round. In this round, candidates will need to go through a one-on-one interaction with the panel of faculty who will assess the candidates' personality, communication skills, general knowledge and overall suitability for the MBA program. Candidate must be prepared for all types of questions as interviewers can also ask questions about the candidate's background, academic achievements, work exp (if applicable).

    • Final Selection: The final selection will be based on a composite score which will consider the candidate's performance in the CAT exam, WAT/GD/PI, academic record, work experience and diversity factors. One must note that each IIM has its own weightage for different components.

    • Offer Acceptance and Admission: Successful candidates will receive an offer from the IIM. To accept the offer, candidates will need to confirm their acceptance within a stipulated time and pay the required admission fee.

    Why are CAT Cutoffs 2026 Important for MBA Aspirants?

    CAT cut-offs hold significant importance for all MBA aspirants as they represent the minimum percentile score the candidates need to have to become eligible for further stages of the admission process at various MBA colleges.

    The CAT 2026 cut-offs will act as eligibility criteria and will determine whether an applicant's CAT performance is sufficient for a particular business school to consider their candidature for selection rounds, such as Group Discussion and Personal Interview.

    Furthermore, CAT cut-offs will indicate the competition level for admission to specific MBA programs; higher cut-offs will lead to greater applicant volume and a more competitive environment.

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    Q: Will CAT 2026 be tough?
    A:

    The CAT 2026 exam is expected to be moderate to tough, as per previous trends. 

    Q: What is the CAT cut-off for non-IIM?
    A:

    The CAT cutoff for non-IIM colleges offering MBA/PGDM programs ranges mostly from 80 to 90 percentile. Few of the non-IIM institutes like the FMS, Delhi are expected to have a CAT 2026 General category cutoff close to the 98 percentile.

    Q: What is the CAT 2026 cut off for IIT Bombay?
    A:

    The CAT cutoff for IIT Bombay for candidates belonging to the General category will likely be around 90 percentile, and for SC/ST/PwD category, the CAT cutoff is expected to be 60 percentile.

    Q: What is the lowest IIM cutoff for the General category?
    A:

    The lowest IIM cutoff for the General category comes to 90 percentile. A few IIMs like IIM Bodh Gaya, and IIM Nagpur can be aimed for this percentile. The IIM cutoff for the General category for most of the IIMs remains between 95-100 percentile.

    Q: Can I get IIM with 85 percentile general category?
    A:

    For a General category candidate the IIMs close their applications at a minimum CAT percentile of 90. With a CAT percentile of 85 candidates from the General category can target non-IIM colleges with good ratings.

    Q: How much percentile is required for IIM for the General category?
    A:

    For IIM admission the CAT percentile required for the General category is between 90-100. At the upper band of 99-100 CAT percentile the IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Calcutta, and IIM Bangalore can be targeted. For the lower band 90-95 of CAT percentile IIMs like IIM Trichy, IIM Raipur, and IIM Ranchi can be aimed for.

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