Careers360 Logo
ask-icon
share
    IIM Reservation Policy 2026 – Category-Wise Seats, CAT Cutoffs & Selection Process Explained

    IIM Reservation Policy 2026 – Category-Wise Seats, CAT Cutoffs & Selection Process Explained

    Team Careers360Updated on 16 May 2026, 11:41 AM IST

    The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) reserves seats for candidates belonging to SC, ST, OBC, PwD, and EwS categories. The IIM reservation policy is made for those talented candidates who lack the resources to complete their education. As per the IIM Reservation Policy 2026, OBC is 27%, SC is 15%, ST is 7.5%, PwD is 5%, and EwS is 10%. Continue reading this article to learn the number of seats reserved for candidates from the reservation category and their cutoffs for IIM admission.
    For IIM Reservation Cut Off Check Out: IIM Admission

    This Story also Contains

    1. IIM Reservation Policy 2026
    2. IIM Reservation Policy for MBA 2026: Cut Off (Expected)
    3. Reservation Across Admission in IIM
    4. IIM Reservation Policy 2026: Final Selection
    IIM Reservation Policy 2026 – Category-Wise Seats, CAT Cutoffs & Selection Process Explained
    IIM Reservation Policy 2026 for OBS, SC, EWS and PwD

    IIM Reservation Policy 2026

    Candidates can check out the percentage of IIM reservation seats for MBA admission given below:

    IIM Reservation CategoriesIIM Reservation Percentage
    IIM reservation for OBC (Non-creamy layer)
    27%
    IIM reservation for SC (Schedule Caste)
    15%
    IIM reservation for ST (Schedule Tribe)
    7.5%
    Economically Weaker Sections (EWS)
    10%
    PwD reservation in IIM (Persons with Benchmark Disabilities)
    5%

    A “person with benchmark disability” means a person with not less than forty per cent (40%) of a specified disability where the specified disability has not been defined in measurable terms. Whereas a person with disabilities has a specified disability defined in measurable terms, as certified by the certifying authority.

    Great Lakes - PGDM & PGPM Admissions 2027

    Globally Recognized by AACSB (US) & AMBA (UK) | 18 LPA Avg. CTC for PGPM 2026

    XAT- Xavier Aptitude Test 2027

    75+ years of legacy | #1 Entrance Exam | Score accepted by 250+ BSchools

    Check out:

    Past 10 years CAT Question Papers with Solutions
    Ace CAT with confidence! Download the Past 10 Years' CAT Question Papers with detailed answers to understand exam trends, improve accuracy, and maximize your percentile.
    Download Ebook

    IIM Reservation Policy for MBA 2026: Cut Off (Expected)

    IIMs accept the CAT exam for admission to their MBA programmes. The CAT cut-off set by IIMs for MBA/PGDM admission varies from college to college. Candidates belonging to the reserved category can have a look at the range of IIM reservation cut-offs given below:

    Category

    CAT cut off (Percentile)

    OBC

    70 - 80

    SC

    45 - 70

    ST

    35 - 65

    PwD

    30 - 60

    EWS

    70 - 85

    Candidates belonging to the IIM reservation quota category must upload their certificates as proof while filling out the CAT registration form.

    Reservation Across Admission in IIM

    The IIM admission policy does not revolve around a single exam or metric. Instead, it involves multiple stages, and the reservation policy applied at each step, which are mentioned below:

    Shortlisting for WAT-PI (Written Ability Test and Personal Interview)

    These are the first cut-offs that are released after CAT results and are roughly similar for all the IIMs. Each IIM will release their own shortlist based on minimum CAT percentile cutoffs. However, one must note that the cutoff is lower for reserve categories as compared to the General category.

    Take a look at the following cutoffs, which we have listed for all the categories:

    Category

    Cutoff (Approx.)

    General

    98+ percentile

    NC-OBC

    90-92 percentile

    SC

    80-85 percentile

    ST

    70-72 percentile

    PwD (depends on the horizontal category)

    60-70 percentile


    IIM Reservation Policy 2026: Final Selection

    Post the completion of the WAT-PI rounds, all IIMs will calculate the composite score for each category. It will include CAT percentile, academic scores, work experience, performance in WAT-PI and diversity factors. Each category will have its own merit list, meaning that candidates are only competing with others in their own reservation group.

    Seat Allotment and Waitlist Movement

    The IIM seat allotment and waitlist movement will be based on the caste-based reservation policy as per the government-issued reservation policy. Post the release of the final offers, all candidates will need to either accept or reject the offer. Additionally, seats that remain empty due to rejections will then be offered to the next candidates on the category-wise waitlists. This will be done to maintain the reservation percentages.

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    Q: Do we have reservations in IIM?
    A:

    Yes, IIMs provide IIM reservation quota for SC ST, OBC, PwD and EWS categories. 

    Q: What is the cut off for IIM reservation?
    A:

    The minimum qualifying CAT cut off for reserved categories falls between 30 to 85 percentile.

    Q: Is it easy for SC to get into IIM?
    A:

    As compared to general category and other few categories, IIM cut off for SC is between 40 to 70 percentile. So, it is easier for SCs to clear the minimum CAT cut off and get into IIMs.

    Q: What is the quota of IIM SC ST?
    A:

    The IIM reservation quota cut off for SC is 40-70 and ST is 35-65 percentile. The IIM Cut offs cary depends on the college.

    Q: Is there any home state quota in IIM?
    A:

    No, IIMs do not provide any home state quota.

    Q: What is the reservation policy for IIM?
    A:

    All IIMs (Indian Institutes of Management) follow the government's reservation policy quotas for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backwards Classes (OBC), Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and Persons with Disabilities (PwD). Specifically, 15% of seats are reserved for SC candidates, 7.5% for ST candidates and 27% of OBC candidates. 

    Articles
    |
    Certifications By Top Providers
    Online MBA
    Via Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar
    Corporate Tax Planning
    Via Netaji Subhash Open University, Kolkata
    Strategic Management
    Via Indian Institute of Management Bangalore
    Online MBA Business Analytics
    Via Centre for Distance and Online Education, Anna University, Chennai
    Digital Marketing
    Via Panjab University, Chandigarh
    Online MBA
    Via Centre for Distance and Online Education, Anna University, Chennai
    Explore Top Universities Across Globe
    University of Essex, Colchester
    Wivenhoe Park Colchester CO4 3SQ
    Northumbria University, Newcastle City Campus
    Sutherland Building, Northumberland Road, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 8ST
    Oxford Brookes University, Oxford
    Headington Campus Oxford OX3 0BP UK
    Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff
    Llandaff Campus, Western Avenue, Cardiff, CF5 2YB
    University of Reading, Reading
    Whiteknights PO Box 217 Reading Berkshire RG6 6AH
    Bournemouth University, Bournemouth
    Fern Barrow, Poole, Dorset, BH12 5BB, United Kingdom

    Questions related to CAT

    On Question asked by student community

    Have a question related to CAT ?

    Hello Student,

    With a CAT 2025 percentile of 98.25, you have a good chance of receiving calls from several IIMs, particularly newer IIMs. However, IIM Ahmedabad , Bangalore , Calcutta , and Lucknow generally require higher percentiles for General-category candidates. Calls also depend on sectional percentiles, academics, work experience, and

    Hello Aspirant,

    Yes, you can access CAT preparation resources, including mock tests, practice questions, previous-year papers, and study material. Explore the CAT preparation resources and test series using the link below:

    https://bschool.careers360.com/download/ebooks-and-sample-papers?exam=45

    Hope this Helps!

    Hello CAT Aspirant!

    If you mean the CAT ( Common Admission Test) EWS certificate, the important point is whether the certificate is valid and issued in the prescribed format, rather than simply the language used on it.

    Yes, a Hindi EWS certificate can generally be accepted for CAT, provided it

    If you have already received your final MA result and have technically completed the degree , but you are only waiting for the revaluation outcome, you would generally be considered a graduate rather than someone whose master's degree is still completely in progress. However, CAT has specific instructions about qualification

    If you mean CAT (Common Admission Test) preparation, you can practise with previous-year CAT papers. IIM has a collection of CAT papers from 2017 to 2025, covering VARC, DILR and Quant across different slots, along with solutions and explanations. Solving the recent papers first can help you understand the current