The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a national-level management test conducted annually by one of the top IIMs on a rotational basis for admission into the MBA courses available in 20 IIM campuses and over 1200 B-schools in the country.

Based on rotational trends, IIM Indore is most likely to conduct CAT 2026 . The exam will be held on 29th November 2026 and the registration for the same will start sometime in the first week of August.

Visit Study Material for CAT to get access to resources important for CAT 2026.
CAT 2025 Cut Off Guide: Your best IIM options - Here is your guide to identify the best B schools with your percentile. Watch this video to understand how percentiles and scores work and take the next step towards your dream B school.

CAT 2026: Key Details

Please note all details are based on previous year trends and are indicative in nature.

CAT Full Form Common Admission Test
Exam Level National Level
Exam Frequency Once a year
CAT 2026 Exam Date 29th November
CAT Exam Timings To be updated soon
CAT 2026 Exam Fees ₹ 2,300 (General category)
₹ 1,150 (Reserved category)
CAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria Graduation with 50 percent aggregate (45 percent for SC/ST students)
CAT 2026 Syllabus Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)
Quantitative Ability (QA)
Exam Purpose Admission to IIMs, FMS, MDI, SPJIMR, IMT and B-Schools in the country
Courses offered MBA/PGDM
Exam Pattern Computer Based Test (CBT) with MCQs and TITA questions
Official Website To be updated soon
Helpdesk Number 1800-266-3549

CAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria:

  • A candidate must hold a bachelor’s degree with minimum 50% marks (45% for SC/ST/PWD) from a recognized university.
  • Final year students are eligible to apply.
  • There is no age limit.
  • There is no restriction in the number of attempts.

Important Dates for CAT 2026:

  • The CAT 2026 exam is likely to be conducted by IIM Indore.
  • CAT exam registration 2026 would begin in early August and end by mid September 2026.
  • The admit card would be issued in the first week of November.
  • The CAT 2026 exam would be held on 29th of November 2026.
  • The answer key for CAT 2026 is likely to be released 10 days after the exam.
  • The result for the CAT 2026 exam is expected around mid December 2026.

CAT 2026 Score v/s Percentile

The CAT Score vs Percentile analysis provides information regarding marks needed to reach a given Percentile. While the CAT score is the marks obtained in the examination, the percentile is the candidate’s Score as compared to other candidates who have qualified in the examination.

CAT 2026 Score v/s Percentile

Please note that the ranges below are based on previous year trends.

CAT Percentile VARC Score DILR Score QA Score CAT Score
99+ 34-36 28-31 36-38 100-106
99 33-35 27-30 35-37 98-102
98 31-33 26-28 30-33 90-95
95 30-32 20-22 27-30 80-84
90 28-30 17-20 25-27 72-76
85 23-26 14-16 19-22 58-63
80 19-22 11-14 14-17 46-50
75 16-19 9-11 11-14 38-44
70 13-16 7-9 9-11 30-37

CAT Cut Off

The Cut-off is an important factor when applying for one of the top MBA colleges in the country. It is the minimum score needed to shortlist a candidate for the next round of admission. The CAT Cut-off differs from institute to institute.

CAT 2026 Cut Off For Top IIMs:

The table below shows expected cut offs required for top IIMs across General, NC-OBC, SC, ST and PwD categories.

IIMs General NC-OBC SC ST Pwd
IIM Ahmedabad 99+ 97+ 85+ 75+ 85+
IIM Bangalore 99+ 97+ 85+ 75+ 85+
IIM Calcutta 99+ 97+ 85+ 75+ 85+
IIM Lucknow 97+ 92+ 80+ 70+ 80+
IIM Kozhikode 95+ 90+ 75+ 65+ 75+
IIM Indore 95+ 90+ 75+ 65+ 75+
IIM Shillong 90+ 80+ 65+ 55+ 65+
Baby/New IIMs 90+ 80+ 65+ 55+ 65+

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CAT 2026 Sectional Cut Off For Top IIMs:

Almost all IIMs also have an overall and sectional cutoff for the CAT Exam. To qualify one must achieve the minimum sectional cutoffs in each of the 3 sections - Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) and Quantitative Ability (QA). If one does not make the sectional cutoffs then they will not qualify for admission, regardless of the overall score.

IIMs VARC (General) DILR (General) QA (General) Overall (General)
IIM Ahmedabad 70+ 70+ 70+ 99+
IIM Bangalore 85+ 85+ 85+ 99+
IIM Calcutta 85+ 85+ 85+ 99+
IIM Lucknow 85+ 85+ 85+ 97+
IIM Kozhikode 80+ 80+ 80+ 95+
IIM Indore 80+ 80+ 80+ 95+
IIM Shillong 75+ 75+ 75+ 90+
Baby/New IIMs 70+ 70+ 70+ 85-90+

Factors Affecting CAT Cut Off:

  • Difficulty level of the exam: The cut off depends on the difficulty level of the examination. If the question paper is easy the cut-off will be higher and vice versa.
  • Number of Candidates taking the Exam: If the number of candidates taking the exam is high the cut-off too will be high.
  • Number of seats: If the number of seats is less the cut-off will increase.
  • Scoring pattern: The scoring pattern also affects the calculation of the cut-off.
  • Reservation Policy: The reservation policy of the participating institutes has a bearing on the cut-off. If the reservation Policy is lenient, the cut-off for that institute will decrease.