CAT Sectional Cutoff 2026 for Top B-Schools in India (Expected): Check Cutoff for FMS, SPJIMR, MDI, IIMs

CAT 2026 Sectional Cut Off: is the minimum percentile that candidates need to score separately in each section of the CAT exam (VARC, DILR and QA) to become eligible for admission to top B schools in India. Candidates must meet the required sectional cutoff along with the overall CAT cutoff to be considered for admission to their preferred colleges. The cutoff varies from one institute to another and also depends on the candidate's category. In this article, candidates can check the expected CAT Sectional Cutoff 2026 for top IIMs and other B-schools in India, including the minimum percentile required in each section and also understand how sectional cutoffs affect their chances of getting shortlisted for the next round of MBA admission process.

CAT Sectional Cutoffs for Top B-Schools 2026

The tables below show the sectional percentile that candidates need in each section of CAT, along with the overall percentile, for each institute and category. Check the details below for different B schools 

1. IIM Ahmedabad

2. IIM Bangalore

3. IIM Calcutta

4. IIM Kozhikode

5. IIM Mumbai

6. IIM Lucknow

7. IIM Indore

8. IIM Shillong

9. IIM Tiruchirappalli

10. SPJIMR Mumbai

11. FMS Delhi 

12. IIFT Delhi 

13. MICA

14. IIT Bombay (SJMSOM)

Additional Women

15. IIT Delhi 

Admission Process in These Top B Schools 2026 

Clearing the sectional and overall cut off only opens the door. What happens after that differs from institute to institute. Some institutes ask for a written test, some take a personal interview, a few run a group exercise, and most prepare a final score that mixes the CAT marks with academics, work experience and diversity. 

IIM Ahmedabad

IIM Ahmedabad builds a composite score using the CAT total percentile and an application rating based on Class 10, Class 12, graduation marks, gender and full-time work experience. This score is then normalised within the candidate’s graduation discipline, the category-wise CAT cut offs are applied, and the shortlist for the Analytical Writing Test and Personal Interview is released. The AWT and PI are held in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi. The final score is 50% PI, 10% AWT and 40% the normalised composite score, and offers are made category-wise on that basis.

IIM Bangalore

IIM Bangalore first prepares a shortlist of candidates who cross a set minimum on every CAT section. From that group, a pre-interview score is built with CAT (55 points, split as VARC 19, DILR 21 and QA 15), Class 10 (10), Class 12 (10), graduation (10), work experience or a professional course (10) and gender diversity (5). Shortlisted candidates then take a 30-minute Written Ability Test and a Personal Interview on the same day. In the final score, PI carries 40 points, WAT 10, CAT 25, Academics 15 and work experience 10, and admission offers are made strictly on this post-interview score. Two online reference letters are mandatory at the application stage.

IIM Calcutta

IIM Calcutta runs a three-stage process. Stage one is the cut off filter, where candidates must meet both the section-wise and overall CAT percentile and also score non-negative raw marks in all three sections. Stage two prepares the shortlist for the Personal Interview and Writing Ability Test using a composite score that mixes the CAT performance with academic record and gender diversity. Stage three prepares a category-wise merit list after the PI and WAT, where work experience and academic diversity add points to the final score.

IIM Kozhikode

IIM Kozhikode follows three stages as well. Candidates first register online with the institute, and only those who complete registration move ahead. Stage two shortlists candidates in each category using an Aggregate Index Score built from CAT performance, Class 10 and Class 12 marks, work experience, and gender or academic diversity. Stage three is the Personal Interview and Written Ability Test, after which a category-wise merit list is drawn up using CAT, PI, WAT and the candidate’s resume.

IIM Lucknow

IIM Lucknow applies minimum sectional and overall CAT cut offs to decide who qualifies for its Written Ability Test and Personal Interview stage. The shortlist within each category is built from a composite score that combines the CAT score with earlier academic performance, work experience and diversity factors. Candidates who clear the WAT and PI are then placed on a final merit list and offers are made as per reservation rules.

IIM Indore

IIM Indore uses a three-stage model: eligibility, shortlist for Personal Interview, and final selection. There is no written ability test here, the interview carries more weightage. The final composite score gives 45 points to the PI, 20 to VARC, 10 each to DILR and QA, 5 each to Class 10 and Class 12 marks, and 5 to the diversity factor. Because 40 of the 100 points come from CAT sections, a weak section hurts twice, once at the cut off stage and again in the final merit list. Candidates must also show a minimum level of performance in every PI parameter to stay in the race.

IIM Mumbai

IIM Mumbai first applies minimum sectional and overall CAT percentile cut offs, then calls shortlisted candidates for a Personal Interview. The final composite score is simple: CAT score carries 60 points, the PI carries 20 and academic performance plus work experience together carry the remaining 20. With CAT weight this high, the entrance score stays the single biggest factor right till the end.

IIM Shillong

IIM Shillong runs a two-phase process and does not conduct a written ability test. Phase one shortlists candidates for the Personal Interview using a composite score made of the total CAT percentile (65%) and a Normalised Application Rating Score (35%), which is built from Class 10, Class 12 and graduation marks along with months of work experience. Phase two prepares the final merit list after the interviews, and admission offers follow that list.

IIM Tiruchirappalli

IIM Tiruchirappalli uses the CAT percentile to shortlist candidates for the Personal Interview and Written Ability Test through the common admission process for the participating IIMs. The final selection score gives 52% to the CAT percentile, 20% to the PI, 10% to work experience, 5% to graduation marks, 3% to Class 12, 2% to Class 10, 6% to gender diversity and 2% to academic diversity, the last one being open only to non-engineering graduates who scored a first class. Work experience points rise up to 24–29 months and then slide down, so very long experience does not add extra marks.

FMS Delhi

FMS Delhi shortlists candidates for its interview round using a weighted CAT score, where VARC carries 40%, DILR 30% and QA 30% within the CAT component, and women candidates get 5 extra marks. The final selection is spread across six parts: the weighted CAT score (50%), Class 10 marks (10%), Class 12 marks (10%), discussion on the Statement of Purpose (10%), an extempore (5%) and the Personal Interview (15%). Women candidates who appear for the interview get another 5 marks. CAT therefore decides half the final result, and VARC alone carries a fifth of it.

IIFT Delhi

IIFT Delhi shortlists candidates for its Group Discussion and Personal Interview using the CAT score along with sectional cut offs and a gender diversity advantage. In the final selection, the CAT score carries 48 points, the Group Discussion 21, the Personal Interview 22, gender diversity 3, academic diversity 3 and work experience 3. Work experience points peak for candidates with 24–36 months and fall to zero beyond 60 months. The final composite cut off shown above is what candidates need to cross to make the final list.

MICA

MICA is different from the rest because the CAT score is only the entry ticket. Candidates need a valid CAT, XAT or GMAT score, must hold a bachelor’s degree with at least 50% marks, and must appear for the MICAT. The MICAT has three sections: a psychometric test that works as a qualifier, a descriptive test that judges how well the candidate writes and argues, and an aptitude test covering divergent and convergent thinking, verbal ability, and quantitative ability with data interpretation. Candidates who clear the MICAT cut off are called for a Group Exercise and a Personal Interview, and the final merit list is drawn from performance across all these stages. A higher CAT percentile gives some cushion on the MICAT score, which is why the two are read together.

XLRI

XLRI does not accept CAT for its flagship programmes. Admission to PGDM (BM) and PGDM (HRM) is through XAT, with separate cut offs for engineering and non-engineering candidates as well as for male, female and transgender applicants. Shortlisting for the Group Discussion and Personal Interview is based on the XAT score along with academic performance and work experience. Candidates then face the GD and PI rounds, and the final selection weighs the entrance score, academics, work experience and interview performance together. The PGDM (BM) cut offs sit higher than PGDM (HRM) for most categories.

SPJIMR Mumbai

SPJIMR Mumbai first checks that the candidate meets the qualifying CAT sectional and overall cut offs, then shortlists in two phases. The first phase is a profile-based shortlist that looks at consistency of the academic record, work experience, versatility and achievements, and it is released before the CAT result. The second phase adds the entrance test score to the same profile factors. Shortlisted candidates go through two rounds of group interviews, with the first round usually online and the second in person. The final selection list is built on a composite score covering the profile, academic record, entrance test score, work experience and performance in both interview rounds.

IIT Bombay (SJMSOM)

SJMSOM calls candidates for the Personal Interview on the basis of a composite score in which the CAT score carries the largest share, with academic marks and work experience adding to it. For the final merit list, the CAT overall scaled score carries 42.5% and the Personal Interview another 42.5%, while the candidate profile makes up the remaining 15% — 5% for graduation marks, 5% for work experience, 3% for extra-curricular achievements and 2% for post-graduation. So the interview matters as much as the entrance exam at this stage.

IIT Delhi (DMS)

IIT Delhi’s Department of Management Studies calls candidates for the Personal Interview once they cross the minimum shortlisting index for their category, which differs for the MBA and MBA (Telecom) programmes. The admission index that follows gives 40 marks to the interview and extra-curricular activities, with the CAT overall score, academic record and work experience filling the rest. Candidates who clear the interview stage are ranked on this index and offers are made category-wise.

Why Are CAT 2026 Sectional Cutoffs Important?

CAT 2026 sectional cutoffs are important because candidates must score the minimum required percentile in all three sections: VARC, DILR and QA. A good overall percentile alone does not guarantee admission or even a call from an IIM. For example, a candidate with a high overall percentile may still miss the cutoff in one section and become ineligible for admission to a particular institute. This makes it important to perform well in all three sections rather than focus on only one or two.

Sectional cutoffs also vary across IIMs and depend on the candidate's category. Each institute sets its own minimum percentile for VARC, DILR and QA. The required percentile for General category candidates may be higher than that for SC, ST, OBC and PwD candidates. Therefore, candidates should check the sectional cutoff of each college they wish to apply to and understand the requirements for their respective categories.

Meeting the sectional cutoff is important for getting shortlisted for the next stage of admission. Candidates should identify their weaker sections during preparation and work on improving their scores in those areas. A balanced performance in all three sections can improve their chances of meeting the eligibility criteria of more IIMs and other top B-schools.

Do CAT 2026 Sectional Cutoffs Guarantee Admission?

CAT 2026 sectional cutoffs are only the first step in the admission process. Meeting the required percentile in VARC, DILR and QA makes candidates eligible for further selection, but it does not guarantee a call from an IIM or admission to a B-school. Institutes consider several other factors before selecting candidates for their MBA programmes.

After the initial shortlisting, colleges may consider candidates' academic records, work experience, academic diversity and gender diversity. The weightage given to these factors varies from one institute to another. Candidates who clear the CAT cutoff may still not receive an interview call if they do not meet the other selection requirements.

The final admission decision also depends on performance in the selection rounds, which may include a Personal Interview (PI), Written Ability Test (WAT) and Group Discussion (GD). Institutes prepare a final merit list by considering CAT scores, interview performance and other selection criteria. Therefore, candidates should focus not only on clearing the sectional cutoffs but also on maintaining a good academic record and preparing well for the further admission rounds.

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