Minimum CAT Scores required to Get into IIMs

April 27 2026

Minimum CAT Score Required To Get Into IIMs Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Lucknow, Indore, Kozhikode
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IIM Ahmedabad Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cut-Offs
IIM Bangalore Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cut-Offs
IIM Calcutta Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cut-Offs
IIM Indore Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cut-Offs
IIM Lucknow Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cut-Offs
IIM Kozhikode Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cut-Offs
IIM Ranchi Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cut-Offs
IIM Shillong Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cut-Offs
IIM Trichy Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cut-Offs
IIM Udaipur Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cut-Offs
IIM Raipur Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cut-Offs
Category
Quantitative Aptitude (QA)
Data interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)
Verbal and Reading Comprehension (VRC)
Overall
IIM Kashipur Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cut-Offs
IIM Visakhapatnam Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cut-Offs
IIM Nagpur Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cut-Offs
IIM Sirmaur Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cut-Offs
IIM Amritsar Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cut-Offs
IIM Rohtak Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cut-Offs
IIM Bodhgaya Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cutoff
IIM Sambalpur Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cutoff
IIM Jammu Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cutoff
The Cutoff Percentile You Need To Get To Receive A Shortlist Call
99.5+
99.3+
99.3+
98.5–99
98–99
97.5–98.5
95–97
97–99
94–96
94–96
94–96
93–95
92–94
95–97
94–96
92–94
93–95
92–94
92–94
90–92
90–92
executing the right strategy at the right time
95-99+ percentile
CATKing’s CAT Online Course
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the minimum CAT percentile required for IIMs?
80–90 percentile
95–99.5+ percentile
2. Can I get into IIMs with 90 percentile?
3. Do sectional cut-offs matter in CAT?
4. What percentile is safe for top IIMs?
99.5+
99.3+
99.3+
98–99
5. Is CAT score the only factor for IIM admission?
6. Which IIMs have lower cutoffs?
7. Can a strong profile compensate for lower CAT percentile?
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Minimum CAT Score Required To Get Into IIMs Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Lucknow, Indore, Kozhikode

Admissions to the Indian Institutes of Management for their flagship MBA/PGP programs are nearing completion for the current cycle. Along with the newer IIMs, most of the established IIMs have released their final admission lists. In this article, you will learn about the minimum CAT scores required to get into top IIMs.

To score well in CAT, candidates need to prepare strategically and consistently to meet the benchmarks set by these institutes. Admission to any IIM is possible only if a candidate meets both the minimum qualifying cut-offs and the overall selection criteria.

Every year, IIMs release their cut-off criteria for shortlisting candidates. Those who meet these minimum cut-offs are eligible for the next stage of the admission process, which typically includes Written Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussion (GD), and Personal Interview (PI).

While the minimum qualifying cut-offs have remained relatively stable over the years, the actual percentile required to receive a shortlist call has increased due to rising competition and a stronger applicant pool.

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IIM Ahmedabad Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cut-Offs

Category	VARC	DILR	QA	Overall
General	70	70	70	80
NC-OBC/EWS	65	65	65	75
SC	60	60	60	70
ST	50	50	50	60
PwD	60	60	60	70

IIM Bangalore Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cut-Offs

Category	VARC	DILR	QA	Overall
General	80	75	75	85
NC-OBC/EWS	70	65	65	75
SC	65	60	60	70
ST	55	55	55	65
PwD	50	50	50	60

IIM Calcutta Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cut-Offs

Category	VARC	DILR	QA	Overall
OPEN	80	80	75	85
NC-OBC	70	65	65	75
EWS	70	65	65	75
SC	65	60	60	70
ST	55	55	55	65
PwD	45	45	45	55

These are minimum qualifying cut-offs only. Actual shortlist calls for top IIMs like
IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, and IIM Calcutta typically require 99+ percentile for General category.

IIM Indore Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cut-Offs

Category	VA-RC	DI-LR	QA	Overall Percentile
General/ EWS	80	80	80	90
NC-OBC	70	70	70	80
SC	55	55	55	60
ST	40	40	40	45
PwD	40	40	40	45
PwD	45	45	45	50

IIM Lucknow Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cut-Offs

Category	VA-RC	DI-LR	QA	Overall Percentile
General	85	85	85	90
EWS	77	77	77	82
NC-OBC	77	77	77	82
SC	55	55	55	65
ST	50	50	50	60
PWD	50	50	50	60

IIM Kozhikode Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cut-Offs

Category	VARC	DILR	QA	Overall
General	75	75	75	85
NC-OBC/EWS	65	65	65	75
SC	55	55	55	65
ST	55	45	45	55
PwD	55	45	45	55

IIM Ranchi Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cut-Offs

Category	VA-RC	DI-LR	QA	Overall Percentile
General	70	70	70	90
OBC (NC)	45	45	45	74
SC	35	35	35	54
DAP	25	32	32.5	40
ST	25	32	32.5	40

IIM Shillong Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cut-Offs

Category	VA-RC	DI-LR	QA	Overall Percentile
DA	50	50	50	85
ST	50	50	50	78
SC	60	60	60	60
EWS	75	75	75	60
OTHERS	75	75	75

IIM Trichy Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cut-Offs

Category	VARC	DILR	QA	Total Percentile
General	73	73	73	94
EWS	50	50	50	77
NC-OBC	50	50	50	77
SC	44	44	44	60
ST	25	25	30	40
DAP	25	25	30	40

IIM Udaipur Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cut-Offs

Category	VA-RC	DI-LR	QA	Overall Percentile
General	73	73	73	94
EWS	50	50	50	77
NC-OBC	50	50	50	77
SC	44	44	44	60
ST	25	25	30	40
DAP	25	25	30	40

IIM Raipur Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cut-Offs

Category	Quantitative Aptitude (QA)	Data interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)	Verbal and Reading Comprehension (VRC)	Overall
General	73	73	73	94
EWS	50	50	50	77
NC-OBC	50	50	50	77
SC	44	44	44	60
ST	25	25	30	40
DAP	25	25	30	40

IIM Kashipur Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cut-Offs

Category	Quantitative Aptitude (QA)	Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)	Verbal & Reading Comprehension (VRC)	Total Percentile
General	70	70	70	92
EWS	40	40	40	70
NC-OBC	45	45	45	74
SC	35	35	35	54
ST	32.5	32	25	40
DAP	32.5	32	25	40

IIM Visakhapatnam Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cut-Offs

Category	VA-RC	DI-LR	QA	Overall Percentile
Un-reserved	70	70	70	82
EWS	63	63	63	72
NC-OBC	63	63	63	72
SC	40	40	40	50
ST	30	30	30	40
PwD	30	30	30	40

IIM Nagpur Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cut-Offs

Category	VA-RC	DI-LR	QA	Overall Percentile
General	73	73	73	94
EWS	50	50	50	77
NC-OBC	50	50	50	77
SC	44	44	44	60
ST	25	25	30	40
DAP (Horizontal Reservation)	25	25	30	40

IIM Sirmaur Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cut-Offs

Category	VA-RC	DI-LR	QA	Overall Percentile
General	70	70	70	92
EWS	40	40	40	70
NC-OBC	45	45	45	74
SC	35	35	35	54
ST	25	25	32.5	40
DAP	25	25	32.5	40

IIM Amritsar Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cut-Offs

Category	Quantitative Aptitude (Percentile)	Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (Percentile)	Verbal & Reading Comprehension (Percentile)	Total (Overall Percentile)
General	80	75	75	88
EWS	80	75	75	88
NC-OBC	65	60	60	78
SC	55	50	50	55
ST	35	35	35	40
(PwD)	35	35	35	40

IIM Rohtak Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cut-Offs

Category	VA-RC	DI-LR	QA	Overall Percentile
General and EWS	70	70	70	96 and 92
NC-OBC	60	60	60	82
SC	50	50	50	60
PWD	30	30	30	40
ST	30	30	30	50

IIM Bodhgaya Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cutoff

Category	VA-RC	DI-LR	QA	Overall Percentile
General	70	70	70	92
EWS	40	40	40	70
NC-OBC	45	45	45	74
SC	35	35	35	54
PwD	25	25	32.5	40
ST	25	25	32.5	40

IIM Sambalpur Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cutoff

Category	Verbal & Reading Comprehension	Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning	Quantitative Aptitude Percentile	Total Percentile
GENERAL	70	70	70	92
NC-OBC	45	45	45	74
SC	35	35	35	54
ST	25	25	32.5	40
DAP	25	25	32.5	40
EWS	40	40	40	70

IIM Jammu Selection Criteria – Minimum CAT Cutoff

Category	Gender	Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension Percentile	Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning Percentile	Quantitative Ability Percentile	Overall Percentile
General	Male	72	72	72	91
	Female	71	71	71	89
	Transgender	71	71	71	89
EWS	Male	48	48	48	74
	Female	47	47	47	72
	Transgender	47	47	47	72
NC-OBC	Male	48	48	48	74
	Female	47	47	47	72
	Transgender	47	47	47	72
SC	Male	42	42	42	54
	Female	41	41	41	52
	Transgender	41	41	41	52
ST	Male	24	24	29	32
	Female	23	23	28	30
	Transgender	23	23	28	30
PwD	Male	24	24	29	32
	Female	23	23	28	30
	Transgender	23	23	28	30

The Cutoff Percentile You Need To Get To Receive A Shortlist Call

B-School	Seats	Safe Percentile (General Category)
IIM Ahmedabad	~385	99.5+
IIM Bangalore	~412	99.3+
IIM Calcutta	~462	99.3+
IIM Lucknow	~436	98.5–99
IIM Indore	~550	98–99
IIM Kozhikode	~353	97.5–98.5
IIM Shillong	~120	95–97
IIM Mumbai (NITIE)	~500	97–99
IIM Trichy	~180	94–96
IIM Udaipur	~180	94–96
IIM Raipur	~210	94–96
IIM Ranchi	~155	93–95
IIM Kashipur	~210	92–94
IIM Rohtak	~180	95–97 (high weight on profile)
IIM Nagpur	~60	94–96
IIM Vizag	~60	92–94
IIM Amritsar	~60	93–95
IIM Bodhgaya	~60	92–94
IIM Sambalpur	~140	92–94
IIM Sirmaur	~60	90–92
IIM Jammu	~60	90–92

Getting into top IIMs isn’t just about knowing cutoffs it’s about executing the right strategy at the right time.

If you’re serious about scoring 95-99+ percentile, it’s important to:

Follow a structured study plan
Practice high-quality mocks
Analyze your weak areas consistently Join CATKing’s CAT Online Course

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the minimum CAT percentile required for IIMs?

Minimum qualifying cut-offs range from 80–90 percentile, but for actual shortlist calls, you typically need 95–99.5+ percentile depending on the IIM.

2. Can I get into IIMs with 90 percentile?

Yes, but mainly for newer IIMs like Sambalpur, Sirmaur, or Jammu. Top IIMs like IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, and IIM Calcutta are unlikely at 90 percentile for General category.

3. Do sectional cut-offs matter in CAT?

Yes. You must clear sectional cut-offs in VARC, DILR, and QA. Even a high overall percentile won’t help if you fail a section.

4. What percentile is safe for top IIMs?

IIM Ahmedabad: 99.5+
IIM Bangalore: 99.3+
IIM Calcutta: 99.3+
IIM Lucknow/Indore/Kozhikode: 98–99

5. Is CAT score the only factor for IIM admission?

No. Final selection also depends on:

Academic profile
Work experience
WAT/GD/PI performance
Diversity factors

6. Which IIMs have lower cutoffs?

Newer IIMs like:

IIM Sirmaur
IIM Jammu
IIM Bodhgaya

have relatively lower cut-offs compared to older IIMs.

7. Can a strong profile compensate for lower CAT percentile?

Yes, especially in institutes like IIM Bangalore and IIM Indore, but only within a reasonable range.

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Related Tags

iim ahmedabad

IIM Bangalore

IIM Mumbai

IIM Lucknow

Author

Adarsh Singh

Adarsh is an IIMK convert and a CAT VARC 99.92%iler. He has been instrumental in growing CATKing Digital and MBAGeeks with his startup experience at Bombay Founder's Club