CAT Exam what percentage you need?

The CAT Exam (Common Admission Test) is India’s most prestigious MBA entrance exam conducted annually by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). If you are only focussing on IIMs no doubt packages and placements are excellent. But you must check other equally important institutes that gives you excellent placements. These are IITs, IFFT, and Delhi University MBA admission.

Other institutes

MDI

IMT Ghaziabad

IMI

XIM University

BHU

IRMA

BIMTEC

IIIT Gwalior

National Institute of Bank Management

NITs

Key Details for CAT:

Aspect	Information
Exam Date	November   (Sunday)
Registration Starts	First week of August
Conducting Body	One of the IIMs (rotates annually)
Purpose	Admission to MBA/PGDM programs at IIMs and 1,300+ B-schools
Mode	Computer-Based Test (CBT) at test centers nationwide

CAT Exam Pattern (3 Sections, 120 minutes):

Section	Questions	Time	Key Topics
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)	24	40 min	Passages, para-jumbles, summary, critical reasoning
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)	22	40 min	Tables, graphs, seating arrangements, puzzles
Quantitative Aptitude (QA)	22	40 min	Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Number Systems
Total	68	120 min	100 marks (3 marks per correct, -1 for wrong)

CAT Exam Eligibility Criteria

1. Educational Qualification

2. Final-Year Students

• Eligible to apply if in final year of a Bachelor’s degree or awaiting results
• Provisional admission granted only if:
  • Submit certificate from the Principal/Registrar confirming all degree requirements completed
  • Certificate issued on or before the date stipulated by the respective IIM

You can understand with table

Requirement	Details
Degree Required	Bachelor’s Degree from a recognized University (incorporated by Parliament/State Legislature Act OR deemed University under UGC Act, 1956)
Minimum Marks	– General/EWS/NC-OBC: 50% aggregate
	– SC/ST/PwD: 45% aggregate
Alternative Qualifications	Professional degrees: CA/CS/ICWA (CMA)/FIAI (Fellow of Actuaries) with required percentage

3. CGPA/Grade Conversion

Scenario	Conversion Method
University has conversion scheme	Use university’s certified method [text provided]
No conversion scheme	CGPA ÷ Maximum CGPA × 100 [text provided]
Example	If CGPA = 8.0/10.0 → (8.0 ÷ 10.0) × 100 = 80%

Important Notes

• Minimum eligibility ≠ Guaranteed shortlisting: IIMs use additional criteria (CAT percentile, academics, work ex, diversity) for shortlisting
• Contact details: Must maintain valid email & mobile throughout selection process
• Verification: IIMs may verify eligibility at any stage of selection

Who Can Apply?

✅ Graduates with required percentage
✅ CA/CS/CMA/FIAI professionals with percentage
✅ Final-year Bachelor’s students
✅ Those awaiting results

CAT Exam Reservation Policy (As per Legal Requirements)

Seat Reservation Breakdown

Category	Reservation %	Key Requirements
Scheduled Caste (SC)	15%	Must be on Central Govt. list as on last registration date [text provided]
Scheduled Tribe (ST)	7.50%	Must be on Central Govt. list as on last registration date [text provided]
NC-OBC (Non-Creamy Layer)	27%	Certificate issued on or after April 1, 2026 (for CAT 2026) [text provided]
EWS (Economically Weaker Sections)	Up to 10%	Certificate valid for 2026–27, assessed for FY 2025–26 [text provided]
PwD (Benchmark Disability)	5%	≥40% specified disability certified [text provided]

PwD (Persons with Benchmark Disability) Details

Definition:

• Minimum 40% disability in specified categories as per RPwD Act, 2016 [text provided]
• Specified disability = Listed in Schedule of RPwD Act 2016

Disability Categories:

Category	Examples
(a)	Blindness and low vision
(b)	Deaf and hard of hearing
(c)	Locomotor disability (cerebral palsy, leprosy cured, dwarfism, acid attack victims, muscular dystrophy)
(d)	Autism, intellectual disability, specific learning disability, mental illness
(e)	Multiple disabilities (from a–d)
(f)	Other specified disabilities (RPwD Act Schedule)

Important Certificate Rules

NC-OBC Certificate:

• Must be issued on or after April 1, 2026 (for CAT 2026)
• Older certificates NOT accepted for fresh applications

EWS Certificate:

• Must be valid for current financial year (2026–27)
• Specifically assessed for FY 2025–26 [text provided]

If Certificate Not Ready by Registration:

Candidates who applied on/after April 1, 2026 but haven’t received certificate can submit:

1. Undertaking for NC-OBC/EWS Certificate (from CAT website)
2. Older certificate (issued before April 1, 2026)
3. Acknowledgment/screenshot from issuing authority confirming application submission

⚠️ Failure to upload complete documents = Disqualification from entire admission process [text provided]

Registration/Application fee

CAT Exam Registration Fee 2026

• ₹1300 for SC, ST and PwD candidates
• ₹2600 for all other candidates

Important Points

• Candidates need to pay the registration fee only once, regardless of the number of institutes they apply for.
• SC/ST/PwD candidates must upload their valid category certificate during registration.
• The registration fee is non-refundable under any circumstances.

CAT  Test Centres

• CAT will be conducted in approximately 170 test cities across India.
• The list of test cities will be available on the official CAT website.
• The exact test centre name and address will be mentioned on the candidate’s Admit Card.
• The IIMs reserve the right to:
  • Add or remove test cities/centres
  • Change the allotted test centre
  • Modify the exam date or time if required

CAT  Score

• CAT scorecards will be available on the official CAT website.
• Candidates may also receive score notifications through SMS.
• The CAT result is expected to be declared in the first week of January
• The CAT score will remain valid till December Last date
• After the validity period ends, requests regarding scorecards will not be entertained.

CAT Exam Admission Process

• Each IIM follows its own admission policy and selection criteria.
• Apart from CAT scores, IIMs may consider:
  • Academic performance
  • Work experience
  • Diversity factors
  • Personal Interview (PI)
  • Written Ability Test (WAT) or similar rounds
• Candidates should check the admission policy of individual IIMs for detailed eligibility and selection procedures.

Preparation Resources:

• Official website: iimcat.ac.in (for registration updates)

Quick Tip: Start preparing early—VARC and QA carry the heaviest weightage for top IIMs.

dmission to depends on multiple factors, but CAT percentile is the most important one.

CAT Exam Percentile Needed for IIM Admission

IIT MBA College	Approx CAT Percentile
IIT Delhi (DMS)	95–98 percentile
IIT Bombay (SJMSOM)	97–99 percentile
IIT Kharagpur (VGSoM)	90–95 percentile
IIT Madras (DoMS)	90–95 percentile
IIT Roorkee (DoMS)	85–92 percentile
IIT Kanpur	85–90 percentile

Category-wise Relaxation

• OBC: Usually 75–95 percentile depending on the IIM
• SC/ST: Can range from 55–80 percentile
• PwD: May get calls at lower percentiles

Important Reality

Getting the required percentile does not guarantee admission because IIMs also consider:

• Class 10th and 12th marks
• Graduation percentage
• Work experience
• Academic diversity
• Gender diversity
• PI/WAT performance

Safe Percentile Targets

• For old/top IIMs: aim for 99+ percentile
• For decent new IIMs: aim for 92–95 percentile
• For baby IIMs: 85+ percentile can work

Approximate Marks vs Percentile

• 99 percentile → around 95–105 marks
• 95 percentile → around 70–80 marks
• 90 percentile → around 55–65 marks

For IITs

CAT Exam Percentile Usually Required

IIT MBA College	Approx CAT Percentile
IIT Delhi (DMS)	95–98 percentile
IIT Bombay (SJMSOM)	97–99 percentile
IIT Kharagpur (VGSoM)	90–95 percentile
IIT Madras (DoMS)	90–95 percentile
IIT Roorkee (DoMS)	85–92 percentile
IIT Kanpur	85–90 percentile

MBA Admission Criteria for FMS and MDI for CAT Exam

Minimum Graduation Percentage

• General/OBC: 50% marks in graduation
• SC/ST/PwD: 45% marks

CAT Percentile Required (Approx.)

General	98–99.5 percentile
OBC	90–96 percentile
SC/ST	70–85 percentile

Key Points

• FMS gives very high weightage to CAT score.
• Low fees and high ROI make competition extremely tough.
• Strong VARC scores are often important for shortlisting.

Minimum Graduation Percentage

• Minimum 50% marks in graduation for most programs.

CAT Percentile Required (Approx.)

Program	Safe Percentile
PGDM Core	94–97 percentile
PGDM HRM	90–95 percentile
PGDM IB	85–92 percentile

Key Points

• MDI considers:
  • CAT score
  • Academics
  • Work experience
  • Personal Interview
• Candidates with good profiles may convert calls at slightly lower percentiles.

Safe Target for Top MBA Colleges

FMS Delhi	99+
MDI Gurgaon	94+

Reserved category Percentage in IIMs

Category	Top IIMs	New/Baby IIMs
General	98–100	85–95
OBC-NCL	90–97	75–90
SC	70–85	55–75
ST	55–75	40–65
EWS	Similar to General with slight relaxation	80–92

FAQs