• Updated on 18 Aug, 2026 by Tiyasa Khanra
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CAT Result 2026 will be released online on the official CAT website in the first week of January 2027 (expected), as per the CAT 2026 information bulletin. The CAT exam result 2026 will be released as a downloadable scorecard on the official CAT portal at iimcat.ac.in. It will be released simultaneously for all 3 slots on a single date for candidates appearing for the CAT exam 2026 on November 29, 2026. The CAT result 2026 plays a crucial role in offering admissions to Post Graduate Programmes in Management (PGP) and Fellow Programmes in Management (FPM) at 21 IIMs and more than 1,300 B-schools across India.
- CAT result 2026 can be downloaded by the test-takers by logging in with their registered User ID and Password.
- CAT exam result 2026 will include the candidate's overall scaled score, overall percentile, sectional scores, sectional percentiles, qualifying status, and personal details.
- After the CAT IIM result 2026 is declared, shortlisted candidates will become eligible for the next stages of the admission process, including the Written Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussion (GD), and Personal Interview (PI), depending on the institute's selection criteria.
- The CAT examination result 2026 is prepared after normalizing the scores obtained by the candidates across all three exam slots.
- The final shortlist at each participating IIM will be prepared independently based on CAT 2026 percentile, academic profile, work experience, diversity factors, and reservation policies.
- CAT result 2026 will remain valid for 1 year (for 2027–28 admissions) up to December 31, 2027.
- The CAT Result official website is iimcat.ac.in.
Also Check: CAT 2026 Mock Test
Table of Contents
CAT Result Date 2026
CAT result date 2026 is expected to fall in the first week of January 2027. CAT 2026 results are expected to be released within 23–25 days of the exam date, which is the pattern followed over the last several years. Before the CAT examination result 2026 is released on the official CAT portal, the response sheet and answer key will be made available in the first week of December 2026. The CAT exam result 2026 release follows a fixed post-exam sequence. The important dates related to the CAT result 2026 are provided below:
CAT Result 2026 Dates
Is CAT 2026 Results Out?
No, CAT result 2027 will be released in the first week of January 2027, as per the CAT 2026 information bulletin released by IIM Indore. Candidates can check the result on iimcat.ac.in by using their User ID and Password. The scorecard will remain valid till December 31, 2027.
How to Check CAT 2026 Result?
CAT Result 2026 can be downloaded only from the official CAT website using the candidate's login credentials. The CAT exam result 2026 will not be sent to the candidates via SMS, email, or post. Once the CAT result 2026 link is activated, candidates should download their CAT scorecards 2026 immediately and keep multiple copies for the admission process. The CAT result download 2026 process has been provided below:
Step 1: Visit the official CAT website at iimcat.ac.in.
Step 2: Click on the "CAT Result 2026" link available on the homepage to get access to the CAT examination 2026.
Step 3: Enter your CAT 2026 login credentials, i.e. User ID and Password.
Step 4: Click on the “Login” button to log in to the dashboard.
Step 5: The CAT result 2026 will be displayed on the computer screen. Download the CAT scorecard PDF and save the digital copy on the device. Candidates must also take 2–3 physical printouts for interviews, document verification, and admissions at IIMs and other CAT-participating institutes.
CAT Scorecard 2026
CAT scorecard 2026 will be issued along with the CAT Result 2026 in the first week of January 2027, which is a crucial document for shortlisting candidates for WAT, GD, and PI rounds at all 21 IIMs and more than 1,300 MBA and PGDM colleges. It contains four key numbers: raw score, scaled score, sectional percentiles, and composite (overall) percentile. The candidate's performance in the CAT exam 2026 after the normalization process will be reflected in the CAT scorecard 2026. The CAT scorecard 2026 will also be required for document verification and interview rounds during counselling and admission.
Details Mentioned in CAT Scorecard 2026
After downloading the CAT scorecard 2026, candidates should carefully verify every detail mentioned on it, including personal information, exam details, and sectional performance, to avoid any discrepancies. Here is a complete list of all details typically mentioned in the CAT Scorecard 2026:
- CAT 2026 Registration Number or User ID
- Full name of the Candidate
- Candidate’s Category (General/EWS/OBC/SC/ST/PwD)
- PwD status (if applicable)
- Candidate’s Gender
- Date of Birth (as entered during CAT registration 2026)
- Candidate’s passport-size Photograph and Signature
- Date and Time of CAT Exam 2026 (November 29, 2026)
- Candidate's Contact Details and Email ID
- Overall Scaled Score or final normalized score
- Overall CAT Percentile Score obtained
- Section-wise Raw Score (VARC, DILR, QA)
- Section-wise Scaled Score (VARC Scaled Score, DILR Scaled Score, QA Scaled Score)
- Section-wise CAT Percentile Score (VARC Percentile, DILR Percentile, QA Percentile)
- CAT Score Validity 2026
CAT Score 2026
CAT score 2026 will be calculated by implementing the process mentioned by the respective university or institution. Grades/CGPA can be converted to percentage of marks with the specified process. If there is no scheme for converting CGPA to equivalent marks at a particular university or institution, marks will be calculated using normalization of scores.
How to Check CAT Score 2026?
Candidates can check their CAT scores 2026 immediately after the declaration of results. The CAT scorecard 2026 will remain available on the official CAT website at iimcat.ac.in until December 31, 2027, after which access will be restricted. Candidates must click on the “CAT Result 2026” PDF download link provided on the IIM CAT official website, iimcat.ac.in, to get access to their scorecards. Next, they must log in to the candidate dashboard by entering their User ID and Password. After this, they need to click on the "Download Scorecard" link for CAT scorecard download 2026.
CAT Score 2026 Normalization
The normalization process will be employed before preparing the CAT Result 2026, as the CAT exam 2026 will be conducted in 3 sessions, and the difficulty level of each slot will be different. Normalization is done to ensure fairness in the calculation of CAT scores obtained across all 3 sessions. Candidate scores across all slots will be adjusted so that no candidate faces any disadvantage because of differences in the difficulty levels of papers. The final CAT examination result 2026 will be released based on these normalized scores and not the raw marks.
After candidates have appeared for the exam, their raw scores across different slots will be recorded or sealed first. Later, this sealed score will be an important component for the calculation of percentile. The CGPA must be divided by the maximum possible CGPA and multiplied by 100.
- CAT 2026 raw scores are calculated using the official marking scheme.
- Evaluation of candidates’ responses will be done based on the final CAT answer key 2026.
- Statistical analysis of slot-wise difficulty levels will be done for CAT score normalization.
- CAT 2026 raw scores will be normalized across all 3 sessions.
- After normalization, scaled scores will be generated for each section.
- CAT exam 2026 overall percentile and sectional percentiles will also be calculated.
- The final CAT Result 2026 and CAT scorecard 2026 will be prepared using the normalized scores of the candidates.
The following details will be mentioned on the CAT Scorecard 2026 after Normalization:
Raw Score: It is the actual marks obtained before normalization based on the marking scheme (+3 for correct, −1 for wrong MCQ, 0 for TITA).
Scaled Score: Since CAT 2026 is conducted in 3 slots with different question sets, raw scores are normalized to ensure fairness across all slots.
Sectional Percentile: The candidate’s percentile in VARC, DILR, and QA sections will also be mentioned in the CAT scorecard 2026.
Overall (Composite) Percentile: It is the final percentile or score considered for admissions to IIMs and top B-schools.
Is 72 a Good Score in CAT?
72 marks can be considered a good score in CAT 2026, but it will depend primarily on the CAT slot, difficulty level, sectional scores, category, and overall percentile. This score may correspond to the 95th percentile in CAT 2026. Although it is not a safe score for top IIMs like IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, and IIM Calcutta, candidates with a score of 72 can seek admission to IIM Shillong, IIM Udaipur, IIM Trichy, IIM Raipur, IIM Ranchi, IIM Kashipur, IIM Nagpur, IIM Amritsar, IIM Bodh Gaya, IIM Sambalpur, IIM Sirmaur, IIM Jammu, and IIM Visakhapatnam. Candidates must also obtain the minimum required sectional cutoffs for admission to their desired IIM as well. Candidates belonging to reserved categories may seek admission to IIMs with this percentile as they have different qualifying cutoffs for different categories.
Is 37 a Good Score in CAT 2026?
37 can be regarded as a decent score in CAT 2026 based on the overall difficulty level of the exam and normalization of scores. A score of 37 places a candidate approximately in the range of 70–75th percentile. IIMs will not accept this score for admissions, but candidates can secure admission to several reputed MBA colleges accepting CAT scores, particularly Tier 2 and Tier 3 institutes like IBS Hyderabad, FIIB New Delhi, ISBM Pune, Jaipuria Institute of Management, EMPI Business School (New Delhi) and ITM Business School (Navi Mumbai).
CAT Percentile 2026
CAT percentile 2026 can be checked by visiting the CAT 2026 official website, logging in using the CAT User ID and Password, and downloading the scorecard. CAT percentile 2026 will indicate a candidate's position relative to other candidates who will appear for the exam. Initially, the official CAT marking scheme will be employed to calculate the raw scores. The raw scores across all 3 sessions with variation in difficulty levels will then be normalized to ensure fairness in score calculation. The normalized or scaled score is subsequently used to determine the candidate's final CAT percentile.
How to Calculate CAT Percentile 2026?
CAT percentile 2026 will be calculated in the following steps:
- Marks will be allotted to each candidate based on the number of correct and incorrect attempts.
- The total CAT score 2026 will be calculated by adding 3 marks for every correct answer and deducting 1 mark for each incorrect attempt.
- After this, normalization of the section-wise and overall scores (raw scores) will be done to obtain a scaled CAT score.
- The normalised scores are then converted into percentiles. The CAT percentiles will be reported in the CAT scorecards 2026.
CAT percentile 2026 can be obtained using the formula provided below.
How do I Convert my CAT Score to a Percentile?
CAT percentile is obtained by considering several factors, including the number of candidates who appeared for CAT, difficulty level of the exam, slot-wise normalization process, and performance of other candidates. To convert a CAT score into a percentile, candidates must follow the steps mentioned below.
- Calculate the raw CAT score using the following formula:
Raw Score = (3 × Correct Answers) − (1 × Incorrect MCQ Answers)
- Obtain the CAT scaled scores after normalizing the scores obtained in three slots that have slightly different difficulty levels.
- Calculate the CAT Percentile using the following formula:
Percentile = N−R ×100
R
where N = Total number of candidates who appeared for CAT
R = Candidate’s rank based on scaled score
Can I Get IIM at 97 Percentile in CAT 2026?
Yes, admission to IIM Shillong, IIM Trichy, IIM Udaipur, IIM Raipur, IIM Ranchi, IIM Kashipur, and IIM Visakhapatnam is possible with a 97 percentile in CAT 2026. The final selection of candidates for MBA/ PGDM admission will be done after considering CAT exam score (50-60%), Written Ability Test (15-20%), Personal Interviews (20-30%), Academic performance or marks obtained in Classes 10th & 12th (10-20%), Professional Experience (7-10%), and Gender/ Academic Diversity (5-10%).
Can I Get IIM with 70 Percentile in CAT 2026?
Candidates can secure admission to newer or baby IIMs with a 70 percentile in CAT 2026, although it is considered too low for the General category for most IIMs. Candidates belonging to SC/ST/PwD categories become eligible for IIMs like IIM Bodh Gaya, IIM Jammu, IIM Sirmaur, IIM Sambalpur, IIM Amritsar, IIM Nagpur, IIM Visakhapatnam, IIM Kashipur, IIM Raipur, and IIM Ranchi with a 70 percentile in CAT. For General/ EWS/ OBC-NCL categories, the chances of getting an IIM with a 70 percentile in CAT are very low.
CAT Score vs Percentile 2026
CAT Score vs Percentile 2026 will depend on the difficulty level of the paper and the performance of the candidates. The CAT overall percentile is obtained from the scaled scores of all test-takers and is considered for providing admission to MBA programmes. Normalization of raw scores is done to reach the CAT scaled score.
- A 99.9 percentile in CAT 2026 is expected to be equivalent to an overall CAT score between 125 and 135 marks, making the candidates eligible for top IIMs, including IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, and IIM Calcutta.
- 99.5 percentile in CAT 2026 is expected to be equivalent to a score between 105 and 115 marks in CAT 2026.
- 99 percentile may correspond to an overall CAT score ranging from 95 to 100 marks.
- 98 percentile holders can expect an overall CAT score between 82 and 90 marks.
- 95 percentile in CAT 2026 is expected to be equivalent to a score between 70 and 75 marks in CAT 2026.
CAT Marks vs Percentile 2026
The CAT percentile and the estimated corresponding scores for 2026 have been provided below.
What Score is Required to Get 99 Percentile in CAT 2026?
A scaled score of around 90–95 marks is required to get 99 percentile in CAT 2026. 120–130+ marks are required for 99.9 percentile, 110–118 marks for 99.98 percentile, 106–112 marks for 99.97 percentile,103–108 marks for 99.96 percentile, 100–105 marks for 99.5 percentile, 98–102 for 99.4 percentile, 96–100 marks for 99.3 percentile, 94–98 marks for 99.2 percentile, and 92–96 for 99.1 percentile. 30–35 marks will be required for VARC and QA each and 25–30 marks will be required for DILR.
How Many Marks is the 99.5 Percentile in CAT 2026?
A 99.5 percentile in CAT 2026 will correspond to 103–110 marks. A score ranging from 100-115 can be considered a safe target. Aim for 44–46 in VARC, 38+ marks in DILR, and 40+ marks in QA.
CAT Cutoff for IIM 2026 (Expected)
CAT cutoff for IIM 2026 is expected to be announced in the first week of January 2027 after the CAT result 2026 declaration. Every IIM will release its own admission cutoff based on its selection criteria in two stages: Qualifying Cutoff, i.e., the minimum percentile required for candidates to be considered for the next stage of the admission process, such as the Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI), and Final Cutoff, which is the actual percentile at which shortlist calls are made by IIMs or admissions are offered. Due to competition and the limited number of seats, the final cutoff is usually much higher than the qualifying cutoff.
- CAT Cutoff for IIM 2026 (qualifying) for the General category is expected to range between 80 and 95th percentile, depending on the institute.
- Top IIMs like IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Indore, and IIM Mumbai may require a Qualifying Cutoff of 85–90 percentile and a Final Cutoff of 98–99.5+ percentile.
- For IIM Shillong, IIM Trichy, IIM Udaipur, IIM Raipur, IIM Ranchi, IIM Rohtak, IIM Kashipur, IIM Visakhapatnam, the Qualifying Cutoff is expected to range from 80–90 percentile, while the Final Cutoff may range from 92–97 percentile
- A Qualifying Cutoff between 80–90 percentile and a Final Cutoff between 90–94 percentile will be required for baby IIMs like IIM Amritsar, IIM Bodh Gaya, IIM Jammu, IIM Nagpur, IIM Sambalpur, and IIM Sirmaur.
The estimated CAT exam 2026 qualifying and final cutoff percentiles for the General category across 21 IIMs are provided in the table below.
The final CAT cutoff will be based on CAT percentile, academic performance, work experience, diversity factors, and performance in the WAT/PI rounds. Meeting the CAT qualifying cutoff does not guarantee admission, and satisfying the institute's composite score requirements is also required during the final selection process.
Which IIMs Require What CAT 2026 Percentile?
IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Indore and IIM Mumbai require 99+ percentile in CAT 2026. IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Indore, IIM Mumbai, and IIM Rohtak require 97–99 percentile. IIM Udaipur, IIM Trichy, IIM Ranchi, IIM Raipur, IIM Kashipur and IIM Nagpur require 95–98 percentile. IIM Shillong, IIM Visakhapatnam, IIM Bodh Gaya, IIM Jammu, IIM Amritsar, and IIM Sambalpur require 90–95 percentile. A 90–95 percentile is required for IIM Sirmaur.
Which IIT has the Lowest CAT Cutoff 2026?
IIT Kanpur and IIT (ISM) Dhanbad have the lowest minimum qualifying CAT 2026 cutoffs for offering MBA admissions to the General category. The cutoffs for the General category will start at the 80th percentile. However, to be shortlisted for a personal interview (PI), a competitive CAT score ranging from the 90th to 95th percentile will be required.
CAT Result 2026 FAQs
When will the CAT 2026 result be declared?
The CAT 2026 result is expected to be declared in the third or fourth week of December 2026, most likely between December 20 and December 24, 2026, on the official website iimcat.ac.in. Over the last several years, results have been released within 23–25 days of the exam.
How do I download my CAT 2026 scorecard?
Visit iimcat.ac.in and log in using your CAT 2026 User ID and Password. Click on the 'Download CAT 2026 Scorecard' link on the dashboard. The scorecard will appear in PDF format. Download it and take 2–3 physical printouts for use during the admission process.
What details are on the CAT 2026 scorecard?
The CAT 2026 scorecard includes your registration number, name, category, date of birth, exam date and time, section-wise scaled scores, section-wise percentiles for VARC, DILR and QA, overall scaled score, and overall CAT percentile. It also mentions the validity of the score.
How long is the CAT 2026 score valid?
The CAT 2026 score is valid for one year only, specifically for admission to the 2027–28 academic batch. Candidates who do not participate in the 2026 admission process must reappear for CAT to apply in future batches, regardless of their past score.
What is a scaled score in CAT 2026?
A scaled score is the final score after applying a normalisation formula to raw marks. Since CAT 2026 is conducted in three slots with different question sets, raw scores are scaled to ensure fairness across all test-takers. The normalisation process is based on the GATE scoring model.
What percentile is considered a good score in CAT 2026?
For older IIMs and top B-schools like FMS and MDI, a 96–99+ percentile is considered a strong score. For newer IIMs, IIT management departments, and good private institutes, an 85–95 percentile can fetch calls, especially with a strong academic or work profile. A 70–80 percentile can still open doors at reputed Tier-2 B-schools.
What is the process after CAT 2026 results?
After results are declared, IIMs and other B-schools release their shortlists for WAT (Written Ability Test) and PI (Personal Interview) rounds in January 2027. Candidates must fill separate online forms for each IIM or B-school they are interested in. After WAT-PI, each IIM prepares a final merit list and issues admission offers, typically by May 2027.
What is the CAT 2026 cutoff for IIM Ahmedabad?
IIM Ahmedabad has raised its overall qualifying cutoff to 95 percentile for General category candidates (increased from 80 percentile in previous years). It is the highest qualifying cutoff among all IIMs. Additionally, sectional cutoffs of 70 percentile in each of VARC, DILR, and QA must be met. The actual call percentile for General category candidates is typically 99.5 percentile and above.
Which IIM has the lowest cutoff in CAT 2026?
Newer or baby IIMs such as IIM Bodh Gaya, IIM Sirmaur, IIM Jammu, and IIM Sambalpur generally have the comparatively lowest cutoffs, with qualifying cutoffs ranging from 70–75 percentile for General category candidates. Final call percentiles at these IIMs are typically in the 90–95 percentile range.
Is there a difference between the CAT qualifying cutoff and CAT final call cutoff?
Yes, and this distinction is critical. The qualifying cutoff is the minimum percentile IIMs announced to be eligible for WAT-PI. The final call cutoff is the actual percentile at which interview calls are issued, and it is always much higher. For example, IIM Bangalore's qualifying cutoff is 85 percentile for General candidates, but actual calls are typically issued at 99+ percentile.
Do sectional cutoffs matter in CAT 2026?
Yes, sectional cutoffs are extremely important. IIMs apply sectional cutoffs in VARC, DILR, and QA during shortlisting. Missing even one section's cutoff disqualifies the candidate regardless of their overall percentile. IIM Lucknow has the toughest sectional requirement at 85 percentile in every section for General candidates. Always aim for balanced scores across all three sections.
What MBA colleges accept 60–70 percentile in CAT 2026?
With a 60–70 percentile in CAT 2026, candidates can target Tier-2 and Tier-3 MBA colleges such as BIMTECH Greater Noida, XIME Bangalore, Amity Business School, IMT Hyderabad, IMT Nagpur, JIMS Rohini, NDIM Delhi, and other reputed private B-schools. Many of these institutes also consider academic profile and work experience during selection.
Can I appear for CAT 2027 if I am not satisfied with my CAT 2026 result?
Yes. There is no restriction on the number of attempts for CAT. If you are not satisfied with your CAT 2026 result, you can appear again in CAT 2027. It is advisable to start preparation immediately after your CAT 2026 result to maximise improvement.
How is the CAT percentile calculated?
CAT percentile is calculated using a normalisation process. First, each candidate's raw score is computed based on the marking scheme. The raw scores are then normalised to arrive at scaled scores, which account for differences in difficulty across the three exam slots. Finally, scaled scores are converted into percentiles that reflect each candidate's relative standing among all test-takers that year.
What is the total mark for CAT 2026?
CAT 2026 is expected to have 68 questions, each carrying 3 marks, with a total of 204 marks. There is a negative marking of −1 mark for each incorrect MCQ answer. TITA questions carry no negative marking.
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