Updated on Jul 03, 2025
Santana Banerjee
CMAT Cutoff 2026 will be announced in February 2026, shortly after the results are released. The cutoff marks depend on several factors such as the number of test takers, the difficulty level of the CMAT 2026 Exam, the number of seats offered by institutes, and previous year's cutoff trends. Top colleges, such as JBIMS Mumbai and SIMSREE Mumbai, usually have exceptionally high cutoffs, above the 99th percentile. Other colleges, such as the Goa Institute of Management, KJ Somaiya, and Great Lakes, require scores between the 95th and 99th percentile. Tier-2 colleges, such as Welingkar, IFIM Bangalore, and NDIM Delhi, accept students with scores in the 80th to 85th percentile. Even if students score around the 70th percentile or below, they can still gain admission to colleges such as BIMTECH Greater Noida, BIT Mesra, and DY Patil School of Management.
CMAT Cutoff 2026: Dates
CMAT 2026 Exam is scheduled to be held in the last week of January 2026. CMAT Answer Key 2026 will be released within 3-4 days of the exam, i.e., in the first week of February 2026. The CMAT Result 2026 and CMAT Cutoff 2026 are expected to be released tentatively in February 2026.
Factors Determining CMAT Cutoff 2026
CMAT Cutoff marks vary every year according to the total number of candidates who appeared for the exam. Competition in the CMAT exam has been increasing steadily due to a rise in the number of registrations over the past few years. For instance, CMAT saw a significant jump in registrations, rising from 58,956 candidates in 2022 to 75,209 in 2023, 76,745 in 2024, and 74,012 in 2025. For this surge, cutoff percentiles also vary for top B-schools that accept CMAT scores. Refer to the points below to know which factors will determine the cutoff percentiles for the CMAT 2026 Exam.
- Total number of test takers appearing in the CMAT 2026 exam
- Total number of seats available at the top B-schools
- Previous years' cutoff trends
- Total passing Percentage of candidates in CMAT 2026
- Difficulty level of the CMAT question paper
CMAT Cutoff 2026
CMAT Cutoff 2026 will be announced individually by participating business schools after the CMAT Results are declared. The cutoff marks vary college-wise. Tier-1 business schools are likely to set cutoff marks at the 96th to 99th percentile. In contrast, to take admission in Tier-2 and Tier-3 business schools, candidates need to score between the 60th and 90th percentile. Candidates can refer to the table below to check the CMAT Cutoff 2025 determined by top business schools in India.
Previous Years' CMAT Cut-Off Trends (Percentile)
The CMAT cutoff trends from 2021 to 2024 indicate that competition for top B-schools is increasing. For instance, colleges like JBIMS and SIMSREE set exceptionally high cutoffs at the 99.9th percentile. Other popular institutes, such as the Goa Institute of Management and KJ Somaiya, determined cutoffs between the 95th and 99th percentiles. At institutes like BIMTECH and Great Lakes, candidates are generally required to score around the 95th percentile for admission. Refer to the table below to check year-wise cutoff trends for the CMAT 2026 Exam.
CMAT Cutoff 2026: Colleges Accepting 90+ Percentile and Above
For CMAT 2026, the cutoff percentiles also vary across top colleges, indicating different levels of competition. At the very top, colleges like JBIMS, Mumbai, and SIMSREE, Mumbai, expect extremely high scores, with cutoffs above the 99th percentile. Just a step below, institutes such as the Goa Institute of Management, KJ Somaiya Institute of Management, the University of Pune, and the Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai generally require scores between the 95th and 99th percentile.
CMAT Cutoff 2026: Colleges Accepting 80-85 Percentile
Tier-2 colleges such as Welingkar Institute of Management, Indian Institute of Information Technology & Management, IFIM, IFMR, NL Dalmia Institute of Management, XISS, etc., expect candidates to score between the 80th and 85th percentiles.
CMAT Cutoff 2026: Colleges Accepting 75 Percentile and Below
While scoring lower in CMAT, candidates still have a chance to get admission into several reputable colleges. For example, institutes like BIMTECH Greater Noida, BIT Mesra, Calcutta Business School, DY Patil School of Management in Pune, Jaipuria Institute of Management, and XIME accept candidates with a 70th-75th percentile of marks. Even candidates with a 65th percentile can apply to institutes such as Jaypee Business School (JBS) and EMPI Business School.
CMAT Cutoff 2026 FAQs
When will the CMAT Cutoff 2026 be released?
The CMAT Cutoff 2026 will be released in February 2026, once the CMAT Results are declared. It is expected to be released by the second week of February 2026.
Will NTA release the cutoff list for CMAT 2026?
No, the cutoff list for CMAT 2026 will not be released by NTA. NTA declares CMAT results, and once the results are declared, the cutoff lists are prepared and announced by the B-schools separately.
What is a good score in CMAT?
Top B-schools typically set a cutoff score at the 90th to 99th percentile. To secure admission across leading business schools, candidates need to score between 281 and 340 out of 400 marks.
What are the passing marks in CMAT?
Candidates need to score 120 marks out of 400 to pass the CMAT exam. However, candidates must aim to score above 300 marks to get admission into top business schools in India.
What is the CMAT 2026 Cutoff score for KJ Somaiya?
KJ Somaiya accepts a CMAT percentile of 98 or higher for admission to its management programs.
How is the CMAT percentile calculated?
CMAT Cutoff percentile is calculated using a standardised formula: Percentile (P) = (No. of candidates)– (Rank)/ No. of candidates x 100.
What is the expected cutoff score required for BIMTECH, Noida, for the CMAT 2026 Exam?
BIMTECH, Noida generally determines the CMAT Cutoff score at the 75th percentile. However, students must aim to secure a place between the 75th and 80th percentiles to receive a confirmed invitation from BIMTECH, Noida, for the GD and PI rounds.
Which are the top colleges for MBA that set the CMAT Cutoff at the 65th-75th percentile?
BIMTECH-Greater Noida, BIT-Mesra, DY Patil School of Management-Pune, Calcutta Business School, New Delhi Institute of Management (NDIM) New Delhi, and Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship (XIME) Chennai are some colleges that set the CMAT Cutoff at the 65th-75th percentile.
If I score above the 95th Percentile in CMAT 2026, then in which college should I apply to?
If candidates score above the 95th Percentile in CMAT 2026, they can take admissions to JBIMS, Mumbai, Goa Institute of Management, and KJ Somaiya Institute of Management, SIMSREE, Mumbai.
Does IIM accept CMAT scores?
No, IIMs do not accept CMAT scores. The Indian Institute of Management only accepts CAT scores for admission. Many prestigious business schools, such as BIMTECH-Greater Noida, BIT-Mesra, DY Patil School of Management-Pune, JBIMS, Mumbai, Goa Institute of Management, and KJ Somaiya Institute of Management, SIMSREE, accept CMAT scores.
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