IIM CAP 2026 Cutoff: Bodhgaya vs Jammu vs Sirmaur Category-wise

IIM CAP 2026 closing percentile cutoffs are officially released. IIM Jammu requires 91 percentile for General category male students, the highest among the three CAP institutes, while IIM Bodhgaya and IIM Sirmaur share an equal cutoff of 90 percentile based on CAT 2025 scores.

The IIM Common Admission Process (CAP) 2026 is coordinated by IIM Jammu for the 2026-28 batch and covers three new-generation IIMs: IIM Bodh Gaya, IIM Jammu and IIM Sirmaur. The official cutoff policy was published on the CAP 2026 portal and the final merit list was declared on May 8, 2026. A defining feature of this cycle is that IIM Bodh Gaya and IIM Sirmaur follow a shared common cutoff, while IIM Jammu applies its own separate thresholds that are higher for General and OBC-NC students but lower for SC, ST and PwD students.

• IIM Jammu General (Male) cutoff: 91 percentile overall with sectionals at 72 each in VARC, DILR and QA.
• IIM Bodhgaya and IIM Sirmaur share a common cutoff of 90 percentile (General, Male) with 65 percentile in each section.
• Female and transgender students receive a relaxation of up to 5 percentile on the overall cutoff at Bodhgaya and Sirmaur, and 2 percentile at IIM Jammu.
• Only three IIMs participate in CAP 2026; several new IIMs have moved to independent admission processes in recent cycles.
• The common CAP 2026 General cutoff dropped to 90 from 94 in 2025, reflecting a harder CAT 2025 paper with lower raw scores across test-takers.

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IIM CAP 2026 Overview

IIM CAP (Common Admission Process) 2026 is the joint admission platform run by a group of new-generation IIMs for their MBA (PGP) programmes based on CAT 2025 scores. This cycle is coordinated by IIM Jammu. Three institutes participate: IIM Bodh Gaya, IIM Jammu and IIM Sirmaur. Students clear CAT shortlisting first, then appear for a Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI) conducted independently by each institute.

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IIM CAP 2026 Cutoff Comparison: Bodhgaya vs Jammu vs Sirmaur

The table below shows the official IIM CAP 2026 closing percentile cutoffs for all three institutes by category and gender. IIM Bodh Gaya and IIM Sirmaur use an identical shared cutoff policy; IIM Jammu applies its own separate thresholds.

IIM Jammu demands the highest overall percentile from General and OBC-NC students but is more accessible for SC, ST and PwD students compared to IIM Bodh Gaya and IIM Sirmaur. At the CAT shortlisting stage, IIM Bodh Gaya and IIM Sirmaur are completely interchangeable — they use the exact same cutoff table.

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IIM Bodhgaya and Sirmaur 2026 Sectional Cutoff

IIM Bodh Gaya and IIM Sirmaur follow a shared common cutoff policy under CAP 2026. Students must clear both the sectional minimums and the overall percentile threshold for their category. Meeting one without the other leads to rejection at the shortlisting stage.

A General category male student scoring 90 overall with a balanced sectional profile (65+ in each of VARC, DILR and QA) qualifies for shortlisting by both IIM Bodh Gaya and IIM Sirmaur simultaneously through the same CAP application.

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IIM Jammu 2026 Sectional Cutoff

IIM Jammu sets its own cutoffs independently of the common CAP policy and requires higher sectional scores from General students, with each of the three CAT sections needing a minimum of 72 percentile. For SC, ST and PwD students, IIM Jammu’s thresholds are lower than the common CAP cutoff.

Students who clear 91 overall but fall below 72 in any single section will not receive an IIM Jammu shortlist call, even if they qualify for IIM Bodh Gaya and IIM Sirmaur. Sectional balance is as critical as the overall percentile when targeting IIM Jammu.

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Year-on-Year IIM CAP Cutoff Trend (General Category)

The common CAP cutoff for General category students has varied across cycles, primarily tracking CAT difficulty. The 2026 common cutoff dropped to 90 from 94 in 2025 because CAT 2025 was harder, producing lower raw scores across the board. A lower percentile threshold in a harder year still selects the same relative pool of high performers.

The SC cutoff has climbed from 54 in the 2023-25 batch to 60 in 2026-28, indicating growing competition among SC applicants. ST and PwD thresholds have held steady at 38-40 percentile across all four cycles.

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What the IIM CAP 2026 Cutoff Gap Means for You

The one-percentile gap between IIM Jammu and the other two CAP institutes has real implications for how you plan your applications and interpret your CAT 2025 scorecard.

• Scored below 90 (General, Male): You are below all three CAP 2026 thresholds. Target CAP 2027 or other top B-schools that accept CAT scores through their own admission processes.
• Scored exactly 90 (General, Male): You qualify for IIM Bodh Gaya and IIM Sirmaur. A shortlist from IIM Jammu requires 91. Your offer depends on WAT-PI performance and merit list position.
• Scored 91 or above (General, Male): You clear all three CAP institutes. Your final seat depends on WAT-PI scores, academic record, work experience and seat availability at your preferred institute.
• Female students benefit from a lower overall cutoff (85 at Bodhgaya and Sirmaur; 89 at Jammu for General) but must meet the same sectional minimums as male students.
• SC students have better access through IIM Jammu (54 percentile) than through Bodhgaya or Sirmaur (60 percentile), which is the reverse of the General category pattern.
• IIM Jammu offers approximately 300 MBA seats, the largest intake among the three, meaning more students ultimately receive offers from Jammu despite the higher entry threshold.