IIM CAP 2026 ST Category Cutoff: Closing Percentile at IIM Bodhgaya, Jammu and Sirmaur

IIM CAP 2026 cutoff for ST category has been officially released. Students from the Scheduled Tribe category need a minimum of 38 percentile overall in CAT 2025 to be shortlisted for Personal Interview at IIM Bodhgaya and IIM Sirmaur, while IIM Jammu sets the bar at 32 percentile for male students and 30 percentile for female and transgender students.

The Common Admission Process (CAP) 2026 is conducted jointly by IIM Bodhgaya, IIM Jammu, and IIM Sirmaur for admission to the MBA 2026-28 batch. These cutoffs apply to the Written Ability Test and Personal Interview shortlisting stage and are derived from CAT 2025 scores. ST category students receive significant relaxation over the general category threshold of 95 percentile overall. Students must clear both sectional and overall cutoffs — failing even one section renders them ineligible for the next stage.

• IIM Bodhgaya ST cutoff 2026: 38 percentile overall with sectional cutoffs of 25 in VARC, 30 in DILR, and 30 in QA.
• IIM Jammu ST cutoff 2026: 32 percentile overall for male students and 30 percentile for female and transgender students.
• IIM Sirmaur ST cutoff 2026: 38 percentile overall for male students and 35 percentile for female and transgender students.
• The common CAP 2026 threshold for ST category is 42 percentile overall; individual IIM cutoffs within CAP may be lower than this common threshold.
• IIM CAP 2025 had a common ST cutoff of 40 percentile overall with 25 percentile in each section.

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IIM CAP 2026 Category-wise Cutoff Overview

IIM CAP 2026 sets a common minimum CAT 2025 percentile threshold for each category before individual IIMs apply their own specific criteria. The table below shows the common CAP 2026 cutoff structure across all categories. ST students benefit from some of the lowest entry thresholds in the process.

These are the minimum thresholds for CAP eligibility. Individual IIMs within the CAP 2026 process may apply cutoffs that differ from these common figures, as seen in the college-wise breakdown below.

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College-wise ST Category Cutoff for IIM CAP 2026

Each of the three participating IIMs — IIM Bodhgaya, IIM Jammu, and IIM Sirmaur — has released its own CAT 2025 percentile requirement for ST category students. IIM Jammu also provides additional relaxation for female and transgender students. The table below lists the official college-wise ST cutoffs for IIM CAP 2026:

IIM Jammu sets the lowest ST overall cutoff among the three at 32 percentile for male students. IIM Bodhgaya and IIM Sirmaur both require 38 percentile overall for male ST students. IIM Sirmaur offers a relaxation to 35 percentile overall for female students. Students at IIM Bodhgaya and IIM Sirmaur should note that DILR and QA sectional thresholds are 30 percentile, which is higher than the VARC threshold of 25 percentile — so even section balance matters.

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IIM CAP 2025 vs 2026 ST Cutoff Comparison

The table below compares the common ST category cutoffs between IIM CAP 2025 and the individual IIM cutoffs now released for IIM CAP 2026:

Compared to CAP 2025, the overall ST cutoffs at IIM Bodhgaya and IIM Sirmaur have dipped slightly from 40 to 38. IIM Jammu offers the most accessible threshold at 32 overall. However, sectional requirements at IIM Bodhgaya and IIM Sirmaur for DILR and QA have moved up from 25 to 30, meaning ST students need a more balanced performance across all three sections rather than compensating with a strong overall score.

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Factors Affecting IIM CAP Cutoff for ST Category

The ST category cutoff in IIM CAP is not fixed — several factors determine where it lands each year:

• Number of ST applicants: A larger pool of ST students taking CAT increases competition and can push the cutoff upward in future cycles.
• CAT difficulty level: A harder paper generally brings percentile thresholds down; a comparatively easier paper can raise them as more students score higher.
• ST seat intake at each IIM: The number of seats reserved under the ST quota directly influences how many students are shortlisted for PI.
• Gender diversity goals: IIM Jammu and IIM Sirmaur offer relaxed cutoffs for female and transgender ST students as part of their diversity initiatives, which is reflected in the college-wise data above.
• Individual IIM admission policy: Each CAP participating IIM reviews and revises its admission criteria annually, which is why IIM Jammu’s threshold of 32 differs from IIM Bodhgaya’s and IIM Sirmaur’s 38 even within the same CAP cycle.

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What Happens After Meeting the ST Cutoff

Clearing the CAT 2025 percentile cutoff makes ST category students eligible for the next stage of IIM CAP 2026. Here is a quick overview of what follows:

Meeting the cutoff is only the first step. Performance in the PI round, academic record, and work experience all influence the final composite score. ST students should aim for a percentile comfortably above the minimum cutoff to strengthen their position in the final merit list at their preferred IIM.