A score at the 90 percentile in CAT 2026 places you in the top 10% of roughly 3 lakh test takers. You outscore about 2.7 lakh students. All 14 IIM New-Gen campuses and several reputed MBA colleges set expected cutoffs at or below this mark.
CAT 2026 carries 198 total marks: 66 questions at +3 for correct answers and −1 for wrong ones. Sections are VARC (72 marks), DILR (60 marks), and QA (66 marks). Based on CAT marks vs percentile trends from 2024 and 2025, a raw score of roughly 95–115 out of 198 corresponds to the 90 percentile band. Visit the official CAT website at iimcat.ac.in for registration and score card details.
- The CAT 2026 marks vs percentile data shows 90 percentile corresponds to a raw score of 95–115 out of 198, based on 2024–2025 trends.
- All 14 IIM New-Gen campuses (established after 2010) set expected overall cutoffs between 78 and 90 percentile — a 90 percentile qualifies you for all of them.
- For old IIMs (IIM A, B, C, L, K, I), General/EWS students need 95–99+ percentile. OBC-NCL students at 90 percentile may qualify for some old IIM shortlists (OBC-NCL cutoff: 88–92).
- Top non-IIM colleges like MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad, FORE, IMI Delhi, and XIMB all accept 90 percentile in CAT 2026.
- Sectional cutoffs matter — each section (VARC, DILR, QA) has its own minimum. Top New-Gen IIMs require 75–80 per section. A high overall score with a weak section can still cost you a shortlist call.
- CAT has no fixed marks-to-percentile formula. NTA normalises scores across sessions. The 95–115 band is an estimate based on prior year trends.
What Does 90 Percentile in CAT 2026 Mean?
Percentile in CAT does not mean the percentage of marks you scored. It means the percentage of students who scored below you. A 90 percentile means you did better than 90% of all test takers. With roughly 3 lakh students appearing for CAT 2026, that works out to outscoring around 2.7 lakh students.
CAT percentile is calculated using NTA’s normalisation formula. Because the exam runs in multiple slots, raw scores are adjusted for differences in difficulty across slots. Two students with the same raw score but different slots may receive slightly different percentile scores. The percentile on your scorecard is the normalised percentile — not a direct conversion of your raw marks.
CAT 2026 has three sections:
- VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension): 24 questions, 72 marks
- DILR (Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning): 20 questions, 60 marks
- QA (Quantitative Ability): 22 questions, 66 marks
Each section generates its own sectional percentile alongside your overall score. Colleges screen both your overall percentile and each sectional percentile — a low section score can block a call even with a strong overall percentile.
CAT 2026 Marks vs Percentile Breakdown
The table below shows expected raw score ranges for each CAT 2026 percentile band. These figures draw on CAT 2024 and 2025 marks vs percentile data. Treat these as planning estimates — your actual percentile depends on your slot’s difficulty and the full student performance distribution.
| CAT 2026 Percentile (Expected) | Estimated Raw Score (out of 198) | Approx. Students Outscored (out of 3 lakh) | College Tier Accessible |
|---|---|---|---|
| 99.5+ | 160–198 | ~2,98,500 | IIM A, B, C (General) |
| 99–99.5 | 148–160 | ~2,97,000 | IIM L, K, I (General) |
| 97–99 | 132–148 | ~2,91,000 | Old IIMs (OBC/SC/ST), FMS, SPJIMR |
| 95–97 | 120–132 | ~2,85,000 | IIM Shillong, Rohtak, Ranchi, Trichy |
| 90–95 | 95–120 | ~2,70,000 | Most IIM New-Gen, MDI, IMT, XIMB |
| 85–90 | 78–95 | ~2,55,000 | IIM Udaipur, Kashipur, Nagpur, GIM, TAPMI |
| 80–85 | 62–78 | ~2,40,000 | IIM Bodh Gaya, Jammu, LIBA, XISS |
| 75–80 | 48–62 | ~2,25,000 | IIM Sirmaur, Sambalpur; Tier-3 colleges |
Source: iimcat.ac.in — Official CAT Score Card Portal
NTA determines the actual marks vs percentile conversion after the exam using slot-wise normalisation. The table above is a planning guide, not an official prediction.
IIM New-Gen Colleges Accepting 90 Percentile in CAT 2026
There are 14 IIM campuses established after 2010 — commonly called IIM New-Gen or Baby IIMs. Most set expected overall CAT cutoffs between 78 and 90 percentile for General category students. A 90 percentile in CAT 2026 makes you eligible for shortlisting at all 14 IIM New-Gen campuses, subject to sectional cutoffs and your academic profile.
Meeting the cutoff earns you a Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI) call. Final selection also weighs your WAT-PI performance, work experience, academic record, and diversity factors.
| IIM New-Gen College | Expected Overall CAT Cutoff (General) | Expected Sectional Cutoff | 90 Percentile Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| IIM Shillong | 90 | 75–80 per section | Meets cutoff (borderline) |
| IIM Rohtak | 90 | 75–80 per section | Meets cutoff (borderline) |
| IIM Ranchi | 90 | 78–80 per section | Meets cutoff (borderline) |
| IIM Trichy | 90 | 80 per section | Meets cutoff (borderline) |
| IIM Raipur | 88–90 | 70–75 per section | Comfortably eligible |
| IIM Udaipur | 85–88 | 70–75 per section | Comfortably eligible |
| IIM Kashipur | 85–88 | 70–75 per section | Comfortably eligible |
| IIM Nagpur | 85–90 | 70–75 per section | Comfortably eligible |
| IIM Visakhapatnam | 85–88 | 70 per section | Comfortably eligible |
| IIM Amritsar | 85–88 | 70 per section | Comfortably eligible |
| IIM Bodh Gaya | 80–85 | 65–70 per section | Well above cutoff |
| IIM Jammu | 80–85 | 65–70 per section | Well above cutoff |
| IIM Sirmaur | 78–82 | 60–65 per section | Well above cutoff |
| IIM Sambalpur | 78–82 | 60–65 per section | Well above cutoff |
All cutoffs above are expected figures based on CAT 2024–2025 trends. Official CAT 2026 cutoffs will be announced by individual IIMs after results are declared.
IIM Shillong, Rohtak, Ranchi, and Trichy set the highest bars among New-Gen IIMs. If your 90 percentile includes a weak section — say, below 75 in DILR — you may not receive a call from these four, even with a qualifying overall score. For the remaining ten IIMs, sectional percentiles around 70–75 are generally sufficient to reach the WAT-PI stage.
Other Top MBA Colleges Accepting 90 Percentile in CAT 2026
Several well-ranked non-IIM MBA programmes use CAT scores for admissions and set cutoffs in the 85–93 percentile range. A 90 percentile in CAT 2026 opens a solid set of non-IIM options.
| College | Expected CAT 2026 Cutoff (Percentile) | 90 Percentile Status |
|---|---|---|
| MDI Gurgaon | 90–93 | Borderline — strong profile needed |
| IMT Ghaziabad | 90 | Meets cutoff |
| XIMB Bhubaneswar | 88–90 | Meets cutoff |
| FORE School of Management, Delhi | 90 | Meets cutoff |
| IMI Delhi | 90 | Meets cutoff |
| Goa Institute of Management (GIM) | 85–90 | Comfortably eligible |
| TAPMI Manipal | 85–90 | Comfortably eligible |
| Great Lakes Institute of Management | 85–90 | Comfortably eligible |
| KJ Somaiya Institute of Management | 85–90 | Comfortably eligible |
| BIMTECH Greater Noida | 85–88 | Comfortably eligible |
| LIBA Chennai | 80–85 | Well above cutoff |
| XISS Ranchi | 80–85 | Well above cutoff |
These cutoffs are expected figures based on previous years’ data. Each college runs its own selection process after the CAT result — check individual college websites for final shortlist criteria.
MDI Gurgaon is the toughest non-IIM option on this list. Its expected cutoff goes up to 93 percentile, so 90 is borderline there. Students targeting MDI should pair a 90 percentile with strong work experience, a good academic record, and a compelling WAT-PI performance. For IMT, FORE, IMI, and XIMB, 90 percentile is a clean qualifier.
Category-Wise Cutoff Variation at 90 Percentile
CAT cutoffs differ across reservation categories. Reserved categories — OBC-NCL, SC, ST, and PwD — have lower minimum percentile requirements set by each IIM. A 90 percentile carries different admission weight depending on your category.
OBC-NCL students with 90 percentile may qualify for old IIM shortlists, since the OBC-NCL cutoff at old IIMs is typically 88–92 percentile. SC, ST, and PwD students at 90 percentile are well above the minimums at almost all IIMs.
| Category | Expected Cutoff — Old IIMs (A/B/C/L/K/I) | Expected Cutoff — IIM New-Gen | 90 Percentile Status at Old IIMs |
|---|---|---|---|
| General / EWS | 95–99+ | 80–90 | Below cutoff (need 95+) |
| OBC-NCL | 88–92 | 75–85 | Borderline — may qualify at some old IIMs |
| SC | 75–85 | 65–75 | Well above cutoff at all IIMs |
| ST | 60–70 | 55–65 | Well above cutoff at all IIMs |
| PwD | 60–70 | 55–65 | Well above cutoff at all IIMs |
Source: iimcat.ac.in — IIM Admission Policy and Cutoff Norms
General and EWS students at 90 percentile will not receive calls from old IIMs — the bar starts at 95 percentile. OBC-NCL students at 90 percentile are in a viable range for old IIM shortlists but cannot assume a call. Each old IIM applies additional criteria: sectional cutoffs, academic diversity, and work experience scores all feed into its composite shortlisting formula.
For IIM New-Gen campuses, SC, ST, and PwD students at 90 percentile are comfortably above all expected cutoffs and should focus energy on WAT-PI readiness rather than percentile anxiety.
Frequently Asked Questions — 90 Percentile in CAT 2026
Ques. Is 90 percentile in CAT 2026 good for IIM admission?
Ans. Yes — 90 percentile is a strong score. It opens all 14 IIM New-Gen campuses for General category students. It is not enough for old IIMs (IIM A, B, C, L, K, I) if you are in the General or EWS category — those cutoffs start at 95–99+. OBC-NCL students at 90 percentile may qualify for some old IIM shortlists, since the OBC-NCL cutoff there is typically 88–92 percentile. For New-Gen IIMs, 90 percentile meets or exceeds the expected cutoff at all 14 campuses, making it a genuinely competitive score for a strong MBA shortlist.
Ques. How many raw marks does 90 percentile in CAT correspond to?
Ans. Based on CAT marks vs percentile data from 2024 and 2025, a 90 percentile is expected to correspond to a raw score of roughly 95–115 out of 198. The exact figure varies by slot difficulty. CAT has 66 questions worth 3 marks each (+3 correct, −1 wrong), giving a maximum of 198 marks. NTA normalises scores across slots before computing percentiles, so your percentile is not a direct arithmetic conversion of your raw marks. The official percentile will appear on your CAT 2026 score card at iimcat.ac.in.
Ques. Which IIM New-Gen colleges have the highest cutoff within the 90-percentile band?
Ans. Among the 14 IIM New-Gen campuses, IIM Shillong, IIM Rohtak, IIM Ranchi, and IIM Trichy set the highest expected cutoffs — all at 90 overall percentile with sectional requirements of 75–80 per section. A 90 percentile qualifies you at all four, but a weak sectional score (below 75 in any section) can still result in rejection. IIM Raipur also sits near the top at 88–90. The remaining ten IIMs have expected overall cutoffs of 78–88, giving you more headroom.
Ques. Can OBC students with 90 percentile get into old IIMs?
Ans. OBC-NCL students with 90 percentile are within the expected shortlist range for some old IIMs. The OBC-NCL cutoff at old IIMs is typically 88–92 percentile. However, meeting the percentile cutoff alone does not guarantee a shortlist call. Old IIMs use a composite shortlisting formula. Academic performance (Class 10, Class 12, graduation marks), work experience, gender diversity, and sectional percentiles all contribute alongside the overall CAT percentile. A 90 percentile OBC-NCL student can realistically receive calls from old IIMs — but the rest of the profile also matters.
Ques. Do non-IIM colleges accept 90 percentile in CAT?
Ans. Yes — several well-ranked non-IIM MBA programmes accept 90 percentile in CAT. IMT Ghaziabad, XIMB Bhubaneswar, FORE School of Management, and IMI Delhi all have expected cutoffs at or around 90 percentile. GIM Goa, TAPMI Manipal, Great Lakes, KJ Somaiya, and BIMTECH accept 85–90 percentile. LIBA Chennai and XISS Ranchi accept 80–85. MDI Gurgaon expects 90–93, so 90 percentile is borderline there and needs a strong profile to convert. All figures are based on 2024–2025 admission data.
Ques. Is sectional cutoff important for 90 percentile CAT students?
Ans. Yes — sectional cutoffs are critical and students often underestimate them. Every IIM and most top MBA colleges set minimum percentile thresholds for each CAT section (VARC, DILR, QA) separately. For IIM Shillong, Rohtak, Ranchi, and Trichy, the expected sectional cutoff is 75–80 per section. For most other New-Gen IIMs, it is 65–75 per section. A student scoring 90 overall but only 60 in DILR will not pass the sectional filter at these colleges, regardless of their total score. Treat section-level performance as equally important as your overall percentile while preparing for CAT 2026.
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