CAT Result 2026: Expected January 2027 at iimcat.ac.in, IIM Shortlist, Cutoff and Score vs Percentile

The CAT 2026 Result will be declared by IIM Indore on iimcat.ac.in, with the official information bulletin indicating a release in the first week of January 2027. CAT 2026 is scheduled for November 29, 2026, and the result will be the gateway to MBA admissions at all 21 IIMs and over 1,200 other B-schools across India.

Once the result is out, you can download your scorecard using your login credentials on the official CAT website. It will show your scaled scores and percentile — overall and section-wise — across VARC, DILR, and Quantitative Ability.

• CAT 2026 result is expected in the first week of January 2027 on iimcat.ac.in; based on the 2025 cycle, it could also arrive in late December 2026
• The scorecard shows your overall percentile and section-wise percentiles for VARC, DILR, and QA — along with scaled scores
• To be shortlisted by IIMs, you must clear both the overall percentile cutoff and sectional cutoffs — a high overall score alone is not enough
• IIM A, B, and C typically shortlist General-category students at 99+ percentile; new IIMs start calling at lower thresholds
• The CAT 2026 score is valid for MBA admissions until December 31, 2027
• IIM Indore is the convening IIM for CAT 2026; the exam takes place on November 29, 2026 in three sessions across the day

IIM Indore prepares and releases the CAT 2026 result on behalf of all 21 IIMs. Each IIM then draws up its own shortlist independently, using the percentile alongside academic record, work experience, gender diversity, and other factors.

CAT Result Previous Year Statistics

The table below tracks CAT participation and top-score counts over the past five years. These figures give context to what any percentile means in absolute terms and show how competition at the peak has shifted.

Participation peaked in CAT 2024 at around 2.93 lakh and dipped slightly in 2025. The number of 100-percentile scorers has grown from 9 in 2021 to 12–14 in recent years. More students are reaching the very top, making sectional balance critical — even a perfect overall percentile will not earn an IIM Ahmedabad call if one section is weak.

Results are declared anywhere from 24 days (CAT 2025) to about 50 days (CAT 2021) after the exam date. Plan your WAT-PI preparation to start immediately after the result — the gap between result and first PI calls can be tighter than candidates expect.

100 Percentile and 99.99 Percentile Trend (CAT 2021–2025)

The pool of top scorers has roughly doubled since 2021. A 99.9+ percentile no longer guarantees an IIM A or IIM B call — competition at the very top has tightened sharply over five years. A strong sectional profile and solid academic record now matter more than ever at those cutoff levels.

How to Check CAT 2026 Result

Once IIM Indore declares the CAT 2026 result, you can access your scorecard at iimcat.ac.in using the same login credentials you used during registration. There is no separate result link — the scorecard appears in your candidate dashboard after you log in.

Steps to download CAT 2026 Scorecard:

1. Go to the official CAT website: iimcat.ac.in
2. Click the "CAT 2026 Result" or "Scorecard" link on the homepage (active only after declaration)
3. Log in with your registered email ID and password
4. Your scorecard appears with your overall and sectional percentiles
5. Click Download / Print to save it as a PDF
6. Keep multiple copies — you will need this for every IIM’s PI and admission process

If you forget your password, use the "Forgot Password" option on the login page. The registered email ID you used during CAT 2026 registration will also receive a notification from IIM Indore when the result goes live.

Site traffic on result day: iimcat.ac.in gets hit hard the moment results are declared. If the site is slow, try again at non-peak hours — early morning or late at night. The scorecard stays on the portal for months, so there is no need to download it in the first few minutes.

CAT 2026 Scorecard: What It Contains

The CAT 2026 scorecard is not just a single number — it carries several pieces of information that B-schools use together to evaluate you. Here is what you will see when you download it from iimcat.ac.in.

The scorecard does not show your raw marks or the number of correct and incorrect answers. It also does not assign a rank — CAT has no common merit list. Each IIM runs its own selection process using these percentile figures alongside academic profile and other criteria.

Why a scaled score instead of raw marks? CAT 2026 runs in three sessions on November 29. Different sessions can vary in difficulty. IIM Indore applies a statistical equating process that makes scores comparable across sessions. Your actual marks are adjusted for the difficulty of your specific slot, and that adjusted figure is the scaled score — what determines your percentile.

How the percentile works: Your overall percentile = (Number of candidates who scored equal to or less than you ÷ Total candidates) × 100, rounded to two decimal places. A 99 percentile means you outperformed 99% of all test-takers — not that you scored 99 marks out of 100.

CAT 2026 Qualifying Percentile and Sectional Cutoff

Every IIM sets its own cutoffs — an overall minimum percentile and sectional minimums for each of the three sections. You must clear all four thresholds (overall + VARC + DILR + QA) to get shortlisted for that IIM’s Written Ability Test and Personal Interview. Falling short in even one section disqualifies you for that IIM, regardless of your overall percentile.

The table below shows the minimum qualifying percentile thresholds the IIMs have typically applied. These are the floor for initial shortlisting — clearing them makes you eligible, but the real bar for getting a call from IIM A, B, or C is much higher.

Each IIM also applies section-wise cutoffs. For General-category candidates at older IIMs, the sectional minimum is usually 70–80 percentile per section. Clearing the qualifying cutoff makes you eligible to be considered — it does not mean you will get a call. IIM A, B, and C receive hundreds of thousands of eligible applications and call only a small fraction for interviews.

IIMs publish their official admission policies after the CAT result. The qualifying cutoffs can shift by a few points year to year. Check each IIM’s individual announcement once the CAT 2026 result is declared in early 2027.

What to Do After CAT 2026 Result

The CAT result is the starting point for MBA admissions, not the finish line. Once it is out in early 2027, here is the sequence you should follow.

1. Download and verify your scorecard
Log in to iimcat.ac.in as soon as the result goes live and download your scorecard. Check your name, category, registration number, and all percentile figures carefully. If anything looks wrong, contact IIM Indore within the correction window they announce — it is usually brief.

2. Map your percentile to IIM shortlists
Each IIM publishes its own shortlisting criteria in its admission policy, usually in December or January. Compare your overall and sectional percentiles against those criteria to know which IIMs you qualify for. The older IIMs (A, B, C, L, I, K) typically release shortlists in January–February 2027.

3. Apply to non-IIM B-schools using your CAT score
More than 1,200 B-schools accept CAT scores. Many open separate application portals right after the result. FMS Delhi, MDI Gurgaon, JBIMS, SPJIMR, and IMI Delhi are popular — their application deadlines can fall within days of the CAT result, so watch their official sites closely.

4. Start WAT-PI preparation immediately
Getting shortlisted is half the battle. IIMs run a Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI) between February and May 2027. Your WAT-PI performance, combined with your CAT percentile and academic profile, determines the final offer. Start preparing for current affairs, essay writing, and interview questions right after the result — the window is shorter than it looks.

5. Watch IIM shortlist notifications closely
Individual IIMs send call letters to shortlisted candidates. PI venues span multiple cities, so keep your calendar and travel plans flexible. Shortlists are released in batches and can be updated if a shortlisted candidate declines.

If your percentile is not where you hoped, you have time to regroup. CAT is held once a year — CAT 2027 will be announced in July 2027. Many students who now study at top IIMs took two or three attempts before reaching their target college.