CAT 2026 Eligibility: Graduation, Final Year and PwD Relaxation

CAT 2026 eligibility requires a Bachelor’s degree with minimum 50% aggregate marks for General, OBC-NCL and EWS students, and 45% for SC, ST and PwD students.

The IIMs release the official CAT 2026 notification with complete eligibility details at iimcat.ac.in, expected in the last week of July 2026. Eligibility norms have remained consistent across recent CAT cycles. There is no age limit and no restriction on the number of attempts.

• General, OBC-NCL and EWS students need at least 50% aggregate marks in their Bachelor’s degree.
• SC, ST and PwD students are eligible with a minimum of 45% aggregate marks — a 5 percentage point relaxation.
• Final year students can apply provisionally and must complete the degree before joining an IIM programme.
• There is no age limit and no restriction on the number of CAT 2026 attempts.
• Students with a professional degree (CA, CS, ICWA) with the required percentage are also eligible.

---

CAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria Overview

The table below covers all key eligibility parameters for CAT 2026. Based on previous CAT cycles, these criteria are not expected to change for 2026. The official notification will confirm final details at iimcat.ac.in.

---

Minimum Graduation Percentage for CAT 2026 by Category

The minimum graduation percentage for CAT 2026 is 50% for General, OBC-NCL and EWS students, and 45% for SC, ST and PwD students. This percentage is calculated on the aggregate of all subjects across all years or semesters of the qualifying degree — not on a best-of-some-subjects basis.

If your university awards CGPA instead of a percentage, use the university’s official conversion formula. If no official formula exists, IIMs apply their own conversion method during document verification at the admission stage.

Students whose aggregate is close to the threshold should calculate their percentage carefully before applying. The IIM will verify the figure against your original mark sheets during the admission process.

---

Final Year Student Eligibility for CAT 2026

Students appearing in the final year of their Bachelor’s degree are eligible to register for CAT 2026 on a provisional basis. This provisional status is subject to the student completing the degree with the required minimum percentage before the IIM academic session begins.

Key conditions for final year applicants:

• You can register and appear for CAT 2026 even if your final year results are still awaited.
• A certificate from your college Principal or Registrar confirming expected completion and likely eligibility may be required at the IIM admission stage.
• If selected for an IIM programme, you must submit your final degree certificate and mark sheets before joining.
• Provisional admission will be cancelled if the final aggregate percentage falls below the eligibility threshold.
• Students who have already appeared in final year examinations but are awaiting results are also covered under this provision.

This provisional eligibility also extends to students pursuing a professional degree such as CA, CS or ICWA who are in the final stage of their programme and meet the required percentage based on completed stages.

---

PwD Relaxation in CAT 2026 Eligibility

PwD (Person with Disability) students qualify for CAT 2026 with a minimum of 45% aggregate marks in graduation — a relaxation of 5 percentage points compared to the 50% required for General category students. This relaxation applies irrespective of whether the PwD student also belongs to the SC, ST or OBC-NCL category.

Disability categories recognised under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 for CAT 2026 eligibility include:

• Blindness and low vision
• Deaf and hard of hearing
• Locomotor disability including cerebral palsy, leprosy (cured), dwarfism, acid attack survivors and muscular dystrophy
• Autism, intellectual disability, specific learning disability and mental illness
• Multiple disabilities from among the above conditions

PwD students must submit a valid disability certificate issued by a competent government authority at the time of IIM admission. They are also entitled to additional accommodations during the CAT exam — such as compensatory time — subject to application at the time of CAT 2026 registration.

---

Documents Required to Prove CAT 2026 Eligibility

Eligibility documents are not uploaded during CAT 2026 registration. They are verified by individual IIMs at the shortlisting and admission stage. Keep all the following documents ready well before the IIM interview rounds begin.

Each IIM may request additional documents specific to its own admission process. Students should check individual IIM admission requirements alongside the CAT registration requirements at iimcat.ac.in.