IIFT MBA 2026 General Category Cutoff: Expected Score and GD-PI Weightage

IIFT MBA 2026-28 general category cutoff is expected at 99 to 99.5 percentile in CAT 2025, based on trends from previous admission cycles.

The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) selects students for its MBA (International Business) programme through CAT scores followed by Written Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussion (GD), and Personal Interview (PI) rounds. General category students must clear both an overall percentile cutoff and sectional cutoffs in all three CAT sections before receiving a GD-WAT-PI call.

• Expected CAT 2025 overall cutoff for IIFT general category: 99 to 99.5 percentile.
• Sectional cutoffs apply in VARC, DILR, and QA — expected at approximately 85 to 90 percentile each.
• GD-WAT-PI round carries an estimated 30 to 40 percent weightage in the final composite score.
• IIFT offers MBA (IB) seats at campuses in New Delhi, Kolkata, and Kakinada.
• Admission is based on CAT 2025 scores; the shortlist is typically released in January or February 2026.

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IIFT MBA 2026-28 General Category Cutoff Overview

IIFT replaced its own entrance test with CAT from 2021. For the 2026-28 batch, CAT 2025 scores are the basis for shortlisting. Students who clear the overall and sectional cutoffs receive calls for the GD-WAT-PI round. A final composite score — combining CAT score, selection round performance, and academic profile — determines the merit list and seat allotment.

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Expected CAT 2025 Percentile Cutoff for IIFT General Category

Based on previous year trends, the expected overall CAT 2025 percentile cutoff for IIFT MBA general category is 99 to 99.5 percentile. This is the shortlisting threshold — students who clear it receive a GD-WAT-PI call. The actual closing composite score for final admission is determined only after the selection rounds are completed.

All figures are expected estimates based on 2024-26 and 2023-25 admission cycle data. The official shortlisting cutoff is released by IIFT after CAT 2025 results are announced.

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IIFT MBA 2026 Sectional Cutoff for General Category

IIFT applies sectional cutoffs across all three CAT sections in addition to the overall percentile threshold. A student who clears the overall cutoff but misses the threshold in even one section is not shortlisted. Clearing all three sectional cutoffs is mandatory for receiving a GD-WAT-PI call.

These are expected sectional thresholds based on previous admission cycles. Students targeting IIFT should aim for at least 90 percentile in each section to build a buffer against the shortlisting threshold.

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GD-WAT-PI Weightage in IIFT MBA 2026 Final Selection

The GD-WAT-PI round accounts for an estimated 30 to 40 percent of the final composite score used for merit-list ranking at IIFT. PI carries the highest individual weightage among the three selection components.

Key points for the IIFT selection rounds:

• PI at IIFT focuses on international trade, global economics, current affairs, and academic background — prepare specific, informed answers rather than generic MBA goals.
• WAT topics are typically policy or business-related; practise writing 200 to 250 words in 20 minutes with a clear structure.
• GD panels at IIFT expect knowledge of India’s trade policy, free trade agreements, and global economic events.
• Work experience adds to the composite score but is not a prerequisite; freshers with strong CAT scores are regularly shortlisted.

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IIFT MBA Previous Year Cutoff Trends — General Category

The table below shows IIFT’s general category shortlisting cutoffs from recent admission cycles and serves as the reference for the 2026-28 expected cutoff estimate.

The IIFT general category cutoff has stayed consistently above 98.5 percentile since the switch to CAT. The 2026-28 cutoff is expected to remain in the 99 to 99.5 percentile range based on these trends.

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Factors Affecting IIFT MBA 2026 General Category Cutoff

The actual closing score for the 2026-28 general category batch depends on several variables confirmed only during or after the admission cycle:

• CAT 2025 difficulty and score distribution — a harder paper shifts the raw score needed to clear 99 percentile.
• Total applicants in the 99+ percentile band — more students competing for the same seats pushes the closing composite score higher.
• IIFT seat intake for 2026-28 — any expansion or reduction in general category seats at any of the three campuses directly moves the closing score.
• GD-WAT-PI performance of the shortlisted pool — if shortlisted students score strongly in PI, the composite closing score for the last admitted student rises.
• Reservation policy changes — any shift in the proportion of reserved seats affects the number of general category seats available.