CAT 2026 Educational Qualification

CAT accepts a recognised bachelor's degree or equivalent qualification, not just engineering or commerce degrees. The degree must come from a university or institution established under the applicable Indian law, a deemed university under Section 3 of the UGC Act, or an equivalent qualification recognised by the Ministry of Education.

Completed CA, CS, ICWA (CMA) and Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of India (FIAI) are accepted professional routes. The required percentage still applies. Being enrolled in one of these programmes does not by itself qualify a candidate who has no bachelor's degree.

Minimum Marks and CGPA Conversion

Reservation does not automatically mean a 45% graduation requirement. EWS and NC-OBC candidates need 50%. Nor can a higher master's percentage replace a bachelor's result below the required threshold: a General candidate with 49% in graduation and 60% in a master's degree does not satisfy the bachelor's route.

Use the percentage calculation followed by the awarding university. For CGPA, apply the university's certified conversion first. Only if it confirms that no conversion scheme exists should you use CGPA / maximum possible CGPA x 100. For example, 6.4 on a 10-point scale becomes 64% under that fallback; it is not a reason to override a university's own formula.

Class 10 and 12 marks are entered in the CAT application form, but the CAT appearance threshold is attached to the qualifying degree or professional qualification. IIMs can assess school marks separately during shortlisting.

Final-Year Students, Pending Results and Backlogs

You can apply in the final year of a bachelor's degree or after completing degree requirements while waiting for the result. The application uses the aggregate marks available up to the latest marks statement. If selected, provisional admission requires a certificate from the Principal or Registrar confirming that all requirements for the degree were completed on the certificate's issue date.

The certificate deadline is set by the individual IIM. A CAT application or admit card does not extend it. The CAT FAQ allows a backlog candidate who is expected to complete the degree by June 2027 to apply as a final-year student, but the admitting IIM's completion and document conditions still have to be met.

A final-year professional-course student without a bachelor's degree cannot use the final-year bachelor's provision. The professional route requires completion. Students holding two bachelor's degrees enter both where the form asks; integrated bachelor's/master's candidates enter the university's appropriate details in the respective sections.

Age Limit, Attempts and Work Experience

There is no age limit for CAT, and work experience is not compulsory. Fresh graduates, final-year students and working professionals can meet the same appearance rules. You can take CAT again in a later year, but may appear only once in the 2026 examination, in the session allotted to you.

The work-experience field is narrower than a general CV. It counts full-time work after graduation, in days as on 31 July 2026, with breaks excluded. Part-time employment, internships, projects, articleship and pre-graduation work do not count in that field. Each IIM decides whether and how relevant experience contributes to its selection score.

Reservation and Category Certificates

For NC-OBC reservation, the applicable Central Government list at the registration deadline governs the claim. A state-list classification alone is not the same as meeting this condition. PwBD eligibility requires certification under the applicable disability rules; benchmark disability means at least 40% of a specified disability under the stated definition.

Category certificates are needed at registration, interview and joining, not just on exam day. The CAT reservation rules cover the category documents. An older NC-OBC/EWS certificate could be submitted only under the exceptional renewal arrangement, with the prescribed undertaking and renewal-application proof. Category changes are not allowed after registration.

CAT Eligibility Is Different from IIM Selection

Meeting the CAT minimum makes a candidate eligible to take the test; it does not assure an interview or admission. IIMs set their own programme requirements and shortlist criteria, which may consider CAT performance, previous academic records, work experience and later selection stages.

This distinction matters when comparing programmes at the same IIM. A regular two-year management programme and a programme for experienced professionals need not have identical conditions. The IIM shortlist criteria should therefore be read for the specific programme and admission batch.

Foreign-national, overseas and NRI admission routes are also institute-specific. Residence abroad does not create one common CAT/GMAT/GRE rule for every IIM. The relevant institution's programme policy determines the accepted test and supporting nationality or residence documents.

1. Accepted Qualification Routes
2. Marks and CGPA Rules
3. Final-Year and Backlog Cases

1. Age, Attempts and Work Experience
2. Category Proof
3. Exam Eligibility vs Admission