CAT Result 2026 Date and Score Validity

CAT 2026 results are tentatively scheduled for the first week of January 2027. The examination will be held on 29 November 2026. An exact result date and release time have not been announced.

The result remains CAT 2026 even if it is declared in January 2027: the examination year and the declaration year are different. It will be used by programmes accepting that cycle's score, including relevant 2027-29 management admissions.

The official bulletin says the scorecard will be accessible on the CAT website through 31 December 2027. After that date, queries about issuing the CAT 2026 scorecard will not be entertained. Save the complete scorecard during the access period rather than relying only on a screenshot of the percentile.

The CAT schedule covers confirmed examination milestones. A result date from December 2025 does not establish the release date for this cycle.

How to Access the CAT Scorecard

Once results are declared, open the candidate-login facility through iimcat.ac.in, sign in with the registered credentials and select the scorecard option shown in the account. Save the complete document and check that the examination year and candidate details belong to you.

The bulletin says candidates may also receive an individual SMS. SMS is an alert, not a replacement for the scorecard, and receipt of an SMS is not guaranteed for every candidate.

For a lost user ID or password, select Forgot User ID/Password, enter the registered email address and captcha, and use the recovery details sent to that address. If you requested several resets, use the latest password. The CAT login guide covers the account-recovery route.

Technical assistance is available on 1800 210 0175, Monday-Saturday from 9 AM to 6 PM, excluding national holidays. Do not share a password or OTP with someone offering to retrieve a scorecard or change a percentile.

How to Read CAT Scores and Percentiles

A response-based raw tally follows 3 x correct answers of either type - incorrect MCQs. Wrong typed answers and unanswered questions contribute zero. For example, 25 correct answers and seven wrong MCQs give 68 raw marks; wrong typed answers do not create an additional deduction.

The scorecard is the official result, while a calculation made from the response sheet is a raw-mark tally. A difference between the two should not automatically be described as an arithmetic error: first confirm the key version and whether raw or scaled scores are being compared.

A percentile is not the percentage of maximum marks scored. Nor can you average the three sectional percentiles to obtain the overall percentile. VARC, DILR and QA thresholds matter separately because institutes may require a minimum in every section.

A third-party score-to-percentile estimate is not the declared result. A personal raw score cannot establish the complete candidate distribution or an exact future percentile.

Current IIM Cutoffs to Compare with CAT 2026 Results

IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Calcutta have published domestic admission criteria using CAT 2026 for their 2027-29 intakes. The tables below are minimum percentile floors, not guaranteed-call or final-admission cutoffs. Other programmes may use different requirements.

IIM Ahmedabad PGP 2027-29

For Ahmedabad, the sectional figure applies separately to VARC, DILR and QA. A General non-PwD candidate at 98 overall but 84 in QA would not meet the 85-sectional minimum. The IIM Ahmedabad selection guide explains the application rating and discipline-normalised shortlist.

IIM Calcutta MBA 2027-29

Calcutta additionally requires non-negative raw scores in every CAT section. The IIM Calcutta selection guide covers the shortlist composite and final weights. A high overall percentile does not remove either the sectional floors or this raw-score condition.

These are selected institute examples, not a complete all-IIM cutoff list. The CAT cutoff page covers the broader comparison; each table must retain its institute, programme, category and admission year.

What Happens After the CAT Result?

Each IIM sets its own academic cutoffs, component weights and selection process. CAT is an important component, but earlier academic performance, relevant work experience and other profile factors can influence who receives an interview call.

The final formulas also differ. Ahmedabad gives 50% to PI, 10% to AWT and 40% to its normalised shortlist composite. Calcutta allocates 48 points to PI, eight to WAT, 30 to CAT, six to academic diversity and eight to work experience. Ahmedabad's carried composite is not the same thing as a standalone CAT score.

Receiving the scorecard does not register you automatically for every later interview or programme-specific process. Follow the forms and deadlines attached to the institute's shortlist. The CAT admission-process page and IIM shortlist criteria cover those later stages.

Listed non-IIM institutions may use CAT 2026 scores, but IIMs do not control their selection process. A college can require its own application and selection stages. CAT registration or an IIM shortlist should not be treated as an application to every non-IIM college.

Documents and Final-Year Conditions After the Result

A scorecard does not replace the qualifying-degree or category conditions. A recognised bachelor's degree normally requires 50% marks for General, EWS and NC-OBC, or 45% for SC, ST and PwBD under CAT eligibility. Completed professional routes and final-year routes have their own supporting records.

For final-year students, completion of degree requirements and submission of final proof are separate milestones. The current Ahmedabad and Calcutta policies illustrate why one common deadline should not be used for all institutes.

Ahmedabad requires every degree requirement, including supplementary examinations, to be completed by 30 June 2027, with the completion certificate issued by that date. Its final proof deadline is 31 December. Calcutta also requires completion and the institutional certificate by 30 June, but final proof is due by 30 September. A later proof deadline does not allow extra time to finish the degree.

For CAT 2026, NC-OBC certificates must be issued on or after 1 April 2026. EWS certificates must be valid for 2026-27 and assessed for financial year 2025-26. The registration undertaking route for a pending renewed certificate does not remove subsequent verification of the valid claim.

Keep the scorecard, degree/semester records, relevant conversion certificates and category evidence together for the programme's verification stage. The academic eligibility guide and reservation guide explain the underlying conditions.

Result and Scorecarddate, login and score meaning Cutoffs and Admissioninstitute floors, selection and documents

1. Result Date and Validity
2. Scorecard Access and Recovery
3. Scorecard Measures

1. Published CAT 2026 Cutoff Examples
2. From Result to Admission
3. Final-Year Document Deadlines