CAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria: Age Limit, Graduation Marks & Attempt Limit
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| Updated On - Jul 29, 2026
CAT 2026 eligibility criteria have been published by IIM Indore on the official website at iimcat.ac.in.
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You must have completed a bachelor's degree from any recognized university to be eligible for CAT 2026.
- You must have secured a minimum of 50% marks or equivalent CGPA to apply for CAT 2026 exam.
- Candidates appearing in the final year of their bachelor's degree or awaiting results are also eligible for CAT 2026.
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Key Summary:
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Educational Qualification Required for CAT 2026
To register for CAT 2026, a candidate has to get admitted in compliance with the set of eligibility conditions.
- The candidate must have graduated from a recognized University with at least a Bachelor's degree qualification.
- Final-year bachelor's degree students can apply for CAT 2026.
- General, EWS, and NC-OBC candidates to be able to apply, they have to have 50% minimum total aggregate percentage or equivalently CGPA of graduation
- Final-year bachelor's degree students and candidates awaiting results are also eligible to apply.
- Professional degree holders such as CA, CS, CMA/ICWA, and FIAI can also apply if they satisfy the prescribed marks requirement.
- Candidates with a bachelor's degree from a recognized university are eligible for CAT 2026.
| Qualification | Eligibility |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | Eligible |
| Final-Year Bachelor's Degree | Eligible |
| CA | Eligible |
| CS | Eligible |
| CMA/ICWA | Eligible |
| FIAI | Eligible |
Source: Official Brochure
CAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria: Minimum Marks Required
General, EWS and OBC category candidates must secure at least 50% aggregate marks in graduation to meet the CAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria.
- SC category candidates require a minimum of 45% aggregate marks in graduation under the CAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria.
- ST category candidates must obtain at least 45% aggregate marks in graduation to apply for CAT 2026. The requirement applies to recognized bachelor's degree programmes.
- PwD category candidates are eligible with a minimum of 45% aggregate marks in graduation for CAT 2026.
- The graduation percentage is calculated according to the conversion method prescribed by the respective university or institution.
- Candidates with CGPA or grades must use the officially certified conversion formula provided by their university.
- If a university does not have a CGPA-to-percentage conversion formula, the percentage is calculated by dividing the candidate's CGPA by the maximum possible CGPA and multiplying the result by 100.
You can Check CAT 2026 Graduation Marks Requirement in the table below
| Category | Minimum Graduation Marks |
|---|---|
| General | 50% |
| EWS | 50% |
| NC-OBC | 50% |
| SC | 45% |
| ST | 45% |
| PwD | 45% |
Source: Official Brochure
Eligibility for Reserved Categories & Relaxations
SC candidates are eligible for 15% reservation in IIM admissions under the Government of India reservation policy. The applicable Central Government list is considered.
- ST candidates receive 7.5% reservation in IIM admissions. Eligible candidates must satisfy the prescribed admission criteria.
- NC-OBC candidates belonging to the non-creamy layer are eligible for 27% reservation. The Central Government OBC list applicable on the last date of CAT registration is considered.
- EWS candidates are eligible for up to 10% reservation in IIM admissions. The reservation is provided as per the applicable Government of India guidelines.
- PwD candidates receive 5% reservation under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016. Candidates must satisfy the prescribed disability criteria and admission requirements.
You can check the Reservation Percentage in IIMs
| Category | Reservation Percentage |
| SC | 15% |
| ST | 7.5% |
| NC-OBC | 27% |
| EWS | Up to 10% |
| PwD | 5% |
Source: Official Brochure
Documents Required to Prove Eligibility
Candidates should keep the following documents ready during admission:
- Graduation Mark Sheets
- Degree Certificate (if applicable)
- Final-Year Certificate (if applicable)
- Category Certificate
- PwD Certificate
- Government Photo ID
- CGPA Conversion Certificate (if applicable)
What Happens If You Don't Meet Eligibility Criteria?
Candidates who fail to meet the criteria for CAT 2026 will probably be disqualified during the admission stage.
- For CAT 2026, the graduation score has to be 50% or more which is equivalent to 45% for Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, or Persons with Disabilities categories.
- In the case of incorrect academic documents found, candidates will be removed from the list of appearing candidates.
- Candidates can be given a provisional admission in case of final-year students, but in case they could not complete their bachelor's degree before the given time period, the provisional admission will get revoked.
- You might end up with just CAT qualification without any of the participating colleges accepting your application because admission is contingent on meeting the eligibility requirements and selection criteria of that college.
FAQs
Ques. Is 37 a good score in CAT?
Ans. In general, the score of a candidate who obtains 50%+ in CAT or 37 marks is not adequate to get admission in the top IIMs.
- The candidate will have to depend on overall percentile, caste category, reservation policy, and the institute's selection criteria.
- The chances of admission are greater if one has a higher CAT cut-off percentile.
- Cutoff requirements for admissions are usually different from college to college.
Ques. What is the criteria for CAT graduation marks?
Ans. For the general, EWS and NC-OBC categories, it is mandatory to have scored 50% aggregate marks or 6.5 CGPA equivalent graduation.
- While for the SC, ST, and PwD categories, the candidates will need to have 45% aggregate marks (CGPA equivalent of 5.5).
- Candidates in the final year of graduation can also fill the form for CAT.
Ques. How many attempts for CAT age limit?
Ans. The CAT exam does not have a restricted number of attempts. Eligible candidates can take the CAT test every year as long as they are eligible to do so.
- There is no restriction on the number of attempts candidates can have.
- Candidates must satisfy the criteria of eligibility at every turn.
Ques. Can I give a CAT exam at the age of 40 years?
Ans. Absolutely, it is permissible for candidates to apply for CAT at age 40 and upwards since there are no minimum/maximum age limits set by the CAT.
- Qualification for education is the main consideration. As long as an individual meets it, he/she can apply regardless of his/her age.
- Age is not the eligibility condition for the CAT.
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.