CAT Exam Eligibility 2026: Minimum Marks, Age Limit, Final-Year Rules & Reservation

Quick eligibility check "you can apply for CAT 2026 if you hold a recognised bachelor's degree - or are in your final year - with at least 50% aggregate marks, or 45% for SC, ST and PwBD candidates." There is no age limit and no cap on attempts.

• Any stream qualifies. Arts, Science, Commerce, Engineering, BCA, BBA - the discipline is irrelevant.
• Final-year students are eligible, subject to producing a certificate from their institution and completing the degree within the IIMs' deadline.
• CA, CS and CMA (ICWA) qualifications are accepted in place of a degree, as is Fellowship of the Institute of Actuaries of India.
• Class 12 marks do not affect CAT eligibility at all. They are used later, at the IIM shortlisting stage.

Use the sections below for the cases that actually cause confusion - 49.5%, CGPA conversion, integrated programmes, NRI applicants and category documents.

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Key Takeaways

• The bar is a degree, not a subject. Any bachelor's degree from a recognised university at 50% (45% for SC/ST/PwBD) qualifies you, regardless of stream.
• Percentage is calculated the way your university calculates it. If your marksheet shows CGPA, your university's certified conversion is what counts - not a formula you apply yourself.
• 49.5% is not eligible under General. There is no rounding-up provision. The same 49.5% is eligible under SC, ST and PwBD.

CAT 2026 Key Dates and Fees

The CAT 2026 notification released on 25 July 2026. These dates are confirmed, not tentative.

Particular	Detail
Exam date	Sunday, 29 November 2026, conducted in three sessions
Conducting Institute	IIM Indore
Registration begins	3 August 2026, 10:00 AM
Registration deadline	15 September 2026, 5:00 PM
Application fee	₹2,700 (General/EWS/NC-OBC), ₹1,350 (SC/ST/PwD)
Test cities	Approximately 170 cities across India
Score validity	Valid until 31 December 2027
Admission cycle	2027–29 batch
Official website	iimcat.ac.in

What Is CAT Exam Eligibility?

CAT exam eligibility is the set of minimum academic conditions the conducting IIM requires before you can register for the exam - essentially a recognised bachelor's degree, a category-wise minimum percentage, and a rule allowing final-year students to apply conditionally.

It is worth being precise about what eligibility is not. It is not an assessment of aptitude, and it is not a shortlisting filter. It is an administrative gate that confirms you hold a valid degree. The exam itself, and then each institute's own criteria, do the filtering afterwards.

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CAT Eligibility Criteria 2026

One table covering every parameter that determines whether you can apply.

Parameter	Requirement
Minimum qualification	Bachelor's degree in any discipline, or an equivalent qualification, from a recognised university or institution.
Minimum marks	50% aggregate marks or equivalent CGPA for General, EWS, and NC-OBC candidates; 45% for SC, ST, and PwD candidates.
Final-year students	Eligible to apply, subject to certification from the institution and completion of the degree within the IIMs' prescribed timeline.
Professional qualifications	CA, CS, ICWA (CMA), and Fellowship of the Institute of Actuaries of India are accepted.
University recognition	The degree must be awarded by a university or institution recognised by the UGC, AICTE, Ministry of Education (MoE), or an equivalent statutory authority.
CAT age limit	There is no minimum or maximum age limit for appearing in the CAT exam.
Number of attempts	No restriction on the number of attempts. Candidates may appear in CAT every year.
Work experience	Work experience is not mandatory. Both fresh graduates and working professionals are eligible.
Class 12 marks	Class 12 marks are not considered for CAT eligibility, though individual IIMs may use them during the shortlisting process.
Diploma or Class 12 alone	Not eligible. A completed or ongoing bachelor's degree is mandatory.
Backlogs or arrears	Candidates with backlogs may appear for CAT but must clear all pending papers before admission.
Reservation	Reservation is available for SC, ST, NC-OBC, EWS, and PwD candidates as per Government of India norms.
Nationality	There is no nationality restriction for appearing in CAT. Admission procedures differ for NRI, OCI, and foreign nationals.

Note: you must produce proof of eligibility - marksheets, degree or provisional certificate - within the timeline the admitting institute specifies. Failure to do so can cancel your admission even after you have cleared CAT and the selection rounds.

For the topics you will actually be tested on, see the CAT syllabus and CAT exam pattern.

CAT Eligibility by Stream or Degree Type

Degree / Stream	Eligible?	Min % (Gen/EWS/NC-OBC)	Min % (SC/ST/PwD)	Notes
BA (Any Subject)	Yes	50%	45%	Bachelor's degree from any recognised university.
BCom / BBA	Yes	50%	45%	Fully eligible for CAT and all participating IIMs.
BSc (Any Specialisation)	Yes	50%	45%	All science disciplines are eligible.
BE / BTech	Yes	50%	45%	Degree must be recognised by AICTE/UGC or the appropriate authority.
BCA / BSc IT / Computer Science	Yes	50%	45%	Eligible if awarded by a recognised institution.
CA / CS / ICWA (CMA)	Yes	50%	45%	Recognised professional qualifications are accepted.
FIAI (Actuaries)	Yes	50%	45%	Accepted as per CAT eligibility guidelines.
BArch / BDS / MBBS / LLB	Yes	50%	45%	Professional bachelor's degrees are eligible.
Distance / Correspondence Degree	Yes	50%	45%	Valid only if the university is recognised by the UGC.
Diploma (Without Bachelor's Degree)	No	—	—	A bachelor's degree is mandatory for CAT eligibility.
Class 12 Only	No	—	—	Candidates must have completed or be pursuing a bachelor's degree.

Class 12 marks have no role in CAT eligibility. Only your graduation percentage counts. That said, several IIMs weight Class 10 and 12 scores during shortlisting, so keep those marksheets accessible — more at is Class 12 marks important for CAT.

Non-engineers frequently ask whether the exam disadvantages them. It does not, on eligibility or on design - see cracking CAT as a non-engineer.

Is 49.5% Eligible for CAT? Borderline Cases Explained

For General, EWS and NC-OBC candidates, 49.5% is not eligible. The requirement is 50% and there is no rounding-up provision. The same 49.5% is eligible under SC, ST and PwBD, where the threshold is 45%.

This is the single most consequential edge case on this page, so here is what to actually do if you are anywhere near the line.

If you are between roughly 48% and 52% by any calculation method, do this before you register:

1. Request your university's official percentage-equivalence certificate. Do not self-calculate. The certificate is what an institute verifies at the document stage, and it is the only figure that settles the question.
2. Check whether your marksheet already prints a percentage. If it does, that figure is used directly - you do not apply a conversion formula to it.
3. Ask your examination department which aggregate is used. Some universities compute the aggregate across all semesters, others across the final two years only. The difference can cross the 50% line.
4. Do not register on an optimistic reading. A wrong declaration at registration becomes a false eligibility claim later, with consequences set out further down this page.

Registrar offices move slowly in admission season. Start this in early August, not in September.

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How to Convert CGPA to Percentage for CAT

The IIMs do not apply one universal conversion. Follow this order of priority.

Priority	Rule
University's certified conversion	If your university publishes an official CGPA-to-percentage conversion formula or issues an equivalence certificate, use that percentage. This takes precedence over all other conversion methods.
Percentage printed on the marksheet	If both CGPA and percentage are mentioned on your marksheet or degree certificate, use the printed percentage. Do not recalculate it using any other formula.
Fallback method	If your university provides neither a conversion formula nor a percentage, follow the conversion method prescribed by the conducting IIM in the official CAT notification. Verify the latest guidelines before submitting your application.

Why the order matters. Universities use different multipliers, so the same CGPA can convert to materially different percentages depending on the institution's scheme. Applying a generic formula to a CGPA when your university has its own certified method can put you on the wrong side of the 50% line in either direction.

Carry your university's equivalence certificate to the interview stage regardless of how comfortable your margin looks.

CAT Eligibility for Final Year Students

Final-year bachelor's students may apply for CAT 2026. The eligibility is conditional rather than absolute, and the conditions are where problems arise.

What you need at the application stage. At least 50% aggregate - 45% for SC, ST and PwBD - in the results declared so far. You declare your expected completion date in the CAT application form.

The certificate you must produce. Your institution must issue a certificate on letterhead, signed by the Registrar, Principal or Dean, confirming that you are in the final year and will complete your degree requirements by the deadline the admitting institute specifies. This is verified at the document stage after the interview round, not at registration.

Proof at admission. Admission remains provisional until you submit your degree or provisional certificate along with final marksheets showing the required percentage. Provisional means exactly that — an offer can be withdrawn.

The two risks worth planning around.

• A final result below the threshold voids the offer. Even after clearing CAT, WAT and the interview, an aggregate that lands under 50% ends the process.
• Delayed university results are common. If your marksheets will not be issued before the institute's deadline, request a provisional certificate early. This is the most frequent avoidable loss among final-year candidates.

Practical step: find out who at your college issues these certificates before you register, not after you receive a call.

Can You Apply for CAT with Backlogs or Arrears?

Yes. Candidates with backlogs in their bachelor's degree may appear for CAT 2026, and IIM admission policies do not generally bar them from applying.

The condition is timing rather than permission.

• You must clear all backlogs before the admission process concludes. Institutes require a bachelor's degree with the minimum percentage at the time of admission.
• If results are pending, you may be asked for a certificate from your institution confirming that you have appeared for supplementary examinations and are awaiting results.
• Admission stays provisional until you submit proof of a completed degree with all backlogs cleared and the required aggregate.

Practically: appearing for CAT with backlogs is fine. Reaching the document-verification stage with backlogs outstanding is not. Work backwards from your supplementary exam calendar.

CAT Age Limit and Number of Attempts

One of the genuinely liberal features of CAT eligibility is that neither age nor attempt count restricts you.

Parameter	Detail
Minimum age	None specified. You need a recognised bachelor's degree, or to be completing one
Maximum age	No upper age limit. You may appear at any career stage
Number of attempts	No cap. You may appear in consecutive years to improve your score
Age relaxation	Not applicable, since no age limit exists

This is why working professionals, graduates returning after a break and repeaters all sit on identical eligibility footing with freshers.

Note that institutes generally consider your most recent CAT score rather than your best across attempts.

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CAT Eligibility for Working Professionals

CAT 2026 eligibility places no restriction on candidates with work experience.

Parameter	Detail for working professionals
Work experience requirement	Not mandatory. Freshers and professionals are equally eligible
Minimum qualification	Bachelor's degree with 50%, or 45% for SC/ST/PwBD
Age limit	None
Number of attempts	No limit. You may appear while employed
Work experience at admission stage	Not required for eligibility, but weighted by most institutes during shortlisting
Deferment	Not a standing option at most IIMs. Where considered at all, it is case by case on exceptional grounds. A CAT score cannot be carried forward regardless

How work experience factors into admission, not eligibility

Work experience does not affect whether you can sit CAT. It affects your composite score afterwards.

• Institutes score components separately - academic performance, work experience, and WAT or interview performance each carry their own weight.
• Freshers are not disadvantaged. Most institutes normalise across experience bands, so freshers compete within their own group.
• Experience is scored on a band that typically peaks somewhere between 24 and 36 months and then plateaus or tapers. The exact band differs by institute and is revised most years, so check the current admission policy of each institute on your shortlist rather than relying on a general rule.
• What counts: full-time employment after graduation. Internships and part-time work are generally excluded.

CAT Eligibility for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD)

Under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, not less than 5% of seats are reserved for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities. A benchmark disability means at least 40% of a specified disability, certified by a competent authority.

The Act covers a defined list including blindness, low vision, hearing impairment, locomotor disability, autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, specific learning disabilities and several others.

For CAT eligibility specifically, PwBD candidates need 45% in graduation rather than 50%. Scribe and compensatory-time provisions are available at the exam, and these must be requested during registration rather than on exam day.

Terminology note: the official notification uses PwBD (Persons with Benchmark Disabilities). You will also see PwD used informally for the same category.

CAT Reservation Policy 2026: Category-Wise Seats

Reservation applies at the admission stage, not to the exam itself. You must meet the basic eligibility requirements and submit valid certificates.

Category	Reservation in seats
Scheduled Caste (SC)	15%
Scheduled Tribe (ST)	7.5%
Other Backward Classes – Non-Creamy Layer (NC-OBC)	27%
Economically Weaker Sections (EWS)	10%
Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD)	5%

Reserved-category candidates should review requirements carefully before applying. Institutes aim to adhere to statutory proportions, but candidates must still meet minimum eligibility and performance standards.

Category Documents to Keep Ready

CAT registration captures your category, and you may be asked to upload or produce supporting documents per the official bulletin.

Category	Certificate required	What to check
SC / ST	Caste or tribe certificate in the competent-authority format	Name and date of birth must match your CAT form and photo ID
NC-OBC	NC-OBC certificate plus non-creamy-layer proof in the bulletin's format	Validity window and format must match the current bulletin
EWS	EWS certificate in the prescribed format	Issue-date and validity rules change year to year
PwBD	Disability certificate per prescribed guidelines	Percentage of disability and issuing authority must be clearly stated
General	None	Still keep graduation marksheets and degree proof ready

Four mistakes that cause rejection

• Uploading an expired certificate when the bulletin requires a recent validity window.
• Using a format that does not match the bulletin template. Download the official template from the CAT portal and cross-check before submitting.
• Name or date-of-birth mismatch between certificate, CAT form and photo ID.
• Assuming category can be changed later. Correction windows are limited and category is often outside their scope.

If your documents are invalid or outdated, your category may be treated as General for the entire admission process. That is not a technicality - it changes which cut-off applies to you.

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Nationality: NRI, OCI and Foreign Nationals

Indian nationals, NRIs, PIO and OCI cardholders and foreign nationals may all appear for CAT. The exam sets no nationality bar - only the degree and marks requirements apply.

What differs is the admission route, not eligibility:

• Several institutes operate separate NRI or international-candidate seats with their own application processes and deadlines.
• Some accept GMAT as an alternative to CAT for international applicants.
• If you hold a foreign degree, you will additionally need an equivalence certificate from the Association of Indian Universities (AIU).

Check the international-admissions page of each target institute before applying, since these routes are set institute by institute rather than centrally.

CAT Eligibility for 5-Year Integrated Programme Students

Students in five-year integrated programmes — Integrated MBA, BA LLB, BBA LLB, or dual-degree courses — may be eligible depending on the programme's structure.

• Integrated Programme in Management (IPM): students progressing within their own IPM do not appear for CAT. If you want to apply to a different institute's two-year MBA, you must first complete the bachelor's component of your degree.
• Dual degree (BTech + MTech, BA + MA): generally eligible after completing at least three years of the programme and holding pass certificates for those years, treated as final-year or pass-certificate holders.
• Fourth or fifth year of an integrated programme: you may be eligible to apply as a final-year student under the standard criteria.

Integrated-programme wording is the area the conducting IIM clarifies most often, so check the exact phrasing in the CAT 2026 bulletin if your case is unusual.

Does a Postgraduate Degree Help with CAT Eligibility?

A postgraduate degree is not required, and it does not change your eligibility. A bachelor's degree at the required percentage is sufficient. But declaring it matters.

• At the CAT stage: a PG qualification has no bearing on whether you can appear. Eligibility rests on your bachelor's degree alone.
• At the shortlisting stage: institutes assess your full academic profile, and PG scores can form part of the academic-performance component.
• On institute application forms: fill in every qualification. These forms feed shortlisting, so an omission can reduce your profile score.
• Executive programmes: with substantial work experience and a PG degree, you may also qualify for Executive MBA programmes, which carry different eligibility criteria from the regular two-year course.

Fill your complete academic history into the CAT form. It is used for shortlisting, not just registration.

Who Is Not Eligible for CAT 2026?

CAT eligibility is broad, but these cases fall outside it.

• No recognised bachelor's degree. If your course or institution is not recognised by the UGC, AICTE, the Ministry of Education or an equivalent statutory body.
• Below the minimum percentage. Under 50% aggregate for General, EWS and NC-OBC, or under 45% for SC, ST and PwBD. There is no rounding provision.
• Diploma or Class 12 only. A completed or in-progress bachelor's degree is mandatory.
• Final-year students who do not complete on time. Failing to pass, or being unable to produce proof of qualifying within the institute's deadline, ends the process.
• Falsified or incorrect information. Any mismatch in marks, category or personal details can cancel candidature at any stage.
• Invalid category certificates. Outdated, wrong-format or fraudulent certificates cost you category benefits, or result in outright rejection.

If any of these apply, resolve the issue before registering rather than after.

What CAT Eligibility Does Not Guarantee

Worth stating plainly, because meeting the criteria on this page is often mistaken for clearing the bar everywhere.

• Institute minimums can sit above the CAT minimum. Several IIMs and top non-IIM institutes apply their own academic cut-offs at the shortlisting stage, and those can exceed 50%. Check the admission policy of each institute on your shortlist.
• Eligibility is not a shortlist. It confirms you may sit the exam. Your percentile determines whether you receive a call - see CAT cut off for IIM.
• A percentile is not a conversion. Even a strong score earns an interview call rather than a seat. Institutes weight academics, work experience and profile diversity alongside the score, and the CAT admission process concludes with WAT, GD and interview rounds.
• Eligibility criteria differ across exams. If CAT does not suit your profile, CMAT and other entrances have their own criteria - and there are routes into an IIM without CAT for specific programmes.

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At Which Stages Is Eligibility Verified?

Eligibility is not checked once. It is checked five times, and a discrepancy at any point can end your candidature - including after a final offer letter.

Stage	When	What is verified
1. Registration	Aug–Sep 2026	Self-declared qualification, category and personal details
2. Exam day	29 Nov 2026	Identity and photo ID at the test centre
3. Shortlisting	Jan–Feb 2027	CAT score plus academic profile, including Class 10, Class 12 and graduation percentages
4. WAT / GD / PI	Feb–Apr 2027	Original marksheets, category certificates, work-experience documents
5. Final admission	Jun–Jul 2027	Degree or provisional certificate plus all originals

The practical implication: assemble your document set once, in August, rather than four times under deadline pressure.

Consequences of a False Eligibility Claim

Providing inaccurate information can disqualify you from the exam and the entire admission process. Verification happens at each of the five stages above, not only at application.

Category. Claiming SC, ST, NC-OBC, EWS or PwBD status without a valid, current certificate results in rejection or loss of category benefit. If your family income has crossed the non-creamy-layer threshold since your certificate was issued, you must apply under General - failing to declare that change is itself a disqualifying omission.

Academic details. Incorrect marks, or a degree from an institution not recognised by the UGC, AICTE or the Ministry of Education, will be caught at document verification.

Work experience. Overstating experience is a poor risk. Interview panels probe it in detail, and a discovered exaggeration cancels candidature.

Personal information. Some fields such as address can be corrected. Name, date of birth, email and mobile number generally cannot be changed after registration, so check them carefully before submitting.

Where a genuine change of circumstance occurs - a category status change after form submission, for instance - contact the CAT authorities rather than leaving the record inaccurate. A deliberate false claim is a different matter and carries serious consequences.

CAT Registration Trends

Scale is useful context when you are deciding whether to apply.

CAT year	Registered	Appeared	Conducting IIM
CAT 2025	~2,95,000	~2,58,000	IIM Kozhikode
CAT 2024	~3,29,000	~2,85,000	IIM Calcutta
CAT 2023	~3,30,000	~2,88,000	IIM Lucknow

Figures as reported by the conducting IIMs. Rounded to the nearest thousand.

Against these numbers, seats at the IIMs run to a few thousand across all 21 institutes, which is why a strong percentile is necessary but not sufficient. Slot-wise difficulty and section analysis for the most recent cycle is at CAT exam analysis.

Conclusion

The CAT Exam Eligibility Criteria for IIMs 2026 is designed to ensure that test-takers possess the skills and aptitude necessary to succeed in a competitive business environment, with no specific age limit for the CAT exam 2026.

Besides IIMs, thousands of other B-schools offer MBAs based on CAT scores. Therefore, it is essential to note that the CAT Eligibility Criteria 2026 may vary for other management colleges; therefore, it is advisable to check with the institute before applying for the CAT.