CAT 2026 Result: Get Official CAT Scorecard Link [Live Updates 2026]

The CAT 2026 result is expected in the third to fourth week of December 2026 (around 23–24 December, based on recent trends), with a possible spillover to the first week of January 2027. CAT 2026 is conducted by IIM Indore, and the scorecard will be released only through candidate login at iimcat.ac.in. Your scorecard shows section-wise and overall scaled scores and percentiles for VARC, DILR and QA all three are used by IIMs for shortlisting.

Download Official CAT 2026 Registration 

CAT 2026 Result: Highlights & Key Takeaways

• Conducting body: IIM Indore conducts CAT 2026 (exam held 29 November 2026). The result is expected in the third to fourth week of December 2026, possibly extending to early January 2027.
• Where to check: The scorecard is available only via login at iimcat.ac.in. It is never emailed or posted, and cannot be reissued after the download window closes.
• What it contains: Section-wise scaled scores and percentiles for VARC, DILR and QA, plus overall scaled score and overall percentile.
• Both numbers matter: Sectional percentile cut-offs apply at every IIM — a strong overall score with one weak section can still mean no shortlist call.
• Percentile benchmarks: Top IIMs (A, B, C) typically expect 99–100 percentile for General category; Tier-2 IIMs 95–99; newer IIMs 90–95.
• Act fast: IIM shortlists begin releasing as early as January, so PI/WAT preparation must start on result day.
• Validity: A CAT 2026 score is valid for the 2027 admission cycle only — it is not carried forward.

Result not out yet? Estimate where you stand before the official declaration.  ➜ Check My Predicted Percentile

Use Free CAT Percentile Predictor Tool - Check Your Predicted Score Now

CAT 2026 Result Date & Key Timeline

CAT 2026 was held on Sunday, 29 November 2026 by IIM Indore across three slots. Going by the last several years, the conducting IIM declares the result roughly three to four weeks after the exam, once the objection window closes and the final answer key is published. That places the CAT 2026 result in the third to fourth week of December 2026, with 23–24 December being the most likely window and a small chance of spillover into the first week of January 2027.

Event	CAT 2025 (actual)	CAT 2026 (expected)
Exam date	30 Nov 2025	29 Nov 2026 (confirmed)
Candidate response sheet	Early Dec 2025	Early Dec 2026
Answer key objection window	8–10 Dec 2025	Mid-Dec 2026
Final answer key	17 Dec 2025	Mid to late Dec 2026
Result declaration	24 Dec 2025	3rd–4th week Dec 2026 (~23–24 Dec)
IIM PI/WAT shortlists	Jan–Feb 2026	Jan–Feb 2027
PI & WAT rounds	Feb–Apr 2026	Feb–Apr 2027
Final offers & merit list	Apr–May 2026	Apr–May 2027
Scorecard download window	Until 31 Dec 2026	Until Dec 2027 (expected)

Also check: CAT Exam Date 2026 – full schedule and notification

When will the CAT 2026 result be declared? The CAT 2026 result is expected in the third to fourth week of December 2026, most likely around 23–24 December, and released by IIM Indore on iimcat.ac.in. In some years the declaration slips to the first week of January. The result comes out simultaneously for all three slots on a single date, and only candidates who sat the exam receive a scorecard with sectional and overall scaled scores and percentiles.

How to Download Your CAT 2026 Scorecard (Step by Step)

Once the result is declared, the scorecard is available as a single downloadable PDF through your CAT login. The window is time-limited and traffic is heaviest in the first few hours, so log in early and save multiple copies. Follow these exact steps:

Step	Action	What to note
1	Open iimcat.ac.in on desktop or mobile	Use the official site only — avoid unofficial 'result' links
2	Click 'CAT Result / Download Scorecard' on the homepage	This button appears only after declaration
3	Enter your CAT User ID and password	Same credentials used during registration & admit card
4	Scorecard loads — click Download to save the PDF	Allow pop-ups and downloads for iimcat.ac.in first
5	Save the PDF and take 2–3 printouts	Needed for interview rounds and B-school applications

Also check: CAT Eligibility 2026 – complete criteria

Login Problems on CAT Result Day? Quick Fixes

Result day sees peak traffic on the portal, and a handful of predictable issues trip up candidates every year. Here is how to clear each one quickly:

• Forgotten User ID or password: Use 'Forgot Password' and reset via your registered email or mobile. Keep both handy before you start.
• Site slow or not loading: Open in Incognito, switch between Chrome and Edge, or retry after a few minutes — load eases after the first-hour rush.
• PDF won't download: Allow pop-ups and downloads for iimcat.ac.in and disable ad-blockers on the page.
• Still stuck: Clear cache and cookies for the site, then log in again. If the login page fails to load, wait and retry rather than using any third-party 'mirror' link.

What the CAT 2026 Scorecard Shows

The scorecard is the only official document confirming your CAT 2026 performance, and every IIM and B-school asks for it during admissions. Here is exactly what appears on it:

Detail	What it means
Candidate name & registration number	Your identity as registered on the CAT portal
Category & gender	As declared — used for category-wise cut-offs
Exam date & slot	Which of the three slots you appeared in
Section-wise scaled score	Normalised score for VARC, DILR and QA separately — not raw marks
Overall scaled score	Sum of the three normalised section scores
Section-wise percentile	Your rank relative to all test-takers, per section
Overall percentile	Your rank among all candidates — the headline shortlisting number

Because the scorecard exists only behind your login and is never reissued after the window closes, download it the moment it's live, verify every field, and store both a cloud copy and a local copy.

Also check: CAT Cut Off for IIMs – section-wise percentile requirements

What does the CAT scorecard contain? The CAT scorecard is a single PDF showing your name, registration number, category, gender, slot, and — most importantly — your scaled scores and percentiles. It lists section-wise scaled scores and percentiles for VARC, DILR and QA, plus an overall scaled score and overall percentile. IIMs use both the overall percentile and each sectional percentile to shortlist candidates, so a balanced performance across all three sections matters as much as the headline number.

CAT Score vs Percentile: Year-Wise Trends (2021–2024)

These are approximate overall scaled scores needed to reach each percentile band in recent years. Use them to benchmark yourself before the official CAT 2026 result — but remember the scores shift every year with paper difficulty and the size of the test-taking pool.

Percentile	CAT 2021	CAT 2022	CAT 2023	CAT 2024
99.5+	108	92	86	95
99	98	84	76	86
98	85	75	68	78
95	72	62	55	65
90	60	49	44	52
85	52	42	38	45
80	46	36	33	40
75	40	31	28	35
70	36	27	24	30

Notice how the 2023 paper a comparatively easier one needed lower raw scores for the same percentile, while 2021 required the highest. Treat these as directional benchmarks, not fixed targets. Since CAT 2026 is set by IIM Indore, whose recent papers leaned on a tougher Quant section, expect QA to again be a differentiator at the top of the distribution.

Also check: CAT Score vs Percentile – detailed year-wise analysis

What overall score gives a 99 percentile in CAT? A 99 percentile in CAT has historically required an overall scaled score in the mid-70s to high-90s, depending on the year's difficulty. It touched roughly 76 in the easier 2023 paper and about 86 in 2024, while the tougher 2021 exam needed around 98. Because percentile depends on the entire field's performance, the exact cut-off is confirmed only after the result. Aim for a balanced score across VARC, DILR and QA rather than a single high section.

How the CAT Score Is Calculated: Raw Score, Scaled Score & Normalisation

Understanding the three-step journey from raw marks to percentile helps you read your scorecard correctly and set realistic expectations before the result lands.

Step 1 Raw score

Your raw score is computed first, before any normalisation:

• +3 marks for every correct answer
• −1 mark for every incorrect MCQ answer
• 0 marks for unattempted questions and for TITA (non-MCQ) questions

The total raw score is the sum of your section-wise raw scores across VARC, DILR and QA.

Step 2 Why normalisation happens

CAT runs in three slots on the same day, each with a different question set. If one slot is harder, its candidates would be unfairly penalised on raw scores alone. Normalisation corrects this by adjusting scores across slots using the following anchors:

Parameter	What it accounts for
Highest score in the slot	Sets the upper anchor of the formula
Lowest score in the slot	Sets the lower anchor of the formula
Mean score of the slot	Adjusts for that paper's overall difficulty
Median score of the slot	Balances the mid-point of the distribution across slots
Top 10-percentile performance	Normalises high-end score compression between slots
Bottom 10-percentile performance	Normalises low-end distribution between slot

Step 3 Scaled score to percentile

Once scaled scores are set, they are ranked across all test-takers. Your percentile is the percentage of candidates who scored at or below your scaled score. This is why:

• A 1–2 mark difference can move your percentile by 0.1–0.5 points near the top of the curve.
• Your percentile depends on the whole field's performance, not your score in isolation.
• Sectional percentiles matter as much as the overall — most IIMs apply sectional cut-offs on top of the overall number.

Also check: CAT Exam Pattern 2026 – marking scheme and structure

What to Do After the CAT 2026 Result: Admission Roadmap

The result is the start line, not the finish. Here is the full post-result journey, phase by phase.

Phase 1 – Result day to day 7

• Download and save the scorecard PDF — three printouts plus a secure cloud and local copy.
• Note both overall and section-wise percentiles — every IIM and top B-school uses both.
• Compare against IIM cut-offs on institute websites to gauge realistic calls.
• Start applying to non-IIM B-schools whose windows are still open — don't wait on IIM shortlists.

Phase 2 – IIM shortlist stage (January to February)

IIMs release PI/WAT shortlists after weighing your CAT overall and sectional percentiles alongside Class 10 and 12 marks, graduation performance, work experience, and diversity factors.

Institute tier	Typical overall cut-off	Admission process
IIM A, B, C (top 3)	99–100 percentile	Individual PI & WAT
IIM L, I, K, Kozhikode (Tier 2)	95–99 percentile	Individual PI & WAT
Newer & baby IIMs	90–95 percentile	Common Admission Process (CAP)
Top non-IIMs (XLRI, MDI, SPJIMR)	90–99 percentile	Own GD/PI/WAT rounds

Phase 3 – PI & WAT preparation (February to April)

• Personal Interview: Know your profile cold — academics, work experience, goals and current affairs. Expect deep questions from your graduation discipline.
• Written Ability Test: Practise structured 200–300 word essays on business, social and ethical topics. Argument structure beats vocabulary.
• Academic refresh: Revise your undergraduate subject — it's tested rigorously at most IIMs.

Phase 4 – Final offers (April to May)

Each institute releases its final merit list individually in April–May. Accept your seat within the deadline and complete joining formalities to lock in your admission.

Also check: WAT Topics for CAT Admissions – topic list and strategy

How long is the CAT 2026 score valid? A CAT 2026 score is valid only for admissions in the immediate cycle — the 2027 intake — and is not carried forward to future years. IIMs and most B-schools accept the score only for that admission season, so candidates must reappear for CAT if they wish to apply in a later cycle. Save your scorecard PDF and multiple printouts, because it cannot be reissued after the official download window closes at iimcat.ac.in.

Common Result-Day Mistakes to Avoid

Every year, avoidable errors cost candidates time or opportunities in the days right after the result. From what we see across preparation batches, these are the ones worth guarding against:

• Judging your result on the overall percentile alone. A weak sectional percentile can sink an otherwise strong profile at IIM-A/B/C. Read all four numbers.
• Not downloading the PDF immediately. The window closes, and the scorecard cannot be reissued. Save copies on result day itself.
• Trusting unofficial 'result' links. Only iimcat.ac.in is authentic; third-party links on result day are a phishing risk.
• Waiting for IIM calls before applying elsewhere. Non-IIM windows (and OMETs like XAT, SNAP, CMAT) often close early. Apply in parallel.
• Postponing PI/WAT prep. Shortlists arrive within weeks, and the strongest candidates start interview prep the same week the result drops.

Can I challenge or re-evaluate the CAT result? There is no re-evaluation of the CAT result itself. Candidates can only raise objections during the official answer-key challenge window, which opens before the result and typically stays open for two to three days, with a per-question fee. Once the final answer key is published and the result is declared, the scores and percentiles are final. This is why reviewing the response sheet and answer key carefully during the objection window is the only stage where a genuine error can be flagged.

Supergrads CAT 2025 Results

These are verified standout results from Supergrads students in CAT 2025 — the outcome of structured preparation, IIM-alumni mentorship and disciplined mock practice across a full cycle:

Student	CAT 2025 percentile	Supergrads ID
Lakshya Sharma	99.85	SG: 5941331
Prateek Pradhan	99.82	SG: 679669
Naitik Singhal	99.45	SG: 6255463
Tanmay	98.90	SG: 6322632
Aditya	98.77	SG: 6791367
Rashmi Sharma	98.15	SG: 6312578
Krishna Bansal	98.13	SG: 5544080

Also check: SuperGrads CAT Results – full success record

Conclusion

Your CAT 2026 result roadmap is straightforward: download your scorecard at iimcat.ac.in on result day, read both your overall and section-wise percentiles, compare them against IIM and B-school cut-offs with your full profile in mind, and start PI/WAT preparation without delay. If your score lands below expectations, XAT, CMAT and SNAP application windows may still be open — act on them immediately rather than waiting on IIM shortlists.

And if you're already planning for CAT 2027, the best time to begin is now, with a structured study plan, consistent mocks and mentorship from IIM alumni. Supergrads students achieved 99.85, 99.82 and 99.45 percentiles in CAT 2025, with seven students above 98 percentile in a single batch, on a curriculum refreshed after every CAT paper.

Ready to plan your next move? Check your scholarship eligibility and get a personalised prep roadmap.  ➜ Book a Free Supergrads Demo Class

Also check: CAT Study Plan 2027 – month-wise preparation roadmap