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SupportIIM Bangalore CAT Cut Off 2026: Category-Wise & Sectional Cutoff
Last Updated on 08 Sep 2026
The IIM Bangalore cut-off is a critical benchmark for candidates targeting MBA admission. The CAT cutoff for IIM Bangalore is 85 percentile for General candidates, with sectional requirements of 80 percentile in VARC and 75 percentile each in DILR and QA.
The institute uses both overall and sectional CAT cutoffs, meaning a high overall percentile alone is not enough if a candidate misses the required percentile in VARC, DILR or QA. The published IIM Bangalore cutoff is the minimum qualifying requirement for shortlisting, while actual PI calls are issued based on a 100-point pre-PI composite score.
The 100-point pre-PI composite assigns 55 points to CAT: VARC 19, DILR 21, and QA 15. Academic performance carries 30 points, work experience or professional qualification 10 points, and gender diversity 5 points. The final composite gives 40 points to PI, 10 to WAT, 25 to CAT and 15 to academics.
However, clearing the overall cut-off alone is not sufficient, as candidates must also meet the sectional requirements. In the section below, we discuss last year's IIM Bangalore cut-off, along with a profile-based analysis.
Table Of Contents
- CLAT PG: All About CLAT Postgraduate Exam for LLM
IIM Bangalore Cut-Off 2026: Highlights
Refer to the table below to know about the IIM Bangalore CAT cut-off:
| Particular | IIM Bangalore Cut-Off 2026 Details |
| Entrance exam | CAT |
| Admission programme | PGP 2026–28 |
| Cut-off type | Overall and sectional qualifying CAT percentiles |
| Overall cut-off requirement | Varies by category |
| Sectional cut-off requirement | Candidates must clear VARC, DILR and QA individually |
| Shortlisting after cut-off | Clearing the minimum cut-off makes candidates eligible for consideration, not a guaranteed PI call |
| Key point | Actual PI shortlist scores are higher than the minimum published qualifying cut-offs |
IIM Bangalore CAT Cut-Off 2026
The IIM Bangalore 2026 admission criteria require candidates to clear the minimum qualifying percentile in each CAT section to be considered for shortlisting.
| Category | VARC | DILR | QA |
| General | 80 | 80 | 80 |
| NC-OC | 70 | 70 | 70 |
| EWS | 70 | 70 | 70 |
| SC | 60 | 60 | 60 |
| ST | 55 | 55 | 55 |
| PWD | 50 | 50 | 50 |
Know more about the CAT Exam
| CAT Syllabus | Books for CAT Exam |
| CAT Eligibility Criteria | CAT Exam Pattern |
IIM Bangalore Cutoff 2026 (Category-Wise)
The IIM Bangalore category-wise overall cut-off indicates the minimum CAT percentile candidates must secure to be considered during the first shortlisting stage.
| Category | IIM Bangalore Category-wise Cut-off 2026 |
| General | 85 |
| NC-OBC | 75 |
| EWS | 75 |
| SC | 70 |
| ST | 65 |
| PWD | 60 |
IIM Bangalore Previous Year Cut-off
The IIM Bangalore overall CAT cut-off remained unchanged across the 2024 and 2025 admission cycles for all categories. Check the previous year data below:
IIM Bangalore Cutoff 2025
| Category | 2025 |
| General | 85 |
| EWS | 75 |
| NC-OBC | 75 |
| SC | 70 |
| ST | 65 |
| PwD | 60 |
IIM Bangalore Sectional Cut-Off 2025
The IIM Bangalore sectional cut-offs are also category-specific and require candidates to clear the minimum percentile in VARC, DILR and QA individually.
| Category | VARC | DILR | QA |
| General | 80 | 75 | 75 |
| EWS | 70 | 65 | 65 |
| NC-OBC | 70 | 65 | 65 |
| SC | 65 | 60 | 60 |
| ST | 55 | 55 | 55 |
| PwD | 50 | 50 | 50 |
IIM Bangalore Cutoff 2024
| Category | 2024 |
| General | 85 |
| EWS | 75 |
| NC-OBC | 75 |
| SC | 70 |
| ST | 65 |
| PwD | 60 |
Read Our Other Related Articles
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IIM Bangalore MBA Cutoff: Minimum Qualifying Cutoff vs Actual PI Call Score
The IIM Bangalore MBA cut-off has two distinct levels: the published minimum CAT percentile required to enter the first shortlist and the much more competitive score level of candidates who are actually shortlisted for the Personal Interview (PI).
- For the 2025–27 batch, IIM Bangalore set the minimum overall CAT cut-off at 85 percentile for General candidates, with sectional cut-offs also applicable.
- The 85 percentile is only a qualifying benchmark; candidates called for PI generally have higher scores because IIMB ranks eligible applicants through a 100-point pre-PI composite score.
- The score gives 55 points to CAT, 10 each to Class 10, Class 12, graduation and work experience/professional qualification, and 5 points to gender diversity.
- The 55 CAT points are distributed across VARC (19), DILR (21) and QA (15), making sectional performance relevant even after clearing the minimum cut-offs.
- In the 2024–26 batch, 739 of 1,75,565 General candidates were shortlisted for PI, meaning only around 0.42% of applicants made the interview shortlist.
- RTI data for 2024–26 recorded 91.97 (General), 90.16 (EWS), 82.65 (NC-OBC), 75.12 (SC) and 74.52 (ST) as the lowest CAT percentiles among selected candidates.
Get Details on IIM Bangalore MBA Fee Structure
Factors Affecting IIM Bangalore Cut Off Marks
The IIM Bangalore cut-off marks are shaped by the large CAT applicant pool and the institute’s multi-stage shortlisting process.
- IIMB Total seats in respective colleges
- Difficulty level of the paper
- Total applicants
- Normalisation method
Does IIM Bangalore have Sectional Cutoffs?
Yes, IIM Bangalore has sectional cut-offs, which are as important as the overall CAT Cut-off during the shortlisting process. A high overall percentile alone does not guarantee that a candidate will be considered for the next stage. Candidates must meet the minimum required percentile in VARC, DILR and QA, along with the overall CAT percentile requirement.
For example, a candidate may score a 99+ overall percentile through excellent performance in DILR and QA but still fail to qualify if their VARC percentile falls below the required sectional cut-off. This situation is often seen among candidates who are significantly stronger in Quantitative Ability and analytical problem-solving but underperform in verbal ability.
Key information for MBA Aspirants
| MBA Eligibility | MBA Exams in India |
| MBA fees | MBA in Pharmaceutical Management |
| MBA in HR Management | IIM MBA Fees |
What After Clearing IIMB Cutoff Marks?
Clearing the IIMB cut-off is only the first step towards IIM Bangalore MBA admission. The minimum CAT percentile makes a candidate eligible for the first shortlist, but it does not guarantee a Personal Interview (PI) call.
1. Check Whether You Meet All Minimum CAT Cut-Offs
Candidates must clear both the sectional and overall CAT cut-offs to be considered for the first shortlist. For the General category, the minimum requirements are 80 percentile in VARC, 75 in DILR, 75 in QA and 85 overall.
2. Wait for the PI Shortlist
IIM Bangalore calculates a pre-PI composite score using CAT performance, Class 10 and Class 12 scores, bachelor's degree performance, work experience or professional qualifications and gender diversity.
3. Prepare for the Written Ability Test (WAT)
Shortlisted candidates must appear for the WAT, which carries 10% weightage in the final composite score. Candidates must write a note, and the WAT lasts about 30 minutes.
4. Focus on the Personal Interview
The Personal Interview carries 40% weightage, making it the single highest-weighted component of the final post-PI composite score.
5. Keep Documents and Application Details Ready
Candidates called for the next stage should keep their Class 10 and Class 12 transcripts, bachelor's degree records, professional qualification documents, work-experience documents and applicable category certificates ready.
6. Understand How the Final Composite Score Is Calculated
The final selection is not based on CAT percentile alone. For candidates who appear for the interview, the post-PI composite score is calculated using the following weightage:
| Component | Weightage |
| Personal Interview (PI) | 40 |
| Written Ability Test (WAT) | 10 |
| CAT | 25 |
| Class 10 Score | 5 |
| Class 12 Score | 5 |
| Bachelor's Degree Score | 5 |
| Work Experience/Professional Course | 10 |
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FAQs On IIM Bangalore CAT Cut Off
Nidhi Priya
Nidhi Priya has over 6 years of experience in EdTech content and SEO. She specializes in content strategy, organic growth, and mentoring editorial teams, with previous experience at iQuanta, CollegeDekho, and Careers360.