CAT 2026 Eligibility: Who Can Apply and Who Can't

You're eligible for CAT 2026 if you hold a bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks, or 45% if you belong to the SC, ST or PwBD category. That's the whole bar. Final-year students can apply before their results are out, professional degree holders like CAs qualify and there's no age limit or cap on attempts. The official CAT 2026 notification from IIM Indore sets out the exact wording, so here's what it says and the two or three points that trip people up.

CAT 2026 eligibility at a glance

The official eligibility rule, in plain words

The notification asks for one qualifying degree and a minimum percentage, nothing more.

You must hold a bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks or an equivalent CGPA. For SC, ST and PwBD candidates the minimum is 45%. The degree has to come from a university set up by an Act of Parliament or a state legislature, a deemed university under Section 3 of the UGC Act 1956, or an institution whose qualification the Ministry of Education recognises as equivalent.

Put simply, a normal three-year or longer degree from a recognised Indian university counts. Any stream works. Engineer or not, arts or commerce, the exam doesn't care what you studied.

The three ways to qualify

You need to meet any one of these three conditions.

The percentage rule stays the same across all three. It's 50% for General, EWS and NC-OBC candidates. It's 45% for SC, ST and PwBD candidates.

Final-year students, read this

If you're in the final year of your degree or waiting for results, you can still apply. If you're selected, the admission is provisional. You join only after you submit a certificate from your Principal or Registrar, issued on or before the date each IIM sets, confirming you've completed every requirement for the degree by the date of that certificate. So apply now, then keep that clearance in mind for interview season.

How your percentage is calculated

IIMs use your university's own method to work out your percentage.

If your university reports marks as a percentage, that number stands. If it gives a CGPA, the conversion follows the procedure your university certifies. Here's the part people miss. If your university confirms it has no formula to convert CGPA into a percentage, the equivalence is set by dividing your CGPA by the maximum possible CGPA, then multiplying by 100. So a 7.2 on a 10-point scale becomes 72%. Don't apply your own rounding or a coaching-forum shortcut. Use what your university certifies.

A quick worked example. Say your transcript shows a CGPA of 6.8 on a 10-point scale and your university has no official conversion. Your percentage for CAT is 68%, so you clear the 50% bar with room to spare. If it were 4.7 on 10 with no conversion scheme, that's 47%, which clears the 45% reserved bar but not the 50% general bar. Check your own number before you assume you're eligible.

Age, attempts and work experience

There's no age limit, no attempt cap and no work experience requirement.

You can be 21 or 41. You can write CAT for the fifth time. You can be a fresher who has never held a job. None of that affects your eligibility. Work experience can help later, when an IIM builds its shortlist, but it isn't needed to sit the exam.

Meeting the bar is not the same as getting shortlisted

Eligibility gets you into the exam hall, not onto a shortlist.

The notification is blunt about this. Meeting the minimum eligibility does not guarantee you'll be shortlisted by any IIM. Each IIM sets its own academic cutoffs and weighs your class 10, class 12 and graduation marks alongside your CAT score.

One more official requirement is easy to overlook. You must declare and keep one valid, unique email address and mobile number through the whole selection process. Every update reaches you there. Don't use a friend's number or an inbox you'll abandon after August.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the minimum percentage for CAT 2026?

It's 50% in your bachelor's degree for General, EWS and NC-OBC candidates. It's 45% for SC, ST and PwBD candidates. The same bar applies whether you've finished the degree or you're in the final year.

Can final-year students apply for CAT 2026?

Yes. If you're in the final year of your degree or awaiting results, you can apply. If selected, you join provisionally and must later submit a certificate from your Principal or Registrar confirming you've completed the degree requirements.

Is CAT 2026 open to CA, CS and CMA candidates?

Yes. A completed professional degree such as CA, CS, ICWA (CMA) or Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of India counts, as long as you have the required percentage.

Is there an age limit or attempt limit for CAT 2026?

No. CAT sets no age limit and no cap on the number of attempts. You can apply at any age and take the exam as many times as you like.

How is CGPA converted to a percentage for CAT?

By your university's certified method. If your university has no conversion scheme, divide your CGPA by the maximum possible CGPA and multiply by 100.

Does my stream or degree subject matter for CAT eligibility?

No. Any bachelor's degree from a recognised university qualifies, whatever the subject. Engineers, commerce graduates, arts graduates and science graduates are all eligible on the same terms.