CAT 2026: How Many Marks Do You Need for Each IIM?

Why don't IIMs publish a "marks required" number?

IIMs shortlist on percentile, not raw marks. Percentile is calculated from your scaled score after normalisation across CAT's three slots, and IIMs do not release an official marks-to-percentile table. That is why the same percentile needed 90 marks in Slot 1, 83 in Slot 2 and 86 in Slot 3 in CAT 2025. Marks below are converted from CAT 2025 coaching-institute estimates and should be read as planning ranges.

CAT 2025 marks vs percentile (conversion table)

How many marks do you need for each IIM?

Marks for 97 percentile are interpolated between the 95 and 98 percentile estimates. IIMs revise cutoffs each cycle, so confirm with each IIM's admissions brochure. 

Is the minimum cutoff enough to get an IIM call?

No. The minimum cutoff only makes you eligible to be considered. Shortlists are built on a composite of CAT score, sectional performance, academics (Class 10, Class 12 and graduation), work experience, academic and gender diversity, and category. Top IIMs receive far more eligible candidates than seats, so real call percentiles sit well above the published minimum. For example, IIM Ahmedabad's reported General cutoff rose from about 91 percentile in 2024 to 95 in 2025.

What if you are in the reserved categories?

SC, ST, NC-OBC, EWS and PwD candidates face lower cutoffs at every IIM. For example, reported IIM Bangalore overall cutoffs for the 2025 cycle were 85 (General), 75 (NC-OBC/EWS), 70 (SC) and 65 (ST). Use your category-specific cutoff from each IIM's brochure, and remember that competitive calls still track above the minimum.

How should you set your CAT 2026 marks target?

Pick your target IIM group (A/B/C, mid-tier, or newer IIMs).

Convert to a marks band using the table above, and add a buffer of 5–8 marks because slot difficulty is unpredictable.

Aim for section balance. Every IIM has sectional cutoffs, so a lopsided 99 can still be rejected. See our guide to CAT 2026 sectional cutoffs.

Turn marks into attempts: for a 99 percentile, plan roughly 35–45 accurate attempts. See how many questions to attempt for 99 percentile.

How can CATKing help you reach your IIM target score?

CATKing has mentored 50,000+ aspirants, with 2,080+ IIM converts and 5,000+ students who scored 99+ percentile, per catking.in. The CAT 2026 Self Study, Turbo and Intensive programs combine live classes, a mock series with analytics, 130+ LOD1 and LOD2 practice e-books and 1-on-1 mentorship. Explore programs at catking.in.

FAQs: Marks needed for IIMs

How many marks are needed for IIM Ahmedabad in CAT 2026? IIM Ahmedabad calls typically need a 99+ percentile. Based on CAT 2025, that was about 83–90 marks out of 204 depending on slot, and 97–103 marks for 99.5 percentile.

How many marks do you need for IIM Bangalore and IIM Calcutta? Both generally shortlist at 99+ percentile, roughly 83–90 marks in CAT 2025 terms, although published minimum overall cutoffs are lower at around 85 percentile.

What marks are needed for IIM Lucknow, Kozhikode and Indore? These IIMs generally shortlist at 97–99+ percentile, which corresponds to about 72–90 marks based on CAT 2025 estimates. Their reported minimum cutoffs are 85–90 percentile.

Can you get an IIM call with 90 percentile? Yes, from some newer IIMs, and possibly from IIM Lucknow or Indore for candidates with strong academic and work-experience profiles. A 90 percentile is about 51–53 marks in CAT 2025 terms.

Do IIMs use marks or percentile for shortlisting? IIMs use percentile calculated from your normalised, scaled score. Raw marks are only useful as an estimate because different slots need different raw marks for the same percentile.