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- October 22, 2026
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The CAT Eligibility Criteria 2027 define the educational qualifications, minimum graduation marks, and other requirements candidates must fulfil to apply for the Common Admission Test (CAT). The examination is a major entrance test for admission to postgraduate management programmes at the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and other participating business schools.
Candidates should understand the eligibility requirements before completing the application form. This guide covers educational qualifications, category-wise minimum marks, final-year eligibility, age limit, reservation criteria, and required documents. Applicants should refer to the official CAT website, iimcat.ac.in, for the latest notification and any changes to the eligibility rules.
The table below outlines the principal eligibility criteria for CAT 2027.
Fulfilling minimum eligibility criteria is insufficient to guarantee shortlisting or IIM admission. Each institute may follow its own selection criteria.
Candidates applying for CAT 2027 must satisfy at least one of the following conditions:
● Maintain a completed bachelor’s degree from an approved institution or university.
● Possess an equivalent qualification recognised by the Ministry of Education, Government of India.
● Have completed an eligible professional qualification, such as CA, CS, ICWA/CMA or Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of India (FIAI), with the required marks.
● Be in the final year of a bachelor's degree or equivalent qualification, subject to the applicable eligibility conditions.
The degree must be awarded by a university established under an Act of Parliament or a State Legislature, a deemed-to-be university under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956, or another institution meeting the prescribed recognition requirements.
Candidates must meet the minimum marks requirement applicable to their category.
The percentage of marks is calculated according to the procedure followed by the candidate's university or institution.
Candidates whose universities award grades or CGPA instead of percentages should follow their institution's prescribed conversion procedure.
If the university confirms that it has no scheme for converting CGPA into an equivalent percentage, the following formula applies:
Percentage = (CGPA obtained ÷ Maximum possible CGPA) × 100
Sample scenario: An 8.0 CGPA from a 10-point system without an official conversion scheme becomes 80% in percentage terms.
Students appearing for their final-year bachelor's degree examination can apply for CAT 2027, provided they satisfy the applicable eligibility requirements. Candidates who have completed all degree requirements but are awaiting results may also apply.
Selected candidates may be admitted provisionally until they fulfil the prescribed degree-completion requirements.
Final-year candidates should note the following conditions:
● They must complete all requirements for obtaining their bachelor's degree.
● Institutional authority certificate submission required
● The certificate must confirm that all degree requirements have been completed as of its issue date.
● The certificate must be issued on or before the deadline specified by the respective IIM.
Under the stated CAT eligibility rules, there is no upper age limit for candidates applying for the examination. Candidates can apply as long as they satisfy the prescribed educational qualification and other eligibility requirements.
The stated rules do not prescribe a fixed lifetime limit on the number of CAT attempts.
Reservation benefits are available to eligible candidates under the applicable government regulations.
The applicable Central Government category list as of the last date of CAT registration determines eligibility for reservation benefits. Subsequent changes to the list do not apply to the relevant selection process under the stated rules.
The 2016 Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act establishes reservation provisions for qualifying Persons with Benchmark Disabilities. The applicable definition generally requires at least 40% of a specified disability, subject to the Act and relevant certification requirements.
The specified disability categories include:
● Blindness and low vision.
● Deafness and hearing impairment.
● Cerebral palsy, burn survivors, restricted growth, treated leprosy, muscle degeneration
● Conditions affecting cognition and mental health including autism spectrum, intellectual challenges, focused learning disabilities, and psychological disorders
● Multiple disabilities involving the specified groups.
● Other disabilities listed under the Act.
Candidates should prepare the necessary academic and category-related documents for registration and subsequent admission stages.
Important documents may include:
● Bachelor's degree certificate or provisional certificate, where applicable.
● Graduation marksheets and CGPA-conversion documentation, if required.
● SC/ST caste certificate in the prescribed format.
● NC-OBC certificate meeting the applicable non-creamy-layer requirements.
● EWS certificate in the prescribed format.
● PwBD certificate and supporting disability documentation, where applicable.
● Degree-completion certificate for eligible final-year candidates, when required.
Candidates claiming reservation must upload the applicable certificate during CAT registration and produce the required documents during interviews and admission. The lack of required certification documents submitted with your application may trigger immediate rejection or permanent disqualification from reserved-category benefits and considerations.
Candidates must also maintain a valid email address and mobile number throughout the selection process.
● It is necessary to accomplish the minimum marks benchmark that corresponds to your assigned category designation.
● Follow your university's CGPA-conversion procedure.
● Ensure your degree or professional qualification meets the recognition requirements.
● Understand the provisional admission requirements if you are a final-year student.
● Select the correct category during registration, as category changes are not permitted after registration under the stated rules.
● Keep the required certificates ready for uploading and subsequent verification.
● Note that achieving minimum eligibility standards provides no guarantee of shortlisting or admission.
For the latest eligibility information and application updates, visit the official CAT website: iimcat.ac.in.
General, EWS, and NC-OBC applicants need at least 50% or equivalent grade-point average, whereas SC, ST, and disabled candidates need 45% minimum.
Yes. Final-year bachelor's degree students and candidates awaiting results can apply, subject to the applicable eligibility conditions and subsequent degree-completion requirements.
CAT’s eligibility guidelines establish no maximum age restriction for candidates.
Yes. The eligibility criteria include CA, CS, ICWA/CMA and Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of India (FIAI), subject to the applicable requirements.
No. Meeting the minimum eligibility requirements only establishes eligibility to apply. Each institution makes shortlisting and admission decisions using its own selection criteria and specific requirements.
Candidates should follow their university's official conversion procedure. If the university confirms that no conversion scheme exists, the prescribed fallback formula is CGPA divided by the maximum possible CGPA, multiplied by 100.
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