IIM Indore 2026 : Category, Section-Wise cutoff & percentile

IIM Indore is one of the top MBA colleges in India that thousands of CAT aspirants dream about. Every year, lakhs of students take the CAT exam, but only 1,200-1,400 get interview calls from IIM Indore. Understanding the IIM Indore cutoff 2026 is the first step to planning your MBA admission. The cutoff decides who gets shortlisted for an interview and who gets final admission. 

IIM Indore Cutoff Overall 2026

The overall cutoff is the minimum CAT percentile you need to be eligible for IIM Indore interview call. This is the first filter that decides who moves forward in the admission process.

Also Read: IIM Kozhikode Cutoff 2026

Important Points to Remember:

• Meeting overall cutoff does not guarantee interview call
• You must also clear sectional cutoffs in all three sections
• Your composite score (which includes academic marks) also matters
• Getting interview call does not mean final admission is confirmed

The overall cutoff has stayed almost the same for the last 3-4 years. This means IIM Indore maintains consistency in their selection process.

IIM Indore Section-Wise Cutoff 2026

IIM Indore has strict sectional cutoffs. This means you must score a minimum percentile in VARC, DILR, and QA separately. Even if your overall percentile is very high, you will be rejected if you miss the cutoff in even one section.

CAT Sectional Cutoff for Each Section

Download Free: Previous Year Question Papers

Real Example:

• Student A scores 95 overall percentile but gets 78 in DILR → Rejected
• Student B scores 91 overall percentile with 81, 82, 80 in sections → Gets interview call

Why Sectional Cutoff Matters

IIM Indore wants students who are good at all skills, not just one area. If you are very strong in Math but weak in English, they don't want you. You must be balanced in all three areas.

Critical Points:

• Zero percentile in any section means direct rejection
• Strong sectional performance improves your composite score
• Balanced preparation across all sections is must
• Don't focus only on your strong section

Category-Wise Cutoff Details

Different categories have different cutoffs. This follows the Government of India reservation system. Here's how it works for each category.

General Category Cutoff

• Overall: 90 percentile
• Each Section: 80 percentile
• Real Admission Score: Usually 92-93+ percentile

The general category faces the highest competition. Around 60-70% of total applicants are General category, but they get only 50% seats (rest are reserved).

EWS Category Cutoff

• Overall: 90 percentile
• Each Section: 80 percentile
• Seats Reserved: 10%

The EWS category has the same cutoff as General but they compete within their own category for reserved seats.

NC-OBC Category Cutoff

• Overall: 80 percentile
• Each Section: 70 percentile
• Seats Reserved: 27%
• Real Admission Score: Usually 81-85 percentile

NC-OBC category gets 10 percentile relaxation in cutoff. They have good chances with scores around 85 percentile.

SC Category Cutoff

• Overall: 60 percentile
• Each Section: 55 percentile
• Seats Reserved: 15%
• Real Admission Score: Usually 65-70 percentile

SC students get significant relaxation. Scoring 70+ percentile gives very good admission chances.

ST Category Cutoff

• Overall: 45 percentile
• Each Section: 40 percentile
• Seats Reserved: 7.5%
• Real Admission Score: Usually 49-55 percentile

ST category has the lowest cutoff. Scoring 55+ percentile almost guarantees admission if interview goes well.

PwD Category Cutoff

• Overall: 45 percentile
• Each Section: 40 percentile
• Seats Reserved: 5% (horizontal reservation)

PwD students can also use their caste category reservation. For example, if you are PwD + SC, you get benefits of both.

Previous Year Cutoff Analysis

Looking at previous year cutoffs helps you understand the pattern and set realistic targets. IIM Indore has maintained consistent cutoff patterns over the past three years, with the General category requiring 90 percentile for shortlisting and 92-93+ for final admission. The sectional cutoffs have remained unchanged at 80 for General/EWS, 70 for NC-OBC, 55 for SC, and 40 for ST/PwD across all three sections. Reserved categories show slight variations in final admission percentiles, with NC-OBC typically converting at 80-85 percentile, SC at 65-70 percentile, and ST at 49-55 percentile, while composite score requirements have stayed stable across admission cycles.

Last 3 Years Overall Cutoff Trend

What This Data Tells You:

• Minimum cutoff for shortlisting stays the same (90 for General, 80 for OBC, etc.)
• Final admission cutoff varies slightly each year
• Competition has been increasing slowly
• Cutoff depends on how many students score high that year

Sectional Cutoff Trend

Good news is sectional cutoffs have remained exactly same for last 3 years:

• General/EWS: 80 in each section
• NC-OBC: 70 in each section
• SC: 55 in each section
• ST/PwD: 40 in each section

This consistency helps you plan your preparation clearly.

Lowest CAT Percentile for Final Admission

This data comes from RTI (Right to Information) for batch 2025-2027. It shows the lowest percentile at which someone actually got admission.

Lowest Percentile of Selected Students

How IIM Indore Selection Process

IIM Indore follows a two-stage selection process starting with CAT-based shortlisting using composite score (70% CAT + 30% academics), followed by personal interviews for shortlisted candidates. The final selection is based on a comprehensive composite score where Personal Interview carries the highest weightage at 40%, followed by CAT score at 30%, and academic performance (Class 10, 12, and Graduation) at 25%, with minor weightage given to work experience (3%) and academic diversity (2%). Candidates must clear both overall and sectional CAT cutoffs, and approximately 1,200-1,400 students are shortlisted for interviews, from which around 520-540 students receive final admission offers.

Step 1: CAT Exam (November)

Take the CAT exam and score above both overall and sectional cutoffs for your category.

Step 2: Composite Score Calculation (January)

After CAT results, IIM Indore calculates your composite score using:

• Your CAT percentile
• Your Class 10, 12, and graduation marks

Step 3: Shortlist Announcement (February)

If your composite score is high enough, you get interview call. Around 1,200-1,400 students are shortlisted.

Step 4: Fill Shortlisting Form (February)

Shortlisted students must fill a detailed form with all academic and personal details. This is mandatory.

Step 5: Personal Interview (February-March)

Attend a 15-20 minute interview at a designated center. No written test or group discussion.

Step 6: Final Composite Score (March-April)

IIM Indore now calculates the final composite score including your interview performance (40% weightage).

Step 7: Final Merit List (April)

The final list is released. Around 550-600 students get initial offers.

Step 8: Waitlist Movement (April-June)

Waitlisted students may get offers as other students reject IIM Indore for other IIMs.

Conclusion

The IIM Indore cutoff 2026 is expected to remain similar to previous years. For the General category, you need a minimum 90 percentile overall with 80 in each section for the shortlist. But realistic admission chances start from 92-93 percentile. Reserved categories get significant relaxation: NC-OBC at 80 overall, SC at 60, and ST at 45 percentile. But remember, just clearing the cutoff is not enough. Your academic marks, interview performance, and composite score all play important roles.