CAT Eligibility Criteria 2026, Age Limit, Reservation Policy

CAT Eligibility Criteria​ 2026

CAT is an important national level MBA entrance exam conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management every year for admission into MBA and other postgraduate management programs across India. As the CAT 2026 approaches, it's crucial for aspirants to understand the eligibility criteria to ensure a smooth application process.

The eligibility criteria for CAT 2026 aspirants is as follows.

CAT 2026 Age Limit​

There is no minimum or maximum age criteria to apply for the CAT exam. The only condition is that candidate should hold a bachelors degree with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA (45% for reserved categories) or should be appearing for final year of their degree.

Also Read, CAT Age Limit 2025, Age Criteria for Working Professionals

CAT 2026 Educational Qualification Requirements​

The qualification requirements for applicants who want to appear for CAT 2026 is as follows:

• The candidate must hold a Bachelor’s Degree, with at least 50% marks (for General, EWS and NC-OBC candidates) or equivalent CGPA awarded by any University incorporated by an Act of Parliament or State legislature in India or declared to be deemed as an University.
• For reserved category students belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Persons with Disability (PwD) categories, the percentage requirements of 45%.
• Candidates who have completed professional degree like CA/CS/ICWA/CMA or are Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of India (FIAI) can also apply for CAT exam with required percentage.
• Final year students can also apply.

Also Read, Which IIM Will Conduct CAT 2026? Previous Year Analysis

CAT 2026 Eligibility For Final Year Students

Students who are in the final year of their degrees can apply for CAT 2026. They must fulfil the following requirements as per CAT exam rules.

Candidates in the final year of their Bachelor’s degree as well as those who have completed all degree requirements but are awaiting results, are eligible to apply for CAT 2026. However, if selected, they will be granted provisional admission only upon submitting a certificate from the Registrar of their University (issued on or before the date specified by the respective IIM) confirming that all requirements for the degree have been completed as of the certificate's issue date.

Also Read, CAT Exam Date 2026, Schedule, Notification Release Date

CAT 2026 eligibility for engineers

Engineering graduates are eligible to apply for CAT 2026 if they hold degree from a recognized university or institution with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA (45% for SC, ST, and PwD candidates). Final-year engineering students can also apply, provided they complete all degree requirements and submit the necessary documents within the specified timeline. Generally, this timeline is July 31. There is no age limit to appear for the exam, making it accessible to both fresh graduates and working professionals from the engineering stream.

CAT 2026 eligibility for non-engineers

There is no restriction based on academic stream, making CAT an inclusive exam open to candidates from commerce, arts, humanities, science, and other non-engineering fields. Hence Non-engineering graduates are fully eligible to apply for CAT 2026, provided they hold a bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognized university or institution. The minimum requirement is 50% marks (45% for SC/ST/PwD candidates) or equivalent CGPA. Final-year students from non-engineering backgrounds can also apply, given they provide proof of their degree within the specified timeline.

Also Read, CAT Notification 2026, Release Date, Download PDF Link

CAT 2026 eligibility for working professionals

CAT exam does not require candidates to have a prior work experience to apply for CAT 2026. Fresher candidates can also appear for the CAT exam. The work experience will be considered in the later stages by each IIMs for admission purposes.

CAT 2026 reservation policy​

As per the Government of India rules, CAT 2026 follows a reservation policy to ensure equitable access to management education for candidates from diverse social and economic backgrounds. The reservation criteria apply to candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes Non-Creamy Layer (NC-OBC), Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), and Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwD). The remaining seats are available to candidates from the General category.

Important information for Reserved Category students

• If a candidate belongs to the SC or ST category, their caste or tribe must be listed in the Government of India’s official schedule. The caste certificate must be in the approved format and should include:
  (a) Name of the caste/tribe
  (b) Confirmation of SC or ST status
  (c) District and State/UT of residence
  (d) Reference to the official schedule approving the caste/tribe.

• Candidates must upload a valid SC/ST/NC-OBC/EWS/PwD certificate during CAT registration. Not uploading it will lead to rejection of the application.

• The same certificate must be shown and a copy submitted during interviews and at the time of joining any IIM colleges. If not provided, the candidate will not be considered under the reserved category.

• PwD candidates are encouraged to apply for a UDID card and upload it with the application.

Following table contains the data on the percentage of seat reservation as per the legal requirements by the central government.

PWD Criteria will include the following disabilities:

a)Blindness and low vision
b) Deaf and hard of hearing
c) Locomotor disability including cerebral palsy, leprosy cured, dwarfism, acid attack
victims and muscular dystrophy.
d) Autism, intellectual disability, specific learning disability and mental illness
e) Multiple disabilities from amongst persons under clauses (a) to (d)
f) Other ‘specified disabilities’ mentioned in ‘The Schedule’ of the RPwD Act 2016

Also Read, How To Prepare For CAT 2026, Study Plan, Preparation Strategy

CAT Eligibility Criteria 2026: Conclusion

In conclusion, candidates who want to appear for CAT 2026 must make sure that they hold a bachelors degree in any discipline with a 50% score (45% in case of reserved categories). Final year students can also apply. All the best to the aspiring candidates.