IIM Lucknow Cut Off 2026: Regarded as one of the leading B-schools in India, IIM Lucknow has once again demonstrated its high standard by announcing the CAT 2025 cutoffs for the admission of the batch of 2026-28. The cutoffs mentioned in the admission policy of the institute are the very minimum that candidates should achieve in order to be invited for the Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI) rounds for the MBA, MBA-ABM, and MBA-SM programs.
With this detailed blog, you will have the complete picture of IIM Lucknow's Cut Off 2026, consisting of overall cutoffs, section-wise requirements, category-wise breakdowns, previous year trends, and confirmation of mandatory sectional cutoffs. This will give CAT aspirants the needed insights for their preparation strategy.
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IIM Lucknow Cut Off 2026
With the release of considerable cutoffs for CAT 2025 to the year 2026-28, IIM Lucknow is still considered to be one of the best Indian B-schools as it does not shy away from being the primary selector of candidates whose applications through these stringent criteria would be accepted for WAT-PI rounds in the MBA, MBA-ABM, and MBA-SM programs.
The data published through the official admission policy indicates candidates who possess qualifying overall percentiles starting at 90 for the General category in MBA, besides having the obligatory sectional minima, along with the lowered thresholds for the reserved categories who will be receiving the inclusive yet merit-based selection.
The General category applicants need to secure overall 90 percentile for MBA and 85 for ABM/SM programs. EWS/NC-OBC stand at 82, SC at 70, and ST/PwD at 65 across all programs. The aforementioned are basic qualifiers; however, actual ranking of 92+ for being competitive is often required through composite scores (60% CAT weight).
Category | MBA Sectional (VARC/DILR/QA) | MBA Overall | ABM/SM Sectional | ABM/SM Overall |
General | 85 | 90 | 80 | 85 |
EWS | 77 | 82 | 72 | 77 |
NC-OBC | 77 | 82 | 72 | 77 |
SC | 55 | 65 | 55 | 65 |
ST | 50 | 60 | 50 | 55 |
PwD | 50 | 60 | 50 | 55 |
Shortlists released in January 2026 via iiml.ac.in confirm these thresholds.
IIM Lucknow Overall Cut-off
IIM Lucknow has set a 90 percentile overall CAT cutoff for the 2026-28 batch of admissions in the flagship MBA program for General category applicants according to the official admission policy. This threshold for qualifying the minimum is applicable for PI shortlisting after CAT 2025 with the lowest percentiles of the reversed categories standing at EWS/NC-OBC 82, SC 65, and ST/PwD 60.
For MBA-ABM and MBA-SM, the overall cutoff relaxes slightly to 85 for General, 77 for EWS/NC-OBC, 65 for SC, and 55 for ST/PwD. These must pair with sectional minima for eligibility.
Category | MBA Overall | ABM/SM Overall |
General | 90 | 85 |
EWS | 82 | 77 |
NC-OBC | 82 | 77 |
SC | 65 | 65 |
ST | 60 | 55 |
PwD | 60 | 55 |
IIM Lucknow Section-wise Cut-off
For the 2026-28 batch IIM Lucknow has stringent cutoffs for sectional CAT, where the applicants are required a minimum percentile in VARC, DILR, and QA along with the overall scores for the PI shortlisting across the MBA programs. General category candidates must get 85 in each section for MBA (80 for ABM/SM), which goes to show the institute's emphasis on the balanced development of skills - no single weak section will let one progress.
Each section is assigned an equal weight: General applicants are required to achieve 85 percentile in each of the sections VARC, DILR, and QA for the MBA, but it is reduced to 80 for the ABM/SM. The reserved categories get relaxation according to their proportionality. These minimum scores have not been changed since previous years, and hence, they eliminate the imbalances earlier in the process.
IIM Lucknow Category-Wise Cut Off for MBA Program
Category | VARC | DILR | QA | Total |
General | 85 | 85 | 85 | 90 |
EWS | 77 | 77 | 77 | 82 |
NC-OBC | 77 | 77 | 77 | 82 |
SC | 55 | 55 | 55 | 65 |
ST | 50 | 50 | 50 | 60 |
PwD | 50 | 50 | 50 | 60 |
IIM Lucknow Category-Wise Cut Off for MBA-ABM Program
Category | VARC | DILR | QA | Total |
General | 80 | 80 | 80 | 85 |
EWS | 72 | 72 | 72 | 77 |
NC-OBC | 72 | 72 | 72 | 77 |
SC | 55 | 55 | 55 | 65 |
ST | 50 | 50 | 50 | 55 |
PwD | 50 | 50 | 50 | 55 |
IIM Lucknow Category-Wise Cut Off for MBA-SM Program
Category | VARC | DILR | QA | Total |
General | 80 | 80 | 80 | 85 |
EWS | 72 | 72 | 72 | 77 |
NC-OBC | 72 | 72 | 72 | 77 |
SC | 55 | 55 | 55 | 60 |
ST | 50 | 50 | 50 | 55 |
PwD | 50 | 50 | 50 | 55 |
Read More: IIM Lucknow Calls 2026 OUT, Cutoff, Dates & PI Process
Does IIM Lucknow have Sectional Cutoffs?
Yes, IIM Lucknow has mandatory sectional cutoffs for CAT. IIM Lucknow clearly specifies minimum sectional as well as overall CAT percentiles in its official admission policy for the 2026–28 batch. If a candidate fails to meet even one sectional minimum (in VARC, DILR, or QA), they are not considered for shortlisting, even if the overall percentile is high.
How sectional cutoffs work
- Sectional cutoffs are applied separately to:
- VARC (Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension)
- DILR (Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning)
- QA (Quantitative Ability)
- A candidate must:
- Meet or exceed the required percentile in each of these three sections, and
- Also, meet the required overall CAT percentile for their category and program (MBA / MBA-ABM / MBA-SM).
IIM Lucknow Previous Year Cutoff Analysis
IIM Lucknow's CAT cutoffs have shown remarkable stability from 2023 to 2025, maintaining high benchmarks for shortlisting candidates to PI rounds amid rising competition. Qualifying overall percentiles for the General category held steady at 90 for MBA, with sectional requirements at 85 across VARC, DILR, and QA, while reserved categories saw consistent relaxations like 82/77 for EWS/NC-OBC.
General category overall cutoffs remained fixed at 90 percentile across 2023-2025 for MBA, dipping to 85 for ABM/SM programs. EWS/NC-OBC stayed at 82, SC at 70, and ST/PwD at 65, reflecting no major shifts despite exam difficulty fluctuations.
Sectional cutoffs enforced uniformity: General required 85 in each section every year (80 for ABM/SM), with SC at 55 and ST/PwD at 50—no relaxations or hikes noted. This policy underscores IIM Lucknow's emphasis on balanced profiles over raw overall scores.
Year | Category | Sectional (VARC/DILR/QA) | Overall (MBA) |
2025 | General | 85 | 90 |
EWS | 77 | 82 | |
2024 | General | 85 | 90 |
SC | 55 | 70 | |
2023 | General | 85 | 90 |
ST | 50 | 65 |
Composite score cutoffs for final calls trended higher (e.g., 48-92 range for General), driven by 30-60% CAT weightage. Stability signals aspirants to target 95+ for safe conversion.
IIM Lucknow Cut Off 2026: Conclusion
IIM Lucknow Cut Off 2026 shows that the institute values balanced performance and consistency. To get shortlisted for the WAT-PI round, candidates must clear both sectional and overall CAT cutoffs. Even though the minimum cutoff may look achievable, the real competition is tough because final shortlisting depends heavily on the composite score. For serious aspirants, aiming for a 95+ CAT percentile with good scores in all sections is the safest approach. Since the cutoffs have stayed stable over the years and sectional cutoffs are strict, early preparation, regular mock tests, and equal focus on all sections are essential to convert an IIM Lucknow call.
