CAT Result 2026: Date, How to Check & What to Do Next

Accessing your CAT 2026 scorecard requires a systematic approach to ensure you retrieve your official data without errors. As per the official guidelines, the results are hosted exclusively on the iimcat.ac.in portal. Once the link is live, candidates must navigate to the 'Registered Candidate Login' section. It is critical to have your User ID and password ready, as these are the only credentials accepted for entry. After logging in, the scorecard will be available under the 'Scorecard' tab. We recommend downloading multiple copies and saving a digital backup in a secure cloud drive, as the portal access is often restricted after the admission cycle concludes. Avoid third-party websites that claim to provide 'early access' to results, as these are often phishing attempts. Always verify your name, registration number, and category against your application form to ensure data accuracy before proceeding to B-school applications.

Your CAT scorecard contains scaled scores and percentiles for three sections: VARC, DILR, and QA, alongside the overall percentile. According to NIRF benchmarking and institutional admission criteria, your percentile determines your eligibility for the various tiers of Indian B-schools. Candidates scoring above 99 percentile are typically shortlisted for top-tier IIMs (A, B, C), while those in the 90-95 range are competitive for new IIMs and top private institutions like MDI or SPJIMR. It is essential to note that IIMs and other premier institutes utilize a composite score for shortlisting, which includes your 10th/12th marks, graduation GPA, and work experience, not just the CAT percentile. Following the result announcement, candidates must monitor the official websites of individual IIMs for the release of their shortlist criteria and the commencement of the Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI) rounds.