IIMs follow the central government reservation policy for their programmes. The percentages below are the commonly followed pattern, but each IIM publishes its own seat matrix in its admission notice, so use this page as a guide and confirm with the institute.
Category-wise reservation at IIMs
| Category | Reservation |
|---|---|
| SC | 15% |
| ST | 7.5% |
| OBC-NCL | 27% |
| EWS | 10% |
| PwD (horizontal) | 5% |
PwD reservation is horizontal, which means it is applied within each category. Figures may differ slightly by institute and programme.
What you need to claim a reserved seat
- A valid category certificate in the prescribed format (OBC-NCL certificate must be recent and show non-creamy layer status).
- EWS certificate for the relevant financial year, where applicable.
- A disability certificate for PwD claims.
- Certificates are verified at the time of the final admission process.
Lower application fee and cut-off relaxations
Candidates in the SC, ST and PwD categories pay a reduced application fee of INR 1,350 and need 45% in graduation instead of 50%. Cut-offs for the shortlist are also lower for reserved categories at most IIMs.
CAT 2026 Reservation FAQs
Do all IIMs follow the same reservation?+
They follow the central policy, but the seat matrix is published by each IIM, so check the IIM's own notice.
Is the category certificate needed at registration?+
Details are entered at registration, while certificates are usually verified at the admission stage. Keep them ready.
More on CAT 2026
Source & Disclaimer
Official source: iimcat.ac.in
Information on this page is compiled from the official CAT notification at iimcat.ac.in and trends from earlier cycles. Dates marked Expected are estimates, not official announcements. Please confirm all details on the official website.