You scored 250 in CMAT. Is JBIMS realistic? What about a 90 percentile: which doors does it open? Every one of those questions comes back to the CMAT cutoff, the most misunderstood number in MBA admission season.
NTA doesn’t publish one CMAT cutoff. Each college sets its own cut-off, applies it at its own stage, and often weighs it against GD, PI, academics and work experience. This guide shows what the cutoff means, what marks each percentile needs, how the CMAT cutoff trends have moved since 2021, and how to use all this to build a college list that holds up.
Quick answer
- There is no single CMAT cutoff. Every accepting institute sets its own.
- JBIMS and SIMSREE sit at 99.9+ percentile. Upper-tier private B-schools sit around 95–99. Many solid PGDM colleges accept 80–90.
- In CMAT 2026, about 291.5 marks ≈ 99 percentile and 257.5 ≈ 90 percentile (reported figures).
- The top of the curve barely moves year to year. The middle moves a lot.
What Is the CMAT Cutoff?
The CMAT cutoff is the minimum percentile (or sometimes score) a college requires before it will consider you for the next admission stage. It isn’t a pass mark set by NTA. In practice it shows up in three forms:
| Type | What it means | Who sets it |
|---|---|---|
| Qualifying cutoff | Minimum to stay eligible for a programme | Institute |
| Shortlist cutoff | The range that actually gets GD/PI/WAT calls, often much higher than the qualifying number | Institute (varies yearly) |
| Final selection | Cutoff plus academics, work experience, GD/PI performance and category | Institute |
The gap between the first two is where aspirants get hurt. Clearing a college’s stated minimum makes you eligible. It doesn’t make you shortlisted.
Also Read: Top MBA Colleges Accepting CMAT 2026: Fees, Cutoffs & Placement
CMAT 2026 at a Glance
| Detail | CMAT 2026 |
|---|---|
| Conducting body | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
| Exam date | 25 January 2026, single shift (9 AM–12 PM) |
| Result date | 17 February 2026 |
| Paper | 100 MCQs, 400 marks (+4 / −1 / 0 for unattempted) |
| Registered / appeared | 53,453 / 41,872 (78.33% turnout) |
| Normalisation | Not applied, because there was one shift |
| Official portal | cmat.nta.nic.in |
Because everyone took the same paper in one shift, 2026 percentiles come straight from raw scores. If you compare them with a multi-shift year, remember the calculation differs slightly.
CMAT Cutoff 2026: College-Wise Percentile and Marks Needed
Here’s the part most pages skip: converting a college’s percentile into the marks you need. The table maps indicative college percentiles to the reported CMAT 2026 score-vs-percentile curve (shown in the next section). The marks column is our own conversion and an approximation.
| Tier | Example colleges | Indicative percentile | Approx. marks (out of 400) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top | JBIMS, SIMSREE (All India seats) | 99.9–99.99 | ~325–360 |
| Very high | PUMBA Pune | ~99–99.9 | ~291–325 |
| Upper | K J Somaiya, GIM Goa | 95–99 | ~271–291 |
| Strong | Great Lakes, NIBM, Welingkar | 85–95 | ~237–271 |
| Good | BIMTECH, Jaipuria, IPE, ISBM, SIES | 80–90 | ~205–257 |
| Accessible | XIME, ABBS, many regional PGDM colleges | 70–80 | ~179–205 |
Read this table with three cautions:
- Sources disagree. Estimates for the same college vary by several percentile points, especially for PUMBA, NIBM and Welingkar. Treat each row as a planning band.
- JBIMS and SIMSREE admit through Maharashtra’s CAP process. Their All India seats use CMAT (and other) scores. The closing percentiles come from CAP rounds, not a CMAT-only list.
- Composite colleges such as K J Somaiya, GIM and Great Lakes accept CMAT alongside CAT, XAT and others, so the CMAT number is only one input.
Always confirm the current figure on each institute’s admission page.
CMAT Score vs Percentile 2026
| Percentile | Reported CMAT 2026 score |
|---|---|
| 99.99 | 360 |
| 99.9 | 325 |
| 99.5 | 299 |
| 99 | 291.5 |
| 98 | 282.5 |
| 95 | 271 |
| 90 | 257.5 |
| 85 | 237.5 |
| 80 | 205.5 |
| 75 | 192.5 |
| 70 | 179 |
| 60 | 154 |
| 50 | 133 |
Two things stand out. First, the steepest drop is between 85 and 80 percentile, about 32 marks for five percentile points. Missing a college’s 85-percentile line by a handful of questions can change your tier. Second, the 95-to-99 stretch spans only about 20 marks, so the last few questions of accuracy carry outsized weight.
CMAT Cutoff Trends: 2021 to 2026
CMAT cutoff trends tell you how much to trust last year’s numbers. Here are the reported scores needed for three reference percentiles:
| Year | ~99 percentile | ~90 percentile | ~80 percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 290 | 275 | 200 |
| 2022 | 293 | 240 | 211 |
| 2023 | 292 | 258 | 206 |
| 2024 | 293 | 240 | 211 |
| 2025 | 295 | 245 | 215 |
| 2026 | 291.5 | 257.5 | 205.5 |
What the CMAT cutoff trends show:
- The top is stable. The 99-percentile score stayed within roughly 290–295 across six cycles.
- The middle is volatile. The 90-percentile score swung between 240 and 275, a 35-mark spread. Planning around “last year’s 90 percentile = X marks” is risky.
- Top-college closing percentiles barely changed. JBIMS and SIMSREE have stayed at 99.9+ in recent cycles, even though the 2026 turnout fell to 78.33% from 85.32% in 2025.
- Fewer test-takers didn’t mean an easier cutoff. Percentile is relative to whoever appears, so a smaller pool doesn’t automatically lower the bar.
Category-Wise CMAT Cutoff
Reserved-category candidates usually get relaxed cutoffs, but the relaxation is set per institute. A generalised figure often quoted for SC/ST/OBC is around the 75th percentile, but that is a rough guide and not an official number. Some institutes also keep All India or domicile-based quotas. Check the category-specific cutoff and quota rules on each college’s page before you apply.
What Moves the CMAT Cutoff Every Year
- Number of candidates who appear. This changes the percentile distribution. In 2026, 41,872 appeared out of 53,453 registered.
- Paper difficulty. A tougher paper lowers the marks needed for a given percentile.
- Seats and programme. Low-intake institutes like JBIMS keep cutoffs sky-high regardless of small shifts in applicant numbers.
- Selection weightage. Colleges that give GD/PI/WAT more weight can set a lower minimum CMAT cutoff.
- Sectional cutoffs. Some institutes demand a minimum in each section, so a strong overall percentile can still miss the shortlist.
How to Use the CMAT Cutoff to Build Your College List
- Download your scorecard from cmat.nta.nic.in and note your overall and sectional percentiles.
- Sort colleges into three groups. Stretch means 1–3 percentile points above you, target means at your level, and safe means 5+ points below.
- Add a marks buffer. When planning, aim 5–10 marks above the band you want, because of how steep the 80–85 stretch is.
- Check each college’s page. Look for the shortlist criteria, category rules, application deadline and selection stages.
- Prepare the second round early. The cutoff gets you the call, and GD/PI converts it.
CMAT Cutoff 2027: What to Expect
There is no CMAT cutoff for 2027 yet. Once results are out, each college will set its own cut-off. The 2021-2026 data still gives you a solid basis to plan from now.
Exam dates: NTA’s official notification is the only source that counts. Different websites currently report different dates, so don’t build your plan around an unofficial one.
What past trends suggest
- Top colleges (JBIMS, SIMSREE): Closing percentiles have stayed at 99.9+ in recent cycles. It’s reasonable to expect the same band in 2027.
- The 99 percentile mark: The score needed has stayed within roughly 290-295 across six cycles, so big surprises are unlikely here.
- The middle (80-95 percentile): Marks swing much more. The 90th-percentile score has ranged from 240 to 275 over the years, so relying on a single year’s number is risky.
Also Read: CMAT 2027: Exam Date, Registration, Eligibility, Syllabus & Complete Preparation Guide
How to plan around it
Don’t rely on one number. Check each target college’s admission page for its cutoff, sectional minimums and category rules.
Treat the 2026 marks as a target, not a guarantee. In 2026, about 291.5 marks matched 99 percentile and about 257.5 matched 90 percentile.
Add a buffer of 5-10 marks. This matters most in the 80-85 percentile zone, where a few marks can move you into a different tier of colleges.
Protect your accuracy. With negative marking (−1), every wrong answer costs you percentile, and the gap between top percentile bands is only a few marks.
Summary
- The CMAT cutoff is set by each institute, not by NTA, and comes in qualifying, shortlisting and final forms.
- CMAT 2026 had 41,872 test-takers, one shift and no normalisation.
- JBIMS/SIMSREE ≈ 99.9+, upper-tier ≈ 95–99, many good colleges ≈ 80–90.
- 99 percentile ≈ 291.5 marks and 90 percentile ≈ 257.5 marks in 2026 (reported).
- The top of the curve is stable and the middle shifts, so build a buffer.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the CMAT cutoff 2026?
There is no single cutoff. Each college sets its own, from about 99.9+ percentile at JBIMS and SIMSREE down to 70–80 at many regional institutes.
2. Does NTA fix a CMAT cutoff?
No. NTA conducts the exam and releases scores and percentiles. Admission cutoffs are set by individual institutes.
3. What is a good CMAT score?
Around 257 marks put you near the 90th percentile in 2026, and about 271 near the 95th. “Good” depends on your target college.
4. Is 90 percentile good in CMAT?
Yes, for most candidates. It opens many strong private PGDM colleges, but it falls short of JBIMS and SIMSREE.
5. How many marks are needed for 99 percentile in CMAT?
About 291.5 out of 400 in CMAT 2026, based on reported figures.
6. Which colleges accept 80 percentile in CMAT?
Many private AICTE-approved colleges, such as Jaipuria, IPE, ISBM and SIES, fall in this band. Confirm each college’s current cutoff.
7. Can I get an IIM with a CMAT score?
No. IIMs accept only CAT scores for their MBA programmes.
8. Was CMAT 2026 normalised?
No. It was held in a single shift, so percentiles were computed from raw scores.
9. Will the CMAT 2027 cutoff be higher?
It’s too early to say. Top-college cutoffs have been stable at 99.9+, while mid-range cutoffs shift with the applicant pool and paper difficulty.
Conclusion
The CMAT cutoff is a planning tool, not a verdict. Read it as a band, convert it into marks, and add a buffer for the volatile middle of the curve. Then do the part most aspirants underrate: apply to each college separately and prepare early for the GD/PI round. Start with a realistic target, practise accuracy on CMAT previous year papers, and confirm every number on the official page of the college you’re applying to.
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