{"id":4475,"date":"2026-09-05T14:36:51","date_gmt":"2026-09-05T09:06:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.catmock.com\/blog\/?p=4475"},"modified":"2026-09-05T14:36:52","modified_gmt":"2026-09-05T09:06:52","slug":"mdi-gurgaon-cat-cutoff-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.catmock.com\/blog\/mdi-gurgaon-cat-cutoff-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"MDI Gurgaon CAT Cutoff 2026: Expected Percentile, Sectional Cutoff & Previous Year Trends"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Scored a 92 and wondering if MDI Gurgaon is still in play? Or sitting on a 96 and unsure if that’s a safe call or a nail-biter? Either way, you’re in the right place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MDI Gurgaon is one of the few non-IIM B-schools where a 95+ percentile genuinely competes with older IIM cutoffs \u2014 which is exactly why so many CAT aspirants search for this number every single year. The guide covers<\/strong> the expected CAT 2026 cutoff, tracks<\/strong> its movement over the past four years, explains<\/strong> whether sectional scores matter, and highlights<\/strong> how MDI has changed its selection process for the 2026\u201328 batch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last updated: September 2026 \u00b7 Reviewed by the CATMock team, based on MDI Gurgaon’s officially published 2026-28 selection criteria, AICTE-approved programme filings, and recent CAT cutoff trends across four admission cycles.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

MDI Gurgaon at a Glance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Particulars<\/th>Details<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Institute Name<\/td>Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurgaon<\/td><\/tr>
Established<\/td>1973<\/td><\/tr>
Type<\/td>Private, Autonomous (AICTE-approved<\/mark><\/a>)<\/td><\/tr>
Accreditations<\/td>AACSB, AMBA, NBA, SAQS<\/td><\/tr>
Ranking<\/td>Consistently among India’s top 10 B-schools (NIRF Management<\/mark><\/a>)<\/td><\/tr>
Flagship Programmes<\/td>PGDM, PGDM-HRM, PGDM-IB, PGDM-Business Analytics<\/td><\/tr>
Entrance Exams Accepted<\/td>CAT (primary), GMAT (for international\/NRI applicants)<\/td><\/tr>
Approx. Total Fee (2-Year PGDM)<\/td>\u20b928 Lakh<\/td><\/tr>
Official Website<\/td>mdi.ac.in<\/mark><\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

MDI Gurgaon CAT Cutoff 2026: Expected Overall Percentile<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Based on how the cutoff has behaved over the last few cycles, MDI Gurgaon’s shortlisting percentile for CAT 2026 is expected to fall in the 95\u201397 range<\/strong> for General category candidates. A 96+ score is considered a comfortably safe target, while anything above 97 puts you close to the top of the applicant pool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s the important part most aspirants get wrong: MDI Gurgaon is a private deemed university<\/strong>, not a government institute. That means it doesn’t follow the same statutory reservation framework that IIMs use. In practice, this shows up as a much narrower spread between categories than you’d see at an IIM \u2014 most recent cycles have shown General, EWS, OBC, SC, ST, and PwD candidates all shortlisted within a similar 94\u201396 percentile band, rather than the wide category-wise gaps common at government B-schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Category-Wise Expected Cutoff (CAT 2026)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Category<\/th>Expected Overall Percentile<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
General<\/td>95\u201397<\/td><\/tr>
EWS<\/td>94\u201396<\/td><\/tr>
NC-OBC<\/td>94\u201396<\/td><\/tr>
SC<\/td>92\u201395<\/td><\/tr>
ST<\/td>90\u201394<\/td><\/tr>
PwD<\/td>90\u201394<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

These are estimates based on recent-cycle patterns, not an official MDI notification. Since MDI doesn’t formally reserve seats by category the way IIMs do, treat this table as a directional guide rather than a fixed threshold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does MDI Gurgaon Have a Sectional Cutoff?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This is one of the most searched questions about MDI’s admission process, and the honest answer is: officially, no<\/strong> \u2014 MDI Gurgaon does not publish or enforce minimum sectional percentiles the way institutes like IIM Lucknow do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, “no official sectional cutoff” doesn’t mean sectional performance is irrelevant. Because CAT scores drive 70% of the Stage 1 shortlisting weightage, a heavily lopsided profile (say, 99 percentile in QA but 60 in VARC) can still hurt your composite score even without a hard cutoff. Most CAT mentors recommend aiming for a reasonably balanced spread \u2014 roughly 80+ in each section \u2014 to stay safe rather than relying purely on an inflated overall number.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MDI Gurgaon CAT Cutoff: Previous Year Trends (2022\u20132025)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Looking at how the cutoff has actually moved gives you a far more reliable picture than any single year’s number.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Year<\/th>Programme<\/th>General Category Cutoff<\/th>Notes<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
2022<\/td>PGDM<\/td>94+<\/td>Stable post-pandemic recovery in application volume<\/td><\/tr>
2023<\/td>PGDM<\/td>94\u201395<\/td>Marginal uptick in applicant pool<\/td><\/tr>
2024<\/td>PGDM<\/td>95\u201397<\/td>Engineers ~97+, Non-engineers ~94+<\/td><\/tr>
2025<\/td>PGDM<\/td>96\u201397<\/td>Cutoff held steady across all programme variants<\/td><\/tr>
2026 (Expected)<\/td>PGDM<\/td>95\u201397<\/td>Based on current application trends<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The pattern is clear: MDI’s cutoff has been remarkably stable in the mid-90s band for four straight years, with only marginal shifts. That stability itself is useful information \u2014 it means CAT 2026 aspirants can plan around a fairly predictable number instead of guessing wildly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MDI Gurgaon Selection Process: How Your CAT Score Is Actually Used<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Clearing the cutoff only gets you a WAT-GD-PI call \u2014 it doesn’t decide your admission. MDI runs a two-stage weighted process, and there’s a genuinely important change for the 2026-28 batch that most cutoff articles haven’t updated yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stage 1: Shortlisting Weightage<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Component<\/th>Weightage<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
CAT Score<\/td>70%<\/td><\/tr>
Class 10th + 12th + Graduation Marks<\/td>15%<\/td><\/tr>
Work Experience<\/td>10%<\/td><\/tr>
Academic Diversity (Engineer\/Non-Engineer)<\/td>5%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Stage 2: Final Selection Weightage (2026-28 Batch \u2014 Updated)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Component<\/th>Weightage<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
CAT Score<\/td>35%<\/td><\/tr>
Personal Interview (PI)<\/td>20\u201330%<\/td><\/tr>
Group Discussion \/ Group Exercise<\/td>10\u201315%<\/td><\/tr>
Work Experience<\/td>10%<\/td><\/tr>
Written Ability Test (WAT)<\/td>5%<\/td><\/tr>
Behavioural Assessment Test (BAT)<\/td>5%<\/td><\/tr>
Academic Diversity, Gender Diversity, Sports<\/td>~10%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What’s changed:<\/strong> For the 2026-28 batch, MDI Gurgaon revised its final-stage criteria to remove Class 10th and 12th marks from the composite score entirely, shifting that weight toward CAT performance and interview outcomes. If your school-level academics were ever a worry, this update genuinely works in your favour \u2014 CAT score and how you perform in the room now matter more than they did two years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MDI Gurgaon vs Other Top B-Schools: Where Does the Cutoff Stand?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you’re on the fence about which non-IIM B-schools to target alongside MDI, here’s how the expected CAT 2026 cutoffs compare:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

B-School<\/th>Expected General Cutoff (CAT 2026)<\/th>Approx. Total Fee<\/th>Avg. Placement (Recent Batch)<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
FMS Delhi<\/td>98.5\u201399+<\/td>~\u20b92.3 Lakh<\/td>\u20b934+ LPA<\/td><\/tr>
MDI Gurgaon<\/td>95\u201397<\/td>~\u20b928 Lakh<\/td>\u20b925.5 LPA<\/td><\/tr>
SPJIMR Mumbai<\/td>85+ (profile-weighted)<\/td>~\u20b924 Lakh<\/td>\u20b928+ LPA<\/td><\/tr>
IIT Delhi (DoMS)<\/td>90\u201396<\/td>~\u20b912 Lakh<\/td>\u20b922+ LPA<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

MDI sits in an interesting spot: its cutoff is lower than FMS Delhi’s near-perfect percentile requirement, but its placement outcomes and brand recognition remain firmly in the top-10 bracket \u2014 which is exactly why it draws such heavy competition at the 95+ mark. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Placements and Fees: Is the Cutoff Worth Chasing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A 96+ percentile is a serious target, so it’s worth knowing what it actually buys you. MDI Gurgaon’s most recent placement cycle reported an average package of \u20b925.5 LPA, a median of \u20b924.2 LPA, and a highest offer of \u20b963.3 LPA, with pre-placement offers going to roughly 36% of the batch. Against a total programme fee of around \u20b928 Lakh, that’s a payback profile most aspirants find justifies the cutoff pressure \u2014 provided you’re also comparing it honestly against IIM options in the same percentile range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also Read: \ud83d\udc49TISS Mumbai MBA 2026: Fees, Placements, Cutoff, Admission & Average Package<\/mark><\/a><\/strong><\/em>
\ud83d\udc49Top 10 Private MBA Colleges in India 2026: NIRF Rank, Fees & Placements<\/mark><\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Prepare for a 96+ CAT Percentile<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A 95\u201397 percentile target isn’t about any single “trick” \u2014 it’s about consistent, well-analysed practice across all three sections, since your composite CAT score alone drives 70% of MDI’s first-stage shortlisting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n