{"id":4720,"date":"2026-09-12T11:57:36","date_gmt":"2026-09-12T06:27:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.catmock.com\/blog\/?p=4720"},"modified":"2026-09-12T12:04:36","modified_gmt":"2026-09-12T06:34:36","slug":"iim-kozhikode-cutoff-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.catmock.com\/blog\/iim-kozhikode-cutoff-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"IIM Kozhikode Cutoff 2026: CAT Percentile, Category-Wise Trends & the Real Shortlist Score"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Reading time: ~9 minutes<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s the number that trips up most CAT aspirants researching IIM Kozhikode: the institute’s published qualifying cutoff is 85 percentile for the General category. That sounds achievable \u2014 and it is, for thousands of candidates every year. But clearing it doesn’t put you anywhere near a WAT-PI call. Historical data shows candidates who actually receive an offer typically score well into the high-90s, and in some recent batches, close to 99 percentile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This guide walks through what the IIM Kozhikode cutoff<\/strong> actually means at each stage \u2014 the qualifying percentile, the sectional rules (including a lesser-known elimination clause), the category-wise breakdown, how it has trended over recent cycles, and the realistic percentile you should target for CAT 2026 if IIM Kozhikode is on your shortlist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read Full Blog IIM Kozhikode 2026: Ranking, Fees & Placements<\/mark><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

IIM Kozhikode Cutoff 2026 at a Glance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Category<\/th>Overall Qualifying Cutoff<\/th>VARC (Sectional)<\/th>DILR (Sectional)<\/th>QA (Sectional)<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
General<\/td>85<\/td>75<\/td>75<\/td>75<\/td><\/tr>
EWS \/ NC-OBC<\/td>75<\/td>65<\/td>65<\/td>65<\/td><\/tr>
SC<\/td>65<\/td>55<\/td>55<\/td>55<\/td><\/tr>
ST \/ PwD<\/td>55<\/td>45<\/td>45<\/td>45<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Figures reflect the most recently published qualifying cutoff, used as the planning benchmark until IIM Kozhikode releases the CAT 2026-linked cutoff after results. Always verify the live figure on IIM Kozhikode’s official admission policy page before finalising your target.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The number that matters more than this table:<\/strong> clearing the qualifying cutoff only gets you into the composite-score pool. It is not the percentile you actually need for a call \u2014 that distinction is the entire point of this guide, and it’s explained in detail below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What “IIM Kozhikode Cutoff” Actually Means<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The cutoff exists in layers, and treating them as one number is the most common mistake aspirants make:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. The qualifying cutoff<\/strong> \u2014 the minimum overall and sectional percentile to be considered at all. Fixed, published, and remarkably stable year to year.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Kozhikode’s unique Stage-1 rule<\/strong> \u2014 beyond the percentile cutoff, the institute requires candidates to score a positive (greater than zero) scaled score in all three CAT sections<\/strong>. Even with a strong overall percentile, a zero or negative scaled score in any single section results in elimination at Stage 1, independent of the percentile cutoff table above.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. The shortlisting (real) cutoff<\/strong> \u2014 the effective percentile candidates in a given category actually need to make it into the WAT-PI shortlist, driven by that year’s applicant volume and seat availability, not a published number.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    IIM Kozhikode Cutoff Trend: How It Has Moved Over the Years<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The published qualifying cutoff has stayed almost flat across recent admission cycles, with the more noticeable movement happening in the reserved-category figures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Admission Cycle<\/th>General Overall<\/th>General Sectional (each)<\/th>EWS\/NC-OBC Overall<\/th>SC Overall<\/th>ST\/PwD Overall<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
    2023\u201325 batch<\/td>85<\/td>75<\/td>75<\/td>65<\/td>55<\/td><\/tr>
    2024\u201326 batch<\/td>85<\/td>75<\/td>75<\/td>65<\/td>55<\/td><\/tr>
    2025\u201327 batch<\/td>85<\/td>75<\/td>75<\/td>65<\/td>55<\/td><\/tr>
    2026\u201328 batch (expected)<\/td>85\u201390<\/td>75<\/td>75\u201382<\/td>65<\/td>55<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Compiled from IIM Kozhikode’s published admission policies across cycles. The General category figure has been the most stable data point in the entire cutoff structure \u2014 don’t expect a dramatic shift for CAT 2026. Confirm the official figure once released.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The Real Number: Minimum Percentile of Candidates Who Actually Got an Offer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    This is the data point most guides skip entirely, and it’s the most useful one on this page. Based on recent batch-wise admission data, here’s how the qualifying<\/em> cutoff compares to the minimum percentile among candidates who actually received a final offer<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Batch<\/th>GEN (Qualifying \u2192 Actual)<\/th>EWS (Actual)<\/th>NC-OBC (Actual)<\/th>SC (Actual)<\/th>ST (Actual)<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
    2021\u201323<\/td>85 \u2192 ~91.2<\/td>~89.8<\/td>~82.2<\/td>~69.8<\/td>~64.1<\/td><\/tr>
    2020\u201322<\/td>85 \u2192 ~99.1<\/td>~90.5<\/td>~92.0<\/td>~82.5<\/td>~83.3<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Figures represent the lowest CAT percentile among candidates who ultimately converted an offer in that batch, as reported in historical admission data. These will vary batch to batch based on applicant volume and profile strength \u2014 treat them as a realistic range, not a guarantee, and note that even the “actual” minimum swings significantly year to year (a General-category candidate converted at ~91 percentile one year and needed ~99 the next).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What this tells you:<\/strong> the published 85-percentile qualifying cutoff is a floor, not a target. A safer planning benchmark for General category is 97\u201399+ percentile<\/strong>, and reserved categories should aim comfortably above their respective qualifying number rather than just at it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Also Read: IIM Lucknow Cutoff 2026: CAT Percentile, Category-Wise<\/mark><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Category-Wise Cutoff and Composite Score: How Shortlisting Actually Works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Once a candidate clears both the percentile cutoff and the positive-sectional-score rule, IIM Kozhikode computes a composite (Aggregate Index) Score<\/strong> to decide WAT-PI shortlisting. The exact weightage has shifted slightly across cycles, but the structure has stayed consistent:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Component<\/th>Approx. Weightage<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
    CAT score (scaled, equal weight across VARC\/DILR\/QA)<\/td>~40\u201345%<\/td><\/tr>
    Class 12 marks<\/td>~15\u201320%<\/td><\/tr>
    Class 10 marks<\/td>~15%<\/td><\/tr>
    Work experience<\/td>~5%<\/td><\/tr>
    Diversity (gender diversity or<\/strong> academic diversity \u2014 not both)<\/td>~10\u201320%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    A distinctive rule worth flagging: IIM Kozhikode awards diversity points for either<\/strong> gender diversity or<\/strong> academic-background diversity (e.g., non-engineering graduates) \u2014 never both simultaneously<\/strong>, even if a candidate qualifies for each. This is a detail that materially changes how some candidates should evaluate their own profile strength going in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sectional Cutoff Rules Explained<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    IIM Kozhikode enforces sectional cutoffs independently of the overall percentile, and adds one more layer beyond the published numbers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n