IIM Lucknow Cutoff 2026
Lucknow
AMBA
AACSB
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IIM Lucknow Cutoff Overview
The IIM Lucknow cutoff is a minimum CAT percentile, and it only decides who enters the shortlist. Think of the IIM Lucknow admission cutoff as an entry gate. The IIM Lucknow admission cut off differs by programme and category. The timeline shows where the gate sits on your road to an offer.
29 November 2026
CAT 2026 Exam
Sunday. Your sectional and overall percentiles decide whether you clear the gate.
First week of January 2027
CAT Result (Likely)
Check all three sectional percentiles and the overall percentile on your scorecard.
After the result
Shortlist
The institute ranks everyone who cleared the bars on a composite score and calls the top group.
End of February 2027 onward
Writing Test and Interview
This follows the Batch 2026-28 pattern, as the Batch 2027-29 calendar is not yet published.
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What Is the IIM Lucknow Cutoff for CAT 2026?
The IIM Lucknow CAT cutoff 2026 is expected to match the Batch 2026-28 bars. That is 90 overall and 85 in each section for General. The institute used the same bars in three policies in a row, for CAT 2023, 2024 and 2025. Treat them as the latest published figures until the new policy arrives.
Is It Easy to Get into IIM Lucknow?
No. The CAT bar alone is high, at 90 overall and 85 per section for General, and it is only the first gate. The institute does not publish a closing score, so clearing the bar does not guarantee an interview call. In the interview, you must also score at least 12 of 40.
Can I Get IIM Lucknow with 75 Percentile?
Only if you are SC, ST or PwD, and each section also clears its bar. The IIM Lucknow cutoff for General is 90 overall. The bar for NC-OBC and EWS is 82, so 75 is below the IIM Lucknow cutoff there. SC candidates need 65 overall, and ST and PwD candidates need 60.
Can I Get IIM Lucknow with 95 Percentile in CAT?
A 95 overall clears the IIM Lucknow cutoff of 90 for General, but only if you also score 85 or more in each section. Clearing the bar puts you in the shortlist pool. The composite score then decides who gets the interview call.
IIM Lucknow Cutoff 2026
The IIM Lucknow cutoff 2026 for General candidates is 90 percentile overall and 85 in VARC, DILR and QA each. You must clear the overall bar and all three section bars.
90
Overall Percentile
General, MBA
85
Each Section
VARC, DILR and QA, General
12 of 40
Minimum Interview Score
For the final merit list
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What Is the IIM Lucknow Cutoff for the General Category?
The IIM Lucknow cutoff for General is 90 overall and 85 per section for the MBA. The MBA-ABM and MBA-SM bars are 5 points lower, at 85 overall and 80 per section. IIM Lucknow cutoff marks are percentiles, not raw scores, so read your CAT scorecard for the percentile.
IIM Lucknow Section-Wise CAT Cutoff 2026
The IIM Lucknow section-wise CAT cutoff 2026 is 85 percentile in each of VARC, DILR and QA for General candidates. The overall bar of 90 sits on top of it, and you must meet both. The IIM Lucknow CAT cut off for reserved categories is lower, as the next section shows.
One Low Section Can Rule You Out
Clearing the overall bar is not enough. A General candidate must clear the section bar in VARC, DILR and QA separately, whatever the overall percentile.
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Does IIM Lucknow Have a Sectional Cutoff?
Yes. The IIM Lucknow cut off applies to each of the three sections as well as the total. A General candidate with 95 overall but 80 in QA does not qualify for the MBA. Check all three sectional percentiles on your CAT scorecard before you compare yourself with the IIM Lucknow cutoff.
IIM Lucknow Category-Wise Cutoff 2026
The IIM Lucknow category wise cutoff is lower for EWS, NC-OBC, SC, ST and PwD candidates. The table shows the MBA bars from the Batch 2026-28 policy. Each bar is a CAT 2025 percentile. The IIM Lucknow category wise cut off matches the 2024-26 and 2025-27 policies.
| IIM Lucknow category wise cutoff | Each section | Overall |
|---|---|---|
| General | 85 | 90 |
| EWS | 77 | 82 |
| NC-OBC | 77 | 82 |
| SC | 55 | 65 |
| ST | 50 | 60 |
| PwD | 50 | 60 |
What Is the IIM Lucknow Course Wise Cutoff for MBA-ABM and MBA-SM?
The IIM Lucknow course wise cutoff for the MBA-ABM and MBA-SM is lower than the MBA for General, EWS and NC-OBC. The table is the full IIM Lucknow course wise cutoff for the two special tracks. Each cell shows the section percentile and then the overall percentile. The MBA-SM also needs 24 months of work experience.
| IIM Lucknow course wise cut off | MBA-ABM | MBA-SM |
|---|---|---|
| General | 80 and 85 | 80 and 85 |
| EWS and NC-OBC | 72 and 77 | 72 and 77 |
| SC | 55 and 65 | 55 and 60 |
| ST and PwD | 50 and 55 | 50 and 55 |
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What Is the IIM Lucknow Cutoff for OBC, EWS, SC and ST?
The IIM Lucknow category wise cutoff for NC-OBC and EWS is 77 in each section and 82 overall, which is 8 points lower than General. The IIM Lucknow category wise cut off for SC and ST is lower still. The institute reserves 27% of seats for NC-OBC, 15% for SC, 7.5% for ST and up to 10% for EWS.
IIM Lucknow Expected Cutoff 2026
The IIM Lucknow expected cutoff for the next batch is the same as the IIM Lucknow previous year cutoff. That means the Batch 2026-28 bars. The bars did not change across CAT 2023, 2024 and 2025. The IIM Lucknow expected cut off for the shortlist score is a different matter. The institute does not publish a closing score.
What Was the IIM Lucknow Previous Year Cutoff?
For Batch 2026-28 (CAT 2025), the IIM Lucknow previous year cutoff for the MBA was 90 overall. General candidates also needed 85 per section, the latest published IIM Lucknow cutoff. The table shows the same IIM Lucknow previous year cut off for the two earlier batches. The ABM and SM bars were also unchanged.
| Batch | CAT year | General bar, overall and section |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-28 | CAT 2025 | 90 and 85 |
| 2025-27 | CAT 2024 | 90 and 85 |
| 2024-26 | CAT 2023 | 90 and 85 |
Will the IIM Lucknow Cutoff Go Up for CAT 2026?
The IIM Lucknow expected cut off for CAT 2026 is likely to stay the same, as the last three policies gave no sign of a rise. A higher bar is possible only if the new policy says so, and the institute posts that policy on iiml.ac.in. Aim for a score well above the IIM Lucknow cutoff. The shortlist ranks candidates on the composite score, not on the bar.
Factors Affecting IIM Lucknow Cutoff
The IIM Lucknow admission cutoff for the interview call depends on a composite score, and CAT is 60% of it. The rest comes from your Class 12 marks, graduation marks, work experience and diversity points. The table shows the weights in the Batch 2026-28 policy. For the MBA-ABM, the policy caps the two diversity marks together at 20. Academic discipline diversity gives 5 marks for a non-engineering bachelor's degree in the MBA and MBA-SM.
| Component | MBA and MBA-SM | MBA-ABM |
|---|---|---|
| CAT score | 60 | 60 |
| Class 12 marks | 10 | 10 |
| Graduation marks | 10 | 10 |
| Work experience | 10 | 0 |
| Academic discipline diversity | 5 | Up to 20 |
| Gender diversity (women) | 5 | 5, inside the same 20 |
Do Class 12 and Graduation Marks Affect the IIM Lucknow Cutoff?
Yes, each carries 10 marks. Class 12 earns marks only above the 80th percentile. The percentile compares you with past CAT applicants from the same board and stream. Graduation marks are normalized within your academic discipline, so an engineer is compared with engineers. Together these marks can move you above or below the IIM Lucknow cutoff for the interview call.
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How Does Work Experience Change the IIM Lucknow Cutoff Score?
Each month of work experience beyond 6 months adds 0.5 mark for the MBA, up to 10 marks. You reach the full 10 marks at 26 months. The MBA-SM counts months beyond 24 in the same way. Only full-time experience after graduation counts, as on 31 July 2025.
How Is the Final IIM Lucknow Admission Cutoff Decided?
The final IIM Lucknow admission cut off is a merit list of 100 marks. CAT gives 30. Class 12 and graduation give 5 each. Diversity gives 5, work experience gives 5, the writing test gives 10 and the interview gives 40. The MBA-ABM gives 35 to CAT and none to work experience.
Commonly asked questions
Answers to what readers ask most often.
Q: What is the minimum interview score at IIM Lucknow?
The IIM Lucknow cutoff for the final merit list includes 12 marks out of 40 in the personal interview. Candidates who fail it are left out of the final merit list. Data Sources: IIM Lucknow admission policy, Batch 2026-28 (CAT 2025).
Q: What are the IIM Lucknow cutoff marks 2026 for the final shortlist?
IIM Lucknow does not publish a closing score. The policy publishes only the minimum percentiles that make up the IIM Lucknow cutoff, and the weights. The shortlist for the writing test and interview appears on iiml.ac.in after the CAT result. Data Sources: IIM Lucknow admission policy, Batch 2026-28 (CAT 2025).
Q: Is there a JEE Main cutoff for the IIM Lucknow BS (AI & BA)?
No. The BS needs JEE Advanced, so there is no IIM Lucknow cutoff in JEE Main terms. The institute ranks applicants on its own list. The third offer list for Batch 2026-30, published on 3 August 2026, reached IIML rank 105 in the open category. Data Sources: IIM Lucknow BS (AI & BA) admission policy 2026-27 and offer list.
Q: Does the IIM Lucknow cutoff apply to the PGPWE and IPMX?
IIM Lucknow does not publish a percentile bar for them. The IPMX weighs GMAT or GRE at 30% and your academic and professional profile at 30%. The writing test counts 10% and the interview 30%. Data Sources: IIM Lucknow IPMX page, 2026.
Campus location
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
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