Great Lakes - PGDM & PGPM Admissions 2027
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Candidates who are holders of a professional degree like CA, CS, ICWA, etc., can also appear for CAT 2026 just like every other student. CA, CS, ICWA graduates do not need to hold a traditional bachelor’s degree, given that they still meet the eligibility criteria (50% aggregate marks in the respective field and 45% for SC/ST/PwD). Just like the normal candidates, the CA, CS, ICWA graduates will need to fill out the CAT 2026 registration form and fill in the personal and professional details. After completing the form, they’ll have to pay the CAT 2026 registration fees of Rs.2700 (GEN/OBC/EWS) and Rs.1350 (SC/ST/PWD). The CAT 2026 registration window opened on August 3, 2026, and will remain open till September 22, 2026. Hence, the candidates are advised to complete their CAT 2026 registration on time to avoid any last-minute hassle. Explore this article further to know more about the eligibility checklist of CA, CS, ICWA graduates for CAT 2026.
Even though the professional degree holders do not require a traditional bachelor’s degree, they’ll still require to clear the basic eligibility checklist to be eligible for CAT 2026.
Qualification - The candidates must’ve passed CA, CS, ICWA/CMA, or another professional qualification.
Marks Required- The candidates are required to have secured a minimum of 50% aggregate marks in their respective field. Candidates belonging to the SC/ST/PwD category need to have a minimum of 45% aggregate marks.
Age Limit- There is no age limit for a candidate from a professional background who wants to appear for CAT 2026.
Work Experience- There is no compulsory requirement to have work experience as a professional candidate.
Must Read- How to Prepare for CAT 2026: Study Plan, Books & Mock Tests
After interviewing multiple candidates who applied for CAT after pursuing a professional degree, we recorded consistent responses related to their shift towards an MBA. Here’s what they found attractive about pursuing an MBA.
MBA helps them get higher roles in leadership and management to enhance further career opportunities.
MBA adds professional skills like leadership, communication, marketing, operations, consulting, etc which highly complement the professional degree they already hold.
The candidates who hold a professional degree like CA, CS, or CMA often have strong soft and hard skills like-
Analytical ability
Financial Expertise
High academic performance
Discipline and perseverance
Business Understanding
Quantitative Aptitude
Having these qualities can significantly improve a candidate’s interview performance and overall academic profile to increase the chances of getting into a good MBA college.
Candidates must keep the CAT 2026 documents ready, as given below, to avoid any last-minute hassle while registering for 2026.
Academic marksheet documents- Class X and XII
Professional marksheet and other related documents
Work experience letter and related documents (if applicable)
CAT 2026 photograph (<80kb) and signature of the candidate
Proof of Identity- Aadhaar Card, Driving License, PAN Card, etc
Category certificate or reservation certificate, wherever applicable
Disability certificate (PwD), if applicable
Net Banking, UPI, debit card, credit card, or other payment facility for registration fee payment.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
A candidate can register for CAT 2026 by visiting the official website iimcat.ac.in.
Yes, a candidate with a professional background like CA can pursue MBA.
A CA student may not need a traditional bachelor’s degree for CAT 2026, but will require a professional degree with 50% aggregate marks (45% for SC/STPwD).
The CAT 2026 registration fees is Rs.2700 for GEN/OBC/EWS candidates and Rs.1350 for SC/ST/PwD candidates.
No, candidates with a professional background need to score same as the usual cutoff according to their category.
On Question asked by student community
Hey there,
Yes. With 2 years of work experience, you are eligible to target the regular 2-year MBA at IIM Calcutta as long as you have a bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks (45% for SC/ST/PwD). Work experience is not required for eligibility.
For
Hey there,
For NIT Hamirpur MBA, the General-category CAT cutoff is not a fixed official percentile. NIT Hamirpur's 2026–27 admission process gives CAT a 10/10 weightage in the test component, followed by an interview; it accepts CAT, CMAT and MAT.
As a practical target, 80+ percentile is worth considering, while
Hey there,
If you are asking about CAT 2026 for MBA, the official CAT 2026 notification has not yet been released, so the exact application dates, exam date, and test-city list are not officially confirmed yet.
Based on the previous CAT schedule:
If by B-category you mean management/private quota MBBS seats, the cutoff is very different from government-quota MBBS.
In Tamil Nadu, management-quota MBBS seats are available in self-financing/private medical colleges through the state counselling process. The closing rank varies significantly between colleges and counselling rounds. The 2025 counselling data shows that
Globally Recognized by AACSB (US) & AMBA (UK) | 18 LPA Avg. CTC for PGPM 2026
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