By the Online Coaching 4u team
Cutoff numbers for IPMAT circulate constantly on forums, often without enough context to be useful. Here's what actually happened in the most recently completed cycle, IPMAT 2026, held in May 2026, with results out by the end of that month, close enough to today that it's a genuinely useful reference point for 2027 aspirants.
Quick facts, IPMAT 2026 (General category)
IIM Indore: sectional cutoffs, Quant SA 28/60, Quant MCQ 27/120, Verbal 111/180
IIM Indore shortlisted: 838 candidates for 150 seats
IIM Rohtak: overall cutoff ~363/480, no sectional cutoff
IIM Rohtak shortlisted: 1,030 candidates for 198 seats
IIM Indore: sectional cutoffs, cleared independently
IIM Indore's structure means a single aggregate score isn't enough, you need to clear a minimum in each of the three sections separately. For the 2026 cycle, General-category candidates needed approximately 28 out of 60 in the Quant Short Answer section, 27 out of 120 in Quant MCQ, and 111 out of 180 in Verbal. Around 26,500-28,000 candidates are estimated to have appeared out of roughly 32,500 registered, with 838 ultimately clearing all three sectional thresholds and getting shortlisted for the WAT/PI stage, competing for 150 domestic seats.
IIM Rohtak: one combined threshold
Rohtak works differently, there's no sectional cutoff, only an overall score threshold. For 2026, that threshold sat at approximately 363 out of 480 marks for the General category. 1,030 candidates cleared it and were shortlisted for the WAT/PI round, competing for 198 seats, of which 10% are reserved for the EWS category.
Why you shouldn't compare the two numbers directly
363 (Rohtak) and roughly 166 combined (Indore's three sectional cutoffs added together) look wildly different, but comparing them head-to-head is meaningless: the exams have different total marks (480 vs 360), different question counts, and different marking rules. What matters for your own prep is each exam's cutoff as a percentage of its own maximum, not a cross-exam comparison. If you're targeting both, treat them as two separate benchmarks, not one number expressed two ways.
Clearing the cutoff is a milestone, not the finish line
Both IIMs run a Written Ability Test and/or Personal Interview after shortlisting, and your final merit rank blends the written score with your Class 10/12 academic percentage and your PI performance. Practically, this means two candidates with similar written scores can land at meaningfully different final ranks depending on their academic record and interview performance, so getting shortlisted is genuinely just the first hurdle, not a guarantee of a seat.
What this means for your prep
If you're aiming for IIM Indore, don't neglect any single section chasing a high aggregate, since a weak Quant Short Answer score alone can disqualify you even with a strong Verbal score. If you're aiming for IIM Rohtak, a more balanced-but-flexible approach works, since you can lean on your strongest section to offset a weaker one, a strategy that simply isn't available at Indore. Our IPMAT preparation strategy guide goes deeper into how this structural difference should actually change how you study for each.
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Frequently asked questions
What was the IPMAT Indore cutoff in 2026?
General-category sectional cutoffs were approximately 28 out of 60 in Quant Short Answer, 27 out of 120 in Quant MCQ, and 111 out of 180 in Verbal. All three had to be cleared independently, a high score in one section couldn't offset a miss in another.
What was the IPMAT Rohtak cutoff in 2026?
An overall score of approximately 363 out of 480 for the General category, with no sectional cutoff, only this single combined threshold.
How many candidates got shortlisted at each IIM in 2026?
IIM Indore shortlisted 838 candidates for its WAT/PI round for 150 seats. IIM Rohtak shortlisted 1,030 candidates for 198 seats (10% of which are reserved for EWS).
Can I directly compare Indore's cutoff marks to Rohtak's?
Not meaningfully, no. The two exams have different total marks (360 vs 480), different section counts, and different marking schemes, so a raw score comparison is misleading. What matters is each exam's own cutoff relative to its own maximum, not the two numbers side by side.
Does clearing the cutoff guarantee admission?
No. Clearing the cutoff only gets you shortlisted for the WAT/PI round. Final selection blends your written score with your Class 10/12 academic percentage and your PI performance, so being shortlisted is a milestone, not the finish line.
