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Home > News & Articles > IIM Admission Process 2025: Check CAT Cutoff, College-Wise Selection Process & More
Updated on 05th September, 2024 , 11 min read
The admission/selection procedure for candidates for various programs provided by the Indian Institute of Management is also known as the IIM Admission Criteria. Students seeking admission to the IIM must first complete an online application form. The IIMs are management education and research institutes run by the Government of India's Ministry of Education. They primarily provide graduate, doctoral, and executive programs, as well as extra business administration courses.
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After the declaration of the CAT 2024 result, the 21 IIM campuses will start to screen the test takers based on their respective CAT scores and academic record (performance in Class 10, Class 12, and graduation). CAT cut-off percentiles will be fixed for each IIM, section-wise and category-wise. Cut-off percentiles and weight allotted to CAT (and other parameters) to get shortlisted for the WAT/GD-PI round will vary for each IIM.
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How to prepare for the CAT exam?
IIM Admission Process 2025: The first step towards getting into an IIM is to apply and appear for the CAT exam, followed by the WAT, GD-PI, and the final result. The CAT GD-PI rounds are conducted once the CAT result is announced. Those who clear the CAT qualifying Cutoff will be shortlisted and eligible to appear for the GD-PI, WAT round. The Final selection for IIM admission is based on the candidate's overall profile - CAT score, academic score, work experience, category, and WAT and PI score.
The CAT 2024 exam is scheduled for 24th November 2024 as an online computer-based-test. The IIM CAT result is likely to be released in the 3rd week of December and the IIMs will release the admission criteria and PI shortlist forms in January 2025. The aspirants should carefully go through the admission criteria and selection process, and the CAT cutoff so that they can plan and score accordingly in the CAT 2024 exam.
Following the CAT exam, each of the older IIMs has its own admissions process. However, nine new IIMs have a Common Admission Process (CAP), which standardizes the selection process.
Here are some key points to remember
The IIM admission procedure is divided into 3 stages, each of which has been briefly explained below.
Once the CAT result is announced, the candidates have to apply for the WAT/GD-PI round by each IIM through official notification on its official website. Candidates who meet the shortlist cut-off have to log in through their CAT IDs to submit their name and CAT score.
In the second stage, the candidates who applied for WAT/GD-PI are shortlisted based on their CAT score and academic record after which interview letters are sent to selected candidates to participate in WAT-GD-PI round. The WAT-GD-PI round is conducted at designated cities between February to April.
The deadline for submission of the marksheet and passing certificate is December 31 of that year. Non-submission of these documents by the last date will automatically result in cancellation of admission
In the third stage of IIM admission, the composite score of each candidate is calculated based on various parameters to finalize his/her selection. The following is a list of the eight key parameters and their definitions.
IIM Admission Parameter | What it means? |
CAT Score | Total percentage score in the CAT exam |
Graduation Score | The overall percentage score in a three-year degree program. |
Class 12 Score | The total percentage of students who passed in Class 12 or equivalent. |
Class 10 Score | The total percentage of students who passed in Class 10 or equivalent. |
WAT, GD-PI Score | WAT/GD-PI The performance of each candidate on the WAT/GD-PI is evaluated, and appropriate marks are assigned. |
Academic Diversity | Candidates with backgrounds other than engineering are given bonus points to guarantee that students from other fields are equally represented. The points for academic diversity vary for each campus. |
Diversity by Gender | To ensure that each gender is adequately represented, the IIMs grant bonus points to female and transgender applicants. Gender diversity is valued differently in each college. |
The composite score refers to the total score (out of 100) a candidate obtains during the final selection process, calculated based on the above-mentioned parameters.
There are two significant changes to IIM approval as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and are as follows:
MBA Colleges other than IIMs Accepting CAT Score | |
BITSoM Mumbai |
Check the detailed IIM Admission Criteria for some of the top IIMs below.
Candidates for admission to the PGP batch 2024-26 at IIM Ahmedabad will be selected in two stages as follows:
IIM Bangalore accepts students based on CAT scores and a variety of other factors. The selection procedure is divided into five stages:
IIM Bangalore accepts online applications for PGP admissions.
During the final selection stage for IIM Bangalore admission criteria, the CAT score is given the most weight. The candidate must have earned an 80 percentile in each of the three areas of the CAT. The three sections are Quantitative Aptitude, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning, Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension.
Note: Candidates in the general category will have to achieve a minimum 95% in the CAT. If a candidate fails to satisfy the minimum percentile criteria in the CAT, they will not be considered for the final selection step.
IIMC has changed its admission standards for a two-year full-time MBA (PGP) program starting in 2024.
The selection of applicants for admission to the PGP batch 2024-26 at IIM Calcutta involves three steps:
Shortlisted applicants will be examined based on their CAT 2024 score, academic achievement, and other aspects. Admission to IIM Lucknow is based on CAT 2024 results and personal interviews. In addition, selected applicants for WAT-PI will be notified by IIM Lucknow.
The following are the steps for IIML admission:
IIM Rohtak will not participate in the CAP this year and will instead conduct its own selection procedure. Entering the candidate's application number and date of birth will get the IIM Rohtak PGP result. Candidates whose CAT 2024 scores are shortlisted must attend the selection process at IIM Rohtak.
PGP admission to IIM Rohtak 2024 will be available in five stages:
This year's admission criteria at IIM Kozhikode will include weightage for academic success and gender diversity, but not for bachelor's degree scores, as it did last year. For admission to its 2024-26 batch, IIM Kozhikode uses a three-phase selection process.
Students will be accepted to IIM Ranchi based on their CAT 2024 result, Written Ability Test (WAT), Personal Interview (PI), and profile.
The following steps are included in the IIM Ranchi admission process:
IIM Raipur will strive to enhance the number of women enrolled in the PGP 2024-26 batch by adding 8 points to the final selection, as it did last year. In the final selection, IIM Raipur assigns CAT 2022 35% weightage.
For admission to the 2024-26 batch, IIM Raipur conducts a three-phase screening process:
Last year, IIM Visakhapatnam upped the weight of the academic profile to 50%. Academic credentials, CAT scores, gender diversity, and job experience will be used to evaluate candidates.
The three-step admissions procedure at IIM Vizag for the 2024-26 batch
IIM Nagpur will notify candidates who have been shortlisted for PGP admission 2024 by email. The admission procedure at IIM Nagpur for the class of 2024-25 will be as follows:
The admission process at IIM Jammu consists of three steps. First, IIM Jammu takes into account a variety of aspects in its final selection, such as academic profile, professional experience, diversity, and so on.
Admission to IIM Jammu for the academic year 2024-26 is divided into three stages:
Candidates who satisfy the criteria for each step get admitted to IIM Sirmaur. Admission to IIM Sirmaur is based on CAT 2024 results, personal presence, and grading of the major components.
Admission to IIM Sirmaur will be conducted in two stages in 2024-25.
The CAT score is given 50% weightage in the final selection, and other variables also play a considerable part. Female applicants are given an additional 5% weightage in the gender diversity category.
Three factors influence admission to IIM Trichy:
The IIM Sambalpur admission criteria are divided into three levels. Here is a comprehensive guide to admission to IIM Sambalpur:
Graduation is the minimum necessary for taking the CAT exam. Learn more about CAT eligibility considering the points listed below.
Read in Detail: CAT Eligibility Criteria
The CAT Exam results will be made public in January 2024. Candidates may get their CAT scorecard 2024 by entering their login ID and username. CAT results are available in online mode. Following the announcement of the results, candidates will be shortlisted for IIMs using CAT cut-offs. The CAT scorecard includes the following details
Check the table below for the previous year's qualifying CAT cut offs vs expected final CAT cut-offs:
IIM | Qualifying CAT cut offs | Expected CAT cut offs |
IIM Ahmedabad | 80 | 99-100 |
IIM Bangalore | 85 | 99-100 |
IIM Calcutta | 85 | 99 |
IIM Lucknow | 90 | 97-99 |
IIM Indore | 90 | 97-99 |
IIM Kozhikode | 85 | 97-98 |
IIM Amritsar | 85 | 95-96 |
IIM Nagpur | 85 | 95-96 |
IIM Sambalpur | 93 | 95-96 |
IIM Trichy | 93 | 94-95 |
IIM Raipur | 93 | 94-95 |
IIM Ranchi | 93 | 94-95 |
IIM Kashipur | 94 | 94-95 |
IIM Vizag | 80 | 92-94 |
IIM Udaipur | 93 | 92-94 |
IIM Bodhgaya | 93 | 92-94 |
IIM Shillong | 75 | 90-94 |
IIM Sirmaur | 93 | 90-94 |
IIM Rohtak | 95 | 95-97 |
IIM Nagpur | 85 | 90-94 |
IIM Jammu | 93 | 90-94 |
Candidates who make it to the final selection list are intimated through email. The most important aspect of the IIM admission process is "confirmation of admission". Selected candidates are required to confirm their admission by filling up the offer acceptance form and paying the requisite admission acceptance fee (adjustable in the first installment of the tuition fee). In case any candidate fails to submit the offer acceptance form and pay the fees within the given time duration, his/her seat will be offered to the next best candidate.
Read More About the CAT Cutoff
IIMs also have a provision to defer admission. Under this provision, candidates who wish to earn some work experience before pursuing the MBA course are allowed to postpone their admission for up to a maximum of two years. This system was introduced in 2015 and around 10 percent of seats are kept aside for such candidates.
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By - Prachi Bhatia 2024-08-06 05:58:13 , 6 min readTo get selected for an IIM MBA program, one must take the CAT test and pass selection processes such as the Written Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussion (GD), and Personal Interview (PI).
Yes, Class 10 and Class 12 marks are important in the IIM selection process since the institute looks for applicants who have excelled in academics throughout their academic careers, not only in the CAT.
No, the academic eligibility standards for the IIM MBA program are the same as for the CAT, requiring a minimum of 50% aggregate in graduation in any stream or equivalent (45% for SC/ST/PwD applicants).
Yes, a CAT score is required for admission to all IIM MBA and PGP programs. GMAT and GRE scores are also acceptable for Executive MBA programs.
The gender diversity element is worth up to five marks. It differs amongst IIMs (between one to five). Candidates in the female and transgender categories get benefit from the diversity factor.