How to Get Admission in IIM 2026: CAT Score and Selection Steps
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- 30 Nov 2025CAT 2025 exam conducted across nationwide centers
CAT 2025 exam was successfully held on November 30, 2025 as the primary screening round for 2026-28 IIM admissions. - 12 May 2025IPMAT 2025 held for 5-Year IPM Admissions
IIM Indore conducted IPMAT 2025 in the afternoon shift on May 12, 2025 for 5-year integrated management program applicants.
To get admission into an IIM for an MBA, candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree with at least 50% aggregate marks (45% for SC/ST/PwD), qualify in the Common Admission Test (CAT), and clear the Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI) rounds. For Class 12 graduates, admission to the 5-year Integrated Programme in Management (IPM) is available via IPMAT or JIPMAT exams.
Below is a detailed overview of IIM eligibility criteria, entrance exam patterns, shortlist cutoffs, selection weights, college fees, required documents, and step-by-step application procedures.
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Entrance Exams Required | CAT (for MBA/PGP); IPMAT / JIPMAT / SAT (for 5-year IPM after 12th) |
| Academic Eligibility (MBA) | Bachelor’s degree in any stream with minimum 50% aggregate (45% for SC/ST/PwD) |
| Academic Eligibility (IPM after 12th) | Passed Class 12 or equivalent; age limit of 20 years (25 years for SC/ST/PwD) |
| Selection Round Components | CAT score percentile, Class 10/12/Graduation marks, WAT, Personal Interview (PI), Work Experience, Diversity |
| Total IIM Campuses | 21 campuses nationwide |
| Range of MBA Program Fees | Rs 17.00 Lakh to Rs 26.50 Lakh across campuses |
MBA Eligibility
Securing iim admission requires meeting strict academic prerequisites prior to registration. Candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognized university with minimum aggregate marks set by the institute board.
Candidates in their final year of graduation can apply for IIM MBA programs provided they meet the 50% aggregate requirement upon completion of their degree. Reserved category students (SC/ST/PwD) get a 5% relaxation in the minimum graduation percentage required for MBA admission, reducing their minimum aggregate criterion to 45%.
MBA Entrance Exams
The Common Admission Test (CAT) serves as the core entrance exam for post-graduate management study across all 21 IIM campuses. For candidates seeking direct entry after high school, national entrance exams such as IPMAT and JIPMAT provide access to integrated 5-year management degrees.
| Section | Time Allocated | Weightage | Number of Questions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quantitative Ability (Short Answer – SA) | 40 mins | 25% | 15 |
| Quantitative Ability (MCQ) | 40 mins | 25% | 30 |
| Verbal Ability (MCQ) | 40 mins | 50% | 45 |
MBA Application Process
| Category | Overall Percentile Rank | VARC Percentile | DILR Percentile | QA Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General / EWS | 95 | 85 | 85 | 85 |
| NC-OBC | 90 | 80 | 80 | 80 |
| SC | 85 | 75 | 75 | 75 |
| ST | 75 | 65 | 65 | 65 |
| PwD (General) | 85 | 75 | 75 | 75 |
Applicants register for the CAT exam from August 1 to September 20, followed by shortlisting for personal interviews. Selected candidates must submit the offer acceptance form and pay the fee within the designated timeframe to avoid forfeiting their seat.
Documents Required
- Class 10 and Class 12 marksheets to be carried for the WAT/GD-PI round.
- Graduation scorecard or mark sheet (or the latest semester mark sheet forwarded by the principal for final-year candidates) to be presented during the WAT/GD-PI round.
- Respective category certificates to be produced for the WAT/GD-PI round by reserved category candidates.
Candidates who fail to submit the offer acceptance form and pay the requisite acceptance fee within the designated timeframe forfeit their allotted seat to the next candidate in the merit queue.
How to Get Admission in IIM After 12th: IPM Programs
| Section | Time Allocated | Weightage | Number of Questions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quantitative Ability (Short Answer – SA) | 40 mins | 25% | 15 |
| Quantitative Ability (MCQ) | 40 mins | 25% | 30 |
| Verbal Ability (MCQ) | 40 mins | 50% | 45 |
To gain admission after Class 12, candidates must clear entrance exams like IPMAT or JIPMAT, followed by WAT and PI rounds. IIM Indore’s 5-year IPM awards a B.A. in Foundations of Management and an MBA degree.
How to Apply for MBA Admission in 2026: Step by Step
- Check Eligibility: Verify holding a bachelor’s degree with at least 50% aggregate marks (45% for SC/ST/PwD) or Class 12 completion for IPM programs.
- Register for CAT Exam: Fill out the online application form on iimcat.ac.in between August 1 and September 20.
- Appear for Entrance Test: Take the CAT exam held on the last Sunday of November across designated test centers.
- Shortlisting by IIMs: IIMs publish cutoffs in January and shortlist candidates based on CAT percentiles, Class 10/12/graduation marks, and work experience.
- Participate in WAT and Personal Interview (PI): Attend Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview rounds conducted between February and April across designated centers.
- Review Final Merit List and Acceptance Offer: Check the final merit list published in May, fill out the offer acceptance form, and pay the seat acceptance fee within the designated deadline.
| What to do | Where | Link |
|---|---|---|
| application | IIM Lucknow Official Admissions Portal | iiml.ac.in |
| Compare colleges, fees and cutoffs | MBA colleges in India | findmycollege.com |
