IIM Ahmedabad Tightens Admission Criteria for 2026-28 MBA Batch

The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) has announced its revised admission criteria for the Post Graduate Programme (PGP) for the 2026-28 batch, significantly increasing the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2025 cut-off scores across all categories. This move is expected to intensify the competition among management aspirants.

The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) has announced its revised admission criteria for the Post Graduate Programme (PGP) for the 2026-28 batch, significantly increasing the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2025 cut-off scores across all categories. This move is expected to intensify the competition among management aspirants.

Higher Cut-off Percentiles

IIMA has raised the minimum qualifying CAT percentile for the General and EWS categories to 95 overall, a sharp increase from the previous 80. The sectional cut-off has also been hiked to 85 percentile for each of the three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (QA).

For reserved categories, the cut-offs have also seen a substantial rise:

• NC-OBC: Overall cut-off is now 90 (up from 75) and sectional is 80 (up from 65).
• SC: Overall cut-off is 85 (up from 70) and sectional is 75 (up from 60).
• ST: Overall cut-off is 75 (up from 60) and sectional is 65 (up from 50).

Two-Stage Selection Process

The institute will continue its two-stage selection process, with the higher cut-offs serving as a more stringent first-stage filter.

Stage 1: Shortlisting for WAT & PI

• Shortlisting is based on a composite score (CS) that gives a 65% weightage to the normalized CAT score and 35% to the Application Rating (AR).
• The Application Rating considers your academic record (Class 10 and 12), graduation scores, work experience, and gender diversity.

Stage 2: Final Admission Decision

• For the final merit list, the weightage is as follows:
  • Personal Interview (PI): 50%
  • CAT Score: 25%
  • Written Ability Test (WAT): 10%
  • Application Rating (AR): 15%

What This Means for Aspirants

The new criteria place a greater emphasis on a high CAT percentile. While a strong academic profile and work experience (Application Rating) still hold value, they may not be enough to compensate for a lower CAT score. This change challenges the traditional belief that IIMA gives less weight to the CAT score and more to the overall profile. The increased thresholds mean a smaller, more elite pool of candidates will make it to the interview rounds, intensifying competition at every stage.

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