IIM CAP 2026 Personal Interview Admit Updates Awaited Ahead of Feb 23 Start

Candidates awaiting the IIM CAP 2026 Personal Interview rounds are looking for admit card updates as the February 23 start date nears. Coordinated by IIM Bodh Gaya, the Common Admission Process will conduct interviews across major cities through late March. Shortlisted aspirants must verify their slot booking status on the official portal to ensure they receive their digital call letters. Preparation for the PI and WAT stages is intensifying as the baby IIMs finalize the logistical arrangements for the 2026-28 batch.

The coordinating body for the Common Admission Process (CAP), led by IIM Bodh Gaya, is expected to release the digital call letters for the Personal Interview (PI) rounds shortly. As of today, 11 February 2026, thousands of MBA aspirants who successfully completed their slot booking are awaiting final updates on their specific panel timings and venue details. With the first phase of interviews scheduled to commence on February 23, the administrative focus has shifted toward finalizing the logistical arrangements for the 10 participating "New" and "Baby" IIMs. This centralized selection mechanism remains the most critical hurdle for candidates seeking entry into the 2026-28 management batch.

Detailed Interview Schedule and City-Wise Phases

The official CAP 2026 portal has already outlined a phased approach for the interview cycle to accommodate the high volume of candidates. Following the closure of the Expression of Interest (EOI) window in late January, the committee has organized the interviews into geographic hubs. The first set of interactions will kick off in Mumbai and Hyderabad, followed by extensive slots in Delhi-NCR and Bengaluru in early March. This regional partitioning is designed to ensure that the faculty panels can evaluate aspirants from diverse backgrounds with standardized academic rigor.

• Initial Phase (Feb 23 – Feb 27): Focuses on candidates assigned to the Mumbai and Hyderabad hubs.
• Peak Phase (Mar 02 – Mar 14): Covers the high-density candidate pools in New Delhi, Bengaluru, and Kolkata.
• Concluding Phase (Late March): Final rounds and buffer days are reserved for IIM Bodh Gaya, Jammu, and Sirmaur clusters.
• Mode of Conduct: While the primary focus remains on offline interactions, the committee maintains a provision for online interviews in exceptional circumstances.

Weightage and Evaluation Criteria for Final Selection

The importance of the PI round cannot be overstated, as it typically carries a 25% to 30% weightage in the final composite score calculation. Unlike the CAT exam, which measures quantitative and verbal aptitude, the selection panel during the PI evaluates maturity, communication clarity, and the candidate's fit for a leadership-oriented classroom. The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) parameters for these IIMs often highlight the quality of the student intake, which is why the interviews are conducted with such high levels of scrutiny.

• Written Ability Test (WAT): Depending on the specific IIM's policy, a short essay writing task may be conducted concurrently with the PI to test structured thinking.
• Document Scrutiny: Candidates must present original transcripts and valid category certificates (issued after April 1, 2025) for physical verification.
• Normalization: Scores from different interview panels are normalized to ensure fairness across the various city hubs and dates.

Conclusion

As the February 23 start date for the IIM CAP approaches, the tension among the CAT 2025 high-scorers is palpable. The release of the admit cards will mark the final administrative step before the actual interactions begin. Candidates are advised to utilize this remaining window to refine their knowledge of current affairs and practice self-reflection for the behavioral questions. With the Ministry of Education promoting the centralized admission model, the success of this year's interviews will set the tone for the academic quality of the 2026-28 session. The upcoming six weeks will be the defining period for the next generation of business leaders as they navigate the rigorous selection process of the Indian Institutes of Management.

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