IIM Shortlist Forms Close Soon: CAT-participating institutes close early shortlist windows ahead of final rounds

With the CAT 2025 results now released, IIMs have commenced the phase-one shortlisting process for the 2026-28 MBA batch. Aspirants must act quickly as several participating institutes and top IIMs are closing their registration windows for the Writing Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI) rounds. Stay ahead by tracking institutional deadlines, understanding the composite score weightage, and organizing mandatory documents before the year-end cutoff.

The declaration of the CAT 2025 results has triggered the high-stakes second phase of the MBA admission cycle. While the Common Admission Test is a centralized gateway, the shortlisting process for the 2026-28 batch is decentralized, requiring candidates to engage directly with individual Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). As of December 25, 2025, several top-tier institutes have already opened their portals for profile updates and interview consent forms, with many windows set to close by early January.

Mandatory Shortlisting Timelines and CAP Registration

The "BLACKI" IIMs (Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Lucknow, Kozhikode, and Indore) typically release their first shortlist within the first two weeks of January. However, for the 10 "New" and "Baby" IIMs, the Common Admission Process (CAP) 2026 registration is the most critical upcoming milestone.

• CAP 2026 Registration: Expected to begin in mid-January 2026 for institutes like IIM Udaipur, Ranchi, and Trichy.
• Institutional Deadlines: Non-IIM institutes like MDI and SPJIMR have already closed windows, while others like FMS Delhi may require separate form submissions post-CAT results.
• Profile Updates: Shortlisted candidates must often log in to specific IIM portals to upload updated graduation marks or work experience proofs by December 31.

Table: Tentative IIM Admission Schedule 2026-28

Decoding the Composite Score Parameters

A high CAT percentile is only the first hurdle. IIMs utilize a complex "Composite Score" (CS) to filter candidates for the interview stage. This score is heavily influenced by academic consistency and diversity factors.

• Academic Weightage: Most IIMs assign 20–30% weightage to Class 10th and 12th marks, with specific rating scales for different academic streams.
• Work Experience: Professional experience up to July or December 2025 is quantified, usually peaking at 36 months of experience.
• Diversity Points: Additional points are awarded to female candidates and those from non-engineering backgrounds to ensure a balanced classroom.

Essential Documentation for Interview Calls

Aspirants who meet the sectional cutoffs—generally 75–85 percentile for the General category—must prepare a digital dossier. Discrepancies in data at this stage can lead to immediate disqualification during document verification.

• Academic Transcripts: Scanned copies of all semester mark sheets and provisional degrees.
• Professional Proof: Original appointment letters and the latest three months' salary slips.
• Category Certificates: Valid NC-OBC, EWS, or SC/ST certificates issued as per the government formats specified in the CAT bulletin.

Aspirants are strongly advised to monitor the official websites of individual IIMs and their registered email IDs daily to ensure no interview call or registration link is missed during this critical year-end window.