IIM Ahmedabad Admission/Selection Criteria 2026-28: Eligibility, AWT/PI Shortlist, CAT Cutoff
IIM Ahmedabad admission criteria for the upcoming academic year has been released on the official website. The admissions will be based on the CAT 2025 exam, which will be conducted on November 30, 2025, and the final admission list is expected in April 2026.
IIM Ahmedabad Admission/Selection Criteria 2026-28: IIM Ahmedabad selection criteria 2026-28 for MBA admissions have been announced on the official website. There will be three phases for the admission process. The three stages of criteria for admission are: stage one, CAT 2025 score; stage two, WAT and PI; and stage three, final composite score. The qualifying CAT 2025 cutoff is likely to be 95 percentile for General, 80 for NC-OBC, 60 for SC, and 45 for PwD and ST categories. Once you have taken the CAT, assess your performance and prepare for the next steps to enhance your chances of joining IIM Ahmedabad. Find out more about IIM Ahmedabad admission criteria 2026 below.
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Important Dates for IIM Ahmedabad Selection Criteria 2026
Given below are the IIM Ahmedabad selection criteria for 2026 dates:
Events | Dates |
CAT 2025 Registration Window | August 1 to September 13, 2025 |
CAT 2025 Admit Card Release Date | November 5, 2025 |
CAT Answer Key Release Date | December 2025 |
CAT 2025 Exam Date | November 30, 2025 |
CAT 2025 Result Date | December 2025/January 2025 |
Availability of IIM Ahmedabad Admission Form 2026 | August 2025 |
List of Shortlisted Candidates | January 2026 |
Online Interview Application Deadline | January 2026 |
Final Admission List | April 2026 |
IIM Ahmedabad Eligibility Criteria 2026
Candidates preparing to take admission to IIM Ahmedabad PGP must fulfil the eligibility criteria set by the institute:
Students must hold a bachelor's degree with a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 50%. The academic requirements for students in the reserved category will be relaxed by 5%.
In addition to 10+2 or its equivalent, the bachelor's degree requires a minimum of three years of education.
The conversion of marks or CGPA will be done by the requirements of the university or institution the student graduated from. The IIM Ahmedabad will determine the equivalent by dividing the achieved CGPA by the highest CGPA and multiplying the result by 100 if the institute/university does not offer any conversion plan.
Candidates who will be taking the qualifying exam's final year exam are also eligible to apply as long as they submit the necessary paperwork within the deadline. When the student presents the mark sheets and certificate of passing the Bachelor's degree with the required minimum percentage, the admission of such a candidate will be confirmed on a provisional basis.
Stage-wise IIM Ahmedabad Selection Criteria 2026-28
IIM Ahmedabad admission criteria are based on specific factors. So, the three-step IIM Ahmedabad selection criteria/process 2026 is as follows:
1. Preliminary Screening for IIM Ahmedabad
The preliminary screening is done based on the Application Rating (AR) and CAT score secured by the candidate. The candidate has to clear the defined overall cutoff as well as sectional cutoffs to qualify for the first stage. The minimum cutoff requirements for IIM Ahmedabad are as follows:
Minimum Cut-offs of CAT-2025 Percentile Ranks
Category | VARC Percentile Ranks | DILR Percentile Ranks | QA Percentile Ranks | Overall Percentile Ranks |
General, EWS | 70 | 70 | 70 | 85 |
NC-OBC/Transgender | 65 | 65 | 65 | 75 |
SC | 60 | 60 | 60 | 70 |
ST | 50 | 50 | 50 | 60 |
PwD (General/ EWS, NC-OBC/transgender, SC) | 60 | 60 | 60 | 70 |
PwD (ST) | 50 | 50 | 50 | 60 |
AR is evaluated based on your academic performance and marks scored in class 10 board exams, class 12 board exams as well as graduation. AR is computed based on the following tables:
Class 10 Board Score
Percentage in Class 10 Board Exams | Rating Score A |
<= 55 | 1 |
> 55 and <= 60 | 2 |
> 60 and <= 70 | 3 |
> 70 and <= 80 | 5 |
> 80 and <= 90 | 8 |
> 90 | 10 |
Class 12 Board Score (Commerce)
Percentage in Class 12 Board Exams | Rating Score B |
<= 50 | 1 |
> 50 and <= 55 | 2 |
> 55 and <= 65 | 3 |
> 65 and <= 75 | 5 |
> 75 and <= 90 | 8 |
> 90 | 10 |
Class 12 Board Score (Science)
Percentage in Class 12 Board Exams | Rating Score B |
<= 55 | 1 |
> 55 and <= 60 | 2 |
> 60 and <= 70 | 3 |
> 70 and <= 80 | 5 |
> 80 and <= 90 | 8 |
> 90 | 10 |
Class 12 Board Score (Arts)
Percentage in Class 12 Board Exams | Rating Score B |
<= 45 | 1 |
> 45 and <= 50 | 2 |
> 50 and <= 60 | 3 |
> 60 and <= 70 | 5 |
> 70 and <= 85 | 8 |
> 85 | 10 |
Bachelor’s Degree (AC-1)
Percentage in Bachelor’s Degree (AC-1) | Rating Score C |
<= 55 | 1 |
> 55 and <= 60 | 2 |
> 60 and <= 62 | 3 |
> 62 and <= 65 | 5 |
> 65 and <= 70 | 8 |
> 70 | 10 |
Bachelor’s Degree (AC-2)
Percentage in Bachelor’s Degree (AC-2) | Rating Score C |
<= 50 | 1 |
> 50 and <= 53 | 2 |
> 53 and <= 55 | 3 |
> 55 and <= 57 | 5 |
> 57 and <= 63 | 8 |
> 63 | 10 |
Bachelor’s Degree (AC-3)
Percentage in Bachelor’s Degree (AC-3) | Rating Score C |
<= 55 | 1 |
> 55 and <= 60 | 2 |
> 60 and <= 65 | 3 |
> 65 and <= 70 | 5 |
> 70 and <= 80 | 8 |
> 80 | 10 |
Bachelor’s Degree (AC-4 & AC-6)
Percentage in Bachelor’s Degree (AC-4 & AC-6) | Rating Score C |
<= 60 | 1 |
> 60 and <= 65 | 2 |
> 65 and <= 70 | 3 |
> 70 and <= 77 | 5 |
> 75 and <= 85 | 8 |
> 85 | 10 |
Bachelor’s Degree (AC-5)
Percentage in Bachelor’s Degree (AC-5) | Rating Score C |
<= 50 | 1 |
> 50 and <= 55 | 2 |
> 55 and <= 60 | 3 |
> 60 and <= 65 | 5 |
> 65 and <= 75 | 8 |
> 75 | 10 |
Rating Scores for Work Experience (Rating Score D)
Work Experience in Month (as filled in the Application Form) | Rating Score D |
< 12 months | 0 |
>= 12 and <= 36 months | MF * (number of months of work experience – 11) |
> 36 months | 5 |
Work-experience Multiplication Factor (MF) = 0.20 | |
Following is the list of disciplines according to the CAT Application:
AC-1: Medicine, Surgery, and other Professional courses (70% + required in CAT)
AC-2: Charted Accountants (CA), Company Secretaryship (CS), and Cost and Works Accountancy (ICWA) - (63 Percentile and above required in CAT)
AC-3: All commerce, finance, economics, hospitality, and management degrees (80% + required in CAT)
AC-4: All Computer Application, Technology, Engineering, IT, and Architecture degrees (85% + required in CAT) and All agriculture-related fields apart from agriculture engineering, medicine, and surgery (80% + required in CAT)
AC-5: All Humanities/Arts, Design, Education, Fashion, Law, and Rural studies-related degrees (75% + required in CAT)
AC-6: Any other discipline not mentioned in AC-1 to AC-5.
The AR score for class 10, class 12, and graduation are added together. However, a normalized AR score is the total AR score divided by the top 50 AR scores among all the applicants.
Application Rating Score: AR= (A+B+C+D) |
2. Shortlisting for AWT and PI at IIM Ahmedabad Admissions 2026-28
The shortlisting, part of the IIM Ahmedabad selection criteria, will be carried out in two stages. These are:
Stage 1: Candidates who have performed very well are shortlisted in this process. This is done by either selecting the top 100 performers or by selecting 1% out of all the applicants of IIM Ahmedabad from all categories. These candidates appear for AWT and PI based on their composite scores (CS) which are calculated as follows:
CS (Composite Score) = ARF_CS * Normalised AR score + CATF_CS * Normalised overall score in CAT-2024 |
The Criteria are as follows:
Criteria C1-C3
C1 : PT >= 80, PQA >= 70, PDILR >= 70, PVRC >= 70
C2 : P ≥ Minimum cut-offs (specific to the category and the stream as shown in the table provided below), where P is the average of the percentages of marks scored in 10th and 12th std. examinations.
Stream in 12th | General-cum-EWS Category | NC-OBC-cum-transgender Category | SC Category | ST Category | PWD (General, NC-OBC-cum-transgender, SC) | PWD (ST) |
Science | 80 | 75 | 70 | 65 | 70 | 65 |
Commerce | 77 | 72 | 67 | 62 | 67 | 62 |
Arts & Humanities | 75 | 70 | 64 | 59 | 64 | 59 |
C3 : Percentage of Marks obtained in Bachelor’s Exam >= Minimum cut-off percentage set by the institute based on the candidates in the ACRC pool among those who have applied for IIM Ahmedabad. This is evaluated based on AC (check the above tables for reference).
Criteria C4-C6
C4 : PT >= 80, PQA >= 70, PDILR >= 70, PVRC >= 70
C5 : Percentage (10th and 12th standard exams) >= 80 (Science), 77 (Commerce), 75 (Arts/Humanities)
C6 : Percentage of Marks obtained in Bachelor’s Exam >= Minimum cut-off percentage set by the institute based on the candidates belonging to AC-1 to AC-6.
Stage 2: this is the category-wise selection of candidates. Once the students from all categories (General, NC-OBC, SC, ST, DA) have been evaluated basis stage 1, additional candidates are shortlisted for AWT & PI following a procedure similar to the process of stage 1. Only criteria C1 and C2 are followed at this stage.
3. IIM Ahmedabad Final Selection 2026-28
Finally, as per the IIM Ahmedabad selection criteria 2026, the ranks of students in each category are separately evaluated based on their final composite scores (FCS). For this, the normalized PI and AWT scores of candidates will be calculated by dividing the actual scores by the top 1% scores in PI and AWT respectively.
FCS = PIF * Normalised PI Score + AWTF * Normalised AWT Score + CATF_FCS * Normalised CAT Score + ARF_FCS * AR |
AWTF: AWT Multiplication Factor = 0.10
CATF_FCS: CAT Score Multiplication Factor for Final Composite Score = 0.25
ARF_FCS: Application Rating Multiplication Factor for Final Composite Score = 0.15
PIF: Personal Interview Multiplication Factor = 0.50
Courses Offered by IIM Ahmedabad: Duration, Fees, Entrance Exams
After learning the IIM Ahmedabad admission criteria 2026, students must also know the courses offered by the institute. IIM Ahmedabad offers a total of 6 courses at the postgraduate and doctoral levels in both full-time and part-time modes. IIM Ahmedabad courses are offered in several fields such as Management and Business Administration, IT, Computer Application, etc. Here's a list of courses offered by IIM Ahmedabad, along with their duration, entrance exam required, and fees.
Name of the Course | Duration | Fees | Entrance Exams Required |
MBA | 2 Years | INR 24.61 Lakhs | CAT |
Executive MBA | 1 Year | INR 30 Lakhs | GMAT, GRE |
PGP Food and Agribusiness Management | 2 Years | INR 22.29 Lakhs | CAT, GMAT |
ePost Graduate Programme in Management | 2 Years | INR 20 Lakhs | CAT, GMAT, GRE |
ePGD in Advanced Business Analytics | 1.3 Years | INR 12 Lakhs | GATE, CAT, GMAT, GRE |
Ph.D. Management | 6 Years | - | CAT, GMAT |
IIM Ahmedabad Seat Intake 2026
IIM Ahmedabad, one of the premier management institutes in India, has a total of 385 to 410 seats available for admission in the academic year 2026-28. These seats are highly coveted and attract students from all over the country due to the institute's reputation for academic excellence, state-of-the-art facilities, and experienced faculty. The admission process is rigorous and involves multiple rounds of evaluation, including written tests, group discussions, and personal interviews to ensure that only the best candidates are selected for the program.Other IIMs Selection Criteria 2026-28
Click on the links given below to check the selection criteria of other IIMs:
Candidates must also check out the articles mentioned below to learn more about the IIM selection process 2026 and the CAT exam in general!
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If you have doubts regarding the IIM Ahmedabad selection criteria 2026, you may ask questions in our Q&A zone . You can also use our CAT 2025 College Predictor to know to which MBA college you have a chance of getting admission.