IIM Ahmedabad Admission Criteria 2026: Key Highlights

• 24123 (Gen), 5249 (OBC), 1986 (ST) were shortlisted last year based on their CAT 2024 percentile from over a lakh of applicants for the 2025-27 batch.

• IIM A Shortlist formula: (CS): 0.35 × Normalised AR + 0.65 × Normalised CAT; top 5% per ACRC with upper-limit caps.

• 595 (Gen), 318 (OBC), 177 (ST) were shortlisted for AWT and PI last year for 2025-27 batch.

• Whereas, 18978 (Gen), 4211 (OBC), 603 (ST) and 1575 (SC) were shortlisted based on their CAT 2023 score for 2024-26 batch.

• 597 (Gen), 30 (EWS), 321 (NC-OBC) were shortlisted for PI round for 2024-26 batch.

IIM Ahmedabad Selection Criteria 2026

Prior to getting an IM A admission, it is crucial that the candidate goes through the complete selection criteria of IIM Ahmedabad. To help you understand the complex process, we have simplified the entire process in simple steps.

Stage 1 - IIM Ahmedabad PI Shortlisting Criteria

CAT 2025 aspirants can get an IIM A call based on the below criteria.

1. Qualifying minimum CAT 2025 cut off — both overall and sectional

2. Calculate points based on class 10th marks

3. Calculate points based on class 12th marks — Different points for different streams

4. Calculate points based on graduation marks — Different points for various disciplines

5. Calculate points for work experience (if any)

6. Calculate points for gender diversity

Based on the above 6 points, candidates will have their Application Rating in hand.

IIM Ahmedabad shortlist 2026 will be released in the 1st or 2nd week of January on the official website, iima.ac.in listing the names of the CAT 2025 shortlisted candidates. These candidates will then have to attend AWT and personal interview at allotted interview cities to qualify for the final stage.

Stage 2 - Final IIM Ahmedabad Admission 2026

In the second stage, a final composite score will be calculated for the candidates who will qualify the AWT and personal interview. For the final IIM Ahmedabad admission 2026 offer, candidates will be selected from each of the categories based on their stage 1 score and their performance in AWT and Personal Interview.

The IIM Ahmedabad admission weightage for final selection is as follows:

How to get into IIM Ahmedabad PGP 2026-28 Batch?

Here are the details of each of the stages and steps involved in IIM Ahmedabad admission criteria 2026 in a detailed manner.

Stage 1 (A) IIM Ahmedabad Admission 2026 - Qualifying minimum CAT 2025 cut off (Both Overall and Sectional

Only those candidates who meet the minimum IIM Ahmedabad CAT cutoff criteria - both sectional and overall will be considered for further rounds of IIM Ahmedabad admission 2026.

IIM Ahmedabad Call Percentile 2026

This year, the minimum CAT 2025 cut off has been increased for every category. The tables below mention the updated CAT 2025 percentile and minimum CAT 2024 cut off. These tables can help the candidates compare the CAT cut offs and assess their chances of getting a call.

IIM Ahmedabad CAT 2025 Cutoff for Interview Call (Minimum Percentile)

Check out the following table below to know the minimum CAT 2025 percentile for getting an IIM A interview call

Note: For Transgender candidates in the General Category, the same cutoffs and NC-OBC will be applicable.

IIM Ahmedabad CAT 2024 Cut Off For PI Call

The following table which mentions the CAT 2024 percentile ranks which will help you in comparing numbers.

Based on the above mentioned CAT 2025 Percentile ranks table, below are the total number of candidates across different categories who were eligible to be considered for subsequent stages.

Stage 1 (B) IIM Ahmedabad Admission 2026 - Points Calculated based on Class 10th Marks

As the student will move ahead with further rounds of IIM A, ‘Application Rating’ (AR) score of the student will be considered. For all those unaware, AR is the sum of rating scores which is based on their percentage in Class 10 and 12, stream they chose, Bachelor’s degree discipline and overall work experience.

Check out the following table below to understand the scoring of each component.

IIM Ahmedabad Class 10 Marks Considered for Admissions

Stage 1 (C) IIM Ahmedabad Admission Criteria 2026- Calculate points based on class 12th marks

IIM Ahmedabad Class 12 Weightage for Admission

IIM A Class 12 Percentage Counted for Science Stream

IIM A Class 12 Percentage Counted for Commerce Stream

IIM A Class 12 Percentage Counted for Arts/Humanities Stream

Stage 1 (D) IIM Ahmedabad Admission 2026 - Calculate points based on class graduation marks

IIM Ahmedabad Bachelor’s Degree Considered for Admissions

AC 1 (Medicine and Surgery based subjects)

AC 2 (Selected Professional Degrees): Chartered Accountancy (CA), Cost and Works Accountancy (ICWA), Cost and Management Accounting (CMA), Company Secretaryship (CS), Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of India (FIAI)

AC 3 (All Commerce, Economic, Finance and Management Related Degrees)

AC 4 & AC 6 (Candidates from Engineering Fields and from any other discipline not mentioned in AC 1 to AC 5)

AC 5 (All Arts/Humanities Related Degrees, Design, Education, Fashion, Design/Technology, Law and Rural Studies)

Note- Dual Bachelor’s degree will be considered under AC 6. Students will be required to mention it as Bachelor Degree 1 and Bachelor Degree 2.

Stage 1 (E) IIM Ahmedabad Selection Weightage 2026 - Calculate points based on work experience

IIM Ahmedabad Score Calculation for Work Experience

Stage 1 (F) IIM A Admission 2026 - Points Calculated Based on Gender Diversity

IIM Ahmedabad considers Gender Diversity by giving it a specific score as part of its “Application Rating” (AR) score, which will add 3 points to the final composite score for all candidates except males.

Application Rating Score

Based on the above mentioned scores, IIM Ahmedabad admission committee will then calculate the Application Rating Score which will be calculated as follows:

Normalised AR score of an applicant will be equal to their AR score which will be divided by the average of the top 50 AR scores from the applicants’ pool, (the applicants’ pool in this case being defined as the group of candidates who will appear for the CAT 2025 and will apply for admission to IIM Ahmedabad.)

IIM Ahmedabad Admission 2026: Shortlisting for Analytical Writing Test (AWT) and Personal Interview (PI)

This step will include the number of candidates who will be shortlisted for the Analytical Writing Test (AWT) and Personal Interview (PI) round. This will be done among the candidates who will have a valid CAT 2025 score, have applied to the programme and even satisfy the eligibility criteria for the programme.

Candidates will further be shortlisted based on the two stages that will be conducted:

Step 1 - From Applicant’s Pool

IIM Ahmedabad will recognise a candidate’s performance based on their academics as well as the performance in CAT 2025. A certain number of candidates will be selected based on their Composite Score (CS) subject to filling certain criteria.

Here is the formula which will be used to calculate the Composite Score:

The upper limit for the number of applicants to be shortlisted as per RC for AC-1,2,3, and 5

The upper limit for the number of applicants to be shortlisted as per RC for AC-4

Criteria 1 to Criteria 3

Criteria 1 - Percentile of VRC, QA, DILR, and overall must not be lower than the percentile mentioned in the table above (Minimum CAT 2025 cutoffs).

Criteria 2 - The average of percentages should be more than the minimum cutoff (specific to the category and stream in the table below).

Average of percentages =P= marks obtained in 10th and 12th standard examination.

IIM Ahmedabad PGP Criteria 2026: Minimum cutoff for P across different disciplines and categories

Criteria 3 - the percentage of marks obtained in the Bachelor’s degree must be greater or equal to the minimum cutoff percentage.

Criteria 4 - Total percentile ≥ 80, QA percentile ≥ 70, DILR percentile ≥ 70, and VRC percentile ≥ 70

Criteria 5 - Percentage ≥ 80 (Science), 77 (Commerce), 75 (Arts/Humanities), where P is the average of the percentages of marks scored in the 10th and 12th std. Examinations.

Criteria 6 - The percentage of marks obtained in the bachelor’s degree must be greater or equal to a minimum cutoff percentage.

Step 2 - AWT and PI Rounds

Once the candidates have been shortlisted in the Stage 1 from each category, the additional number of candidates will then be shortlisted for AWT and PI rounds on the basis of their Composite Score (CS) as has been mentioned above to fulfill Criteria 1 and 2.

The following table shows the number of applicants and the number of candidates called for AWT-PI.

The following table below shows the number of candidates shortlisted for AWT-PI, fulfilling Criteria C1- C2.

Check out the table mentioning the total number of candidates who were shortlisted for PI call round (2024-26).

IIM Ahmedabad Admission Criteria 2026: Final Selection

Once candidates are shortlisted, IIM Ahmedabad calculates a Final Composite Score (FCS) to decide who gets admission using the given below formula.

How is the final IIM Ahmedabad score calculated?

Each score is first normalised (adjusted to make them comparable) before applying those weights. In short: Your interview matters most, followed by CAT, academics, and then the writing test.

What will be the impact on candidates with the new change?

With the IIM A cutoff increased, it means that one will need better raw scores in the CAT 2025 exam. Take a look at the following CAT 2024 data to understand what the candidate can expect.

• General and EWS candidates will need to score 5-7 marks more.
• This means that they will need to get at least 2-3 questions correct in each section.
• In total, 6-9 questions must be answered correctly across all three sections, which could get you around 18-27 more marks overall.

Take a look at the following table enlisting the total marks that a candidate will need to score for each category.

Note: To meet the new cutoffs, candidates will need to answer more questions correctly.

IIM Ahmedabad Eligibility Criteria For MBA 2026

To be eligible for admission to the PGP program at the IIM Ahmedabad, candidates must ensure that they go through the following eligibility criteria:

• Have a Bachelor’s degree with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA (in case the candidate belongs to Scheduled Caste (SC)/Scheduled Tribe (ST)/Persons with Disabilities (PwD) category. The reserved category can have a minimum CGPA of 45%.

• The bachelor’s degree or equivalent must have a minimum of three years of education after completing higher secondary schooling (10+2) or equivalent.

• Candidates appearing for the final year bachelor’s degree or those who have completed the degree requirements and are awaiting the results can also apply. However, candidates must produce a certificate from the Principal/Head of the Department certifying that the candidate has obtained at least 50% marks or equivalent (45% in case the candidate comes from SC/ST/PwD category).

It is mandatory for the final year student, provisionally admitted, to submit the marksheet and degree certificate of the final year bachelor’s degree exam held on or before June 30, 2026 (including supplementaries, if any).

Can foreign nationals get into IIM through GMAT?

Yes, foreign nationals can be admitted into any flagship programme at the Indian Institute of Management (IIMs) after clearing the GMAT exam. Instead of taking the CAT exam, international applicants can directly apply through an international channel and are considered for specific supernumerary seats. Although one must note that the specific GMAT score and requirements might vary for each IIM. Therefore, you must check the official website of the desired IIM for their particular admission policies and criteria.