The Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM Bangalore) has released its admission policy for the Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP) 2027–29 batch, outlining the eligibility requirements, CAT 2026 weightage, shortlisting criteria and final selection process.
According to the admission document, candidates will be evaluated through a two-stage process that considers their CAT performance, academic record, work experience and performance in the personal interview and Written Ability Test (WAT).
One of the key features of the policy is the difference in CAT weightage between the two selection stages. While CAT 2026 accounts for 55% of the pre-interview score, its weightage falls to 25% during final selection, with greater emphasis placed on the interview.
Candidates must hold a bachelor's degree in any discipline with at least 50% marks or an equivalent CGPA. The minimum requirement is 45% for SC, ST and PwD applicants.
Candidates holding completed professional qualifications such as CA, CS, ICWA/CMA or FIAI are also eligible, subject to the prescribed conditions.
Applicants must have a valid CAT score at the time of submitting their application.
The institute will initially shortlist candidates based on CAT 2026 performance and other academic and professional parameters.
| Selection component | Weightage |
|---|---|
| CAT 2026 | 55 |
| Class 10 marks | 10 |
| Class 12 marks | 10 |
| Bachelor's degree marks | 10 |
| Work experience/professional qualification | 10 |
| Gender diversity | 5 |
| Total | 100 |
Within the CAT component, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) receives 21 points, Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) 19 points, and Quantitative Aptitude (QA) 15 points.
Candidates must also obtain a positive raw score in all three CAT sections to be considered for the initial shortlist.
Candidates shortlisted for the second stage will attend a personal interview and a Written Ability Test, both scheduled for the same day.
The WAT will last approximately 30 minutes and will assess the content and presentation of the candidate's written response.
The final selection weightage is as follows:
| Selection Component | Weightage |
|---|---|
| Personal interview | 40 |
| Written Ability Test | 10 |
| CAT 2026 | 25 |
| Class 10 marks | 5 |
| Class 12 marks | 5 |
| Bachelor's degree marks | 5 |
| Work experience/professional qualification | 10 |
| Total | 100 |
IIM Bangalore will consider work experience accumulated up to July 2026. The pre-interview work experience score reaches its maximum at 36 months. Internships, unpaid employment and mandatory professional articleships will not count towards this calculation.
Applicants must also arrange two online reference letters, preferably from former or current employers or academic teachers. Both referees must submit their recommendations before the application deadline.
The institute has warned that candidates submitting false work experience information may be disqualified and barred from applying to any IIM Bangalore programme for three years.
CAT percentile cut-offs: Important clarification
The admission policy document includes category-wise minimum CAT percentile cut-offs in an annexure. However, these figures relate to the 2026–28 batch and CAT 2025, and should not be mistaken for confirmed CAT 2026 cut-offs.
For the previous admission cycle, the aggregate minimum cut-offs used for initial shortlisting were 85 percentile for General, 75 for NC-OBC and EWS, 70 for SC, 65 for ST and 60 for PwD candidates.
IIM Bangalore has clarified that the actual scores of candidates called for interviews were higher than these minimum thresholds.
Candidates can refer to the institute's official admissions information for further details on the 2027–29 selection process.