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IIM Selection Criteria

IIM Admission Criteria and Selection Procedure 2023:The IIMs are the autonomous management institutes and most preferred colleges to study MBA in India. The candidates who are appearing in the upcoming CAT exam must check the IIM selection criteria and IIM eligibility very carefully to avoid last-minute cancellations. Note that, if the officials of IIM CAT find any discrepancies related to your IIM admission eligibility, they will cancel the admission at any stage of the IIM MBA admission process. Please refer BYJU’S CAT College Predictor tool.

IIM Colleges in India are the institutes which are headed by the Minister of Human Resource Development and are ranked among the top B-schools in the world.

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IIM Eligibility is different for different IIMs in India. Though many IIMs offer unique courses, most of the programmes offered by the IIMs are similar. The IIMs primarily shortlist the candidates based on their CAT scores or GMAT scores for admissions. Being true to its honour, the acceptance rate of the IIMs is generally between 1% to 2% and that probably is the reason that IIM alumni include names of personalities like Raghuram Rajan (former RBI Governor), K. Radhakrishnan (former ISRO chairman), Indra Nooyi (CEO and Chairperson of PepsiCo), etc.

Read the article below to know all the details about IIM admission criteria and the stages of the selection process.

IIM Selection Criteria

IIM Admission Eligibility

The candidates are suggested to be well-versed with the complete IIM list along with their respective details before the exam. Also, get detailed IIM admission criteria of respective institutes on the mentioned link to get well aware of the process and prepare accordingly. The aspirants hoping to join the IIMs should have proper preparation to score well in the CAT exam or GMAT to get shortlisted for the next successive rounds.

IIM MBA Admission – Stages

The Indian Institutes of Management have similar admission criteria which involve three stages:

  • CAT (Common Admission Test)
  • WAT (Written Ability Test)
  • PI (Personal Interview)

IIM MBA Entrance Exam – Stage 1

The IIMs conduct the CAT exam every year on a rotational basis as a prerequisite to admissions in various post-management programmes. After the declaration of CAT results, IIMs shortlist the candidates for WAT and PI according to their individual selection criteria. The IIM admission process for the different IIMs can be checked from their respective pages from the List of IIM Colleges list as given above. So, the candidates need to clear the CAT cut off to be able to get selected for the next phases.

IIM Requirements for Admission – Stage 2:

After the IIM shortlisting is done, the candidates appear for the Written Ability Test and Personal Interview. The aggregate of the candidates is calculated on the given factors:

  • 10th Scores
  • 12th Scores
  • Graduation Scores
  • CAT Score/ Percentile
  • Work Experience and Professional Courses
  • Gender Diversity

The candidates will have to get the required minimum score from the aforementioned factors to get shortlisted for the WAT and PI. The weightage to these factors is slightly dissimilar for different IIMs.

IIM Admission Criteria – Stage 3:

The aggregate scores of the candidates are calculated by the respective IIMs and they select the candidates according to their scores. In general, candidates with an overall 80 percentile aggregate can get admission to the respective IIMs.

IIM Eligibility Criteria

The candidates who are appearing for CAT 2023, must be aware of the IIM admission eligibility. For a total of roughly 5,000 MBA seats spread across the 20 campuses of the IIMs, more than two lakh MBA applicants sit the CAT exam each year. Around 2.55 lakh applicants and 2.22 lakh exam takers combined for the CAT 2022. In the CAT 2021 exam, there were 2.32 lakh applicants and 1.92 lakh test-takers. 1.90 lakh participants took the exam in 2020 out of an estimated 2.30 lakh applicants. Over 2.09 lakh applicants took the CAT exam in 2019, which had a total of 2.44 lakh applications.

IIM Qualification Factors

IIM entrance exam eligibility requirements are the same as CAT eligibility requirements, i.e., a minimum of 50% overall in graduation. Admission to the IIMs is open to those who are qualified to take the CAT. They must, however, fulfil a few more criteria in order to be chosen. Look at the IIM criteria for admission in the section below:

  • The basic IIM Eligibility criteria are graduation. The candidates must complete a minimum of 3 years of bachelor’s degree from a reputed University with at least 50% marks in aggregate (45% for reserved category candidates).
  • Candidates who are taking the bachelor’s degree/equivalent qualification exam in their final year or who are awaiting their results may also apply.
  • The candidates must satisfy the IIM MBA admission qualifying cut-off in order to be called for an IIM interview.
  • The minimal IIM call cut-off must be met in order for candidates to be eligible for interview calls and to take part in WAT/GD-PI.

What is IIM Acceptance Rate?

Receiving an admission offer depends not just on your CAT score but also on your academic standing, performance, and amount of job experience. However, taking the CAT is the primary requirement for qualifying.

IIM Acceptance rate = (Batch size/Number of test takers) × 100

However, there are some factors that influence this acceptance rate, and one of the important criteria is the IIM MBA admission reservation policy.

IIM Admission Criteria – Points to be Remembered

  • Applicants will be chosen for the IIM admission process second round based on their CAT scores and academic background.
  • Candidates must apply for the interview call through an online process before being shortlisted for an interview. The institutes will contact them through email if they are chosen.
  • To be eligible for the last phase of admission, which involves the computation of the composite score for final selection, the candidates must take the WAT/GD-PI.

It is also very crucial to be well-versed with the cut-offs, placements and other related information of the IIMs before the exam. Get all the important details along with various tips below:

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IIM Ahmedabad IIM Bangalore IIM Kolkata
Admission Criteria For IIM and FMS IIM Cut Offs IIM Interview Tips
IIM Interview Questions IIM Student Profile IIM Placements

As the CAT is a prerequisite for IIM criteria for admission, the MBA aspirants are required to be well prepared for the exam to clear the respective IIM cut-offs and get admission in their preferred IIM. It is also suggested to go through the respective IIM list to know about the different IIMs in detail.

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Frequently Asked Questions on IIM Criteria of Selection

Q1

What are the IIM eligibility criteria for MBA?

A graduate degree and passing scores on the CAT exam in the general category are prerequisites for IIM qualification for the different MBA specializations.

Q2

Is the CAT score compulsory for IIM Admission Criteria?

Yes, CAT exam scores are mandatory for IIM Qualification.