
IIM shortlist criteria are different for different IIMs; however, they can be similar for some IIMs. Most of the IIMs consider CAT exam score, GD & PI, WAT, academic performance, and work experience to shortlist students for admission.
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Key Summary
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Here is the table showing the IIM shortlist criteria parameters based on which the candidates will be shortlisted for PI and WAT.
| Parameters | Weightage (%) |
|---|---|
| CAT Score | 80 |
| Class 10th / 12th (partially obscured) | 15 |
| Graduation | 10 |
| Diversity | 5 |

Source: YouTube
Each IIM has its own sectional cutoff and minimum IIM shortlist criteria based on the category.
| College | CAT Score | Interview | WAT | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IIM Ahmedabad | 25% | 50% | 10% | 15% |
| IIM Visakhapatnam | 25% | 48% | NA | 27% |
| IIM Bangalore | 25% | 40% | 10% | 25% |
| IIM Calcutta | 30% | 48% | 8% | 14% |
| IIM Lucknow | 30% | 40% | 10% | 20% |
| IIM Sambalpur | 30% | 25% | NA | 45% |
| IIM Kashipur | 33% | 25% | NA | 42% |
| IIM Kozhikode | 35% | 35% | 20% | 10% |
| IIM Indore | 40% | 45% | NA | 15% |
| IIM Shillong | 40% | 40% | NA | 20% |
| IIM Ranchi | 40% | 30% | NA | 30% |
| IIM Raipur | 42% | 23% | NA | 35% |
| IIM Jammu | 45% | 30% | NA | 25% |
| IIM Nagpur | 45% | 25% | NA | 30% |
| IIM Sirmaur | 45% | 25% | NA | 30% |
| IIM Tiruchirappalli | 50% | 25% | NA | 25% |
| IIM Bodhgaya | 50% | 20% | NA | 30% |
| IIM Mumbai | 60% | 20% | NA | 20% |
| IIM Rohtak | 60% | 20% | NA | 20% |
| IIM Udaipur | 60% | 15% | NA | 25% |

Source: YouTube
IIM Nagpur, IIM Amritsar, IIM Shillong, IIM Rohtak give high important tp gender diversity, while IIM Lucknow, IIM Indore focus more on PI.
| College | Diversity | CAT | WAT | PI | Academics | Work | Resume | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IIM Nagpur | 10 | 45 | - | 20 | 6 | 14 | Acad- 5% | (2026-2028) |
| IIM Amritsar | 10 | - | - | 70 | 10 | 10 | - | (2026-2028) |
| IIM Shillong | 10 | 40 | - | 40 | 10 | - | 0 | (2025-2027) |
| IIM Rohtak | 10 | 60 | - | 20 | 10 | - | - | (2025-2027) |
| IIM Raipur | 7+3 | 50 | 5 | 25 | - | 10 | - | (2025-2027) |
| IIM Kashipur | 4+6 | 33 | - | 25 | 15 | 17 | - | (2025-2027) |
| IIM Trichy | 2+6 | 47 | 5 | 20 | 10 | 10 | - | (2025-2027) |
| IIM Udaipur | 8 | 55 | - | 25 | 6 | 6 | - | (2026-2028) |
| IIM Jammu | 8 | 42 | - | 30 | 10 | 10 | - | (2026-2028) |
| IIM Lucknow | 5 | 30 | 10 | 40 | 10 | 5 | - | (2026-2028) |
| IIM Indore | 5 | 40 | - | 45 | 10 | - | - | (2026-2028) |
| IIM Sambalpur | 5 | 40 | - | 25 | 10 | 20 | - | (2026-2028) |
| IIM Vizag | 5 | 25 | - | 48 | 12 | 10 | - | (2025-2027) |
| IIM Sirmaur | 5 | 30 | 10 | 20 | 15 | 20 | - | (2025-2027) |
| IIM Bangalore | - | 25 | 10 | 40 | 15 | 10 | - | (2026-2028) |
| IIM Ahmedabad | - | 25 | 10 | 50 | - | - | 15 | (2026-2028) |
| IIM Calcutta | - | 30 | 8 | 48 | - | 8 | - | (2026-2028) |
| IIM Mumbai | - | 60 | - | 20 | 20 | - | - | (2026-2028) |
| IIM Kozhikode | - | 35 | 20 | 35 | - | - | 10 | (2026-2028) |
| IIM Ranchi | - | 65 | 2.5 | 12.5 | 10 | 10 | - | (2025-2027) |
| IIM Bodh Gaya | - | 45 | 5 | 20 | 14 | 16 | - | (2026-2028) |
Source: YouTube
After the CAT 2026 results are announced, candidates will be invited for the PI rounds by each IIM on the website. Students who have qualified the IIM Shortlist Criteria minimum CAT 2026 score cutoff will be able to log in and enter their details.
This is the second stage of the IIM Shortlist Criteria, and the candidates applying for PI will be shortlisted based on the CAT score and academic performance along with work experience, if any. After this, the interview letter will be sent to selected candidates for the IIM Shortlist Criteria.
In the last stage, the composite score will be calculated for the students based on CAT score and other parameters. The final phase of the IIM Shortlist Criteria is for each IIM to calculate the individual score for the candidates based on a few parameters.
IIMs follow a reservation criterion as part of the government rules and IIM Shortlist Criteria as well.
| Category | Reservation Percentage |
|---|---|
| Scheduled Caste (SC) | 15% |
| Scheduled Tribe (ST) | 7.5% |
| Other Backward Classes (OBC-NCL) | 27% |
| Economically Weaker Section (EWS) | 10% |
| Persons with Benchmark Disability | 5% |

A Quora user asks, “What are the IIM selection criteria for admission into IIM A and IIM C?” To this, Ritika answers that a lot will depend on diversity, plus you must be in the top 80 percentiles in your category, 12th stream. Then your composite score is calculated.

Source: Quora
Ques. What is the IIM Shortlist Criteria for IIM Nagpur?
Ans. IIM Nagpur gives high importance to gender diversity. 10 points are given to gender, 45 to the CAT score, 20 in PI, 6 to the academic record, and with any work exprince hets 14 points.
| CAT | WAT | PI | Acad | Work | Resume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 | - | 20 | 6 | 14 | Acad- 5% |
Ques. Is there a reservation pattern for IIM Shortlist Criteria?
Ans. IIMs follow reservation criteria as part of the government rules and IIM Shortlist Criteria as well. 27% is given to the Other Backward Classes (OBC-NCL), 15% to the SC, 7,5 to ST, 10% to EWS, and PwD has 5%. This policy is followed by all the IIMs.
Ques. On what parameters is the IIM Shortlist Criteria based?
Ans. The IIM shortlist criteria will put 80% focus on the CAT 2026 score for all. Other criteria include Class 10, 12th, and graduation marks, along with diversity factors. 10% focus is given to the graduation marks, with 10th and 12th marks having 15% weightage. Gender diversity has about 5% weightage in all IIMs.
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.