Gujarat . :The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM Ahmedabad) has revised its admission criteria for the two-year Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP) 2027-29 batch. The major change concerns how CAT 2026 performance will be considered while shortlisting candidates for the Analytical Writing Test (AWT) and Personal Interview (PI).
Under the revised policy, IIM Ahmedabad will use the CAT 2026 overall percentile instead of the normalised CAT score as the CAT component in the shortlisting process. The institute has also introduced discipline-wise normalisation of the composite score.
IIM Ahmedabad Admission 2027: What's Changed?
The revised shortlisting methodology will combine the candidate's CAT 2026 percentile and Application Rating (AR).
| Parameter | Revised Criteria |
|---|---|
| CAT 2026 percentile | 65% |
| Normalised Application Rating | 35% |
| Final Normalised Composite Score | 40% |
| Personal Interview | 50% |
| Analytical Writing Test | 10% |
For shortlisting to the AWT and PI, the raw composite score will be calculated using 35% of the normalised Application Rating and 65% of the CAT 2026 total percentile.
Undergraduate Discipline to Play a Role
Another important change is the discipline-wise normalisation of the composite score.
After the raw composite score is calculated, IIM Ahmedabad will normalise it within the candidate's undergraduate discipline. The disciplines considered include areas such as Engineering and Technology, Computer Science and IT, Commerce, Accounting and Finance, Economics, Mathematics, Management, Law, Arts and Humanities, Medical and Health Sciences, and Journalism and Media, among others.
This means that a candidate's undergraduate academic background will form part of the context in which their composite score is evaluated.
IIM Ahmedabad CAT 2026 Cut-Offs
The minimum qualifying CAT 2026 percentiles remain unchanged from the previous admission cycle. However, meeting the minimum cut-off alone does not guarantee an AWT or PI call.
| Category | Overall Percentile | Sectional Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| General/EWS – Non-PwD | 95 | 85 |
| General/EWS – PwD | 85 | 75 |
| NC-OBC – Non-PwD | 90 | 80 |
| NC-OBC – PwD | 80 | 70 |
| SC – Non-PwD | 85 | 75 |
| SC – PwD | 75 | 65 |
| ST – Non-PwD | 75 | 65 |
| ST – PwD | 65 | 55 |
What Will the Application Rating Include?
The Application Rating (AR) continues to consider several aspects of a candidate's profile. These include academic performance in Class 10, Class 12 and bachelor's degree, along with factors such as gender diversity and full-time work experience.
The revised policy therefore does not make CAT percentile the sole basis for admission. Academic records and other profile characteristics will continue to contribute to the shortlisting process.
Final Selection: PI Gets Highest Weightage
IIM Ahmedabad will continue with a two-stage admission process. Candidates shortlisted in the first stage will appear for the AWT and PI, after which the institute will calculate the Final Composite Score (FCS).
The final score will be calculated using:
-
50% weightage for Personal Interview
-
10% weightage for Analytical Writing Test
-
40% weightage for the normalised composite score
Thus, the Personal Interview remains the largest single component of the final admission decision.
When Will IIM Ahmedabad Announce the Shortlist?
Candidates shortlisted for the AWT and PI will be able to check their status on the IIM Ahmedabad website after the CAT 2026 admission process progresses. Admission offers for the PGP 2027-29 batch are expected to be issued in April 2027, with selected candidates required to complete acceptance and other admission formalities by May 2027.
What the Revised Criteria Mean for CAT 2026 Aspirants
For students targeting IIM Ahmedabad, a strong CAT percentile continues to be important, but the revised policy places greater emphasis on the overall candidate profile during shortlisting.
Candidates will need to consider their CAT performance alongside their academic record, undergraduate discipline, work experience and other factors included in the Application Rating. The revised system therefore makes IIM Ahmedabad's PGP selection process a combination of CAT performance and profile-based assessment, rather than relying only on the CAT score.
Click Here for More Exams / Admission