IIM Bangalore Admission Process 2026-2028: PI Shortlist OUT and check CAT Cut Off 2025

Vipra
Vipra Shrivastava
Senior Manager - Content
5 mins readUpdated on Jan 13, 2026 22:21 IST
IIM Bangalore Admission Criteria 2026 includes CAT cut off percentile, PI process and other parameters for admission. The first round of selection is based on CAT 2025 cut offs. Read all about IIM Bangalore admission and shortlist process 2026. Also know the WAT-PI process.

IIM Bangalore has released the PI shortlist calls. Candidates who meet the minimum CAT cut off stand a chance to get selected for WAT-PI round of IIM Bangalore. Check below IIM Bangalore Admission Criteria 2026-2028.

IIM Bangalore admission

IIM Bangalore admission criteria for MBA 2026-2028 - The minimum CAT cut off required for being eligible for IIM Bangalore’s Written Ability test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI) was 85 percentile for General category students. For the final selection, weightage allotted to CAT exam score is 25 points and to PI is 40 points. WAT is allotted 10 points. For PI shortlisting the weightage is 55 Points, whereas academic record has 30 points. 10 points is for Work Experience and 5 points is for diversity. 

IIM Bangalore shortlisting process for admissions 2026 has begun with the release of PI shortlist. The PI shortlist will be based on CAT 2025 cut offs. Those who meet the IIM Bangalore cut off, can apply for the PI shortlisting round. 

Table of contents
  • IIM Bangalore PI Shortlist 2026: Check Status and Apply
  • IIM Bangalore Selection and Admission Process 2026
  • IIM Bangalore Admission Process 2026: CAT Cut Offs
  • Parameters for IIM Bangalore WAT-PI Shortlisting 2026
  • IIM Bangalore Admission Process 2026: WAT-PI
  • IIM Bangalore Admission Process: Final Selection 2026
  • IIM Admission Criteria of Other Campuses 2026
View More

IIM Bangalore PI Shortlist 2026: Check Status and Apply

Candidates who selected IIM Bangalore as their preferred institute in the CAT 2025 application form, are eligible to apply for PI shortlisting. Given below is the process to register for IIM Bangalore PI calls:

  • Visit IIM Bangalore website
  • Click on 'Admissions' tab
  • Click on 'PGP 2026 Call for Interview Shortlist
  • Enter CAT application number and email address
  • Fill the form with relevant details and submit it

The IIM Bangalore PI round will be held in February-March. Those selected, will be informed about the PI schedule via email. Candidates will have to participate in the WAT-PI round in person. 

IIM Bangalore Selection and Admission Process 2026

The selection process of IIM Bangalore for 2026-2028 MBA batch includes three steps:

  • Shortlisting of candidates based on CAT score
  • WAT and PI
  • Final selection for admission

IIM Bangalore Admission Process 2026: CAT Cut Offs

The CAT 2025 cut offs mentioned below are only the qualifying cut offs i.e. minimum percentile required to be eligible for the WAT-PI round of IIM Bangalore admission. For example, if a General category candidate scored 85 percentile in CAT exam, he/she was eligible for the Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI) round. 

Category

VARC

DILR

QA

Overall

General

80

75

75

85

NC-OBC

70

65

65

75

EWS

70

65

65

75

SC

60

60

60

70

ST

55

60

60

70

PWD

50

50

50

60

Eligible candidates will have to fill the IIM Bangalore shortlist form on the institute website to be selected for the WAT-PI round. Invitation for WAT-PI will be sent to shortlisted candidates via email. 

Parameters for IIM Bangalore WAT-PI Shortlisting 2026

Weightage for CAT score for WAT-PI shortlisting is 55 points. Candidates were evaluated on the parameters mentioned in the below table for selection to the WAT-PI round:

IIM Bangaore PI Shortlisting Parameters

Weight

CAT score

55

Class 10 Board

10

Class 12 Board

10

Bachelor's degree

10

Work experience

10

Gender Diversity

5

CAT VARC, LRDI & QA Weightage

The 55 points for CAT 2025 score will be further divided into the following sections.

CAT Subjects

Weight

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)

19

Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation (LRDI)

21

Quantitative Aptitude (QA

15

Total

55

IIM Bangalore Admission Process 2026: WAT-PI

In the second phase of IIM Bangalore admission, the candidates will have to appear for WAT which is a 30-minute essay writing test on topics from socio-political, economic and business affairs, sports, etc. In the PI, each candidate will be evaluated on the basis of his/her communication ability, academic background, quality of work experience and other personal traits.

During the PI, all candidates will be required to provide two reference letters from their employers or from teachers in the academic institutions where they had been students previously. These reference letters will also be used in candidate’s evaluation.

IIM Bangalore Admission Process: Final Selection 2026

In the final phase of IIM Bangalore Admission process, candidates will be evaluated on their WAT and PI performance as well as his/her academic background, quality of work experience and other personal traits. After WAT and PI, each selected candidate’s Composite Score will be calculated on the basis of the following parameters:

IIM Bangalore Final Selection Parameters

Weight

CAT score

25

WAT

10

PI

40

Class 10

5

Class 12

5

Graduation score

5

Weighted Work Experience/Professional Qualification

10

Total

100

The gender diversity component will be applicable only for computing the pre-PI score for deciding on interview calls, and will be applicable for phase 2 of the admissions process leading up to final selection.

Candidates making it to the final admission list of IIM Bangalore MBA batch of 2026-2028 will be intimated through email by April 2025. Selected candidates will be required to confirm their admission by submitting offer acceptance form and requisite fee.

Read More:

Q:   Can an average student get into an IIM?
A:

The answer to this question of whether an average student can get into IIM can be both yes and no depending on the definition of an average student.

  • Based on Academics (Class 10/ Class 12/ Graduation): While a student with average scores in Class 10, Class 12 and graduation with a good CAT score certainly has good chances of getting a call from IIM-A, chances are less for someone with an average CAT score.
  • Based on student category (General or Reserved): While it is tough for a General category average student to grab a seat at IIM due to high score requirements, a reserved category student can get admission being at average scores as well.
  • Based on past work experience, diversity and other factors: Gender and academic diversity is also a factor on which students are shortlisted at IIM. IIMs judge the past academic category based on the degree obtained by the students before MBA and then a weightage is allotted based on that. For Engineers, the percentage for scoring the highest marks is higher as compared with other streams
  • Performance in selection rounds: Once you make it to the final selection rounds, i.e., AWT/PI process, it can be considered a fresh start. At this stage, students can forget their past average-ness but definitely require good grasp over the past subjects as academics-related questions are asked in the interview.

Based on the above factors, it can be considered that while getting into top Management institutes, such as IIM is extremely tough, the past performance, CAT performance, student category and a lot of factors can be the reasons for a student to receive that final call.

Q:   What is the CAT exam cutoff required to get admission to IIM Bangalore?
A:

The CAT cut offs for IIM Bangalore hovers between 97-100 percentile. The qualifying CAT cut off required for being eligible for IIM Bangalore's Written Ability test (What) and Personal Interview PI is 85 percentile for General category students, whereas for SC candidates, it is 70 percentile. For ST candidates, it is 65 percentile and for PwD candidates it is 60 percentile. Given below are the sectional and overall qualifying CAT cut offs for IIM Bangalore.

  • General category: 80 VARC 75 DILR 75 Quantitative Aptitude 85 (Overall)
  • NC-OBC category: 75 VARC 65 DILR 65 Quantitative Aptitude 75 (Overall)
  • EWS category: 70 VARC 65 DILR 65 Quantitative Aptitude 75 (Overall)
  • SC category: 65 VARC 60 DILR 60 Quantitative Aptitude 70 (Overall)
  • ST category: 55 VARC 55 DILR 55 Quantitative Aptitude 65 (Overall)
  • PwD category: 50 VARC 50 DILR 50 Quantitative Aptitude 60 (Overall)
Q:   What is the difference between qualifying CAT cut off and final CAT cut off?
A:
Qualifying CAT cut off percentiles of an IIM is the minimum percentile (sectional as well as overall) required by candidates to be eligible for the Written Ability Test (What) and Personal Interview PI round. These are only eligibility score and not the score for selection. The final CAT cut off percentiles are the scores on the basis of which a candidate is actually selected for the What-PI round. The qualifying CAT cut offs are released publically before the CAT exam and result as a part of selection criteria for the MBA/PGP batch of that year. The qualifying cut offs for CAT are release category wise - General, NC/OBC. General-EWS, SC/ST, PwD. The qualifying cut offs percentiles of General category candidate is higher than then rest. The final CAT cut offs are not released publically. The cut offs are estimate on the basis of candidate's selection for What-PI. The final CAT cut offs for General category candidate is also higher than then rest.
Q:   How many candidates scored 100 percentile in CAT 2024?
A:

14 candidates have scored 100 percentile in CAT 2024, out of a total of 2.93 Lacs candidates. Out of 14 toppers, 1 is a woman candidate. Check below CAT 2024 result data:

Check the below table for data and statistics of CAT 2024 test takers and toppers. 

CAT ToppersGender and 
Discipline
State
100
percentiles 14 - Nos 
Female - 1
 Male - 13
 Engg – 13
 Non-Engg – 1
Andhra Pradesh 1
Delhi 2
Haryana 1
Kerala 1
Maharashtra 5
Odisha 1
Rajasthan 1
Telangana 2
99.99
percentiles 29 -Nos.
Female - 2
 Male - 27
 Engg – 25
 Non-Engg - 4
Chandigarh 1
Delhi 4
Gujarat 2
Haryana 1
Karnataka 3
Kerala 1
Madhya Pradesh 1
Maharashtra 5
Odisha 1
Punjab 1
Rajasthan 3
Tamil Nadu 1
Telangana 1
Uttar Pradesh1
Uttarakhand 1
West Bengal 2
99.98
percentiles 30-Nos
Female - 1
Male - 29
 Engg – 20
 Non-Engg -10
Bihar 1
Delhi 2
Gujarat 2
Haryana 4
Karnataka 4
Madhya Pradesh 3
Maharashtra 3
Tamil Nadu 2
Telangana 3
Uttar Pradesh 2
West Bengal 4
Q:   How can students get admission to IIM Bangalore?
A:

Candidates must know their IIM Bangalore eligibility criteria and apply accordingly. Applicants seeking admission to the two-year PGP course at IIM Bangalore must meet the IIM Bangalore MBA eligibility and appear in the CAT (Common Admission Test). Those who are interested in seeking admission to the 2025-2027 batch were able to apply online and register themselves on the official website during the CAT registration process.

Q:   Is it mandatory to meet the sectional cutoff in CAT for admission to IIM Bangalore?
A:

Candidates seeking admission to IIM Bangalore MBA course must appear for CAT. It is mandatory for candidates to meet the sectional and overall CAT cutoff to be eligible for the Writing Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI) rounds for final admission to IIM Bangalore. For IIM Bangalore MBA admission, students need to meet both the overall CAT cut off percentile and the sectional cut offs. Candidates seeking admission to IIM Bangalore must score above the 90 percentile in CAT exam. IIM Bangalore does not release CAT cutoffs in the public domain and are exclusively accessible only via account login to candidates who have appeared for the exam. Therefore, the students must aim to score above 90 percentile.

Videos you may like
About the Author
author-image
Vipra Shrivastava
Senior Manager - Content

Vipra Shrivastava is MA in English Literature from Delhi University with extensive experience in content writing of over 14 years. She has been handling content for Management, Accounting and Commerce streams for 8

Read Full Bio
Get Admission and Placement Updates about IIM Bangalore

News & Updates

Latest NewsPopular News
qna

Student Forum

chatAnything you would want to ask experts?
Write here...

Answered 4 weeks ago

The application fee for General, EWS and NC OBC categories is INR 3000. For SC, ST and PwD categories, the application fee is INR 1500. 

A

Abhishek Kumar

Beginner-Level 5

Answered 4 weeks ago

IIMB BBA DBE application/ registration forms will be available online only on the official website of Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore. Students who wish to appear for the BBA DBE entrance exam, have to fill application form online along with paying the online application fee. So, BBA DBE a

...Read more

S

Shiksha Shukla

Beginner-Level 5

Answered 4 weeks ago

Check the category wise minimum percentage required to apply for the exam: 

  • General Category- 50%
  • NC OBC and EWS- 45%
  • SC, ST, PwD (DA)- 40%

The institute also accepts CUET GAT scores or CUET General Test scores. The minimum percentage required is:

  • General Category: 70 percentile
  • NC OBC, EWS: 65 percentile

...Read more

R

Rashmi Shukla

Beginner-Level 5

Answered 4 weeks ago

No, IIMB BBA DBE application form is same for all categories. Students need to choose their respective categories while filling registration form. Candidates must note that when they are applying for BBA DBE exam, first thing to do is registration. Students can then proceed on to filling the IIMB DB

...Read more

M

Mani Malhotra

Beginner-Level 5

Answered 4 weeks ago

Yes, students belonging to General category have to pay INR 3000 as the IIMB BBA DBE application fee. The reserved category students, i.e. SC, ST and PwD, get a 50% fee concession. This means, they have to pay INR 1500 as the application fee. 

M

Mayank Singh

Beginner-Level 5

Answered 4 weeks ago

Following documents are required for IIM Bangalore entrance exam: 

  • Photograph
  • Signatures
  • Class 10 marksheet
  • Class 12 marksheet
  • Photo ID proof

R

Rohini Bhatnagar

Beginner-Level 5

Answered 4 months ago

IIM Bangalore application fees vary based on the course. Students need to pay the fees as specifed to complete the application process. The application fee for MBA, E-MBA, and PGPEM is tabulated below:

Course Name

Application fee

PGP (via CAT)

INR 2,400

Executive PGP

INR 5,000 for Round 1 and INR 7,000 for Round 3

PGPEM

INR 1,500

 

P

Pallavi Karan

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 4 months ago

MBA in Business Analytics is the best MBA specialisation at IIM Bangalore. It is offered for a duration of 2 years in full-time mode. The tuition fees for the same ranges between INR 20 lakh and INR 26 lakh. 

A

Ashwin Yadav

Contributor-Level 10