IIM Calcutta Shortlist & Selection Criteria 2027-2029 Released: Check CAT Cut Offs 2026; WAT-PI Process

Vipra
Vipra Shrivastava
Senior Manager - Content
6 mins readUpdated on Oct 8, 2026 16:47 IST
IIM Calcutta selection criteria 2027-2029 for MBA programme includes WAT and PI. Minimum CAT cut off requirement in 85 percentile for General category candidates. Check IIM Calcutta shortlisting criteria, admission policy, IIM CAT cut off percentile and WAT-PI process.

IIM Calcutta selection criteria 2027-2029 has been announced. The document ilncludes CAT cutoffs, composite score calculation and parameters for final selection. Read in this article all about IIM Calcutta admission process and PI shortlist criteria for 2027-2029 batch.

IIM Calcutta Selection Criteria

IIM Calcutta Selection Criteria

IIM Calcutta Admission Criteria 2027-2029 for Post Graduate Programme (PGP) has been released. The selection process for IIM Calcutta 2027 MBA batch is same as 2026 batch. It includes Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI), for which candidates will be shortlisted on the basis of CAT exam score of 85 percentile (General category). The minimum CAT cut off for PI shortlisting may remain the same as last year. CAT 2026 exam will be conducted on November 29, 2026 and the result will be declared in the third week of December 2029. IIM Calcutta will release the PI shortlist in the first week of January 2027. Check on this page below, IIM Calcutta Admission Criteria 2027-2029..

IIM Calcutta admission criteria and selection process 2027 includes 85 percentile CAT cut off, WAT-PI performance and remarkable academic record. The Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI) together have a weightage of 56 points for final selection to MBA course. Weightage allotted to CAT exam score was 56 points for PI shortlisting and 30 points for final selection. The WAT-PI round of IIM Calcutta will be held in February 2027 and the final calls will be released in May 2027. Read below, all about IIM Calcutta shortlisting criteria and admission process for MBA.

Table of contents
  • IIM Calcutta Admission Process 2027-2029
  • IIM Calcutta Selection Criteria 2027: Qualifying CAT Cut Off 2026
  • IIM Calcutta Selection Criteria 2027: PI Shortlisting Parameters
  • IIM Calcutta Shortlisting Criteria 2027: Academic Score
  • IIM Calcutta Admission Criteria 2027: Points for Academic Diversity
  • IIM Calcutta Composite Score Calculation 2027
  • IIM Calcutta MBA Shorlisting Criteria 2027: Points for Work Experience
  • Campus-wise IIM admission criteria and selection process 2027
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IIM Calcutta Admission Process 2027-2029

IIM Calcutta selection and admission process included three stages:

  1. Shortlisting of candidates for PI on the basis of CAT score
  2. Conduct of PI in a number of cities or online
  3. Calculation of Composite Score for final selection

In the final round of IIM Calcutta admission process, candidates will be evaluated on the basis of their CAT score, PI performance, academic history, work experience and diversity. The Composite Score of each candidate will be calculated on the basis of these aspects following which final offers will be sent out to candidates.

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IIM Calcutta Selection Criteria 2027: Qualifying CAT Cut Off 2026

Below table indicates category-wise qualifying CAT cut offs needed to be eligible for PI round. The qualifying IIM Calcutta cut off percentiles 2027 are same as 2026.

Category QA percentile DILR percentile VARC percentile Overall percentile

General

75

80

80

85

NC-OBC

65

65

70

75

EWS

65

65

70

75

SC

60

60

65

70

ST

55

55

55

65

PWD

45

45

45

55

The above mentioned IIM Calcutta cut off percentiles are the qualifying CAT cut offs for candidate shortlisting purpose. The final IIM Calcutta cut offs goes higher for each category, in the range of 98-100 percentile.

IIM Calcutta Selection Criteria 2027: PI Shortlisting Parameters

Here's the table indicating parameters and points on the basis of which candidates will be shortlisted for the PI and WAT round:

Parameters Points
CAT score 56
Class 10 marks 10
Class 12 marks 15
Gender Diversity 4
Total 85

Score of candidate will be calculated on the basis of points scored by candidates in the following - Class 10 marks, Class 12 marks, Graduation score, WAT/PI, work experience and stream/gender diversity.

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IIM Calcutta Shortlisting Criteria 2027: Academic Score

Check below points allotted for Class 10 and Class 12 scores for Composite Score calculation:

Class 10 Marks (in %)

Points

Class 12 Marks (in %)

Points

More than 80

10

More than 80

15

75-80

8

75-80

12

70-75

6

70-75

9

65-70

4

65-70

6

60-65

2

60-65

3

60

0

60

0

Check CAT Cut offs and predict calls from IIMs and other Top MBA Colleges, whether your CAT score is 70 percentile, 80 percentile or 90 percentile. Check Fees, Placement Reviews, Admission, Shortlist Criteria and eligibility of all MBA Colleges by clicking the link below:

Predict IIM & Non IIM Calls

IIM Calcutta Admission Criteria 2027: Points for Academic Diversity

Check below the table indicating points for academic diversity in graduation and post graduation.

Course Stream

Points for Academic Diversity

Bachelor's, Master’s or Integrated Master’s degree in engineering stream

0

Bachelor's degree in non-engineering stream

4

Dual bachelor’s degree in Law (e.g. BA LLB, BSc. LLB, B.Com LLB, BBA LLB).

5

Bachelor's degree in engineering stream and Masters in non-engineering stream

2

Bachelor's degree in non-engineering stream and Masters in non-engineering stream

5

Dual/Integrated degree in non-engineering stream

5

Dual/Integrated degree where Bachelors is engineering stream and Masters is non-engineering stream

1

CA/ICWA/CS or Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of India (FIAI) without having a bachelor’s degree.

5

CA/ICWA/CS or Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of India (FIAI) with a bachelor’s degree.

6

CA/ICWA/CS or Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of India (FIAI) with or without a bachelor’s degree, and with Masters in non-engineering stream.

6

Integrated bachelor’s degree in Law and Masters in non-engineering stream.

6

IIM Calcutta Composite Score Calculation 2027

The final selection will be based on the candidate's performance on the following parameters as per the IIM Calcutta shortlisting criteria. A category-wise merit list will be prepared for IIM Calcutta admission. Check IIM Calcutta weightage and parameters below for reference:

Components

Weights

CAT score

30

Personal Interview (PI)

48

Written Ability Test (WAT)

8

Work Experience

8

Academic Diversity at Bachelor’s level for Non-Engineering degree

6

Total

100

IIM Calcutta MBA Shorlisting Criteria 2027: Points for Work Experience

For admissiion to IIM Calcutta weightage is given to work experience as well. The minimum work experience that will be taken into consideration is more than 12 months. Maximum points allotted to work experience will range from 31 to 36 months. The length of service will be calculated as on January 31, 2027.

Months

Points

Less than 12 months

0

12 to 18 months

2

19 to 24 months

4

25 to 30 months

6

31 to 36 months

8

37 to 42 months

6

More than 48 months

2

Formula to calculate work experience:

IIM Calcutta work experience

IIM Calcutta work experience

Candidates selected for admission to IIM Calcutta's MBA course will be intimated through email in the last week of May 2027. Selected candidates will have to confirm their admission by sending across offer acceptance letter and offer acceptance fee (adjustable in the first instalment of tuition fee).

Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   Which MBA colleges are available with 70 percentile in CAT?
A: 
A good number of private MBA colleges accept CAT score of 70 percentile in CAT. We have listed some of the colleges in which admission is possible with 70 percentile. Amity University AIMS Institutes (AIMS), Bangalore Amrita School of Business - Bangalore Acharya Bangalore B-School Asian Business School (ABS), Noida Amrita School of Business, Kochi Bengal Institute of Business Studies (BIBS), Kolkata Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani Christ Institute of Management, Pune Doon Business School (DBS), Dehradun Eastern Institute For Integrated Learning In Management, Kolkata FOSTIIMA Business School, Delhi International Institute of Business Studies, Noida International School of Business and Media (ISB&M) Bangalore JK Lakshmipat University-Institute of Management, Jaipur National University (JNU), Jaipur JRE Group of Institutions (JRE), Greater Noida Lotus Business School, Pune Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar MATS University, Raipur IIKM Business School, Calicut IILM Institute for Higher Education, Delhi For full list, click here: https://www.shiksha.com/mba/articles/colleges-accepting-cat-scores-range-70-to-80-percentile-blogId-11956.
Q:   How many CAT mock tests to practice to score 99 percentile?
A: 
Experts recommend that aspirants must practice at least 40 CAT mock tests to score above 99 percentile well in the exam. Most of the CAT test takers take up to 50 mock tests of various types and difficulty level. CAT toppers in previous years have practiced even up to 80 mock tests during their preparation. However, candidates must decide the number of CAT mock tests depending on their control and confidence on topics as the exam day comes closer. Mock tests are the best way to judge your performance viz. The important topics of CAT. The more one practices CAT mock tests, the more accurate they get in solving questions from all subjects. It is very important to know which formula to apply to which type question to solve the problem accurately. Mock tests help candidates in this aspect which is why practicing mock tests is most important in CAT preparation.
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:   What are the qualifying CAT cutoffs for all the IIMs?
A: 

Qualifying CAT cut off percentiles of Iims for Written Ability Test (What) and Personal Interview PI are listed below. Candidates who MET the qualifying CAT cut off, were eligible for What-PI round. These qualifying CAT cut offs are for General Category. The cut offs for Reserved category students are lower:

  1. IIM Ahmedabad: 95 percentile
  2. IIM Bangalore: 85 percentile 
  3. IIM Calcutta: 85 percentile
  4. IIM Lucknow: 90 percentile
  5. IIM Kozhikode: 85 percentile
  6. IIM Indore: 90 percentile
  7. IIM Udaipur: 93 percentile
  8. IIM Shillong: 75 percentile
  9. IIM Trichy: 93 percentile
  10. IIM Visakhapatnam: 80 percentile
  11. IIM Rohtak: 95 percentile
  12. 1IIM Nagpur: 85 percentile
  13. IIM Jammu: 93 percentile 
  14. IIM Ranchi: 90 percentile
  15. IIM Sirmaur: 92 percentile
  16. IIM Bodhgaya: 93 percentile
  17. IIM Sambalpur: 93 percentile
  18. IIM Kashipur: 94 percentile 
  19. IIM Raipur: 93 percentile
  20. IIM Amritsar: 90 percentile

For complete details of IIM selection and admission process read this article: https://www.shiksha.com/mba/articles/iim-shortlist-selection-admission-criteria-blogId-18787.

Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   Which MBA colleges are available with 80 percentile in CAT?
A: 
There are quite a few MBA colleges who accept CAT score of 80 percentile and above for admission. The admission process for these colleges include group discussion and Personal Interview . Fore School of Management Goa Institute of Management International Management Institute, Delhi Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal Indian Institute of Management, Visakhapatnam Loyola Institute of Business Administration, Chennai Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli Praxis Business School, Kolkata Prin. L. N. Welingkar Institute of Management development & Research, Bangalore Shiva Institute of Management Studies, Ghaziabad Sydenham Institute of Management Studies, Research and Entrepreneurship Education S. P. Jain Institute of Management and Research TA Pai Management Institute Trinity College for Management and Technology, Ghaziabad Click on this link for more: https://www.shiksha.com/mba/articles/colleges-accepting-cat-scores-range-80-to-90-percentile-blogId-11981.
Q:   Which MBA colleges are available with 60 percentile in CAT?
A: 
There are a number of private MBA colleges that accept CAT score of 60+ percentile for admission. We have listed some of the colleges below: AIMS Institutes (AIMS), Bangalore Amrita School of Business - Bangalore Acharya Bangalore B-School Asian Business School (ABS), Noida Amrita School of Business, Kochi Bengal Institute of Business Studies (BIBS), Kolkata Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani Christ Institute of Management, Pune Doon Business School (DBS), Dehradun Eastern Institute for Integrated Learning in Management, Kolkata FOSTIIMA Business School, Delhi International Institute of Business Studies, Noida International School of Business and Media (ISB&M) Bangalore International School of Business & Media, Kolkata IIKM Business School, Calicut IILM Institute for Higher Education, Delhi For full list, click here: https://www.shiksha.com/mba/articles/colleges-accepting-cat-scores-range-60-to-70-percentile-blogId-11984.
Q:   Does every CAT accepting college conduct GD/PI?
A: 

Yes, the CAT accepting MBA colleges conduct either GD/PI or WAT/PI. Since MBA is a professional course about business and team management, personality assessment round is essential to ensure that the aspirant has the flair for management which can be polished during the programme. Communication skills, problem solving ability, management and leadership are essential qualities for MBA thus, every B-School conducts GD/PI or WAT/PI.

Q:   Is securing the CAT cutoff enough to get an admission offer from an MBA institute?
A: 

No, securing a high CAT percentile is not enough for admission. One has to clear the selection process round too, like WAT and PI.

Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   How many question should I solve for 99 percentile in CAT exam?
A: 

To get 99 percentile and above, candidates must attempt 40-45 out of 68 questions in CAT, with maximum accuracy.  

Q:   What percentile is required for IIM Raipur?
A: 

The general category CAT percentile cutoff at IIM Raipur normally lies between 92 and 95%, though it could differ somewhat depending on the category (OBC, SC, ST) and applicant pool. At somewhat lower percentiles, candidates with a solid academic background and pertinent professional experience may be given consideration. A comprehensive review that takes into account the candidate's performance on the Written Ability Test (WAT), academic background, and personal interview (PI) is required for the ultimate selection. The likelihood of being shortlisted for the following round of the selection process increases with higher scores.

Q:   What is the average number of CAT 100 percentilers every year?
A: 

On an average, about 10-15 CAT aspirants score 100 percentile. Given below is the data of CAT 100 percentilers of last 4 years:

Exam year

CAT 100 percentilers

State wise numbers

CAT 2025

12

1- Uttar Pradesh

1- Karnataka 

1- Maharashtra

3- Delhi

2- Haryana 

2- Gujarat

1- Jharkhand

1- Odisha

CAT 2024

14

1- Andhra Pradesh
2- Delhi
1- Haryana
1-Kerala
5- Maharashtra
1- Odisha
1- Rajasthan
2- Telangana

CAT 2023

14

1 – Andhra Pradesh
1 - Delhi
1 – Gujarat
1 – Jammu & Kashmir
1 - Karnataka
1 - Kerala
4 – Maharashtra
1 – Tamil Nadu
2 - Telangana
1 - Uttar Pradesh

CAT 2022

11

2 - Delhi

1 - Gujarat

1 - Haryana

1 - Kerala

1 - Madhya Pradesh

2 - Maharashtra

2 - Telangana

1 - Uttar Pradesh

 

Q:   Apart from the CAT percentile, what are the other factors that are considered for the final admission in MBA?
A: 

Apart from the CAT scores, B-schools consider candidates' written and spoken communication skills through Written Ability Test or Essay Writing, Group Discussion and Personal Interview rounds. The B-schools also consider candidates' overall profile such as past academic records, work experience and extracurricular activities or abilities. Candidates Class 12 scores and overall academic profile plays a decisive role in selection as institutes look for consistency in excellence.

Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   What is sectional cutoff in CAT exam?
A: 

Sectional cut-off in the CAT exam refers to the section-wise percentiles required by the candidate to make it to the Personal Interview round of the IIMs or other top MBA colleges. The sectional cut-offs are lower than the overall cut-offs of any institute. To understand better, check the table below for sectional CAT cut-offs for IIM Ahmedabad:

Category

VARC percentile

DILR percentile

QA percentile

Overall percentile

General

70

70

70

80

NC-OBC-Transgender

65

65

65

75

SC

60

60

60

70

ST

50

50

50

60

PwD (General, NC-OBC-cum-transgender, SC)

60

60

60

70

PwD (ST)

50

50

50

60

For sectional cut-offs of all IIMs, check this article – IIM shortlist and selection criteria

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 CAT cut off for IIM Lucknow?
A: 
The CAT cut offs for IIM Lucknow is usually around 97-99 percentile. The two courses - PGP Agri-Business Management (ABM) and PGP Sustainable Management (some) are extremely popular among MBA aspirants who wish to make a career in these areas. The institute also offers PGP programme. The qualifying CAT cut off for IIM Lucknow's Written Ability test (What) and Personal Interview PI is 90 percentile for General category students, whereas for SC candidates, it is 70 percentile. For ST and PwD candidates, it is 60 percentile. Given below are the sectional and overall qualifying CAT cut offs for IIM Lucknow PGP course. General category: 85 VARC 85 DILR 85 Quantitative Aptitude 90 (Overall) NC-OBC category: 77 VARC 77 DILR 77 Quantitative Aptitude 82 (Overall) EWS category: 77 VARC 77 DILR 77 Quantitative Aptitude 82 (Overall) SC category: 55 VARC 55 DILR 55 Quantitative Aptitude 70 (Overall) ST category: 50 VARC 50 DILR 50 Quantitative Aptitude 60 (Overall) PwD category: 50 VARC 50 DILR 50 Quantitative Aptitude 60 (Overall) Click here for detailed IIM Lucknow admission and selection criteria: https://www.shiksha.com/mba/articles/iim-lucknow-shortlist-admission-criteria-blogId-18509.
Q:   Who prepares CAT cutoff?
A: 

CAT cut off is prepared by all accepting colleges individually. There is no one authorized body to do so. Even the IIMs determine their admission cut offs separately.

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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

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Answered a month ago

IIM Calcutta admission 2026 has concluded. Candidates can check below the latest updates regarding IIM Calcutta: 

  • Last Date to apply for CAT 2026 form is Sep 15, 2026. 
  • International Conference on Freshwater Sustainable Governance and International Law will be conducted between October 5 to October 7

...Read more

R

Raj Priya

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 months ago

Candidates can check below are the IIM Calcutta total course fee for some of the popular programmes:

Course Name

Tuition Fee

MBA

INR 25 lakh- INR 27 lakh 

Certificate

INR 82,600

Executive MBA

INR 13.50 Lacs - INR 33.5 lakh

Note: This is taken from the official sources of the college. It can change.

R

Raj Priya

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 months ago

Candidates can check below the entrance exams accepted for admission in popular IIM Calcutta courses: 

Popular CoursesSelection Criteria
MBA

CAT + GD & PI

Executive MBA

GMAT + PI

PhD

CAT/UGC NET + PI

R

Raj Priya

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 months ago

Candidates can check below the weightage given to different factors for MBA admission in IIM Calcutta

Parameters Weight 
CAT 2026 Score56
Class 10 marksheet 10
Class 12 marksheet 15
Gender Diversity Factor4
Total 85

R

Raj Priya

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 4 months ago

IIM Calcutta MBA tuition fees range between INR 25 lakh and INR 27 lakh. This fees can be paid in four installments, where only two installments at the end are equal. It is as per official sources, but is still subject to revision.

S

Saurabh Khanduri

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 4 months ago

IIM Calcutta is responsible for covering 60% of the total PGPEX-VLM course curriculum. Remaining 40% of this course is covered by both IIT Kanpur and Madras in equal percentages. Candidates will cover this course in eight terms in 1170 total classes.

S

Saurabh Khanduri

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 4 months ago

No, IIM Calcutta MBA admission is not opened for academic year 2027 yet. Candidates should check CAT portal from August for any updates regarding 2027 registrations. Generally, CAT registrations are opened from first day of August

S

Saurabh Khanduri

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 4 months ago

Candidates are selected based on following factors during PGDBA admissions of IIM Calcutta:

CriteriaWeights
PGDBA Admission Test Score45
PI40
Point in class 1208
Work experience07

S

Saurabh Khanduri

Contributor-Level 10