IIM Reservation Policy 2027 for SC, ST, OBC-NCL, EWS, and PwD
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India has as many as 22 IIMs following a common reservation policy laid down by the Government of India. IIM reservation policy includes seats reserved for OBC, SC, ST, EwS, and PwD categories. Seats left after the IIM reservation are allocated for the general category candidates. Check IIM reservation policy 2027 here.
IIM Reservation Policy 2027 for SC, ST, OBC NCL, PwD, EwS
IIM Reservation Policy 2027: The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) are centrally funded institutes that follow a reservation policy for different social categories in India. The policy ensures representation of various social and economic categories in their PG programs. Under the IIM reservation policy 2027, seats are allocated for OBC, SC, ST, PwD, and EWS categories. All candidates appearing for CAT 2026 need to meet the category wise cutoff to be eligible for the shortlists. IIM category-wise cutoffs are based on the reservation policy set by the government.
CAT aspirants should familiarise themselves with India's IIM reservation criteria to plan their preparation effectively. When it comes to shortlisting for admissions, the IIM reservation quota 2027 indicates that a candidate from the general category must achieve a higher score than a candidate from the PwD (Persons with Disabilities) category. This article hosts details on IIM reservation policy for admissions in 2027.
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IIM Reservation Policy 2027
The table below mentions the IIM reservation percentage for SC, ST, OBC, and EWS categories:
| Category |
IIM Reservation Criteria |
|---|---|
| Scheduled Castes (SC) |
15 |
| Scheduled Tribes (ST) |
7.5 |
| Other Backward Classes - Non-Creamy Layer (OBC-NCL) |
27 |
| Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) |
10 |
| Total |
59.5 |
As per the policy a total of 59.5 per cent reservation prevails in IIMs. On top of this reservation, PwD candidates have a horizontal reservation of 5 per cent. Therefore, five per cent of seats for all categories is reserved for PwD candidates.
NOTE: IIMs do not release IIM reservation criteria PDF. The reservation policy is common for all centrally funded institutes
IIM Reservation Criteria for PwD - Horizontal Reservation
PwD candidates who belong to any of the social and economic categories mentioned above have a five per cent reservation among the reserved seats. The table below indicates the PwD IIM reservation criteria for MBA:
| Category |
IIM Reservation Criteria for PwD candidates |
|---|---|
| PwD candidates from SC category |
5% of 15% seats |
| Scheduled Tribes (ST) |
5% of 7.5% seats |
| Other Backward Classes - Non-Creamy Layer (OBC-NCL) |
5% of 27% seats |
| Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) |
5% of 10% seats |
Commonly asked questions
CAT exam is held in about 170 cities across India. Candidates can choose up to six cities as their preferred test location. The list of test cities for CAT is available in application form. Candidates should choose the test city carefully as the request to change the test city later may or may not be accepted due to non-availability of seats at the centres in that particular city. Given below are the cities where CAT exam is usually held.
Every candidate must carry a blue/black ball point pen and a few copies of their passport size photo to the exam centre. They must not carry any stationary item other than the pen. Candidates who have diabetes can carry fruits as per medical prescription. No other item will be allowed inside the exam venue. Candidates must not carry bags or valuables as there will be no arrangement for depositing while candidates appear for the exam. Candidates must also not carry notebooks or rough paper to the CAT exam centre. Any candidate found with an unauthorised item will be disqualified.
CAT 2026 will be conducted by IIM Indore. The institute had last conducted the exam in 2020.
Six of the older IIMs, including Ahemdabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Lucknow, Khozikode, and Indore, conducts CAT exam on a rotational basis.
Yes, CAT 2026 exam will be conducted in three shifts. Exam timing of each slot will be:
- First shift: 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM
- Second shift: 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM and
- Third shift: 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
How IIM Reservation Policy works during MBA Admissions via CAT?
The IIM admission process has multiple stages; the reservation policy is applied at each step of the IIM admission to ensure fairness for all categories. During the shortlisting process cutoff scores are defined based on the IIM reservation policy.
IIM Reservation Criteria: Shortlisting for WAT-PI
After CAT results are declared, each IIM releases its shortlist based on CAT cutoff percentile. Reserved category candidates have a slightly lower cutoff percentile compared to the General category candidates. Each IIM has a separate cutoff percentile which keeps varying every admissions session.
The table below mentions category-wise expected cutoff requirements for all IIMs:
| Category |
Approx. Cut-off |
|---|---|
| General |
98+ percentile |
| NC-OBC |
90-92 percentile |
| SC |
80-85 percentile |
| ST |
70-75 percentile |
| PwD* |
60-70 percentile |
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IIM Reservation Policy during Final Selection
Candidates shortlisted for WAT and PI are evaluated on a composite score that includes:
- CAT percentile
- Academic performance
- Work experience
- Diversity factors
- WAT-PI performance
IIMs prepare a separate merit list for each category (General, OBC-NCL, SC, ST, EWS, PwD). This ensures that a candidate competes only within their own category.
IIM Reservation Policy in Seat Allotment & Waitlist Movement
IIMs release final selection lists after evaluating candidates on multiple factors. Candidates have to accept or reject the converted seats. Along the selection lists, IIMs publish a waitlist. Vacant seats after rejections are offered to candidates as per the category-wise waitlists. IIMs follow the reservation policy during seat allotment and waitlist movement to ensure the reservation criteria is met as per the IIM reservation policy.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered Yesterday
Some frequent traps in CAT exam are:
- Confusing the counts of original and new members in replacement vs. inclusion problems.
- Weighting by values instead of quantities or frequencies in weighted average setups.
R
Contributor-Level 7
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Yes. Most CAT-level problems involving replacements, group additions, or combinations are designed to test logical shortcuts rather than heavy calculations.
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Direct questions on Averages typically range from 1 to 2 per slot in the CAT exam. However, the concept appears across several other topics, including Mixtures & Alligations, etc.
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Candidates can refer to How to Prepare for Logical Reasoning for CAT by Arun Sharma and DILR for CAT by Nishit K. Sinha.
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Yes, Routes and Networks is an important topic for CAT DILR. It tests logical thinking, visualisation and the ability to analyse connections and pathways.
P
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CAT does not have a fixed number of questions from Routes and Networks. The topic may appear as part of a DILR set, usually comprising 4-5 questions.
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Answered 2 days ago
Candidates should spend no more than 1.5 to 2 minutes on an Odd One Out question.
Contributor-Level 10
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Many top scorers spend the first 8-10 minutes tackling independent VA questions, including Odd One Out and Para Summary, before settling into long RC passages.
Candidates preparing for CAT must devise a exam day plan based on how they perform during mocks.
V
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 2 days ago
In most of the recent CAT exam sessions, Odd One Out questions have appeared as TITA (Type In The Answer) questions with no negative marking.
L
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 2 days ago
Candidates can refer to How to Prepare for Logical Reasoning for CAT by Arun Sharma and DI & LR for CAT by Nishit K. Sinha.
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Abhishek Dhawan is a content writer and editor with 7+ years of experience in education journalism. He holds a BA degree from the University of Delhi. At Shiksha, Abhishek primarily covers MBA and BBA entrance
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