IIM Sambalpur Admission Criteria 2026-2028 for MBA: PI Shortlist Out; Check CAT 2025 Cut Off

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Vipra Shrivastava
Senior Manager - Content
4 mins readUpdated on Jan 8, 2026 14:33 IST
IIM Sambalpur will conduct PI for MBA admission in March and April 2026. The PI shortlisting calls were made out on January 8. This year, there will be no CAT sectional cut off requirement. Second shortlist will be released in February and interview slot. Check below IIM Sambalpur admission criteria and selection process 2026-2028.

IIM Sambalpur admission criteria 2026-2028 includes high CAT score of 90 percentile, academic record and PI performance. This year, the insitute will not consider sectional CAT cut offs. Read all about IIM Sambalpur admission criteria for PGP and know PI shortlist 2026.

IIM Sambalpur

IIM Sambalpur MBA admission is based on CAT score and PI performance. According to the IIM Sambalpur admission criteria 2026, the minimum CAT score required for PI shortlisting is 90 percentile (General category).  CAT cut offf 2025 for male candidates having at least one year of relevant work experience, and for all the female candidates, the minimum overall percentile in the General Category will be reduced to 85. There is no sectional cut off criteria this year. Candidates who will meet the overall qualifying CAT 2025 cut off will be eligible for Personal Interview (PI) round. Read below for all the information regarding the IIM Sambalpur admission process. 

Table of contents
  • IIM Sambalpur Admission Criteria 2026-2028
  • IIM Sambalpur PI Shortlist 2026: How to Apply?
  • IIM Sambalpur Admission 2026-2026: CAT 2025 Cut Off for WAT/PI
  • IIM Sambalpur Admission Criteria 2026-287: PI Shortlist
  • IIM Sambalpur Admission Criteria 2026-2028: Work Experience
  • IIM Sambalpur Admission Criteria 2026-2028: Final Merit List
  • IIM Admission Criteria 2026: All campuses
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IIM Sambalpur Admission Criteria 2026-2028

  • Shortlisting of candidates for PI on the basis of CA exam score
  • Conduct of PI round
  • Release of final merit list for admission

IIM Sambalpur PI Shortlist 2026: How to Apply?

IIM Sambalpur has released the PI shortlist via emails. Candidates shortlisted for the personal interview round have received email from the insitute. Those who have beem shortlisted, will have to fill the PI shortlist form at the institute website. Check below the process to fill the IIM Sambalpur PI shortlist form. 

  • Go to IIM Sambalpur website
  • Click on 'MBA admission' tab
  • Enter email ID and password
  • Check status and fill the form

The PI shortlist form will be prefilled with basic data. Candidates can review it and make changes. They will also have to upload necessary documents such as academic certificates and transcripts, work experience certificates (if applicable), certificate of disability (if applicable), SC / ST / EWS /NC-OBC certificate (if applicable), etc.

IIM Sambalpur Admission 2026-2026: CAT 2025 Cut Off for WAT/PI

Given below are the sectional and overall CAT 2025 cut off percentiles (qualifying) for WAT-PI selection. These are qualifying cut offs, and final selection would have been made at higher percentile.

Category

Overall CAT cut off percentile

GEN

90

EWS

80

NC-OBC

75

SC

55

ST

40

DAP

40

Also Read: Last year's actual IIM cut offs for admission

IIM Sambalpur Admission Criteria 2026-287: PI Shortlist

The pre-PI score will be calculated out of 75. Candidates will be shortlisted for PI round on the basis of following parameters and scores:

Component

weightage

CAT score

40

Class 10 score

3

Class 12 score

3

Graduation score

4

Work experience

20

Gender diversity

5

NOTE: IIM Sambalpur uses the scaled CAT score of each candidate for calculating the Pre-PI score, and not the CAT percentile. The scaled CAT score  is calculated as – the CAT score of the candidate divided by the maximum CAT score among all the candidates who have applied to IIM Sambalpur and are a part of the PI shortlist

Calculation of CAT score for PI shortlising will be done by rating overall and sectional scores.

  • Overall percentile:  0.31
  • VARC percentile: 0.03
  • DILR percentile: 0.03
  • QA percentile: 0.03

IIM Sambalpur Admission Criteria 2026-2028: Work Experience

Work exprience carries 20 points in PI selection. Work experience will be calculated till January 31, 2025. Given below is the table indicating points for work experience duration wise. 

Experience in months

Score

Less than 12 months

0

12 months

5

18 months

10

24 months

15

30 months

20

36 months

15

42 months

10

48 months

5

More than 48 months

0

IIM Sambalpur Admission Criteria 2026-2028: Final Merit List

Final merit will be prepared on the basis of adjusted pre-PI score and performance in PI round. Check the weightage below:

Component

Score

Adjusted Pre-PI score

75

Personal Interview

25

Total

100

Selected candidates will be informed via email, after which they will have to submit offer acceptance letter and offer acceptance fees to confirm admission. The offer acceptance fees will be adjusted in term fee. In case of admission withdrawal, acceptance fee will be returned after deduction.

IIM Admission Criteria 2026: All campuses

Check the table below for campus wise admission and selection criteria for IIM MBA/PGP admission 2026.

IIM Admission and Selection Criteria 2026-28

IIM Bangalore Shortlist & Admission Criteria

IIM Ahmedabad Shortlist & Admission Criteria

IIM Lucknow Shortlist & Admission Criteria

IIM Calcutta Shortlist & Admission Criteria

IIM Kozhikode Shortlist & Admission Criteria

IIM Jammu Shortlist & Admission Criteria

IIM Indore Shortlist & Admission Criteria

IIM Visakhapatnam Shortlist & Admission Criteria

IIM Trichy Shortlist & Admission Criteria

IIM Udaipur Shortlist & Admission Criteria

IIM Shillong Shortlist & Admission Criteria

IIM Sirmaur Shortlist & Admission Criteria

IIM Jammu Shortlist & Admission Criteria

IIM Rohtak Shortlist & Admission Criteria

IIM Raipur Shortlist & Admission Criteria

IIM Kashipur Shortlist & Admission Criteria

IIM Amritsar Shortlist & Admission Criteria

IIM Nagpur Shortlist & Admission Criteria

IIM Bodh Gaya Shortlist & Admission Criteria

IIM Mumbai Shortlist & Admission Criteria

Read More:

Check CAT cut offs and predict calls from IIMs and Non-IIMs accepting CAT score for admission. Check Fees, Placement Reviews, Admission, Shortlist Criteria and Eligibility of all CAT participating colleges by clicking the link below:

Predict CAT Admission Calls
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:   How difficult is it to get at IIM Sambalpur for MBA?
A:

 Candidates with a good score in CAT and excellent performance in the interview rounds can get admission in an institute like IIM Sambalpur. The level of difficulty entirely lies in the number of efforts taken to prepare for the exam and interviews. Interested candidates can apply by visting the offcial website. Also, candidates need to fulfil the eligibility criteria for IIM Sambalpur for admission.

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 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 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.
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Answered a year ago

 Candidates with a good score in CAT and excellent performance in the interview rounds can get admission in an institute like IIM Sambalpur. The level of difficulty entirely lies in the number of efforts taken to prepare for the exam and interviews. Interested candidates can apply by visting the off

...Read more

63158629
Jiya Tyagi

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a year ago

IIM Sambalpur MBA admission is entirely entrance-based. Students seeking to apply for the programme must appear for the accepted entrance exam. Aspirants need to appear and secure a valid score in CAT.  Students who qualify the CAT cutoff for IIM Sambalpur need to participate in the further selectio

...Read more

V

Virajita Sharma

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a year ago

IIM Sambalpur is an integral part of the prestigious IIMs. According to student reviews on Shiksha, "Great opportunities are available at IIM, Sambalpur. The faculty and infrastructure are great." The institute is emerging as top Management institutes of the country. Students have remarked that the

...Read more

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Virajita Sharma

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 years ago

Yes, IIM sambalpur is good for placements. It has achieved 100% placements for the batch 2023.

The average package was increased from 13.20 LPA to 16.64 LPA.

The highest package was 64.61 LPA.

The highest international package was 64.15 LPA.

Many big companies are the major recruiters like microsoft, ve

...Read more

N

Nishant Rai

Contributor-Level 6

Answered 2 years ago

Yes, candidates can get admission to the IIM Sambalpur MBA for working professionals and executive MBA courses without appearing for CAT. The candidates are required to meet the minimum eligibility criteria as stated below along with the selection criteria:

CourseEligibilitySelection Criteria
E-MBAGraduation in any stream with a minimum 50% aggregate from a recognised University and a minimum of 3 years of managerial or entrepreneurial or professional work experience after graduation profile, SOP and interview
MBA- WPGraduation in any stream with a minimum 50% aggregate from a recognised University and a minimum of 3 years of managerial or entrepreneurial or professional work experience after graduation profile, SOP and interview

55560233
Arshita Tiwari

Contributor-Level 9