IIM Shortlist 2026 - PI & WAT Calls, Dates, Cut Offs & Final Admission Status of all IIMs

Common Admission Test 2026 ( CAT )

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Vipra Shrivastava
Senior Manager - Content
Updated on Jun 11, 2026 17:03 IST
Check institute-wise IIM shortlist 2026 dates and status for MBA admission. Read to know all about IIM shortlist and final admission announcement. The final IIM admission lists will be released by the institutes by the end of May 2026. The IIM CAP participating institutes will released their final admission list by the last week of May.

IIM Shortlists 2026 for all campuses was announced in January and the interviews were conducted in February-March. The final results for MBA 2026 batch admission was announced in May for all campuses. Read to know all about IIM shortlist and final admission announcements. 

IIM Shortlist 2026

All about PI shortlisting process for IIMs

Indian Institute of Management (IIMs) campuses completed the shortlisting process for the Personal Interview round of PGP/MBA admission 2026, in January and conducted the WAT-PI round on February-March. Each campus released the final merit list in May and sent out admission offer letters to selected candidates via email. A few IIMs also released the MBA waitlist to fill up the seats. MBA classes will commence in July, so the admission process is to be completed by June 2026.

The IIM shortlisting of candidates was based on their CAT 2025 result. For 2026 academic year, the qualifying CAT cut offs were between 80-90 percentile (General category). The final CAT cut offs were much higher (98-100 percentile ) as always. While the top IIMs conducted the selection process individually, newer IIMs shortlisted candidates through IIM CAP and IIM JAP. Read all about IIM shortlist and admissions 2026 in this article.

Table of contents
  • IIM Shortlisting and Selection Process 2026
  • IIMs Shortlist 2026 Status
  • IIMs WAT-GD-PI: Documents to Carry
  • IIM Admission Status 2026-2028 (Final)
  • IIM Admission: WAT/GD/PI experience shared by students

IIM Shortlisting and Selection Process 2026

The IIM shortlisting and selection process for MBA admission 2026 included three stages.

Stage 1: Shortlisting of candidates on the basis of their CAT exam score

Candidates had to apply for WAT/GD-PI round by each IIM on its official website basis their CAT score vs CAT cut offs.

Stage 2: Screening of candidates for WAT-GD-PI

In the second stage, the institute shortlisted the candidates who applied for WAT-GD-PI and send them invite.

Stage 3: Calculation of Composite Score and Final Selection

In the third stage, the composite score of each candidate was calculated on the basis of parameters such as CAT score, WAT-PI performance, academic history, work experience, diversity, etc. to finalise their selection for MBA admission.

Also Read:

What is IIM SAP 2026: Know dates and process?

IIM Waitlist Movement: Meaning and Past Trends

IIMs Shortlist 2026 Status

Candidates had to fill the shortlist forms to participate in WAT-PI using their CAT login IDs. The shortlist application window is usually opened for a week only. Check below IIM campus wise seat intake for MBA.

IIMs

IIM shortlist 2026

*Number of seats in MBA/PGP

IIM Ahmedabad

Closed

395

IIM Kozhikode

Closed

375

IIM Visakhapatnam

Closed

120

IIM Calcutta

Closed

460

IIM Lucknow

Closed

500

IIM Bangalore

Closed

483

IIM Indore

Closed

450

IIM Rohtak

Closed

240

IIM Shillong

Closed

180

IIM Trichy

Closed

240

IIM Udaipur

Closed

260

IIM Ranchi

Closed

185

IIM Kashipur

Closed

240

IIM Raipur

Closed

260

IIM Amritsar

Closed

160

IIM Bodhgaya

Closed

120

IIM Nagpur

Closed

240

IIM Jammu

Closed

240

IIM Sambalpur

Closed

120

IIM Sirmaur

Closed

120

*Institute wise MBA/PGP seats data is based on previous batch. For the upcoming batch the seat intake may increase. 

IIMs WAT-GD-PI: Documents to Carry

  • Marksheets of Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation (original and self-attested photocopies). 
  • Caste/class and/or disability certificate in case of SC, ST, NC-OBC and PwD candidates (original and self-attested photocopies).
  • Candidates appearing for the final year bachelor's degree (or equivalent) examination had to show a certificate from the Principal/Registrar/Director of the university/institution certifying that he/she has obtained a minimum of 50 per cent aggregate or equivalent (45 per cent in case of the candidates belonging to SC, ST, and PwD category) in the latest available grades/marks.

Also Read:

CAT 2025 toppers names, scores and percentiles

All About IIM Shortlisting and Selection Process

Check institute-wise IIM cut offs (qualifying and final)

IIM Admission Status 2026-2028 (Final)

Check the table below for institute-wise IIM admission status for MBA/PGP batch 2026-2028.

IIM

Admission Status

IIM Ahmedabad

Out

IIM Bangalore

Out

IIM Calcutta

Out

IIM Lucknow

Out

IIM Kozhikode

Out

IIM Indore

Out

IIM Shillong

Out

IIM Raipur

Out

IIM Nagpur

Out

IIM Ranchi

Out

IIM Udaipur

Out

IIM Amritsar

Out

IIM Kashipur

Out

IIM Sambalpur

Out

IIM Bodhgaya

Out

IIM Sirmaur

Out

IIM Jammu

Out

IIM Trichy

Out

IIM Visakhapatnam

Out

IIM Rohtak

Out

Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
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:   Are CAT cut offs announced along with the CAT result?
A: 

CAT cutoffs are usually not announced with the CAT result. The CAT cutoffs are also not released to the public.

They are published after a few days of the result announcement when the IIMs and other colleges start their shortlisting process. The IIMs opens their shortlisting window based on the CAT cut-offs two to three days after the result announcement. The CAT percentile of candidates shortlisted for the Written Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussion (GD), and Personal Interview (PI) can be considered the cut-off for that IIM. For example, if a candidate with a CAT percentile of 99 belonging to the General category is selected for the WAT/GD-PI of IIM Calcutta, then the CAT cut-off for IIM Calcutta is 99 percentile. Only those candidates who make it to the WAT/GD-PI round of IIMs will get to know the cut-offs.

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:   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.

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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:   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:   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.

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About the Author
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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 13 hours ago

CAT coaching institutes in Udaipur that offer weekend batches are IMS Udaipur and Career Launcher Udaipur.

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 13 hours ago

To choose the best CAT Coaching institute in Udaipur, candidates must consider the following points:

  • Compare classroom vs. online/hybrid formats
  • Success Rate of the centre
  • Ask about batch size, number of full-length mocks, recorded sessions/notes
  • Final fee structure and refund/installment policy.

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 13 hours ago

The average fee in Udaipur ranges from ₹50,000 to ₹85,000 for offline classroom courses and ₹25,000 to ₹35,000 for online courses.

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 days ago

CAT coaching institutes in Vadodara that offer weekend batches IMS Vadodara, Career Launcher (CL) Baroda and Endeavor Vadodara.

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 days ago

To choose the best CAT Coaching institute in Vadodara, candidates must consider the following points:

  • Compare classroom vs. online/hybrid formats
  • Success Rate of the centre
  • Ask about batch size, number of full-length mocks, recorded sessions/notes
  • Final fee structure and refund/installment policy.

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 days ago

The average fee in Vadodara ranges from ₹50,000 to ₹85,000 for offline classroom courses and ₹25,000 to ₹35,000 for online courses.

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 3 days ago

CAT coaching institute in Cuttack that offers weekend batches is Career Launcher Cuttack. TIME and Samantaray Academy also offer weekend batches, but candidates need to contact them for more information. 

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 3 days ago

To choose the best CAT Coaching institute in Cuttack, candidates must consider the following points:

  • Compare classroom vs. online/hybrid formats
  • Success Rate of the centre
  • Ask about batch size, number of full-length mocks, recorded sessions/notes
  •  Final fee structure and refund/installment policy

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 3 days ago

The average fee ranges in Cuttack from ₹50,000 to ₹85,000 for offline classroom courses and ₹25,000 to ₹45,000 for online courses.

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 5 days ago

CAT sectional cutoff is the minimum percentile score required in each individual section (VARC, DILR, and QA) to qualify for an institute's selection process. All IIMs have a distinct admission policy, including the sectional cutoffs and overall cutoff scores.

A

Akansha Goyal

Contributor-Level 7