ISB MBA application form 2026 for round 2 has been released. Candidates seeking admission to Post Graduate Program YL (akin to MBA) can apply online before the last date. Check detailed ISB admission 2026 eligibility criteria, registration steps and admission process here.
The Indian School of Business has commenced ISB MBA admission 2026 registration for its Young Leaders Programme (YLP) phase 2. The last date to apply for ISB MBA admission 2026 is February 22, 2026 at isb.edu. Candidates aspiring for admission to the Post Graduate Programme in Management, equivalent to an MBA, must complete the online application form before the deadline. The ISB MBA admission process 2026 will be conducted in three rounds. ISB will conduct ISB MBA admission 2026 interview round for first phase in first week of February 2026.
Candidates applying for ISB MBA admission 2026 through CAT, GMAT, GRE must make sure to fulfil the prescribed eligibility criteria. As per the criteria, candidates must have a completed bachelor’s degree in any discipline and a valid GMAT/GRE or CAT score. Applications failing to meet the criteria will be rejected.
The ISB MBA (PGP) is a residential, full-time program offered at the ISB Hyderabad campus. The program duration is 20 months, designed for young professionals aiming to build leadership and business management skills early in their careers.
- ISB MBA 2026 Highlights
- ISB MBA Admission 2026 Important Dates
- ISB MBA 2026 Admission Eligibility Criteria
- ISB MBA Admission 2026 Application Form
- ISB MBA 2026 Admission Process
- ISB MBA 2026 Selection Criteria
- ISB MBA 2026 Merit List
ISB MBA 2026 Highlights
Check the table below to know the ISB PGP 2026 admission highlights:
| Features |
Details |
|---|---|
| Name of program offered |
Post Graduate Program in Management for Young Leaders |
| Name of Institute |
Indian School of Business |
| Mode of program |
Residential, Full-time |
| Duration of program |
20 months |
| Required work experience |
0-2 years |
| Accepted scores |
|
| Course Level |
Post Graduation |
| Entrance test score compulsory? |
Yes |
| Official website |
https://www.isb.edu/programmes/post-graduate-programmes/pgp-yl |
Yes, you can apply for CAT. The main criteria of eligibility for CAT is graduation from a recognised university. So, whether the education mode is full-time or correspondence, if the university is recognised by the UGC, the candidates will be eligible to appear for the CAT exam.
Yes, it is mandatory to qualify CAT for admission to full time MBA programmes offered by the 21 IITs, along with full-time MBA, qualifying CAT score is also required for PGP, FPM, PhD, PhD Executive, Executive MBA, Doctoral Programme, PGPx courses.
ISB MBA Admission 2026 Important Dates
ISB MBA admission 2026 dates have been announced for MBA class of 2028. Candidates can check the table below to know important dates for ISB MBA admission 2026:
| Events |
Dates |
|---|---|
| CAT 2025 registration begins |
01-Aug-2025 |
| Last date to apply for CAT 2025 |
20-Sep-2025 |
| ISB MBA 2026 Application Form round 1 |
Ended |
| ISB MBA 2026 Round 1 last date to apply |
14-Dec-2025 |
| ISB MBA 2026 Application Form round 2 |
15-Dec-2026 |
| ISB MBA 2026 Round 2 last date to apply |
22-Feb-2026 |
| ISB MBA 2025 interview round 1 |
First week of February 2026 to Second week of March 2026 |
| ISB MBA 2025 interview round 2 |
First week of April 2026 to Last week of April 2026 |
| ISB PGP 2025 admission result round 1 |
Mid-March 2026 |
| ISB PGP 2025 admission result round 2 |
Mid-May 2026 |
Also Read:
ISB MBA 2026 Admission Eligibility Criteria
CAT toppers are determined on the basis of candidate percentiles. Those whose overall percentiles are 100 and 99.99, they are declared the toppers of CAT exam. To calculate CAT percentiles, raw scores of every CAT candidate is normalized on the same scale and the following formula is applied:
P = (R/N) * 100
where,
P= Percentile score
R= Rank of the candidate arrived at on the basis of scaled CAT score or the total number of test takers ranking below a particular candidate.
N= Number of candidates who appeared in CAT exam (all three sessions)
There is no age limit to appear for CAT. The CAT exam is open for fresh graduates as well as working professionals. Since CAT is accepted by over 1300 B-schools across India for their full-time as well as executive MBA or online professional courses, a lot of working professionals appear for the CAT to pursue such courses. CAT score is accepted by Iims for full time MBA, executive MBA and FPM programmes.
Other top MBA colleges in India also shortlist candidates for executive MBA or part-time MBA on the basis of CAT score. The minimum age limit for has to be 20 years as the minimum qualification for CAT exam graduation. Any candidate who has completed Graduation with 50 per cent aggregate (45 per cent for SC/ST candidates).
Any candidate in final year of Bachelor's degree course can appear in CAT exam. Any candidate having a professional degree like CA/CS/ICWAI with a minimum of 50 per cent in aggregate.
The candidates can check their admission status in IIM shortlist of each institute on their respective websites. The IIMs releases their shortlist on different days in the month of January. Once the shortlist is announced, candidates can check their status on the institute's website by using their CAT login ID. Such candidates can fill the PI form for participating in the WAT-PI round. If shortlisted, they are invited by the institute via email.
Explore colleges based on CAT
Candidates applying for ISB MBA programme for Young Leaders must ensure to fulfil the below-mentioned eligibility criteria:
Academic Criteria
- The candidate must have obtained a Bachelor’s degree in any discipline.
- Applicant must mention details on academic accomplishments from class 12th to graduation, post graduation (if any) and certifications.
Entrance Test Score Requirement
To apply for ISB PGP 2026 programme for Young Leaders, candidates must have a valid score in any of the following tests:
- GMAT or GRE (only test centre scores): Scores must be less than five years old from the application deadline.
- CAT 2025 scores
Note: Candidates whose undergraduate instruction was not in English must have a compulsory TOEFL/IELTS score.
Work Experience
- Candidates must have a maximum of 24 years of experience to apply for ISB PGP for Young Leaders.
- Applicants with 0 years of experience can also apply.
ISB MBA Admission 2026 Application Form
The Indian School of Business has released the ISB MBA 2026 application form. Candidates seeking admission to Post Graduate program in management for young leaders must complete the registration process before the deadline.
- Candidates must visit the official link to apply for ISB MBA 2026 program. Follow the steps below to apply for ISB PGP 2026:
- Go to official ISB link: isb.edu
- Click on tab ‘Create your profile’ (first-time user)
- Enter below details to complete the registration process:
- Personal email
- Name
- Current country
- Current city
- UG degree completion
- Total work experience
- Designation
- Current organization
- Industry
- Country code
- Mobile number
- Program details
- Login with the details created
- Complete the ISB MBA 2026 application form
- Pay the ISB 2026 PGP registration fee
Candidates must make sure to complete the following ISB PGP YL application components before final submission:
ISB MBA 2026 Admission Process
Check below to know the stages for ISB MBA 2026 admission.
ISB MBA 2026 Selection Criteria
For admission to ISB PGP for young leaders, candidates will be assessed on the following components:
ISB MBA 2026 Selection Criteria: Application Components
The ISB PGO application consists of six essential components based on which candidate is shortlisted for the interview round.
- Academics: Candidate must have detailed the accomplishments from class 12th to graduation, post graduation and relevant certifications
- Work Experience: Candidates must have a maximum of 24 years of experience.
- Test Score (GRE/GMAT/CAT): Candidates must have a valid GRE, GMAT or CAT score. Candidate’s GMAT/GRE must be a test centre score and less than five years old from the date of the application deadline. Also, applicants applying through CAT score must submit only CAT 2025 scores.
- Awards and Activities: achievements, and community contributions that shaped personal and professional journey
- Essays: Candidates must submit three mandatory essays on their:
- Leadership abilities, diversity of thoughts
- Unique ideas or perspectives
- Recommendation: Candidates should choose a recommender who can offer valuable insights into academic and professional abilities, placing greater importance on the quality of their perspective rather than their seniority.
Also Read: CAT Counselling
ISB MBA 2026 Selection Criteria: Evaluation Criteria
ISB will focus on three key components of assessment:
- Academics
- Leadership qualities
- Personal qualities
ISB MBA 2026 Merit List
The Indian School of Business will release the ISB MBA 2026 merit list based on the above criteria in mid-March and mid-May for round 1 and round 2, respectively. Candidates can know the shortlisting status through email at their registered email address.
Read More: CAT Cut Off

Shruti Garg is a graduate in English and Education with over 7 years of experience in content writing/editing and education journalism. At Shiksha.com, Shruti covers UG and PG entrance exams like MBA entrance exams,
Read Full BioNews & Updates
Explore Other Exams
Jan '26 | XAT 2026 result |
Jan '26 | XAT 2026 Cut Offs Release |
9 Jan '26 | SNAP 2025 result announcement |
20 Dec '25 | SNAP 2025 session 3 |
13 Jan '26 - 17 Jan '26 | NMAT 2025 Exam Date (Additiona... |
5 Jan '26 - 10 Jan '26 | NMAT 2025 Scheduling (Addition... |
17 Oct '24 - 5 Dec '24 | IIFT 2025 registration and app... |
23 Feb '26 | MAT Feb 2026 PBT Registration ... |
26 Feb '26 | MAT Feb 2026 PBT admit card |
14 Feb '26 - 22 Feb '26 | IBSAT 2025 Selection Process |
30 Dec '25 | IBSAT 2025 Result |
25 Jan '26 | CMAT 2026 exam |
26 Nov '25 - 28 Nov '25 | CMAT 2026 form correction |
10 Jan '26 - 12 Feb '26 | MAH MBA CET 2026 registration |
7 Apr '26 - 8 Apr '26 | MAH MBA CET 2026 exam |
Jan '26 | TANCET registration window |
Mar '26 | TANCET admit card download |
Mar '25 | IRMASAT 2025 Final Result Anno... |
Feb '25 | IRMASAT Personal Interviews |
Student Forum
Answered 3 days ago
GIBS is pretty chill when it comes to entrance exams because they accept almost all the common ones that students usually write. Like CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, GMAT, ATMA, and even state CET scores are considered. So honestly you don't feel limited or stressed about writing only one specific exam. Most o
S
Beginner-Level 5
Answered 3 days ago
You can download your CDAC C-CAT 2026 response sheet by logging in to the official C-DAC Candidate Portal using your form number and password.
R
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 4 days ago
Yes, JAGSoM accepts CAT scores as part of its multi-stage admission process. Candidates are shortlisted for selection rounds based on their entrance exam scores.
B
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 5 days ago
Candidates seeking admission to GIBS Bangalore's PGDM and MBA programs can use the results of a variety of national and international management entrance tests including CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, ATMA, and GMAT. All applicants will be reviewed based on their academic record, performance in group discussi
M
Contributor-Level 8
Answered 6 days ago
No, CAT scores are not important for admission to the MBA course at the School of Business, Sushant University. As per the info. taken from the website of the university, it conducts its own entrance exam for enrollment into the MBA course.
C
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 6 days ago
RGIPT allows admission without CAT/XAT/GMAT/CMAT/MAT/CUET-PG score under two circumstances. First, you should be a company-sponsored candidate. Second, if you belong to part time registration category. You will still have to fulfil the remaining eligibility criteria.
J
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
Candidates with a valid score of CAT/ GMAT/ GRE score are exempted from the written test. These candidates still need to complete the form by paying the application fees. However, these aspirants may get called for the IIM Trichy - Chennai campus PGPBM interview round.
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
CAT is one of the accepting exams for admission to PGDM at IPE Hyderabad. Candidates with a good score in CAT can also get a scholarship. However, CAT is not mandatory. Aspirants with a score in MAT, XAT, ATMA, GMAT or CMAT exams can also get admission in the PGDM course.
N
Guide-Level 15
Answered a week ago
No, candidates who wish to apply for the Global MBA course at Lexicon MILE are required to clear the LAT conducted by Lexicon MILE. The CAT exam score at Lexicon MILE is only used for deciding the PGDM admissions along with several other entrance exams.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
CAT is one of the accepting exams for MBA admission at Karunya School of Management. However, it is not compulsory. Aspirants can also apply through XAT, MAT or KMAT scores. Candidates must also complete graduation to apply for MBA at KSM Coimbatore.
N
Guide-Level 15

CAT score is valid for one year at the IIMs and top B-Schools. In some tier 3 and government institutions, CAT score of previous two years are also acceptable. Many B-schools including IIMs have an option of deferment of admission, wherein you can confirm your admission and pay the nominal fee but join the batch in the next year. It is advised that candidates take admission in the same year as their CAT attempt so that they don't have to reappear next year. Given the competition in MBA space, it is difficult to get a good college whether you have a low score or average score. So, incase one is getting a good college, they should take admission and not drop a year to appear for CAT again.