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.
ISB MBA Admission
The Indian School of Business has commenced ISB MBA admission 2026 registration for its Young Leaders Programme (YLP) phase 2. 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.
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 |
Commonly asked questions
There are over 170 cities where CAT exam is held. These 170 cities are spread across India consist of metropolitan cities, capital cities, Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. Candidate can select up to five cities for allotment of test centre. The process of test city selection is a part of CAT application process. In the CAT application form, there is a field in which candidates have to select the cities. They need to select the city of preference in order of 1 to 5. The examination authorities will try to allot the test centre in the city of first preference. Thus, candidates must fill all the five cities carefully. They must choose their home city of city of current residence as the first preference. The test city option can only be changed during the form correction window. After that, the request for change of the city will not be accepted by the exam authorities.
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)
Yes, you are eligible to appear for the exam provided your score in the first two years of the degree course is above 50% (or equivalent). In case you belong to SSC/ST/PwD categories, the minimum aggregate should be 45%. Candidates planning to pursue MBA must make sure that they score minimum of 50 per cent in aggregate in every year of their Bachelor's degree programme, so that overall average too is 50 per cent. Those, in the final year of graduation must take care that if they do not have a minimum of 50 per cent in first two years, they need to score much higher in the final year so that their overall score meets the minimum requirement. To have a better chance of being selected by the Iims, candidates must aim for high scores in graduation and not just 50 per cent as academic record is a significant contributor in shortlisting of candidates for admission.
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
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.
Commonly asked questions
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:
- IIM Ahmedabad: 95 percentile
- IIM Bangalore: 85 percentile
- IIM Calcutta: 85 percentile
- IIM Lucknow: 90 percentile
- IIM Kozhikode: 85 percentile
- IIM Indore: 90 percentile
- IIM Udaipur: 93 percentile
- IIM Shillong: 75 percentile
- IIM Trichy: 93 percentile
- IIM Visakhapatnam: 80 percentile
- IIM Rohtak: 95 percentile
- 1IIM Nagpur: 85 percentile
- IIM Jammu: 93 percentile
- IIM Ranchi: 90 percentile
- IIM Sirmaur: 92 percentile
- IIM Bodhgaya: 93 percentile
- IIM Sambalpur: 93 percentile
- IIM Kashipur: 94 percentile
- IIM Raipur: 93 percentile
- 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.
CAT cut offs for non-IIMs is usually lower than IIMs.
Top MBA College | CAT Cut Offs (percentile) |
|---|---|
FMS, Delhi | 98-99 |
IIFT Delhi | 95-99 |
SPJIMR, Mumbai | 95-99 |
IMT, Ghaziabad | 95-97 |
JBIMS, Mumbai | 96 |
MDI, Gurgaon | 97-99 |
IMI, New Delhi | 90 |
XIM, Bhubaneshwar | 91 |
GIM Goa | 85 |
K J Somaiya, Mumbai | 86 |
TAPMI, Manipal | 80 |
FORE, New Delhi | 85 |
IFMR, Chennai | 80 |
IRMA, Anand | 80 |
MICA, Ahmedabad | 80 |
LIBA, Chennai | 70 |
XIME, Bangalore | 70 |
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.
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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:
Components of IBS PGP Application Form
ISB MBA 2026 Admission Process
Check below to know the stages for ISB MBA 2026 admission.
ISB PGP YL Admission Process
Commonly asked questions
Minimum qualifying cut off for IIM Ahmedabad is 95 percentile whereas for IIM Bangalore and IIM Calcutta, it is 85. However final cut offs for these three top IIMs are between 99 to 100 percentile.
In CAT 2025, the number of 100 percentilers was 12. Check state wise data:
Overall Percentile | Total | Gender and Discipline | State wise distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
100 | 12 | Female - 2 Male - 10 Engineering - 3 Non-Engineering - 9 | Uttar Pradesh 1 Karnataka 1 Maharashtra 1 Delhi 3 Haryana 2 Gujarat 2 Jharkhand 1 Odisha 1 |
If you have a very good CAT score but poor academic record it is quite likely that you may not be shortlisted for top IIMs as the institutes prefer candidates with overall consistency in academics. Class 12 scores holds a lot of importance in shortlisting of candidates for WAT-PI.
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.
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
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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
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered Yesterday
Yes, candidates can get admission in IIM Indore without CAT for two programmes: Integrated Programme in Management (IPM) and Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management (EPGP). Admission into IPM is based on the IPMAT (Integrated Program in Management Aptitude Test), followed by a Written Abilit
R
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 days ago
Yes, candidates can get admission in CGC University, Mohali without taking CAT based on valid score in CGCUET which is conducted by the university if they also fulfill the eligibility criteria.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 4 days ago
Yes. CUSAT has two main campuses offering B.Tech: the main campus in Kochi (School of Engineering) and the Kuttanad campus (CUCEK). The main campus cutoffs are significantly tighter than those for CUCEK.
V
Contributor-Level 8
Answered 4 days ago
No, CAT is not compulsory to get admission in MBA at SVNIT Surat. The college considers a valid score in entrance exams such as: CAT/GMAT/GRE/XAT/CMAT/MAT for admission into MBA. Other than this, the institute also conducts its own exam for MBA admissions.
R
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 4 days ago
Yes, CAT is one of the compulsory exams to be eligible for MBA course at Assam Institute of Management. The institute offers admission to MBA programme based on score of national-level entrance exam (CAT/CMAT/MAT/XAT/ATMA). CAT exam being one of it becomes essential to take admission in the same col
a
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 4 days ago
Christ Delhi NCR does accepts CAT scores for admission in MBA programme. However, aspirants with MAT, CMAT, ATMA or any other Management entrance exam scores can also get admission. Selected candidates also need to pass GDPI, written assessment and micro-presentation rounds.
N
Guide-Level 15
Answered 4 days ago
No, CAT is not compulsory to get admission in MBA at Veer Narmad South Gujarat University. Applicanta are given admission based on their performance in CMAT entrance exam. It is followed by personal interview to get shortlisted.
R
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
Yes, you can get admission to the MBA programme at Manipal University Jaipur, but not through direct admission without meeting the admission criteria.
For the regular MBA, you generally need:
A bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks.
A valid CAT/MAT/CMAT/XAT/GMAT score.
Selection is based on your aca
C
Beginner-Level 3
Answered a week ago
As a current student at DBS Global University, I can say that yes, the university accepts a valid CAT score for MBA admissions. If you meet the eligibility criteria, then you can apply through your CAT score, and you do not have to take the universities entrance exam. The best thing about DBS, is t
C
Beginner-Level 5
Answered a week ago
SAGE University, Indore has not mentioned any other accepted entrance exams other than SEE for MBA courses. Generally, CAT is an accepted entrance exam for MBA courses. Therefore, candidate should get confirmation by asking this from admission desk.
S
Contributor-Level 10
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,
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