ISB MBA Admission 2026 Through CAT, GMAT, GRE: Dates (OUT), Selection Criteria & Process
Common Admission Test 2025 ( CAT )
Admit Card - 5 Nov '25 - 30 Nov '25
ISB MBA application form 2026 for round 1 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 (ISB) has begun the ISB MBA admission 2026 registration for its Young Leaders Programme (YLP) at isb.edu. Candidates aspiring for admission to the Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP), 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.
Candidates applying for ISB MBA admission 2026 through CAT, GMAT, GRE must ensure 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 |
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.
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.
ISB MBA Admission 2026 Important Dates
Candidates applying for ISB PGP 2025 program must stay updated with the important dates. Refer the table below to know the ISB MBA admission 2025 important dates:
| 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 |
Ongoing |
| ISB MBA 2026 Application Form round 2 |
December 2025 |
| ISB MBA 2026 Round 1 last date to apply |
14-Dec-2025 |
| 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 |
Important note: Candidates applying after December 14, 2025, will be automatically applied for round 2 of ISB MBA admissions 2026-28.
Also Read:
CAT fee is non-refundable. Candidates must note that under no circumstances will the CAT fee be refunded to any candidate. The fee amount of INR 2600 (INR 1300 for Reserved category students) once paid cannot be claimed for refund.
However, if the money has been deducted from your account but the payment process is interrupted, the bank will refund the amount and credit it to your account.
Since, the CAT fee is non-refundable, candidates must make no mistakes in filling the form. There is no option to edit the CAT application form apart from a few fields like – photo, signature and test city. If you have entered a personal or academic information that is incorrect or invalid and submitted the form, you cannot edit it. You will have to fill a fresh form and pay the fees again.
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)
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.
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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.
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:
Step 1- Visit the official ISB link: isb.edu
Step 2- Click on tab ‘Create your profile’ (first-time user)
Step 3- Enter the following 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
Step 4- Login with the credentials created
Step 5- Complete the ISB MBA 2025 application form
Candidates must ensure to complete the following ISB PGP YL application components before final submission:
Components of IBS PGP Application Form
Step 6- Pay the ISB 2026 PGP registration fee
ISB MBA 2026 Admission Process
Check below to know the stages for ISB MBA 2026 admission.
ISB PGP YL Admission Process
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 their 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.
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