MBA from IIMs without CAT Exam: Check Courses List & Selection Criteria
Not ready for CAT exam? You can pursue MBA from IIMs without CAT exam score. Check this article for the list of MBA programmes for which CAT score is not mandatory.
Is it possible to pursue MBA from IIM without CAT score? This is a commonly asked question on various platforms. It is a very genuine question as IIMs are the top ranked B Schools and a management course from there ensures a successful career. But, at the same time it is tough to crack IIM admission, due to high difficulty level and even higher competition.
CAT is compulsory for full-time MBA programme. Fresh graduate who wish to pursue regular MBA from IIMs cannot escape CAT. However, working professionals have the option to seek admission through non-CAT route.
Some of the IIMs also offer 5-year Integrated Management Programme, admission to which is done after Class 12. For this BBA+MBA programme, candidates do not have to appear for CAT. In this article we have shared details of IIM MBA course without CAT which you can opt for as a working professional.
- IIM MBA Courses without CAT
- Executive MBA from IIMs without CAT
- Integrated MBA from IIMs without CAT
IIM MBA Courses without CAT
Management courses without CAT at IIMs include Executive MBA, Integrated Management Programme, PhD, MDP, FPM and professional certification courses. Read below all about MBA from IIMs without CAT.
Executive MBA is for working professionals looking for skill enhancement and upward mobility in corporate hierarchy. For this course, candidates have to have a minimum of two to five years of work experience at executive/managerial level. The Executive MBA course is imparted in either full time or online blended mode.
Integrated Management Programme is a five-year BBA+MBA course after class 12. Candidates who have completed class 12 can apply for this course, which offers MBA degree at the end of fifth year. This is a popular course option for candidates who don’t want to go through the process of CAT preparation and qualifying it.
However, even for Executive MBA and Integrated Management Programme, candidates have to appear for entrance tests. They may not be as tough/competitive as CAT. Read below for further details.
Executive MBA from IIMs without CAT
MBA aspirants can pursue the course at IIMs without appearing for CAT exam but they will have to appear for other exams such as GMAT/GRE. Given below is the table indication MBA courses from IIMs without CAT (including courses that have CAT as one of the multiple exam options):
| IIM College |
Course |
Eligibility/Selection Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| ePGD in Advanced Business Analytics
|
GMAT/GRE/CAT/GATE or the ePGD-ABA qualifying-cum-aptitude test |
|
| Online MBA |
IIMA Admission Test (IAT), CAT, GMAT, GRE |
|
| MBA-PGPX |
GMAT/GRE |
|
| EPGP |
GMAT/GRE |
|
| PGPEM |
GMAT/GRE or CAT |
|
| PGPPM |
Course is exclusively for officers from All India Services, Central Services and State Services |
|
| MBAEx |
GMAT |
|
| PGPEx-VLM |
Written Test |
|
| PGDBA |
PGDBA Entrance Test |
|
| PGPWE |
GMAT/ GRE/CAT/ XAT/ GATE/ PGP-WE Entrance Exam |
|
| IPMX |
GMAT/GRE |
|
| PGP-Finance |
GMAT/GRE/CAT |
|
| PGP-LSM |
GMAT/GRE/CAT |
|
| PGP-BL |
GMAT/GRE/CAT |
|
| EPGP |
EMAT/ GMAT/GRE |
|
| EPGP |
GMAT |
|
| PGPMX |
IIM Indore Aptitude Test for PGPMX |
|
| PGPEx and PGP(WE) |
GMAT |
|
| PGDBA Working Executives |
GMAT/GRE/CAT |
|
| One Year MBA-Global Supply Chain Management |
GMAT/GRE/CAT |
|
| One Year MBA-Digital Enterprise Management |
GMAT/GRE/CAT |
|
| MBA Working Executives (Chennai campus) |
Written Test |
|
| Executive MBA |
Personal Interview |
|
| Executive MBA |
Online Entrance Test or CAT or GMAT/GRE score |
|
| ePGP |
Personal Interview |
|
| MBA for Working Professionals |
IIM Nagpur Aptitude Test |
|
| Executive MBA |
GMAT/GRE/CAT/IIMJAT |
|
| Executive MBA |
GMAT/GRE/CAT/GATE/IIMSAT |
|
| Executive MBA |
GMAT/CAT/EMAT |
|
| MBA (Analytics) |
GMAT/CAT |
|
| MBA (Tourism & Hospitality Management) |
GMAT/CAT/IIM Sirmaur Test |
|
| Executive MBA |
GMAT/GRE/GATE/CAT/IAAT |
|
| PGPDGM |
GMAT/GRE/GATE/CAT |
|
| PGPEx |
GMAT/GRE/IIMV Test/CAT |
The selection process of Executive MBA programmes offered by IIMs include Personal Interview. Written Ability Test along with PI is mandatory for some courses. Thus, the candidates need to prepare for admission on the basis of selection criteria of the course they choose to pursue.
Integrated MBA from IIMs without CAT
Given below is the list of IIMs that offer five-year Integrate Programme in Management (IPM). Admission to these courses also include entrance exam and personal interview.
| IIM College |
Course |
Eligibility/Selection Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| IIM Indore |
IPM |
IPMAT and WAT-PI |
| IIM Rohtak |
IPM |
IPM Aptitude Test and WAT-PI |
| IIM Jammu |
IPM |
JIPMAT and PI |
| IIM Bodh Gaya |
IPM |
JIPMAT and PI |
| IIM Ranchi |
IPM |
IPMAT and PI |
Read More:
Commonly asked questions
IIM Bangalore considers two kinds of CAT scores for MBA admission - Qualifying and Final score. Qualifying CAT score is the minimum sectional and overall CAT score used to shortlist students for the Analytical Writing Test (AWT) and Personal Interview (PI) rounds. Candidates above minimum cutoffs in the sectional percentile ranks, the overall percentile rank and having a positive (greater than zero) raw score in all sections of CAT are considered for the next stage. The final CAT score is cutoffs are the basis of which the candidates are called for final selection after the AWT and PI rounds are over.
IIM Ahmedabad admissions is based on entrance. Therefore, candidates must qualify the eligibility criteria and secure valid scores in CAT entrance exams. Moreoever, candidates ae required to apply for admission through the official website of IIMA. The percentile of CAT for IIM Ahmedabad reached up to 99.6 in the past years which shows how rigorous it is for a student to get admission to this Institute. Candidates are shortlisted for these programmes based on course-specific entrance exams, followed by shortlisting processes which generally comprise a Personal Interview (PI) round.
To conclude, seeking admission to IIM Ahmedabad is challenging but not difficult.
No, there is no such provision to get direct admission at IIM Raipur FPM course. IIM Raipur accepts score of CAT/ GMAT/ GATE/ GRE/ UGC-NET for admission in FPM course. Candidates planning to take admission in FPM programme at IIM Raipur must take any one of the aforesaid exams to become eligible for admission in FPM course at IIM Raipur.
Candidates with a valid CAT/ GMAT/ GATE/ GRE/ UGC-NET scorecard will be shortlisted for the personal interview (PI) round; candidates based on their performance in PI round will be selected for the final admission process, i.e. document verification and fee payment.
Yes at IIM Kozhikode, CAT is a mandatory test to get you into the flagship programme of PGP. Academic eligibility also requires candidates to have 60 percent in class 12th and 50-60 percent in graduation. GMAT or GRE might be accepted in lieu of GMAT in some of the specialised PGPs. Offering is based on CAT, WAT, you and PI scores.

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
Read Full Bio