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 |
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Commonly asked questions
The answer to this question of whether an average student can get into IIM can be both yes and no depending on the definition of an average student.
- Based on Academics (Class 10/ Class 12/ Graduation): While a student with average scores in Class 10, Class 12 and graduation with a good CAT score certainly has good chances of getting a call from IIM-A, chances are less for someone with an average CAT score.
- Based on student category (General or Reserved): While it is tough for a General category average student to grab a seat at IIM due to high score requirements, a reserved category student can get admission being at average scores as well.
- Based on past work experience, diversity and other factors: Gender and academic diversity is also a factor on which students are shortlisted at IIM. IIMs judge the past academic category based on the degree obtained by the students before MBA and then a weightage is allotted based on that. For Engineers, the percentage for scoring the highest marks is higher as compared with other streams
- Performance in selection rounds: Once you make it to the final selection rounds, i.e., AWT/PI process, it can be considered a fresh start. At this stage, students can forget their past average-ness but definitely require good grasp over the past subjects as academics-related questions are asked in the interview.
Based on the above factors, it can be considered that while getting into top Management institutes, such as IIM is extremely tough, the past performance, CAT performance, student category and a lot of factors can be the reasons for a student to receive that final call.
The IIM Khozhikode BMS admission for the academic year 2026 is yet to open. Thus, the institute has not revealed the deadline for IIM Khozhikode BMS admissions.
Generally, the deadline is scheduled near the end of the month of May.
Students have to meet the IIMK course eligibility to get admission. The eligibility requirements may change depending on the programme and specialisation. The common eligibility is as below:
- IIM Kozhikode UG eligibility – Class 12 with relevant subjects
- IIM Kozhikode PG eligibility – UG degree in relevant field
- IIM Kozhikode PhD eligibility – PG degree in relevant field
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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