
Indian Institute of Management or IIM admission process 2026 will begin with CAT 2025 registration. Any candidates who wishes to pursue MBA/PGP from the IIMs has to appear for CAT exam conducted in November every year. Those who clear the CAT exam have to appear for Written Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI).
CAT 2025 registration process will start in the first week of August 2025 and the CAT 2025 exam will be held on November 30, 2025. The CAT question paper will have 68 questions from VARC, DILR and Quantitative Aptitude. The WAT-PI round for admission will begin in January 2026 after CAT 2025 result announcement.
Being the top most group of MBA institutions in India and having been ranked among world’s top B-schools the IIMs are tough to crack as the selection of candidate is not based only on their CAT exam score but also their previous academic record and work experience. For IIMs, the ideal candidate is the one who has been consistent in academics and extra-curricular activities and possesses good analytical, communication and leadership skills.
- IIM Admissions Timeline 2026
- MBA Admission Important Dates
- IIM Admission 2026 - Important Dates
- Campus Wise IIM Admission and Selection Criteria 2026-28
- MBA/PGP seats in IIMs
IIM Admissions Timeline 2026
- CAT 2025 registration from August 1 to September 20, 2025
- CAT 2025 exam will be held on November 30, 2025
- CAT exam result 2025 will be announced in the third week of December 2025
- Filling of IIM shortlist forms will be done in January 2026
- Conduct of WAT-GD-PI will happen February to April 2026
- Issue of final admission result and offer letters will be done by May 2026
Also Read:
| How to prepare for MBA (VARC) | How to prepare for MBA (Quantitative Aptitude) |
MBA Admission Important Dates
Take a look at the table below for the complete schedule of MBA Admission 2026 exam
| Dates | Upcoming Exam Dates |
|---|---|
| 05 Nov ' 25 - 19 Dec ' 25 | NMAT 2025 ONGOING |
| 30 Nov ' 25 | CAT 2025 |
| 06 Dec ' 25 | SNAP 2025 - 1 |
| 14 Dec ' 25 | SNAP 2025 -2 |
| 20 Dec ' 25 | SNAP 2025 -3 |
| 04 Jan ' 26 | XAT 2026 |
| Dates | Past Exam Dates |
|---|---|
| 28 Sep ' 25 | MAT 2025 CBT |
| 21 Sep ' 25 | MAT 2025 PBT |
IIM Admission 2026 - Important Dates
IIM Admission cycle is from August to May. Given below is the month-wise schedule of IIM Admission for upcoming session. MBA aspirants planning to join IIM in 2026, must appear for CAT 2025 as is a mandatory criteria to be eligible for IIM admission.
| IIM Admission Events |
CAT 2025 Dates |
|---|---|
| CAT 2025 registration |
August 1, 2025 to September 20, 2025 |
| CAT exam 2025 |
30-Nov-2025 |
| CAT result 2025 |
Third week of December 2025 |
| IIM shortlisting 2026-28 |
January 2026 |
| WAT-GD-PI round |
February-April 2026 |
| Final admission 2026-28 |
May 2026 |
Also Read:
Campus Wise IIM Admission and Selection Criteria 2026-28
Read More:
- 80 Group Discussion (GD) Topics (MBA): Current & Latest GD Topics with detailed analysis
- Personal Interviews: 5 Situations That May Stump You
- How to Handle Surprise Topics in GDs
- Common questions asked in Personal Interviews
- 13 must do things to crack GD-PI-WAT
- 14 parameters on which you are judged in WAT-GD-PI
- VARC preparation tips for MBA exams
- DILR preparation tips for MBA exams
- Quantitative Aptitude Preparation Tips for MBA exams
MBA/PGP seats in IIMs
Given below is the table indicating the total number of seats available for MBA/PGP programmes at IIMs. For about 5,000 seats over two lakh candidates appear for CAT every year.
| IIMs |
Number of seats in MBA/PGP |
|---|---|
| 395 |
|
| 375 |
|
| 120 |
|
| 460 |
|
| 500 |
|
| 400 |
|
| 450 |
|
| 240 |
|
| 180 |
|
| 240 |
|
| 260 |
|
| 185 |
|
| 240 |
|
| 260 |
|
| 160 |
|
| 120 |
|
| 130 |
|
| 140 |
|
| 120 |
|
| 120 |
IIM Admission: WAT/GD/PI experience shared by students
- Mayank shares his WAT-PI experience at IIM Bangalore
- Abhinav Paigwar shares his WAT-PI experience at IIM Bangalore
- Rupesh Gupta shares his WAT-PI experience at IIM Ahmedabad
- Ahsaas Sharma recalls his WAT-PI experience at IIM Ahmedabad
- Somansh Chordia shares his WAT-PI experience at IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Calcutta
- Devesh Bansal recalls PI experience at IIM Kozhikode
- Kislay Jha recalls PI experience at IIM Ahmedabad
- Isha Nisar shares WAT-PI Experience at IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Bangalore
MBA Admission Exam
Student Forum
Answered 6 days ago
For PGDM admission in GIBS Business School, Bangalore, the minimum required scores are comparatively student-friendly. Generally, a "CAT, XAT, or CMAT percentile of around 60" is considered passable, and for "MAT, a score of 64 percentile or above" is usually expected. Since GIBS has an overall holi
M
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a week ago
GIBS Business School accepts scores from CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, GMAT, ATMA, and various State CETs for admission to its PGDM program.
These entrance exams serve as the primary eligibility criteria for candidates applying to GIBS. The institute evaluates applicants based on their test scores along with
M
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a week ago
At GIBS Business School, Bangalore, the role of faculty extends beyond mere teaching in class. Professors at GIBS often work with students on industry-oriented projects, live case studies, and consulting assignments that connect a host of conceptual and theoretical aspects with business challenges f
A
Contributor-Level 8
Answered a week ago
GIBS Business School, Bangalore, has designed its admission dates and fee structure in such a manner as to give flexibility and clarity to the candidates for their application purposes. The last date of application for the 2026 intake for the PGDM/MBA programs is November 14, 2025.The fee structure
A
Contributor-Level 8
Answered 2 weeks ago
The average package for GIBS Business School graduates is about ₹ 7.8 LPA, and the highest package offered is ₹ 16.15 LPA.
A
Contributor-Level 8
Answered 2 weeks ago
GIBS Business School, Bangalore, offers a wide variety of academic programs blending theoretical knowledge with practical learning to develop future business leaders. The dual specialisation offered by GIBS in Marketing, Finance, Human Resource, Operations & Supply Chain, International Business, Dig
A
Contributor-Level 8
Answered 2 weeks ago
GIBS Business School, Bangalore admits about 150 students annually into its BBA program.
A
Contributor-Level 8
Answered 3 weeks ago
Admission to GIBS Business School, Bangalore requires candidates to submit the forms along with all essential academic and identification documents. Documents such as 10th and 12th mark sheets, Graduation mark sheets for all semesters, Entrance exam scorecard (CAT, MAT, XAT, CMAT, ATMA or GMAT), Tra
A
Contributor-Level 8
Answered 3 weeks ago
Yes, in addition to national-level tests like the CAT, MAT, CMAT, and others, GIBS also offers an entrance exam called the GIBS Aptitude Test (GAT). Students who have not taken any national exams or who wish to increase their chances are the primary target audience.
The exam is fairly easy; it only a
A
Contributor-Level 8
Answered 3 weeks ago
The deadline to apply for PGDM/BBA programs at GIBS Business School, Bangalore, using MAT or CMAT scores is October 31, 2025.
A
Contributor-Level 8
Exam On - 5 Nov '25 - 19 Dec '25
What is the minimum percentile or score required in CAT, MAT, CMAT, or XAT for PGDM admission at GIBS?