Under JAP 2026, candidates will register through a shared platform, after which final shortlisting for PI stage will be done from pool of registered applicants.
IIM Raipur will serve as coordinating institute for Joint Admission Process (JAP) 2026, overseeing a unified and standardised admissions framework across four participating Indian Institutes of Management. JAP will offer candidates a single, simplified gateway to four IIMs through a common admission process. Four IIMs admitting candidates through this are Indian Institute of Management Kashipur, Raipur, Ranchi and IIM Tiruchirappalli.
JAP 2026 Admission Process
Under JAP 2026, candidates will register through a shared platform, after which the final shortlisting for the Personal Interview (PI) stage will be carried out from the pool of registered applicants. Institute-wise and category-wise cut-off scores for shortlisting will be announced at a later stage.
According to official details, Personal Interview stage of JAP 2026 is tentatively scheduled to be conducted between February and March 2026. Information related to interview schedules, shortlisting criteria, and other procedural aspects will be communicated to shortlisted candidates through official channels in due course.
As coordinating institute, IIM Raipur will be responsible for managing and monitoring overall conduct of joint admission process. Candidates are advised to regularly check official websites of participating IIMs for updates and further announcements related to JAP 2026.
Apart from the CAT scores, B-schools consider candidates' written and spoken communication skills through Written Ability Test or Essay Writing, Group Discussion and Personal Interview rounds. The B-schools also consider candidates' overall profile such as past academic records, work experience and extracurricular activities or abilities. Candidates Class 12 scores and overall academic profile plays a decisive role in selection as institutes look for consistency in excellence.
Having a good academic profile for IIM admission is very critical. The top 6 IIMs lay a lot of emphasis on Class 10 and Class 12 score for selection of candidates for WAT-PI round. The academic profile is evaluated again at the time of preparation of final merit list. It has been seen in the past that some candidates despite having 99+ percentile, were not selected for PI round due to low score in Class 12.
The academic profile is assessed for academic as well as gender diversity. Which means a candidate who studied Arts in Class 12 may be selected for PI with lower marks than a candidate who studied Science in Class 12.
Candidates aiming for IIMs must know that while the importance of academic profile is very important for top IIMs, it is moderately important for rest of the IIMs. For, other top MBA colleges, overall profile matters more than academic score. So, if you do not have superlative scores in Class 10 and 12, build a good profile with work experience and extra curricular activities to increase your chances of selection.
Follow Shiksha.com for latest education news in detail on Exam Results, Dates, Admit Cards, & Schedules, Colleges & Universities news related to Admissions & Courses, Board exams, Scholarships, Careers, Education Events, New education policies & Regulations.
To get in touch with Shiksha news team, please write to us at news@shiksha.com
Abhay Anand is an experienced education journalist with over 15 years in print and digital media. Currently serving as Manager- Editorial at Shiksha.com, he specializes in higher education policy, student mobility,
Read Full Bio
Yes, the CAT accepting MBA colleges conduct either GD/PI or WAT/PI. Since MBA is a professional course about business and team management, personality assessment round is essential to ensure that the aspirant has the flair for management which can be polished during the programme. Communication skills, problem solving ability, management and leadership are essential qualities for MBA thus, every B-School conducts GD/PI or WAT/PI.