Selection Process for PGP Program at IIM Ahmedabad through CAT-2024

Introduction

The selection process for admission to the 2025-27 Batch of the PGP at IIM Ahmedabad is a two-step process. Candidates are initially shortlisted for the Analytical Writing Test (AWT) and Personal Interview (PI) based on their CAT-2024 score, application to the program, and fulfillment of eligibility criteria.

Shortlisting and Selection Criteria for PGP 2025-27 Batch

1. Preliminary Screening

Candidates must meet the minimum cut-offs in the sectional and overall percentile ranks, and obtain a positive (greater than zero) raw score in all sections of CAT-2024, which includes:

• Quantitative Ability (QA)
• Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)
• Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)

Table 1: Minimum Cut-offs of CAT-2024 Percentile Ranks

Category	Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension percentile rank (PVARC)	Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning percentile rank (PDILR)	Quantitative Ability percentile rank (PQA)	Overall percentile rank (PT)
General/ EWS	70	70	70	80
NC-OBC /Transgender	65	65	65	75
SC	60	60	60	70
ST	50	50	50	60
PwD (in General/ EWS/ NC-OBC/ Transgender/ SC)	60	60	60	70
PwD (in ST)	50	50	50	60

Legend: Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Non-creamy Other Backward Class (NC-OBC), Persons with disabilities (PwD).

Application Rating (AR) Score

The 'Application Rating' (AR) score is used at different stages of the selection process. It is the sum of rating scores A, B, C, D, and E, based on:

• A: 10th standard percentage of marks (Table 2)
• B: 12th standard percentage of marks (Table 3)
• C: Bachelor's degree percentage of marks (Table 4)
• D: Work experience as of July 31, 2024 (Table 5)
• E: Gender diversity score (0 for male, 2 for others)

Table 2: Rating Scores for the 10th Std. Examination (Rating Score A)

Percent score in 10th Std. Exam	Rating Score A
<= 55	1
> 55 and <= 60	2
> 60 and <= 70	3
> 70 and <= 80	5
> 80 and <= 90	8
> 90	10

Table 3: Rating Scores for the 12th Std. Examination (Rating Score B)

Science Stream

Percent score in 12th Std. Exam	Rating Score B
<= 55	1
> 55 and <= 60	2
> 60 and <= 70	3
> 70 and <= 80	5
> 80 and <= 90	8
> 90	10

Commerce Stream

Percent score in 12th Std. Exam	Rating Score B
<= 50	1
> 50 and <= 55	2
> 55 and <= 65	3
> 65 and <= 75	5
> 75 and <= 90	8
> 90	10

Arts/Humanities Stream

Percent score in 12th Std. Exam	Rating Score B
<= 45	1
> 45 and <= 50	2
> 50 and <= 60	3
> 60 and <= 70	5
> 70 and <= 85	8
> 85	10

Table 4: Rating Scores for the Bachelor’s Degree Examination (Rating Score C)

AC-1

Percent score in Bachelor's Degree	Rating Score C
<= 55	1
> 55 and <= 60	2
> 60 and <= 62	3
> 62 and <= 65	5
> 65 and <= 70	8
> 70	10

AC-2

Percent score in Professional courses	Rating Score C
<= 50	1
> 50 and <= 53	2
> 53 and <= 55	3
> 55 and <= 57	5
> 57 and <= 63	8
> 63	10

AC-3

Percent score in Bachelor's Degree	Rating Score C
<= 55	1
> 55 and <= 60	2
> 60 and <= 65	3
> 65 and <= 70	5
> 70 and <= 80	8
> 80	10

AC-4 & AC-6

Percent score in Bachelor's Degree	Rating Score C
<= 60	1
> 60 and <= 65	2
> 65 and <= 70	3
> 70 and <= 75	5
> 75 and <= 85	8
> 85	10

AC-5

Percent score in Bachelor's Degree	Rating Score C
<= 50	1
> 50 and <= 55	2
> 55 and <= 60	3
> 60 and <= 65	5
> 65 and <= 75	8
> 75	10

Table 5: Rating Scores for Work Experience (Rating Score D)

Work Experience in Month (as filled in the CAT Application Form)	Rating Score D
< 12 months	0
>= 12 and <= 36 months	MF * (number of months of work experience – 11)
> 36 months	5

Work-experience Multiplication Factor (MF) = 0.20

Application Rating Score: AR= (A+B+C+D+E)

Normalised AR score = AR score / average of the top 50 AR scores from the applicants’ pool

Notes about the marks obtained:

• Percentages of marks for candidates yet to complete their bachelor's degree will be computed based on available marks. Candidates must provide the latest available marksheets for all completed semesters/years.
• For candidates who have completed CA/ICWA/CMA/CS, (Inter Marks (%) + Final Marks (%))/2 will be used for Rating Score C under AC-2.
• Scores in all subjects in the 10th and 12th Std. marksheets will be considered.
• For bachelor's degrees, the percentage of marks awarded by the institution/university will be final.
• Candidates must produce a certificate from the institution/university if the percentage of marks does not include all subjects.
• Candidates should obtain a certificate from the board/institution/university specifying equivalent marks if only letter grades are awarded.
• For candidates with an integrated Master’s degree or dual-degree directly after 12th/HSC, the percentage of marks equivalent to a bachelor's degree will be considered. If not provided, the aggregate percentage of the latest available marksheets for all completed semesters/years will be considered.

2. Shortlisting for Analytical Writing Test (AWT) & Personal Interview (PI)

Shortlisting is carried out in two stages:

Stage 1: (From the Applicants’ pool: Selection of exceptional performers across different disciplines)

IIMA aims to recognize exceptional performers across diverse academic backgrounds. A certain number of top candidates from each academic discipline will be shortlisted for AWT & PI based on their composite score (CS) and fulfilling criteria C1-C3.

• From each academic category (AC) where the total number of applicants from SC/ST/NC-OBC/PwD categories is at least 100, the top 5% in the respective AC, limited to the respective categories (General/SC/ST/NC-OBC/PwD) among the applicants who appear for CAT-2024 (referred to as ACRC groups), will be shortlisted.

CS (Composite Score) = ARF_CS * Normalised AR score + CATF_CS * Normalised overall score in CAT-2024

• Application Rating Multiplication Factor for Composite Score (ARF_CS) = 0.35
• CAT Multiplication Factor for Composite Score (CATF_CS) = 0.65

Table 6a: The upper limits (UL) on the number of candidates to be shortlisted per RC for AC-1, AC-2, AC-3, AC-5

Category	Upper Limit (UL) Per ACRC
General	100
NC-OBC/Transgender	57
SC	32
ST	16
PwD	6

Table 6b: The upper limits (UL) on the number of candidates to be shortlisted per RC for AC-4

Category	Upper Limit (UL) Per ACRC
General	150
NC-OBC/Transgender	85
SC	48
ST	24
PwD	9

Criteria C1-C3:

• C1: PVARC, PDILR, PQA, and PT must not be lower than the minimum cut-offs in Table 1.
• C2: P ≥ Minimum cut-offs (Table 7), where P is the average of the percentages of marks scored in 10th and 12th std. examinations.

Table 7. Minimum cut-off for P across different disciplines and different categories

Stream in 12th std.	General/EWS Category	NC-OBC / Transgender Category	SC Category	ST Category	PWD (in General/ EWS/ NC-OBC / Transgender/ SC)	PWD (in ST)
Science	80	75	70	65	70	65
Commerce	77	72	67	62	67	62
Arts & Humanities	75	70	64	59	64	59

• C3: (Percentage of marks in the bachelor’s examination) ≥ Minimum cut-off percentage, set at the 80th percentile of the respective ACRC group of the applicants’ pool.

For ACs with less than 100 applicants from SC/ST/NC-OBC/PwD categories, the top 100 or top 5% in the respective AC, whichever is less, will be shortlisted based on CS, subject to fulfilling criteria C4-C6.

Criteria C4-C6:

• C4: PT ≥ 80, PQA ≥ 70, PDILR ≥ 70, and PVARC ≥ 70.
• C5: P ≥ 80 (Science), 77 (Commerce), 75 (Arts/Humanities).
• C6: (Percentage of marks in the bachelor’s examination) ≥ Minimum cut-off percentage, set at the 80th percentile of the respective AC group of the applicants’ pool.

Note: For AC 1, separate shortlists will be drawn, computing the Composite Score (CS) using a separate bachelor’s degree 80th percentile cut off marks (C3 & C6 criteria) of Part I & Part II respectively.

Stage 2:

After removing candidates selected in Stage 1, additional candidates will be shortlisted for AWT & PI based on CS, subject to fulfilling criteria C1-C2.

3. Final Selection

Final selection is based on the 'Final Composite Score' (FCS), calculated separately for each category. The numbers selected in different reservation categories will be in proportions mandated by law.

FCS = PIF * Normalised PI Score + AWTF * Normalised AWT Score + CATF_FCS * Normalised CAT Score + ARF_FCS * Normalised AR Score

• Personal Interview Multiplication Factor (PIF) = 0.50
• AWT Multiplication Factor (AWTF) = 0.10
• CAT Score Multiplication Factor for Final Composite Score (CATF_FCS) = 0.25
• Application Rating Multiplication Factor for Final Composite Score (ARF_FCS) = 0.15

The normalised AWT and PI scores of a candidate are their scores in the respective field divided by the average of the top 1% scores in the same field respectively.

Important Information about the Admission Process

• Performance in CAT is crucial, with emphasis on performing well in each section.
• Academic performance up to the bachelor's level is considered for shortlisting.
• IIMA shortlists candidates independently of other IIMs.
• Details of shortlisted candidates will be available on the IIMA website (www.iima.ac.in) tentatively by the second week of January 2025.
• Final selection is based on CAT performance, AWT & PI performance, academic, co-curricular, and extra-curricular achievements, work experience, etc.
• All selected candidates must be 19 years of age as on June 30, 2025.
• Disclosure of information about the admission process is limited to protect privacy and confidentiality.
• Candidates can view their admission status on the IIMA website tentatively during the second week of April 2025.
• Admission offer letters will be sent to successful candidates, who need to confirm acceptance by the first/second week of May 2025.
• Waiting list offers depend on the number of accepted offers.

Note: IIMA reserves the right to modify the selection procedure based on guidelines issued by the Government of India.

The exact cut-offs mentioned above are computed based on the previous years’ CAT data. It depends on various factors like the applicants’ pool, the distribution of CAT scores etc. which may change year to year. In view of this fact the Admissions Committee of IIMA reserves the right of changing the cut-offs if deemed desirable in the light of CAT-2024 data.

Categories for Bachelor’s Degree/Integrated Master’s Degree (as per CAT Application)

AC-1 (Medicine and Surgery based subjects):

• Part I: MBBS, MD (USA)
• Part II: BAMS, BDS, BHMS

AC-2 (Selected Professional Degrees):

• Chartered Accountancy (CA), Cost and Works Accountancy (ICWA), Cost and Management Accounting (CMA), Company Secretaryship (CS), Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of India (FIAI)

AC-3 (All Commerce, Economics, Finance and Management Related Degrees):

• Including BAF, BBA, BBE, BBI, BBM, BBS, BCAF, BCCA, BCOM, BFIA, BFM, BHM, BHMCT, BIBF, BMS (Bachelor of Management studies) and BSBA degrees.
• In particular, including:
  • Economics/ Economic Development and Planning
  • Any degree in Hospitality/Hospitality Studies, Catering/Catering Technology, Hotel, Travel and Tourism Management, Tourism Studies and any other related discipline.
  • Commerce (Accountancy, Auditing, Banking, Business Mathematics, Business Organisation, Finance, Insurance, Investment Analysis, Public Finance, Secretarial Practices etc.)
  • Management (Advertising, Agriculture and Food Business, Agribusiness Management, Agriculture Marketing and Cooperation, Agriculture and Rural and Tribal Development, Business Administration, Business Management, Business Studies, Commercial Agriculture and Business Management, Entrepreneurship, Management Studies, ports Management, Real Estate and Urban Infrastructure, Renewable Energy Management, Oil and Gas Management, Production and Industrial Management)
  • Any other vocational degree in commerce and management.

AC-4

I. (All Engineering, Technology and Architecture related Areas):

• Including BARCH, BE, BIT, BINFTECH, BS (ENG)/ BSC (ENG), BTECH and integrated MTECH degrees (Excluding all degrees in Accessories Design/ Apparel Production/Design/Fashion Communication/Fashion Design/Fashion Technology/Interior Design/Knitwear Design/Leather Design/Jewelry Design/Footwear Design, and BS/BSC degrees in Information Technology).
• In particular, including:
  • Agricultural Engineering/ Dairy Technology/ Food Technology
  • Architecture
  • BE/BS (ENG)/BSC (ENG)/BTECH/integrated MTECH degrees in Biosciences, Geological Sciences, Information Technology, Mathematical Sciences and Natural Sciences
  • BE/BS (ENG)/BSC (ENG)/BTECH/integrated MTECH in all Engineering/Technology and related areas, including subjects like Chemical Technology, Electronics, Engineering Physics etc.
  • Textile Engineering/Technology
  • Others: All other fields where BE/BS (ENG)/BSC (ENG)/BTECH/integrated MTECH degrees are awarded, not explicitly included or excluded elsewhere in the list.

II. (Science and Agriculture related Areas, other than Medicine and Surgery):

• Including all BS/BSC and integrated MS/MSC (excluding degrees in Apparel Design, Economics, Fashion Design, Journalism, and Leather Design). Also including degrees in paramedical, veterinary degrees.
• In particular, including:
  • Actuarial Science
  • Agriculture (Agronomy, Soil Science, Agricultural Biochemistry, Plant Breeding and Genetics, Plant Pathology etc.)
  • Biosciences (Biology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Botany, Life Science, Zoology etc.)
  • Computer Applications (BCA, MCA)
  • Fisheries
  • Forestry
  • Geological Sciences (Geography, Geology and Geophysics.)
  • Horticulture
  • Information Technology
  • All bachelor’s/integrated master’s degrees in Mathematical Sciences (Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics etc.)
  • Natural Sciences (Chemistry, Physics etc.)
  • Paramedical/Physiotherapy
  • Pharmacology/Pharmacy
  • Planning
  • Veterinary Science/ Animal Husbandry
  • Media Science, Media Science and Technology
  • Physiology
  • Any vocational degree in science (BS/BSC)
  • Science (Others): Forensic, Home Science, Nursing and all other branches of Science not explicitly included or excluded elsewhere in this list

AC-5 (All Arts/Humanities Related Degrees, Design, Education, Fashion Design/Technology, Law and Rural Studies):

• Including any BA (excluding Economics, Geography and Geological Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics), BAA, BAJM, BCJ, BDES, BED, BFTECH, BJ, BJMC, BL, BM (Bachelor of Music), BMC, BMM, BMus, BSW and LLB.
• In particular, including:
  • Accessories Design/Apparel Design & Production/Design/Fashion Communication/Fashion Design/Fashion Technology/Fashion Merchandising and Retail Management, Interior Design /Knitwear Design/Leather Design/Footwear Design/Jewelry Design (all degrees)
  • Arts/Humanities (Archaeology, Education, Fine Arts (Dance, Drama, Film, Music, Painting etc.), History, Languages, Library Science, Literature, Mass Communication, Media Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Public Administration, Social Work/Welfare, Sociology, etc.)
  • Education (including Physical Education and Sports)
  • Journalism/Mass Communication/Media Studies (all degrees)
  • Law (BL LLB/B.Com. LLB/BBA LLB)
  • Psychology (all degrees)
  • Rural Studies/Rural Sociology/Rural Cooperatives/Rural Banking
  • Any vocational degree in arts/education/humanities (BA)

AC-6: Any other discipline not mentioned in AC-1 to AC-5

Note:

• Dual bachelor’s degree holders will be classified based on their field(s) and subjects.
• Final discretion on academic category classification rests with the Admissions Committee of IIMA.
• For candidates with an integrated master’s degree directly after HSC, classification will be based on their academic discipline in the integrated master’s degree programme.
• For candidates with further higher degrees, the discipline(s) of the subsequent degrees will not be considered.

Important Information

• IIMA will conduct AWT & PIs in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi. Candidates need to opt for two cities in the CAT application form.
• Shortlisted candidates will be intimated by email tentatively by the second week of January 2025.
• CAT takers can check their shortlist status on the IIMA website (www.iima.ac.in) tentatively in the second week of January 2025. No individual regret letters will be sent.

Reservation

• As per Government of India requirement: 27% for NC-OBC, 15% for SC, 7.5% for ST, 5% for PwD, and up to 10% for EWS.
• Candidates must carefully mark their category in the CAT application form.
• "Person with benchmark disability" means a person with not less than 40% of a specified disability, as defined in The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (RPwD Act 2016).
• Categories of disability include blindness and low vision, deaf and hard of hearing, locomotor disability, autism, intellectual disability, specific learning disability and mental illness, multiple disabilities, and other specified disabilities.
• The applicable Central Government list as on the last date of CAT registration shall be binding. No subsequent changes will be effective for CAT-2024 and any subsequent selection process of IIMA.
• Candidates belonging to reserved categories must meet the eligibility criteria and a certain minimum level of performance in CAT and AWT & PI.

Method of Instruction

• The case method is a major instrument of learning at IIMA.
• Other methods include seminars, group exercises, role-plays, lectures, and discussions.
• Management cases are descriptions of actual management situations based on experiences of organizations.
• Both Indian and foreign cases are used.