IIM Bangalore Admission 2026; CAT Shortlisting, Cutoff, PI Dates
IIM Bangalore Admission 2026: IIM Bangalore follows a comprehensive two-stage selection process for its flagship PGP batch (2026–28). Initial shortlisting for WAT and PI relies on a composite score combining CAT performance (55% weightage), 10th/12th/Graduation academic marks (30% total), work experience (10%), and gender diversity (5%). In the final selection, the personal interview carries the maximum weightage of 40%.
IIM Bangalore Admission 2026: The Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM Bangalore) follows a thorough two-phase selection process in order to admit students to its PGP in Management. The initial phase of short listing is done considering valid CAT scores along with candidate profile parameters. Although the official qualifying CAT cutoff for general category candidates requires an aggregate percentile of 85 (minimum percentiles of 80 in VARC, 75 in DILR, and 75 in QA) to clear CAT cutoffs, actual cutoffs for interviews usually exceed 99 percentile owing to stiff competition. During the first phase of short listing for PI & WAT rounds, IIM Bangalore calculates a total score of 100.
The pre-PI score is calculated, giving 55% weightage to CAT score, 10% each to Class 10th, Class 12th and graduation performance, 10% to relevant work experience of maximum 36 months and 5% weightage to diversity in terms of gender. Shortlisted candidates on the basis of the above-mentioned merit scores appear for the WAT & PI rounds. In the final round of selection, the selection criteria undergo a complete change, and personal interaction becomes the most important criterion.
Also Read: If not CAT then What: Know Top MBA Entrance Exams in India Except CAT 2026
IIM Bangalore Admission 2026: Key Application Deadlines & Schedule
Below are the important dates related to the IIM Bangalore Admission 2026:
| Event / Parameter | Important Dates / Details |
| Official Application Portal | study.iitm.ac.in/ds |
| Application Deadline (Sept 2026 Term) | September 27, 2026 |
| Four-Week Qualifier Course Starts | October 2026 |
| In-Person Qualifier Examination | November 2026 |
IIM Bangalore Admission 2026: Expected Cutoff
Below is the table containing the expected cutoff for IIM Bangalore in 2026 for various categories along with the expected section cutoff for each category.
| Category | VARC Percentile | DILR Percentile | QA Percentile | Minimum Overall Percentile |
| General | 80 | 75 | 75 | 85 |
| NC-OBC | 70 | 65 | 65 | 75 |
| EWS | 70 | 65 | 65 | 75 |
| SC | 65 | 60 | 60 | 70 |
| ST | 55 | 55 | 55 | 65 |
| PwD | 50 | 50 | 50 | 60 |
IIM Bangalore 2026 Shortlisting Criteria
Selection at IIM Bangalore (IIMB) for the Postgraduate Programme in Management (PGP) involves a two-tier process. Selection into IIMB does not depend upon the CAT score alone; IIMB values the academic performance, work experience, and gender mix very much.
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CAT Score
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Marks of class 10th
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Marks of class 12th
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Marks of Bachelors degree
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Work experience
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Gender Diversity
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Academic Category
IIM Bangalore PI Dates 2026 (Expected)
The important dates that have been expected for CAT 2025/2026 exam, short-listing and WAT-PI process for the PGP batch of IIM Bangalore 2026-28 are mentioned below:
| Admission Event / Stage | Expected Timeline / Dates |
| CAT 2025 Result Declaration | Late December 2025 |
| Release of WAT-PI Shortlist | January 13–15, 2026 |
| Submission of PI Detail Form & References | Third/Fourth Week of January 2026 |
| Conduct of WAT & Personal Interview (PI) | February 2026 – March 2026 |
| Selected Interview Cities | Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad |
| Final Admission Offers Declaration | Second/Third Week of April 2026 |
| Commencement of PGP Academic Program | June / July 2026 |
IIM Bangalore 2026: Pre-PI Shortlisting Weightage Parameters
The Institute of IIM Bangalore employs a composite score method for screening the students for the PI and WAT process as follows:
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CAT Score Weightage: 55%
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MBA and Business Management Exams, Admission, Colleges
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VARC: 19%
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DILR: 21%
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QA: 15%
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Class 10 Marks: 10%
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Class 12 Marks: 10%
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Bachelor's Degree Marks: 10%
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Work Experience / Professional Credentials: 10%
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Gender Diversity: 5%
IIM Bangalore 2026: Understanding the Four-Week Qualifier Process
Below is the four-week qualifier process for the IIM Bangalore 2026:
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The registered applicants will have access to a four-week basic online learning programme comprising four main topics: Math for Data Science, Statistics for Data Science, Computing for Data Science, and English.
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It is mandatory for the students to complete the assignment and submit their work online every week. In order to be eligible for the hall ticket for the Qualifier Exam, it is compulsory for the students to clear the minimum marks threshold for each of the four weeks.
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The applicants appear for the proctored qualifier exam at the designated test centres in India. The Qualifier Exam assesses the concepts learned by the applicants during the four-week learning period.
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Those applicants who clear the minimum passing threshold in the Qualifier Exam will be offered an official admission to the BS degree.
Siddhi Sharma is an education journalist at Jagran Josh. A Journalism and Mass Communication graduate from IP University, she brings sharp newsroom instincts developed during her previous stint at Zee News. At Jagran Josh, Siddhi specializes in decoding the educational updates. Her coverage is highly exam-centric, ranging from curated news blogs for competitive exams to crucial school board and university news. Combining her strong media foundations with a research-driven approach, she creates reliable, high-utility content that helps students and aspirants stay ahead of the curve. Her writing is factual, engaging, and tailored to meet the fast-paced needs of modern learners and exam aspirants.