Checked 29 September 2026. From IIM Ahmedabad’s Admission Policy for the PGP 2027-29 Batch (Domestic) and its Supernumerary Quota policy. IIMA reserves the right to change the cut-offs; the discipline-normalisation inputs are not published in the policy and are not available in advance.
IIM Ahmedabad has already published the rules it will use for CAT 2026 — the Admission Policy for the PGP 2027-29 batch. That is unusual for this early in the cycle and it removes a lot of guesswork. Your shortlist chance at IIMA is not “your percentile”: it is a composite in which your Class 10, Class 12 and bachelor’s marks, work experience and gender make up 35%, and your total CAT percentile makes up 65%, normalised within your undergraduate discipline. This guide sets out every table in the policy, works through sample profiles, and gives you a calculator for everything a candidate can compute.
IIMA Admission Policy for PGP 2027-29 (Domestic).
Where other pages get this wrong
IIM Ahmedabad’s published minimum for General candidates is 95 overall and 85 in each section — and EWS has the same floor as General.
Commonly published instead: “IIM A, B and C typically shortlist General candidates at 99+”; “EWS cut-offs are 5–7 percentile below General”.
Table 4 of the PGP 2027-29 policy sets minimum CAT 2026 percentiles of 95 overall and 85 per section for “General, EWS” together, 90/80 for NC-OBC, 85/75 for SC and 75/65 for ST. These are minimums: IIMA first computes and normalises the composite score, then filters on these Table 4 CAT percentiles, then draws up the AWT and PI shortlist. The policy also says IIMA may change the cut-offs.
Who is even considered
| Filter | Rule |
|---|---|
| Age | 19 years or older by 30 June 2027 (born on or before 30 June 2008) |
| Nationality | Indian national, as reported in the CAT information (this guide covers this domestic CAT route); foreign nationals, even those living in India, apply through the Supernumerary Quota with a GMAT score. If you are an Indian national living abroad, check IIMA’s international admissions page for any GMAT route that applies to you — we could not read it |
| Programme | Must have applied to the 2-year full-time PGP of IIMA |
| Degree | Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent qualification recognised by the Ministry of Education, with 50% (45% SC/ST/PwD), of at least three years after 10+2; final-year candidates need a completion certificate by 30 June 2027 |
| Test | Appeared for CAT 2026 |
IIMA PGP 2027-29 Domestic policy, eligibility and step 1; Supernumerary Quota policy (10% extra seats for foreign nationals; GMAT minimum 645 Focus Edition or 700 in the previous format).
The application rating: five scores, 38 points at most
The first half of the composite is the application rating (AR). Your Class 10 percentage gives score A, Class 12 gives B and your bachelor’s gives C, each from the same table; work experience gives D; and gender diversity gives E. Note the bands: they are open at the bottom and closed at the top, so exactly 80% earns 5 points and 80.01% earns 8.
| Percentage (A: Class 10, B: Class 12, C: bachelor’s) | Points |
|---|---|
| ≤ 55 | 1 |
| > 55 and ≤ 60 | 2 |
| > 60 and ≤ 70 | 3 |
| > 70 and ≤ 80 | 5 |
| > 80 and ≤ 90 | 8 |
| > 90 | 10 |
| Score | Points |
|---|---|
| D: work experience < 12 months | 0 |
| D: work experience 12 to 36 months | 0.20 × (months − 11): 0.2 at 12 months, 2.6 at 24, 5.0 at 36 |
| D: work experience > 36 months | 5 |
| E: gender diversity | 3 for all non-male candidates; 0 for male |
| Raw AR | A + B + C + D + E; maximum 10 + 10 + 10 + 5 + 3 = 38 (our arithmetic) |
IIMA Tables 1 and 2 and step 5. Work experience is counted in months “as filled in the CAT Application Form”, full-time. The CAT 2026 registration guide asked for experience in days as on 31 July 2026; IIMA does not say how days are converted to months.
Three things stand out. Academics dominate: 30 of the 38 points come from marks, and the jump from 8 to 10 needs more than 90%. Work experience is capped at 5 and reaches it at 36 months; a fresher loses at most 5 points to a candidate with 36 months or more. For candidates who have completed CA, CS or ICWA, score C uses (Inter % + Final %)/2 as entered in the CAT form; for a completed FIAI, it uses the aggregate % entered in the form. And Class 10 and 12 percentages use all subjects on the marksheet, whether or not your board counts them.
From rating to composite
| Step | How IIMA computes it | Can you compute it? |
|---|---|---|
| Normalised AR | Raw AR ÷ average of the top 50 AR scores in the applicant pool | Only by assuming the top-50 average (at most 38) |
| Raw composite | 0.35 × normalised AR + 0.65 × (total CAT 2026 percentile / 100) | Yes, with the assumption above |
| Discipline normalisation | Raw composite ÷ average of the top 1% of raw composites in your undergraduate discipline (at least 5 and at most 100 scores) | No — depends on the other applicants |
| Minimum percentiles | After normalisation, candidates are filtered on the Table 4 overall and sectional CAT percentiles | Yes |
| Shortlist | For AWT and PI, ensuring reservation categories are represented | No |
IIMA policy, steps 7–15. A candidate with more than one undergraduate degree gets one composite per discipline, and IIMA uses the highest (additional information, point 23).
IIM Ahmedabad 2027-29: application rating and raw composite calculator
Enter your marks, work experience and a CAT percentile you are aiming for. The calculator applies IIMA's Tables 1, 2 and 4 and the 35/65 weights. It cannot apply the last step — normalisation within your undergraduate discipline — because that depends on everyone else's scores.
IIMA Admission Policy for PGP 2027-29 (Domestic). Score C uses the bachelor’s %, or (Inter % + Final %)/2 for completed CA/CS/ICWA, or the aggregate % for completed FIAI (policy point 10). Rating: Class 10, 12 and bachelor’s ≤55 → 1, >55–60 → 2, >60–70 → 3, >70–80 → 5, >80–90 → 8, >90 → 10; work experience <12 months → 0, 12–36 → 0.20 × (months − 11), so 5 at 36 months or more; non-male 3. Part-months are dropped (our convention). The top-50 average is not published; 38 is the highest rating anyone can have, so the default gives the lowest normalised rating your marks could produce (our assumption). The CAT form records work experience in days as on 31 July 2026; IIMA’s table is in months “as filled in the CAT Application Form” and does not say how days become months.
The sample profiles below are worked with the calculator’s default assumption that the top-50 average is 38. The real average cannot be higher than 38, so a real normalised AR will be the same or higher than shown. Our numbers are illustrations of the arithmetic, not predictions of a shortlist.
| Profile (illustrative) | Class 10 / 12 / UG % | A + B + C + D + E | CAT percentile | Raw composite (top-50 AR = 38) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering graduate, male, no work experience | 92 / 88 / 75 | 10 + 8 + 5 + 0.00 + 0 = 23.00 | 99 | 0.855 |
| Commerce graduate, female, 24 months | 85 / 91 / 68 | 8 + 10 + 3 + 2.60 + 3 = 26.60 | 97 | 0.876 |
| Science graduate, male, 40 months | 78 / 74 / 62 | 5 + 5 + 3 + 5.00 + 0 = 18.00 | 99.5 | 0.813 |
| Arts graduate, female, final year | 94 / 93 / 82 | 10 + 10 + 8 + 0.00 + 3 = 31.00 | 96 | 0.910 |
Our arithmetic with the policy’s tables and weights. Work experience: 0, 24 (0.20 × 13 = 2.6), 40 (capped at 5) and 0 months respectively.
Look at rows one and three. The science graduate’s CAT percentile is higher (99.5 against 99) yet his raw composite is lower, because his rating is 18 against 23. At IIMA, five rating points are worth roughly 0.046 of raw composite (0.35 × 5/38), which is the same as about 7 percentile points of CAT (0.046 ÷ 0.65 × 100) — our arithmetic. You cannot change your Class 10 marks now, but it tells you how much CAT has to carry.
| Trade-off (our arithmetic) | Value |
|---|---|
| Five rating points in the raw composite | 0.35 × 5/38 = 0.046 |
| The same 0.046 expressed as CAT percentile | 0.046 ÷ 0.65 × 100 ≈ 7 percentile points |
| Fresher vs 36 months or more of work experience | at most 5 rating points apart |
Our arithmetic from the policy weights, assuming a top-50 average of 38; a lower real average makes each rating point worth slightly more.
The undergraduate disciplines
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| Fashion & Design | Computer Science & IT |
| Commerce, Accounting & Finance | Medical & Health Sciences |
| Statistics & Actuarial Science | Economics |
| Agriculture & Allied Sciences | Social Sciences |
| Arts & Humanities | Hospitality & Food Sciences |
| Architecture & Planning | Journalism & Media |
| Life Sciences | Law |
| Engineering & Technology | Mathematics |
| Management | Others |
| Pure Sciences | Professional (CA/CS/ICWA/FIAI) |
IIMA Table 3: 20 disciplines. The Admissions Committee has final discretion on which discipline a programme is placed in; for an integrated master’s or dual degree after Class 12, the discipline of that programme is used.
This is the step that makes IIMA different. Your composite is divided by the average of the top 1% in your own discipline, so an engineer competes on the engineers’ scale and a commerce graduate on the commerce scale. That is why a percentile “cut-off for IIMA” cannot exist as one number: two candidates with the same composite can end up with different normalised composites.
Minimum CAT 2026 percentiles (Table 4)
| Category | Overall (non-PwD) | Each section (non-PwD) | Overall (PwD) | Each section (PwD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General, EWS | 95 | 85 | 85 | 75 |
| NC-OBC | 90 | 80 | 80 | 70 |
| SC | 85 | 75 | 75 | 65 |
| ST | 75 | 65 | 65 | 55 |
IIMA PGP 2027-29 Table 4, “Minimum Cut-offs of CAT-2026 Percentile”. The sectional minimum applies to each of VARC, DILR and QA.
After the interview: the final composite
| Component | Weight |
|---|---|
| Normalised personal interview (PI) score | 0.50 |
| Normalised analytical writing test (AWT) score | 0.10 |
| Normalised composite score (from shortlisting) | 0.40 |
IIMA policy weights: 50% PI, 10% AWT, 40% normalised composite. The 26/14 split is only the composite’s internal 65:35 carried into that 40% (our arithmetic) — after discipline normalisation CAT and the rating do not have exact final weights of 26% and 14%.
At the final stage the composite, which carries CAT, is 40% and the interview alone is 50%; CAT’s effective weight falls to roughly a quarter, though not exactly, because of the discipline normalisation. Selection is “strictly” by category on the final composite score, in proportions mandated by law: 27% NC-OBC, 15% SC, 7.5% ST, 5% PwD and up to 10% EWS.
The IIMA timeline for this cycle
| Stage | When (tentative) |
|---|---|
| AWT & PI shortlist | second week of January 2027, by email and on iima.ac.in |
| AWT & PI cities | Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi; you pick two in the CAT form |
| Offers and waiting list | second week of April 2027 |
| Acceptance formalities | first week of May 2027 |
| Degree-completion certificate (final-year candidates) | by 30 June 2027 |
| Final marksheet and degree certificate | by 31 December 2027 |
| Refund, if applicable | ₹1,000 processing fee is deducted |
IIMA PGP 2027-29 policy, additional information points 3, 6, 19, 20 and 26, and eligibility. No regret letters are sent to candidates not shortlisted.
Two practical points. The AR uses what you entered in the CAT form, and IIMA may disqualify for withheld marksheets, so make sure the percentages you entered follow your university’s own rule. And the policy’s point 8 is worth reading literally: the cut-offs “depend on various factors, such as the applicant pool and the distribution of CAT scores”, and IIMA “reserves the right to change” them.
What is the IIM Ahmedabad cut-off for CAT 2026?
The published minimum for General and EWS is 95 overall and 85 in each section; NC-OBC 90/80, SC 85/75, ST 75/65. The shortlist itself depends on the composite score.
How does IIMA calculate the composite score?
0.35 × normalised application rating + 0.65 × (CAT percentile/100), then normalised within your undergraduate discipline.
What is the maximum application rating at IIMA?
38: 10 each for Class 10, Class 12 and bachelor’s, 5 for work experience and 3 for gender diversity.
How much does work experience count at IIMA?
0 below 12 months, 0.20 × (months − 11) from 12 to 36 months, and 5 above 36 months.
Is the EWS cut-off lower than General at IIMA?
No. Table 4 lists General and EWS together at 95 overall and 85 per section.
Do female candidates get extra points at IIMA?
Yes, 3 points for all non-male candidates in the application rating.
When will IIMA release its interview shortlist?
Tentatively in the second week of January 2027.
Where are IIMA interviews held?
Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi.
How is the final IIMA selection score calculated?
0.50 × interview + 0.10 × writing test + 0.40 × composite, all normalised.
Can foreign nationals apply to IIMA with CAT?
No. Foreign passport holders, even living in India, apply through the Supernumerary Quota with a GMAT score.
What is the age limit for IIMA PGP 2027-29?
There is a minimum, not a maximum: 19 years by 30 June 2027.
Can I calculate my exact IIMA shortlist chance?
No. The top-50 rating average and each discipline’s top-1% average are not published.
More in this series
- CAT 2026: exam day, pattern and the full timeline
- CAT scaled score and percentile: the official formula
- IIM Calcutta: the 85-point shortlist and 100-point final
- Minimum CAT percentiles IIMs publish, by category
- Non-IIM colleges using CAT 2026: the official list
- CAT notice board — alerts and updates
- CAT rank predictor — percentile to rank
Sources
- official — IIM Ahmedabad — Admission Policy for PGP 2027-29 Batch (Domestic)
- official — IIM Ahmedabad — PGP 2027-29 Supernumerary Quota (foreign nationals)
- official — IIMs — CAT 2026 Information Bulletin, V2 (26.07.2026)
- official — IIMs — CAT 2026 Registration Guide
- official — IIMs — Selection Process of IIMs (CAT 2025)
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
