CAT Selection Process, Check IIM Admission Criteria 2024-26

CAT Selection Process 2023:

The selection process for admission to post-graduate management programs at IIMs will begin after the CAT exam. The CAT result for 2023 was announced on December 21 through the official website iimcat.ac.in. Candidates can check their results by logging in with their CAT ID and password. Shortlisted candidates will proceed to further rounds such as Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI). It is important for candidates to perform well in these rounds to secure admission.

CAT Selection Process 2023

The IIM admission process considers the composite scores of candidates in all rounds, along with their academic performance. Each IIM has its own admission policy and criteria for shortlisting candidates. For detailed information about the CAT admission process, candidates can visit the official website of the respective IIM. The admission criteria for 2024 will be released by most IIMs on their websites. Non-IIMs will also release their admission criteria, which candidates interested in B-schools other than IIMs should check.

Indian Institute of Management (IIMs) selects candidates for the interview round based on their admission criteria. The CAT score is a crucial component in the CAT exam selection process for all IIMs and CAT 2023 score accepting institutes. Other factors considered for selection include candidates’ academic records, gender, diversity of qualifications, etc.

CAT Exam Selection Process for MBA Admission 2024-26

IIMs will shortlist candidates based on CAT 2023 and the selection process as mentioned on their website. The CAT exam selection process includes a Group Discussion (GD), a Written Ability Test (WAT), and a Personal Interview (PI). Due to the current COVID-19 scenario, some institutes conduct only online interviews for shortlisted candidates.

IIM Admission Criteria 2024-26 through CAT

In this complete Careers360 article, we discuss the weightage given to various aspects, the CAT exam selection process, the different selection processes of IIMs, non-IIMs, and other B-schools accepting CAT scores. The CAT 2023 selection procedure for IIMs consists of three rounds:

• Round 1: CAT 2023 Result and IIM Shortlist
• Round 2: Personal Interview
• Round 3: Final Selection and Eligibility Verification

Round 1: CAT 2023 Result and IIM Shortlist

The first step is the announcement of CAT 2023 results by the exam conducting body. The respective IIM, which is the test conducting body for the CAT exam, declares the CAT 2023 result. Following this, IIMs will release shortlist dates and begin their shortlisting process. IIMs will also release their individual CAT cutoff 2023 for different categories. The list of shortlisted candidates for the next stages of selection will be available on the respective websites of the concerned IIMs. Interview letters will be sent directly to all shortlisted candidates.

MBA Admission Process 2024 through CAT -

IIM Interview Call Letter Candidates who are selected for the first round of the IIM admission process after CAT will receive invitation letters in their registered email id. The invitation letter will include the registration link, the last date to complete the CAP registration for 9 IIMs, and the date, time, and venue of the WAT/GD and PI.

In the second round, all candidates who meet the CAT cutoff can proceed to the next stage of the IIM selection process for MBA, which includes Written Ability Tests (WAT), Personal Interviews (PI), and Group discussions (GD). Candidates are evaluated based on their general knowledge, communication ability, performance in previous rounds, and presence of mind.

In the third round, candidates who are listed for a personal interview at IIMs must comply with the eligibility and verification process for the CAT final selection. At this stage, candidates are also awarded marks based on their academic performance. The weightage of each parameter, such as CAT score, PI, WAT, Class 10, Class 12, Graduation, and Weighted Work Experience, varies for each IIM and may change from year to year.

Candidates are shortlisted for the WAT/GD-PI processes based on their CAT percentile. The aggregate score calculation process determines the shortlist for WAT/GD-PI.

The content provided by IIM Lucknow states that candidates need to submit certain documents during the WAT/GD and PI rounds. These documents include original and attested copies of certificates and mark sheets. If selected, candidates must also submit the original degree mark sheets and attested copies at the time of joining.

The required documents at the time of WAT/GD and PI include the IIM interview call letter, CAT 2023 scorecard, class 10 mark sheet and certificate, class 12 mark sheet and certificate, graduation mark sheet and certificate, reservation category proof of certificate (if applicable), and work experience certificate (if any).

Reserved category candidates need to provide attested copies as well as the original ST/SC/NC-OBC/DA certificates during the personal interview. If selected, they must submit the original certificates and attested copies of the reservation category upon joining.

Final year undergraduate students need to submit an original and attested copy of the certificate showing that they have obtained 50% marks (45% for reserved category) from the Registrar/Principal/Director of the institute or university. Their admission will be temporary until they submit the original mark sheet and qualifying degree before December 31, 2024. Failure to submit the required documents within the given time will result in automatic cancellation of admission.

Final CAT Selection Process

Other factors that are taken into consideration by most IIMs during CAT counseling include the candidates’ previous academic performance, relevant work experience, and gender and academic diversity.

CAT Admission Process 2023 - (Tentative) Parameters for Final Selection Process

Common Admission Process (CAP): CAT Admission Process for New IIMs

The newer IIMs, including Ranchi, Raipur, Trichy, Udaipur, Kashipur, etc., will conduct a common counselling process known as Common Admission Process (CAP). A shortlist of candidates will be created, and they will be required to participate in the common written ability test and personal interview rounds. Each of these IIMs will publish a candidate’s performance based on a separate merit list.

Key Points of IIM CAP

• The shortlisted candidates for WAT-PI will be sent by all participating Indian Institute of Management to the IIM conducting CAP.
• The IIM conducting CAP will conduct the WAT-PI round for all CAP participating IIMs.
• The participating IIMs will evaluate the candidates’ performance in WAT, PI, CAT score, profile, etc., after the CAP and create their individual merit list for admission.
• The final list of selected candidates will be displayed on the respective IIM websites, accessible only to candidates with an institute login/CAT ID.

NOTE: The weightage of the eligible CAT cut-off and admission parameters will be common to all CAP participating institutes.

IIM Shortlist Status 2024-2026 Based On CAT 2023 Score

After the CAT 2023 results, IIMs will release the list of shortlisted candidates. Candidates who are interested in joining the 2024-26 batches can refer to the table below for information on the previous year’s shortlist details. This will give them an idea of the expected shortlist release dates and the number of seats available for the MBA and PGP programs at various IIMs.