How to Get Into IIM 2025: Selection Criteria, Cutoff, Admission Process

IIM Admission 2025: Eligibility Criteria

Before we dive into the IIM selection criteria 2025, let us look at the basic eligibility criteria for appearing in the CAT 2025 exam.

To become eligible to apply to an IIM, a candidate must satisfy the following eligibility criteria.

• A candidate must have a 3-year Bachelor’s degree in any stream
• The candidate must have at least 50% marks or an equivalent CGPA (45% for the reserved category candidates) from a UGC-recognised institute.
• A valid CAT scorecard.
• A CAT percentile at par with the CAT cutoff

IIM Admission & Selection Criteria 2025-27

Every year, IIMs announce their admission and selection process for candidates to understand the shortlist, cut-off, selection criteria and other parameters for shortlisting candidates. The IIM admission process not only includes the selection of the candidates based on their CAT cut off percentiles but also based on their WAT/GD and PI rounds, work experiences, gender diversity and more.

Following is the IIM selection process for 2025, which includes all the stages that a candidate must go through:

Stage 1: Shortlisting of candidates based on CAT scores
Once the CAT 2025 exam results are announced, candidates will then have to apply for the WAT/PI rounds for each IIM by going through their official website. All those who meet the shortlist cutoff will then have to log in through their CAT IDs to submit their name and CAT score.

Stage 2: Screening of the candidate for WAT/PI
In the next stage, all those who applied for the WAT/PI rounds are then shortlisted based on their CAT score and academic record. Thereafter, the final interview letters are sent to the candidates to participate in the following rounds.

Stage 3: Calculation of Composite Score and Final Selection
In the third and final round of selection, the composite score of each candidate is calculated based on several parameters to finalise their selection in an IIM.

The parameters based on which the candidate is finalised for MBA admission are as follows:

• CAT 2025 exam score
• Graduation score
• Class 10 marks
• Class 12 marks
• WAT/GD-PI scores
• Gender Diversity
• Work Experience

*Note: The weightage allotted to each parameter varies for each IIM; the composite score is also calculated by each IIM individually.

Question: What is CAT composite score?
Answer: CAT composite score refers to the total score (out of 100) that the candidate obtains during the final selection process. This is calculated based on the above-mentioned parameters.

Documents Required for WAT/GD-PI Round

When going for the IIM WAT/GD-PI rounds, the candidate needs to take along some of the most essential documents with them, which are generally required by the institute. These documents are as follows:

• Marksheets of Class 10, 12 and of Graduation (original copies and self-attested photocopies).
• Caste/class or disability certificates (original copies and self-attested photocopies).
• Candidates appearing for the final year bachelor's degree will have to show a certificate from the Principal/Registrar/Director of the university certifying that he/she has obtained 50 per cent aggregate or equivalent in their recent exams. Those from reserved categories can have 45 per cent.

IIM CAT 2025 Cutoff

The CAT cutoff for IIM depends on certain factors like the difficulty level of the CAT exam, the number of qualifying candidates, normalisation of scores, seat matrix, reservation criteria, etc, which must be cleared by each candidate. In addition to that, the candidate must also clear the section cutoff for each CAT exam section.

The 2024 expected CAT cutoff for different IIMs is provided in the table below.

What After Clearing the Selection Process & CAT Cutoff?

All those candidates who clear the final selection rounds of CAT are then offered the final admission letters via their registered email ID. The next most important step of getting into an IIM is 'confirmation of admission'. All those selected must ensure that they accept the offer within the given timeframe by filling up the offer acceptance form and paying the requisite admission acceptance fees (adjustable in the first instalment of tuition fees).

In case the candidates fail to do the same, their admission offer will stand 'cancelled', and it will then be offered to the next candidate on the waitlist.

Interestingly, IIMs, in 2025, introduced a new system 2025 where they provided candidates with the offer to defer admission. In this, candidates who wish to work and have some more work experience can postpone their admission for up to a maximum of two years. in this, around 10 per cent of seats are kept aside for such candidates.