Great Lakes - PGDM & PGPM Admissions 2026
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CAT Admit Card Date:12 Nov' 25 - 30 Nov' 25
How To Get into IIM Without CAT: IIMs are by far the most sought institutes for pursuing a management degree by almost every aspirant in the country. The CAT exam might seem to be the only alternative to get admission into an IIM. Though most candidates take the CAT exam route for IIM, certain alternatives can be considered by candidates in their academic and professional journeys. These options are designed for both students as well as working professionals with a significant amount of work experience.
The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad recorded 100% summer placements 2025 for PGP batch 2025-27 with TCS as lead recruiter and Zomato, Apple as first-comers. More than 90 roles were offered across several cohorts. Some of the top recruiters included Adobe, Microsoft, Salesforce, and Sprinklr.
Read More: IIM Ahmedabad Summer Placements 2025: TCS leads in cluster 3; Zomato, Apple new recruiters
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In recent years, IIMs have come up with certain courses and programs that do not require a candidate to undergo the CAT exam. These programs include executive programs for working professionals and integrated management programs for students. Besides these IIMs have also introduced various diploma and certificate programs for candidates to upskill themselves across various disciplines.
The different programs listed by IIM that do not require CAT are mentioned below.
IIMs have introduced a 5-year joint integrated program in management (IPM) for candidates wanting to go for management roles right after school. It has its entrance exam known as the JIPMAT exam. This course can be pursued from 5 IIMs, IIM Jammu, IIM Rohtak, IIM Indore, IIM Ranchi, and IIM Bodh Gaya. The overview of the IPMAT program is given in the table below.
Admissions Open | Globally Recognized by AACSB (US) & AMBA (UK) | 17.8 LPA Avg. CTC for PGPM 2025
Ranked No. 3 Business School in India and no.35 in world by Financial Times MiM 2025 Ranking | Highest CTC: INR 89 LPA
Name of the Program | Integrated Program in Management |
Duration | 5 Years |
Entrance Exam | IPMAT (Integrated Program in Management Aptitude Test) |
Conducting IIMs | IIMs, IIM Jammu, IIM Rohtak, IIM Indore, IIM Ranchi, and IIM Bodh Gaya |
Fees | Rs. 28-30 Lakhs (approx.) |
The IIMs have introduced various executive MBA programs for working professionals across industries that enable them to seek leadership positions at various levels. It is designed to advance the professional careers of candidates with efficient growth. The important details for executive MBA programs of different IIMs are given in the table below.
IIM | Course | Fees (INR approx) | Duration | Work Experience Required |
Post Graduate Program in Management for Executives (PGPX) | 32 lakhs | 1 year | 4 years | |
Post Graduate Program Enterprise Management (PGPEM) | 20 lakhs | 2 years | 4 years | |
IIM Bangalore | Executive Post Graduate Program (EPGP) | 23 lakhs | 1 year | 5 years |
MBA Program for Executives (MBA Ex) | 31 lakhs | 1 year | 5 years | |
Post Graduate Program in Management for Working Executives (PGPWE) | 14 lakhs | 2 years | 3 years | |
IIM Lucknow | International Program in Management for Executives or IPMX | 24 lakhs | 1 year | 5 years |
General Management Program for Executives (GMPE) | 6 lakhs | 1 year | 3 years | |
IIM Indore | Post Graduate Program in Management for Working Executives (PGPMX) | 18 lakhs | 2 years | 5 years |
Executive Post Graduate Program (EPGP) | 14 lakhs | 1 year | 3 years | |
Post Graduate Program in Business Management ( PGPBM) | 12 lakhs | 2 years | 3 years | |
Executive Post Graduate Program in Management ( EPGP) | 12.5 lakhs | 2 years | 2 years | |
Post Graduate Program in Management for Executives (ePGPX) | 8 lakhs | 1 year | 5 years | |
MBA in Global Supply Chain Management | 23 lakhs | 1 year | 3 years | |
Post Graduate Executive Program in Management (PGEXP) | 12.5 lakhs | 2 years | 5 years | |
Post Graduate Program for Experienced Professionals (PGPEx) | 11 lakhs | 1 year | 3 years | |
Post Graduate Program for Working Executives (MBAWx) | 12 lakhs | 2 years | 3 to 5 years | |
Post Graduate Program for Working Executives (MBAWx) | 12 lakhs | 2 years | 3 years |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Getting into baby IIMs like IIM Sirmaur, IIM Bodhgaya, IIM Amritsar, IIM Nagpur, and IIM Shillong are easy as compared to major IIMs.
Yes, the Common Admission Test (CAT) is most important national-level MBA entrance exam to take to get admission in management courses at IIM.
IIMs do not have any criteria for direct admission. Candidates have to go through accepted exams like CAT, IPMAT, and perform well in the evaluation rounds to secure a seat in the prestigious IIMs.
CAT is mandatory for admission to the MBA/PGDM programs at IIMs. Without CAT, IIM can be joined for an integrated management program and executive MBA programs. These programs can be pursued without CAT.
To join IIM directly after 12th candidates can give the IPMAT exam and join the 5 year integrated program in management. The IPM program is offered by IIM Indore, IIM Rohtak, IIM Ranchi, IIM Jammu, and IIM Bodh Gaya.
Candidates can go for the GMAT exam instead of CAT exam. Some IIMs accept GMAT scores for admission to their executive MBA programs. GMAT scores might only be considered for a few specific courses.
On Question asked by student community
Hello
You can get all the papers on the Careers360 website. To access the paper and download it for practice, just visit here:
https://design.careers360.com/articles/nift-cat-2024-question-paper-with-solutions
Hope it will help you!!
Hello dear candidate,
Yes, you have a very good chance of getting a BPT seat with 488 out of 600 and TS EAMCET rank of 14,000 under the ST category.
As the cut off of BPT for ST category students are generally between 25,000 to 45,000 ranks, depending upon the college and you have TS EAMCET rank of 14,000.
Thank you.
If you got 802 marks in Telangana Intermediate and belong to the ST category, you have a fair chance to get admission in a BPT course in 2025, but it depends on the college and cut-off. Most BPT colleges in Telangana ask for 12th marks in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, and some also use the TS EAMCET rank for admission. The cut-off for ST students is usually lower than for general students, but it changes every year. It is better to check the previous year’s cut-offs of the colleges you want to apply to.
Hello, Getting shortlisted for IIM Lucknow or IIT Bombay (SJMSOM) with your profile is challenging, primarily due to your 58% in Class 10th, which significantly impacts the composite score calculation for both institutes. While your 98 percentile CAT score is excellent, and your 24 months of work experience, B.Com (Hons) background (providing academic diversity, especially for IIM-L), and KVS National player status are valuable additions, top IIMs and IITs heavily weigh consistent academic performance. Your 74% in 12th is also on the lower side. IIM Lucknow places substantial weight on 10th and 12th marks, making a call quite difficult despite your strengths. You likely have a relatively better, though still uncertain, chance at IIT Bombay, as their weighting might be slightly less penalizing for past academics compared to IIM-L, and your high CAT score is a major factor. However, the low 10th score remains a significant hurdle for both prestigious institutions.
I hope you found this information helpful and for study related queries you can ask in careers360 app, Have a great day and!
Hey,
You already have a strong profile with the score of 58% in Class 10, 74% in Class 12, and 80% in graduation, but admission in IIT Bombay, Shailesh J Mehta School of Management is quite competitive, especially if you are in general category because the cutoff for general goes to 98.5-99%. Your CAT percentage is impressive but your 10th marks might reduce your score during the shortlisting process. If you perform well in Written Ability Test and Personal Interview, and present your commerce background you still stand a fair chance. But it would also be wise if you have some backups like MDI Gurugram, IMT Ghaziabad, IMI Delhi, where your marks and profile will fit well in their selection range.
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