How To Get into IIM Without CAT: MBA from IIMs without CAT Exam

How To Get into IIM Without CAT: MBA from IIMs without CAT Exam

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Team Careers360Updated on 28 Feb 2025, 10:22 AM IST

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.

This Story also Contains

  1. IIM Programs that Don’t Need CAT
  2. Integrated Program in Management
  3. Executive MBA for Working Professionals
How To Get into IIM Without CAT: MBA from IIMs without CAT Exam
How To Get into IIM Without CAT

IIM Programs that Don’t Need CAT

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.

Integrated Program in Management

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.

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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.)

Executive MBA for Working Professionals

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

IIM Ahmedabad

Post Graduate Program in Management for Executives (PGPX)

32 lakhs

1 year

4 years

IIM Bangalore

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

IIM Calcutta

MBA Program for Executives (MBA Ex)

31 lakhs

1 year

5 years

IIM Lucknow

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

IIM Indore

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

IIM Kozhikode

Executive Post Graduate Program (EPGP)

14 lakhs

1 year

3 years

IIM Trichy

Post Graduate Program in Business Management ( PGPBM)

12 lakhs

2 years

3 years

IIM Raipur

Executive Post Graduate Program in Management ( EPGP)

12.5 lakhs

2 years

2 years

IIM Rohtak

Post Graduate Program in Management for Executives (ePGPX)

8 lakhs

1 year

5 years

IIM Udaipur

MBA in Global Supply Chain Management

23 lakhs

1 year

3 years

IIM Ranchi

Post Graduate Executive Program in Management (PGEXP)

12.5 lakhs

2 years

5 years

IIM Visakhapatnam

Post Graduate Program for Experienced Professionals (PGPEx)

11 lakhs

1 year

3 years

IIM Shillong

Post Graduate Program for Working Executives (MBAWx)

12 lakhs

2 years

3 to 5 years

IIM Kashipur

Post Graduate Program for Working Executives (MBAWx)

12 lakhs

2 years

3 years

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Which IIM is easiest to get into?
A:

Getting into baby IIMs like IIM Sirmaur, IIM Bodhgaya, IIM Amritsar, IIM Nagpur, and IIM Shillong are easy as compared to major IIMs.

Q: Is CAT necessary for IIM?
A:

Yes, the Common Admission Test (CAT) is most important national-level MBA entrance exam to take to get admission in management courses  at IIM. 

Q: Can I take direct admission in IIM?
A:

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.

Q: Can I join IIM without CAT?
A:

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.

Q: Can I directly join IIM after 12th?
A:

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.

Q: How can I join IIM MBA without CAT?
A:

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.

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Questions related to CAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CAT ?

Hello dear candidate,

NO. your application for CAT will not rejected for wrong gender small mistake in the OBC NCL certificate. You will be considered as an OBC candidate.

you just need to get your OBC certificate corrected and need to inform the CAT helpdesk about this error.


Hello,

Here are some top MBA colleges in India with fees under Rs. 2 lakh and their exam/cutoff details:

  • SIMSREE, Mumbai – Fee around Rs. 1.3–1.4 lakh for 2 years. Accepts CAT, CMAT, MAH-CET, MAT, ATMA. Cutoff is very high, usually 99+ percentile in CAT/CMAT.

  • PUMBA (Dept. of Management Sciences, Savitribai Phule Pune University) – Fee around Rs. 1.2–1.3 lakh. Accepts CAT, CMAT, MAH-CET, ATMA. Cutoff approx. 75+ percentile in CAT, 90–95+ percentile in CMAT, high scores in MAH-CET.

  • TISS, Mumbai (MA HRM & other management-related programmes) – Fee around Rs. 1.7–1.9 lakh. Accepts CAT for some courses. Qualifying cutoff is around 60–70 percentile, but final selection cutoffs are higher.

These are the main government institutes where the full MBA/PG programme fee is within Rs. 2 lakh. Cutoffs vary slightly each year and by category, but SIMSREE and PUMBA generally need high scores, while TISS has its own process along with CAT shortlisting.

Hope it helps !

Hey! With a NEET score of 344 in the ST category, it is highly unlikely to get admission in any government BDS college in Delhi through the All India Quota. The cutoff for government BDS seats in Delhi usually falls around 400–450 for ST category, so your score is below that range.

You can consider private dental colleges, state quota seats in other states, or reattempt NEET next year to improve your chances.

Hello dear candidate,

YES, with NEET score 344in the ST category you have high chances of getting admission in a BDS College in J&K through JKBOPEE counselling.

check the seat availability and next participate in JKBOPEE Counselling with all the necessary documents.

Thank you.


Hey! With an All India Rank (AIR) of 302,821 in NEET and belonging to the BCE category, it is highly unlikely to get a BDS seat in Telangana under the state quota, as the closing ranks for BCE are usually below 50,000. You may consider applying to private colleges under management quota or explore BDS seats in other states, but the chances remain very limited with this rank.