IIM Reservation Policy 2025: Understanding the Quota System in IIM Admissions

IIM Reservation Policy 2025: Understanding the Quota System in IIM Admissions

Ongoing Event

CAT Admit Card Date:12 Nov' 25 - 30 Nov' 25

Team Careers360Updated on 28 Aug 2025, 09:55 AM IST

The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) reserves seats for candidates belonging to SC, ST, OBC, PwD, and EwS categories. The IIM reservation policy is made for those talented candidates who lack the resources to complete their education. As per IIM Reservation Policy 2025, OBC is 27%, SC is 15%, ST is 7.5%, PwD is 5%, and EwS is 10%. Continue reading this article to know the number of seats reserved for candidates belonging to the reservation category and their cutoffs for IIM admission.

This Story also Contains

  1. IIM Reservation Policy 2025
  2. IIM reservation Policy for MBA 2025: Cut Off
  3. Step-by-Step: Reservation Across Admission in IIM
  4. IIM Reservation Policy 2025: Final Selection
IIM Reservation Policy 2025: Understanding the Quota System in IIM Admissions
IIM Reservation Policy 2025 for OBS, SC, EWS and PwD

For IIM Reservation Cut Off Check Out: IIM Admission

IIM Reservation Policy 2025

Candidates can check out the percentage of IIM reservation seats for MBA admission given below:

  • IIM reservation for OBC (Non-creamy layer): 27%
  • IIM reservation for SC (Schedule Caste): 15%
  • IIM reservation for ST (Schedule Tribe): 7.5%
  • PwD reservation in IIM (Persons with Benchmark Disabilities): 5%
  • Economically Weaker Sections (EWS): up to 10%

A “person with benchmark disability” means a person with not less than forty percent (40%) of a specified disability where the specified disability has not been defined in measurable terms. Whereas a person with disabilities is where a specified disability has been defined in measurable terms, as certified by the certifying authority.

Great Lakes - PGDM & PGPM Admissions 2026

Admissions Open | Globally Recognized by AACSB (US) & AMBA (UK) | 17.8 LPA Avg. CTC for PGPM 2025

SPJIMR Mumbai PGDM Admissions 2026

Ranked No. 3 Business School in India and no.35 in world by Financial Times MiM 2025 Ranking | Highest CTC: INR 89 LPA

Check out:

CAT 2025: VARC, DILR, and Quant MCQs & Weightages
Comprehensive CAT prep guide with focused practice on Verbal Ability, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Aptitude.
Download Now

IIM reservation Policy for MBA 2025: Cut Off

IIMs accept CAT exam for admission to its MBA programmes. The CAT cut off set by IIMs for MBA/PGDM admission varies from college to college. Candidates belonging to the reserved category can have a look at the range of IIM reservation cut off given below:

Category

CAT cut off (Percentile)

OBC

70 - 80

SC

45 - 70

ST

35 - 65

PwD

30 - 60

EWS

70 - 85

Candidates belonging to the IIM reservation quota category must upload their certificates as proof while filling out the CAT registration form.

Step-by-Step: Reservation Across Admission in IIM

The IIM admission policy does not revolve around a single exam or metric. Instead, it involves around multiple stages, and the reservation policy applied at each step, which are mentioned below:

Shortlisting for WAT-PI (Written Ability Test and Personal Interview)

These are the first cut offs that are released after CAT results and is roughly similar for all the IIMs. Each IIM will release their own shortlist based on minimum CAT percentile cutoffs. However, one must note that the cutoff is lower for reserve categories as compared to the General category.

Take a look at the following cutoff which we have listed for all the categories:

Category

Cutoff (Approx.)

General

98+ percentile

NC-OBC

90-92 percentile

SC

80-85 percentile

ST

70-72 percentile

PwD (depends on the horizontal category)

60-70 percentile


IIM Reservation Policy 2025: Final Selection

Post the completion of the WAT-PI rounds, all IIMs will calculate the composite score for each category. It will include CAT percentile, academic scores, work experience, performance in WAT-Pi and diversity factors.

Each category will have its own merit list, meaning that candidates are only competing with others in their own reservation group.

Seat Allotment and Waitlist Movement

Post the release of the final offers, all candidates will need to either accept or reject the offer. Additionally, seats that remain empty due to rejections will then be offered to the next candidates on the category-wise waitlists. This will be done to maintain the reservation percentages.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is the reservation policy for IIM?
A:

All IIMs (Indian Institutes of Management) follow the government's reservation policy quotas for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backwards Classes (OBC), Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and Persons with Disabilities (PwD). Specifically, 15% of seats are reserved for SC candidates, 7.5% for ST candidates and 27% of OBC candidates. 

Q: Is it easy for SC to get into IIM?
A:

As compared to general category and other few categories, IIM cut off for SC is between 40 to 70 percentile. So, it is easier for SCs to clear the minimum CAT cut off and get into IIMs.

Q: Do we have reservations in IIM?
A:

Yes, IIMs provide IIM reservation quota for SC ST, OBC, PwD and EWS categories. 

Q: What is the cut off for IIM reservation?
A:

The minimum qualifying CAT cut off for reserved categories falls between 30 to 85 percentile.

Q: What is the quota of IIM SC ST?
A:

The IIM reservation quota cut off for SC is 40-70 and ST is 35-65 percentile. The IIM Cut offs cary depends on the college.

Q: Is there any home state quota in IIM?
A:

No, IIMs do not provide any home state quota.

Articles
|
Certifications By Top Providers
Corporate Law
Via National Law University, New Delhi
Strategic Management
Via Indian Institute of Management Bangalore
Online MBA Business Analytics
Via Centre for Distance and Online Education, Anna University, Chennai
Introduction to Accounting-Part 1 Basics of Financial Statements
Via Indian Institute of Management Bangalore
PGDM Online
Via IMI, Delhi
Certificate Program in Product Management
Via Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
Udemy
 703 courses
Edx
 467 courses
Swayam
 236 courses
Emeritus
 231 courses
Explore Top Universities Across Globe
University of Essex, Colchester
Wivenhoe Park Colchester CO4 3SQ
Oxford Brookes University, Oxford
Headington Campus Oxford OX3 0BP UK
Northumbria University, Newcastle City Campus
Sutherland Building, Northumberland Road, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 8ST
Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff
Llandaff Campus, Western Avenue, Cardiff, CF5 2YB
University of Reading, Reading
Whiteknights PO Box 217 Reading Berkshire RG6 6AH
Bristol Baptist College, Bristol
The Promenade, Clifton Down, Bristol BS8 3NJ

Questions related to CAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CAT ?

Hi there,

You have to apply separately for each symbiosis college, like SIBM Pune, as they as not automatically included. The CAT form automatically includes many IIMs, but the SNAP exam is a separate test that is given for admission to Symbiosis Institute, which requires its own separate application and fee.

Hope it helps!!!

Toppers usually study 3–6 focused hours a day, but it’s not just about time — it’s about smart preparation and consistency. Focus on quality practice, regular mocks, and targeted revision.

Check this complete guide to learn how toppers plan their day and reach 99 percentile: Read Now

Hello,

To get admitted to the Institute of Management Studies (IMS), BHU, for an MBA in 2026, you must clear the CAT entrance exam. For that you need to fill out the application form of the CAT in August 2026, which you can get on the Official CAT website

I hope it will clear your query!!

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.