IIM Ahmedabad changes MBA admission policy for 2027-29, CAT criteria revised

IIM Ahmedabad has revised its admission policy for the 2027-29 PGP batch, changing how candidates are shortlisted for the AWT and PI. The new process gives CAT 2026 a 65 per cent weightage while also factoring in academics, discipline, work experience and gender diversity.The revised policy also introduces discipline-wise normalisation of the composite scoreNew Delhi,Oct 7, 2026 11:14 ISTIIM Ahmedabad has revised its admission policy for the PGP 2027-29 batch, changing how the Common Admission Test (CAT) performance, academic records and other profile factors will be used to shortlist candidates for the Analytical Writing Test (AWT) and Personal Interview (PI).According to the institute's latest admission policy, CAT 2026 total percentile will carry 65 per cent weightage in the raw composite score, while the remaining 35 per cent will come from the normalised Application Rating (AR).The revised policy also introduces discipline-wise normalisation of the composite score, making a candidate's undergraduate field of study an important part of the shortlisting process.IIM AHMEDABAD MBA ADMISSION: NEW CHANGESCAT 2026 percentile: 65% of the raw composite scoreApplication Rating: 35%CAT metric: Total CAT 2026 percentileAR considers: Class 10, Class 12, undergraduate marks, gender and full-time work experienceNew normalisation: Composite scores will be normalised within the candidate's undergraduate disciplineGeneral/EWS CAT cutoff: 95 overall, 85 sectionalNC-OBC cutoff: 90 overall, 80 sectionalSC cutoff: 85 overall, 75 sectionalST cutoff: 75 overall, 65 sectionalFinal selection: 50% PI, 10% AWT and 40% normalised composite scoreCAT PERCENTILE TO PLAY KEY ROLEIIMA will first calculate an applicant's raw Application Rating using scores for Class 10, Class 12, bachelor's degree, work experience and gender diversity. The raw AR will then be normalised using the average of the top 50 AR scores in the applicant pool. This normalised AR will account for 35 per cent of the raw composite score.The remaining 65 per cent will come from the candidate's total CAT 2026 percentile. IIMA's formula is: Raw Composite Score = 0.35 Normalised Application Rating + 0.65 CAT total percentileUNDERGRADUATE DISCIPLINE GETS A NEW ROLEAfter calculating the raw composite score, IIMA will normalise it within the candidate's undergraduate field of study.The institute has identified disciplines including Engineering and Technology, Computer Science and IT, Commerce, Accounting and Finance, Economics, Mathematics, Management, Law, Arts and Humanities, Medical and Health Sciences, Journalism and Media, and others.The normalised composite score will be calculated by dividing the raw composite score by the average of the top 1 per cent of raw composite scores within that discipline. IIMA will consider a minimum of five and a maximum of 100 scores for this calculation.IIM AHMEDABAD CAT 2026 CUT-OFFFor the 2027-29 PGP batch, the minimum CAT cutoff for General and EWS candidates is 95 percentile overall and 85 percentile in each section.For NC-OBC candidates, the corresponding cutoffs are 90 overall and 80 sectional. For SC candidates, they are 85 overall and 75 sectional, while ST candidates need 75 overall and 65 sectional.PwD candidates have separate qualifying cutoffs.These are minimum qualifying cutoffs and do not guarantee an AWT or PI call. After applying the CAT cutoffs, IIMA will prepare the shortlist while ensuring representation across reservation categories.PI REMAINS THE BIGGEST COMPONENTFor candidates who make it to the AWT and PI stage, IIM Ahmedabad will calculate the Final Composite Score.The PI will carry 50 per cent weightage, followed by the normalised composite score at 40 per cent and the AWT at 10 per cent.IIMA has said that CAT performance remains an important input in the admission process, along with academic performance through the bachelor's level.The shortlist for AWT and PI is expected to be available on the IIMA website by the second week of January 2027, after CAT results are announced.For students targeting IIM Ahmedabad, a strong CAT percentile remains critical, but it will not be the only factor determining the shortlist.Academic performance, undergraduate discipline, work experience and gender diversity will also feed into the composite score. Candidates should therefore look at the revised policy as a combined CAT-and-profile-based selection process, rather than a CAT percentile-only admission formula.- Ends