IIM Ahmedabad raises CAT cut-off 2025, tightens selection criteria for MBA, PGP admissions 2026

The Common Admission Test (CAT 2025) just got tougher for IIM Ahmedabad aspirants, with the institute raising its CAT 2025 cut-off significantly for all categories for the 2026-28 batch. General category candidates will now need 95 percentile overall and 85 in each section, compared to 80 and 70 in the previous admission cycle.

Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM Ahmedabad) will follow the same two-step selection process to admit students to its postgraduate programme in management (PGP) - but with tightened selection criteria for CAT aspirants in the first stage.

In stage 1, candidates will be shortlisted for the Written Ability Test (WAT) and personal interview (PI) based on the scores obtained in CAT 2025. But the CAT scores are not the only factor. The overall score is calculated using a composite score (SC), combining 65% of CAT performance with 35% application rating (AR).

Application rating is done by calculating by evaluating the academic record of Class 10, 12, graduation, work experience, and gender diversity. However, each component carries a different weightage.

In stage 2, the final selection is done by calculating the candidate's performance in the interview, WAT, CAT overall score and AR. The institute has not changed the weightage for the final selection. It has maintained the highest 50% weightage for the interview, followed by 25% for CAT overall score, 10% goes for WAT scores, and 15% for application rating, which includes academic performance, work experience, and gender diversity.

Also read IIM admissions 2025 go beyond CAT cut-offs; how top B-schools weigh your scores, academics, work experience

IIM Ahmedabad CAT 2025 cut-off rises

IIM Kozhikode will be conducting the CAT 2025 exam. The question paper will have three sections - quantitative ability (QA), data interpretation and logical reasoning (DILR), and verbal ability and reading comprehension (VARC). The CAT 2025 exam will be conducted on November 30 in three sessions.

Candidates will have to score a minimum cut-off percentile set by IIM Ahmedabad to qualify for the first stage of selection.

While general category candidates have to score 95 overall and 85 in each section, the CAT cut-off for OBC category has gone up from 75 to 90. SC candidates now need 85 compared to last year’s 70 and ST will have to secure 75 overall instead of 60.

IIM-A MBA 2025: Application rating

Candidates are grouped into academic categories to ensure representation across disciplines. The performance of applicants is rated separately for Class 10, 12, graduation on a scale of 10 based on the stream – science, arts, commerce, and humanities – opted by them.

Application Rating Score: AR= (A+B+C+D+E) Normalised AR score of an applicant is equal to their AR score divided by average of the top 50 AR scores from the applicants’ pool, (the applicants’ pool in this case being defined as the group of candidates who appear for CAT-2025 and apply to IIMA.)

The score points for work experience will be based on the number of years of service.

IIM Ahmedabad CAT final selection 2025

The final selection of candidates for the PGP programme in IIM Ahmedabad will be based on their ‘Final Composite Score’s (FCS). “The numbers selected in different reservation categories will be in proportions mandated by law,” it said.

The final score of a candidate appearing in the WAT and PI will be computed as follows:

“The normalised AWT and PI scores of a candidate are their scores in the respective field divided by the average of the top 1% scores in the same field respectively,” the institute clarified.

The formula to calculate the final score of PGP at IIM Ahmedabad is: FCS = PIF * Normalised PI Score + AWTF * Normalised AWT Score + CATF_FCS * Normalised CAT Score + ARF_FCS * Normalised AR Score