- IIMs run two stages: a shortlist for the written test and interview, then a final merit list that adds the interview and written test.
- Shortlisting starts with overall and sectional CAT floors, then ranks candidates on CAT plus a profile score (academics, work experience, diversity).
- In the 2026-28 and 2027-29 policies we hold, CAT is worth 25 to 65 of 100 final points and the interview 15 to 50, depending on the IIM.
- Weights change by cycle and by IIM, so read the policy for your batch instead of a copied table.
IIM shortlisting criteria work in two steps. First, your CAT percentile must clear an overall and a sectional floor, and a score that adds your profile (academics, work experience, diversity) decides who is called for the written test and interview. Second, a final merit list adds the interview and the written test to that earlier score. Every IIM sets its own weights, and they change by cycle.
This post explains what each stage rewards, why published weight tables disagree and which numbers to copy from an IIM's own policy. The weights quoted here come from the policies in this site's records, with the cycle named beside each. As of 6 Nov 2026, those records hold 2027-29 policies for IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Calcutta only, and CAT 2026 is on 29 Nov 2026.
What are the two stages of IIM shortlisting?
Stage one is the shortlist. Applicants must clear overall and sectional CAT percentile floors, which differ by category. IIM Ahmedabad's 2027-29 domestic shortlisting uses CAT 2026 minimum percentiles of 95 overall and 85 in each section for General and EWS candidates. Those who clear the floors are ranked on a composite score, and the top of that list is called for the written test and interview.
Stage two is the final merit list. The interview and written test are scored and combined with the earlier score, and offers follow in order of this final score, category by category. For 2027-29, IIM Ahmedabad's policy gives tentative dates of the second week of January 2027 for the shortlist and the second week of April 2027 for offers.
IIM shortlisting criteria: what goes into the score?
A shortlist score is built from a few kinds of items. Which ones appear, and how many points each gets, is the policy's choice.
- CAT: the overall percentile or score, plus sectional cut-offs.
- Academics: Class 10, Class 12 and graduation marks. IIM Bangalore's 2026-28 pre-interview score gives CAT 55 and gives Class 10, Class 12 and the bachelor's degree 10 each.
- Work experience: months of full-time work, usually capped and counted up to a stated date.
- Diversity: gender and academic background, as separate points or a combined block.
- Other items: for example a resume score (IIM Kozhikode, 2026-28) or marks for a professional qualification such as CA or CS (IIM Kashipur, 2026-28).
Why is every IIM's formula different?
Each IIM issues its own admission policy. The table lists final-stage weights as published, out of 100.
| IIM | Cycle | Final-stage weights as listed |
|---|---|---|
| IIM Ahmedabad | 2027-29 | PI 50, written test 10, composite score 40 |
| IIM Calcutta | 2027-29 | CAT 30, PI 48, written test 8, work experience 8, academic diversity 6 |
| IIM Bangalore | 2026-28 | Post-interview items listed: PI 40, CAT 25, written test 10 (not the full total) |
| IIM Lucknow | 2026-28 | CAT 30, PI 40, written test 10, academics 10, work experience 5, diversity 5 |
| IIM Kozhikode | 2026-28 | CAT 35, PI 35, written test 20, resume 10 |
| IIM Udaipur | 2026-28 | Normalised CAT 55, PI 25, profile 20 |
| IIM Sambalpur | 2026-28 | CAT 40, PI 25, work experience 20, gender 5, graduation 4, Class 10 3, Class 12 3 |
In this table CAT runs from 25 to 55 points (IIM Ahmedabad folds CAT into its composite), the interview from 25 to 50 and work experience from 5 to 20. Units differ too: IIM Raipur's 2026-28 final score is out of 150, and IIM Jammu's CAT term is 0.42 times the percentile.
Several IIMs share one application process. JAP 2026, for the 2026-28 batch, was run jointly by IIM Kashipur, Raipur, Ranchi and Tiruchirappalli with a common personal interview, yet each sets its own final weights.
How does final selection shift weight toward the interview?
Between stages, the interview goes from not counting at all to a large share at some IIMs and a smaller share at others. At IIM Calcutta (2027-29), shortlisting uses the CAT 2026 score, Class 10 and 12 marks and a gender diversity factor, and the final weights give the interview 48 of 100. At IIM Lucknow (2026-28), CAT carries 60 of 100 in the shortlist composite and 30 in the final score, with the interview at 40. At IIM Ranchi (2026-28), the final merit list gives CAT 65, profile 20 and the interview 15.
- PI weight is 48 of 100, so each normalised PI point is worth 0.48 marks. Ten points add 4.8.
- CAT weight is 30 of 100, so each normalised CAT point is worth 0.30 marks. Ten points add 3.0.
- This assumes both are on a 0 to 100 scale. The policy states how scores are normalised.
Answer: 4.8 marks from the interview against 3.0 from CAT.
A CAT score is still not wasted. It earns the call and keeps a large share of the final score.
Why do published weight tables disagree?
- Cycle: a 2026-28 table is not a 2027-29 table. Several IIMs had not posted a 2027-29 policy by 6 Nov 2026.
- Stage: shortlist weights and final weights are two different tables, and mixing them looks like a contradiction.
- Unit: percent, marks out of 100, marks out of 150, or a formula such as 0.42 times the percentile.
- Meaning of 'profile': it can mean academics only, or academics, work experience, diversity and a resume together.
- Tentative weights: IIM Mumbai's 2026-28 weights were marked tentative in its policy.
Which numbers should you take from an IIM policy PDF?
- The batch and cycle the policy covers (for example 2027-29).
- Overall and sectional percentile floors for your category.
- The shortlist table and the final table, kept separate.
- The unit and the normalisation rule for CAT.
- How 'profile' is defined, and the date up to which work experience is counted. IIM Calcutta counts it up to 31 January 2027.
- Any minimum interview score. IIM Lucknow's 2026-28 policy sets a PI pass mark of 12 out of 40.
Where does the IIM call predictor help, and where does it stop?
The IIM call predictor turns a CAT percentile into a call-chance estimate for IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Calcutta, adjusted for academics, work experience, gender, stream diversity and sectional scores. For General-category candidates at those three IIMs the cutoffs come from disclosed 2026-28 shortlist data, which you can see on the IIM CAT cutoff page. Some reserved-category figures are modelled.
It cannot see your interview or written test, and it cannot know a weight that an IIM has not yet published. Treat its numbers as model estimates for planning, not as a promise of a call.
A worksheet: your profile against three IIMs
Pick three IIMs and fill one row set for each from its policy.
| Row | What to write | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Policy cycle | Batch and year | Title page of the policy |
| Floors | Overall and sectional percentile for your category | Eligibility or shortlisting section |
| Shortlist weights | CAT, academics, work experience, diversity | Stage one table |
| Final weights | CAT, PI, written test, profile | Stage two table |
| Your inputs | Marks, months of experience counted by the stated date | Your documents |
| Minimums | Any pass mark for the interview or a section | Notes under the tables |
Compare the three sheets. A strong CAT score with little experience tends to fit IIMs where CAT and academics carry more. A strong interview and several years of experience tend to fit IIMs where the interview and work experience carry more.