IIM Bangalore Selection Criteria 2025-27: CAT Cutoff, Weightage for GD, PI, and WAT

The IIM Bangalore admission/selection criteria for the 2025-27 batch of the MBA program are the same as those for the 2024-26 batch if you are hoping to be admitted. To be eligible for the Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI), aspirants in the General category must have a minimum CAT 2024 cutoff score of 85 percentile. The IIMB selection process gives you 25 marks for your CAT 2024 score, 40 marks for PI, and 10 marks for WAT. Shortlisting for the WAT-PI round will commence in January 2025 (tentatively), through CAT 2024 cutoffs . Then, if shortlisted, you will be required to fill up an online form for the confirmation of participation. The PI call result will be published on the official website of IIM Bangalore . This guide details the admission process for the full-time MBA program.

Also Read:

CAT Score vs Percentile	IIM CAT Cutoff
What is a Good Percentile in CAT 2024?	Colleges to Apply Before CAT

IIM Bangalore Selection 2025-27 Important Dates

The most important dates for the IIM Bangalore MBA selection process 2025-27 have been provided below.

Also Read: CAT Reservation Policy at IIMs

IIM Bangalore Selection Criteria for 2025-27

The most significant points regarding the IIM Bangalore selection criteria 2025 have been provided below:

• Your CAT score plays a significant role in the IIM Bangalore selection process, influencing both the Pre-PI (55%) and Post-PI (25%) calculations. The eligibility criteria include scoring at least 85% of the overall percentile in CAT 2024 and scoring a minimum of 80% in all three sections: DILR, VARC, and QA for the three different shortlisting phases.
• Your academic performance also carries significant weight, accounting for 30% of the total marks. These are divided equally across your scores in the 10th, 12th, and graduation. Being outstanding in at least two of these categories can significantly increase your chances of getting shortlisted.
• The Personal Interview (PI) constitutes 40% of the final admission criteria while the Written Ability Test (WAT) stands at 10%. Work Experience is also to be considered along with 10% marks which are awarded equally in both, the Pre-PI and Post-PI stages but after PI; the quality of work experience is checked for awarding marks.
• Gender diversity points, worth 5%, form part of shortlisting at the interview stage but would not be relevant in making final admission decisions.
• Women will have a modest advantage in the admissions process, but only at the pre-PI shortlisting stage. Academic diversity is still given no weightage.

Phase-wise IIM Bangalore Selection Criteria 2025

IIM Bangalore assesses candidates through a comprehensive evaluation process that takes into account their previous academic performance, Common Admission Test (CAT) score, performance in personal interviews, and prior work experience. To gauge their admission prospects at IIM Bangalore, candidates can review the CAT exam analysis 2024 and CAT Cutoff 2024.

IIMB follows a two-phase selection process for its PGP program. In the initial phase, all eligible candidates who take the CAT 2024 exam are assessed to determine those invited for a personal interview (PI). Selected candidates undergo a Writing Ability Test (WAT) during the PI process, addressing a topic provided by IIMB. The interview panel evaluates aspects such as academic background, work experience quality, and personal traits. The WAT submissions are independently assessed. In the second and final phase, the cumulative scores of the WAT, interview, and pre-PI scores, each assigned appropriate weightages, are used to make the ultimate selection of candidates for the program. The selection criteria for IIM Bangalore 2025 intakes are:

• Phase 1: Candidates will be shortlisted for PI-WAT rounds.
• Phase 2: WAT and PI rounds
• Phase 3: Final Merit List of Selected candidates will be declared.

Also Read: IIM Ahmedabad Admission/ Selection Criteria 2025-27

IIM Bangalore Selection Phase 1 (Shortlisting for WAT/PI)

The shortlisting process for the WAT-PI rounds will be the first step in the IIM Bangalore admission process in 2025. An online form must be submitted to IIM Bangalore's shortlisting process to confirm participation in WAT/PI and participation via video conferencing.

How to Apply for IIM Bangalore PI Shortlisting 2025

Candidates may apply for PI shortlisting by following the instructions provided below if they picked IIM Bangalore as their preferred institute on their CAT 2024 application form:

1. Visit the IIM Bangalore official website.
2. Go to the 'Admissions' tab
3. Click on 'PGP 2025 Call for Interview Shortlist'
4. Enter the necessary details including the CAT 2024 application number and email address.
5. Fill out the form and submit it.

Candidates who are selected for the WAT-PI rounds will be informed via email.

Selection Criteria 2025 for WAT and PI

Candidates who wish to seek admission at IIM Bangalore need to meet the shortlisting criteria for the Written Ability Test and Personal Interview rounds. For the WAT-PI round, candidates will be chosen based on the criteria listed in the table below:

Parameter	Weightage
CAT Score*	55%
10th Board	10%
12th Board	10%
Bachelor’s Degree Marks	10%
Gender Diversity	5%
Work Experience/ Professional Course	10%

*The 55% of CAT weightage includes 19% for VARC, 21% for DILR and 15% for QA.

Note: It is important to note that IIM Bangalore places a strong emphasis on consistency and excellence in academics and across all other parameters.

IIM Bangalore Selection Phase 2 (Criteria for WAT and PI)

Candidates who are shortlisted are called for the Phase 1 round of selection which includes the Personal Interview (PI) and the Writing Ability Test (WAT) where the candidate is given about 30 minutes to write on the topic given by the institute. The following are the minimum cutoff requirements of IIM Bangalore:

Category	Minimum ​Percentile Required for 1st Shortlist
	VARC	DILR	QA	Overall
General	80	75	75	85
NC OBC	75	65	65	75
SC	65	60	60	70
ST	55	55	55	65
EWS	70	65	65	75
PWD	50	50	50	60

Note: The normalized or standardized scores of a candidate in all these components are considered for the evaluation process.
In the initial shortlist, candidates possessing certifications in Chartered Accountancy, Cost Accounting, and Company Secretary are eligible for additional weightage under the professional course category. However, no other professional courses qualify for such consideration. The professional course score is standardized for all candidates in the initial shortlist. To ensure fair evaluation, the average, standard deviation, and adjusted scores are computed by taking into account the scores (final as applicable) of all applicants with professional qualifications in the initial shortlist for normalization.

Evaluation of Personal Interview

The panel taking the Personal Interview of a candidate assesses applicants based on their level of motivation, ability to fit in with the group, and potential benefits from PGP. It will be necessary for all applicants to submit two confidential reference letters, either from their employment or from professors at the universities they attended.

Evaluation of Personal Interview

During the Personal Interview, candidates are evaluated based on their motivation, ability to fit into the group, and the potential benefits they can derive from the PGP program. All applicants are required to submit two confidential reference letters, either from their employment or professors at their attended universities.

Evaluation of Written Ability Test

The assessment of the Written Ability Test (WAT) in the selection process at IIMs focuses solely on the candidates' essays. The evaluation considers both the content and writing style of the candidates.

Performance in 10th and 12th Board Exams

Candidates' marks in the 10th and 12th board exams are normalized by dividing the marks by the 90th percentile score obtained by the candidate in that board. The 90th percentile score is determined by evaluating the databases of 10th and 12th board marks of candidates from the last two years.

Performance in Graduation

The final scores obtained in graduation are considered. For candidates currently pursuing graduation, marks obtained until the final year are taken into account.

Professional Course Criteria

Candidates with Chartered Accountants, Cost Accountants, or Company Secretary Certificates are given a specific privilege in the selection process. No other professional courses are eligible for these criteria.

Evaluation of Work Experience

A pre-PI score for work experience is calculated using the equation:

Work Experience = 8x/36; if 0 < x < 36

OR

Work Experience = 8 if x > 36, where x represents the months worked up to the exam notification.

The upper limit of work experience is capped at 36 months. The maximum pre-PI stage score for work experience is 8, further multiplied by the score given for the quality of work experience, which is assessed on a 5-point scale (0.25, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2) by interviewers in the Personal Interview round during Phase 2 to determine the weighted work experience score.

Also Read:

Steps to Follow for Admission to Top MBA Colleges	List of Courses in IIMs

IIM Bangalore CAT 2024 Sectional Weightage

The sectional weightage of CAT 2024 for IIM Bangalore selection is given below:

CAT 2024 Sections	Weightage
Quantitative Aptitude (QA)	19
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)	21
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)	15
Total	55

The maximum scores for work experience and professional courses are considered. A common weightage of 10 has been set for work experience or professional courses. The advantages of both work experience and professional courses are not given together to one candidate. A candidate can either benefit from work experience or a professional course as per the above-mentioned weightage out of 10.

Work Experience* Score Calculation
Component	Score
Experience between 0 to 36 months (X)	10X/36
Experience greater than and equal to 36 months	10
*For work experience in months up to July 2024.

NOTE: Out of the candidates shortlisted based on the CAT scores, the top 10 students don’t have to appear for WAT and they directly qualify for PI based on their excellent performance in the following fields:

• Total score in CAT

• Adjusted Bachelors score (Commerce/Science/Arts)

• Performance in Professional Course (CA/ICWA/CS)

However, these candidates go through the regular selection process in Phase 2.

Also Read: One-year Executive MBA vs Two-year Full-time MBA

IIM Bangalore Final Selection (Phase 3)

Check out the final selection criteria and sectional weightage for IIM Bangalore:

Parameter	Weightage
Personal Interview	40%
WAT	10%
CAT score*	25%
10th Board	5%
12th Board	5%
Bachelor’s Degree	5%
Work Experience/ Professional Course	10%

*The 25% of CAT weightage includes 8.75% for VARC, 10% for DILR and 6.75% for QA.

• The assessment of the Written Ability Test (WAT) hinges on both the content and writing style of the candidate. Each interviewer conducts a comprehensive evaluation to determine the candidate's suitability for the program. In the WAT, the content score holds a weight of 7.5, and the content style is also assigned a score of 7.5.
• Candidates are mandated to provide three confidential reference letters from either faculty or employers, which play a crucial role in the Personal Interview (PI) evaluation. The scores from all interviewers in the PI are averaged, while the scores for WAT by each interviewer are independently considered. The PI is assigned a weight of 30.
• The interview panel factors in the work experience score, multiplied by the quality of work experience, to assess the relevance of a candidate's professional background. Each interviewer rates work experience on a scale of 5, and the average of these scores is multiplied by the pre-PI work experience score to determine the weighted work experience score.
• The scores attained in this phase, along with considerations such as gender diversity, undergo standardization to derive an aggregate score. Admission offers are extended based strictly on the ranks secured within each category determined by this comprehensive score.

Candidates qualifying in both phases will be shortlisted for admission to IIM Bangalore. Candidates will have the time to complete the admission process. Candidates must appear for all the stages and qualify to be considered for the shortlisting.

Related Links:

List of Top IIMs in India 2024	Written Ability Test (WAT) for IIMs and Other Top MBA Colleges
MBA Colleges Without Sectional Cutoff	IIM Eligibility Cut Off vs IIM Call Cut Off

If you still have any doubts or queries about the IIM Bangalore selection criteria, you can ask our experts on the CollegeDekho QnA Zone . Candidates may fill out the Common Application Form (CAF) to clear doubts related to the admission process. Stay tuned to CollegeDekho for all the latest updates!