IIM Bangalore PGP 2027–29 Selection Criteria: What CAT 2026 Aspirants Need to Know
IIM Bangalore has released the PGP 2027–29 admission criteria. The selection process has two major stages: a CAT-based first shortlist and Pre-PI evaluation, followed by WAT and PI.
Here’s the complete breakdown, with the key takeaways for aspirants.
1. Eligibility
Candidates need:
- A bachelor's degree in any discipline with 50% marks or equivalent CGPA
- 45% for SC, ST and PwD candidates
- OR a completed CA/CS/ICWA(CMA)/FIAI professional degree
- A valid CAT score at the time of application
Candidates who completed CA/ICWA/CS after Class 12, without a bachelor's degree, are also eligible subject to the same minimum percentage requirement.
2. Stage I: CAT First Shortlist
IIMB first shortlists candidates based on minimum performance across all three CAT sections.
Candidates must have a positive raw score in every section. The document provides the following cutoffs used for the 2026–28 batch based on CAT 2025:
| Category | VARC | DILR | QA | Overall |
| General | 80 | 75 | 75 | 85 |
| NC-OBC | 70 | 65 | 65 | 75 |
| EWS | 70 | 65 | 65 | 75 |
| SC | 65 | 60 | 60 | 70 |
| ST | 55 | 55 | 55 | 65 |
| PwD | 50 | 50 | 50 | 60 |
Important: These are not confirmed CAT 2026 cutoffs. IIMB says these were the cutoffs used for the previous batch, and candidates actually called for interviews had higher scores.
What this means
Don't target the minimum cutoff as your preparation benchmark. Also, a positive raw score in every CAT section is mandatory for consideration.
3. Pre-PI Score: CAT Has 55% Weight
For shortlisted candidates, IIMB calculates a 100-point Pre-PI score:
| Component | Weight |
| CAT | 55 |
| Class 10 | 10 |
| Class 12 | 10 |
| Bachelor's | 10 |
| Work Experience / Professional Course | 10 |
| Gender Diversity | 5 |
| Total | 100 |
The 55 CAT points are split into:
| Section | Weight |
| VARC | 19 |
| DILR | 21 |
| QA | 15 |
Gender diversity is considered only at the Pre-PI stage.
What this means
CAT is the biggest component before the interview, with DILR carrying the highest sectional weight.
4. Academics: 30 Points at Pre-PI
Class 10, Class 12 and bachelor's scores each carry 10 points.
IIMB standardizes these scores. The standardized score is calculated from the candidate's raw score, mean and standard deviation and is capped between 0 and the applicable weight.
What this means: Your academic profile matters significantly, but there isn't a simple fixed table such as "90% = X points." The final academic score depends on the standardization process.
5. Work Experience & Professional Courses
For work experience up to July 2026:
0 < x < 36 months:
10x/36
36+ months:
10 points
Internships, apprenticeships/articleships required as part of professional courses and unpaid work are not counted.
Candidates with CA, ICWA or CS can receive weightage based on their completed Final-year professional-course scores. If a candidate has both professional qualification and work experience, the higher of the two scores is considered.
What this means
Work experience helps up to three years, but more experience alone does not guarantee a stronger final score, because quality of experience is evaluated later.
6. Top 10 Candidates Get an Automatic PI Opportunity
The top 10 candidates in each of these categories automatically qualify for PI:
- Total CAT score
- Adjusted bachelor's score for Commerce, Arts and Science disciplines
- Professional-course score for CA/ICWA/CS
They are then evaluated like all other candidates.
7. Stage II: WAT + PI
Shortlisted candidates appear for:
- Personal Interview
- Written Ability Test
Both take place on the same day and at the same location.
The WAT is approximately 30 minutes and is evaluated on the content and style of the written note.
8. Final Selection: PI Carries 40%
The Post-PI score is:
| Component | Weight |
| PI | 40 |
| WAT | 10 |
| CAT | 25 |
| Class 10 | 5 |
| Class 12 | 5 |
| Bachelor's | 5 |
| Work Experience / Professional Course | 10 |
| Total | 100 |
The 25 CAT points are split into:
| Section | Weight |
| VARC | 8.75 |
| DILR | 10 |
| QA | 6.25 |
Final offers are made strictly based on the Post-PI score within each category.
What this means
CAT's weight drops from 55 points at Pre-PI to 25 points at the final stage, while PI becomes the largest single component at 40%.
So CAT gets you into the process, but PI performance can significantly change your final position.
9. Work Experience Is Re-Evaluated After PI
At the final stage, the work-experience weight is scaled from 10 to 5.
It is then multiplied by a quality-of-experience score given by each interview-panel member on a scale of:
0.25, 0.5, 1, 1.5 or 2
The average quality score is used to calculate the revised work-experience score.
What this means
For experienced candidates, IIMB looks at both duration and quality of experience at the final stage.
IIM Bangalore PGP 2027–29: What Aspirants Should Take Away
For CAT 2026: Focus on all three sections, not just overall percentile. IIMB gives 21/55 Pre-PI points to DILR, 19 to VARC and 15 to QA.
For academics: Class 10, 12 and graduation collectively account for 30% of Pre-PI and 15% of the final score.
For work-ex candidates: Experience is rewarded up to 36 months, but its quality is assessed during PI.
For freshers: Lack of work experience does not automatically exclude you; CAT and academic performance make up a substantial part of the score.
For interview preparation: PI carries 40% of the final score, making it the most heavily weighted component at the final stage.
For CAT cutoffs: The PDF does not publish CAT 2026 cutoffs for the 2027–29 batch. The available table is from the previous 2026–28 admission cycle, based on CAT 2025.
IIMB also states that the information in this document applies specifically to the 2027–29 admission cycle and may change in future admission cycles.