IIM Bangalore Selection Criteria 2019 - IIM B Reduces Minimum CAT Percentile Cut-Offs

2. IIM Bangalore continues to be one of only two IIMs (the other being IIM Indore) that gives more weight to a candidate's academic profile than their CAT scores. In 2019, IIM Bangalore has assigned 40% weight to CAT 2019 scores, and 50% weight to candidates' academic profiles while computing the composite score (CS) for WAT-PI shortlist.

3. With regard to CAT 2019 scores, IIM Bangalore has defined the different sectional weights within the 40% weight that CAT 2019 scores carry in the overall composite score. VA-RC scores carry a weight of 35%, DI-LR scores carry a weight of 40%, while QA scores carry a weight of 25% within the overall CAT 2019 score. In the overall composite score, VA-RC scores carry a weight of 14%, DI-LR scores carry a weight of 16%, and QA scores carry a weight of 10%.

4. Working professionals have an advantage over freshers in IIM Bangalore's WAT-PI shortlisting process, with working professionals scoring a minimum of 0.22 points and a maximum of 8 points extra over freshers. Work experience will also be evaluated in Phase 2, i.e., the final shortlisting for IIM B's PGP programme.

5. IIM Bangalore continues to push for gender diversity, with the gender diversity factor carrying 2% of the total weight in Phase 1 of the selection process, however, academic diversity has not been given any additional points.

Also read - IIM Lucknow's Latest Selection Criteria For 2019!

IIM Bangalore Selection Criteria 2019 - Overview

IIM Bangalore's selection process is split into two phases. Phase 1 is the Writing Ability Test and Personal Interview round, for which candidates are shortlisted by computing a weighted composite score that takes into account the candidates' 10th, 12th and graduation marks, as well as their work experience (if applicable), and CAT 2019 scores.

Phase 2, or the Final Selection round for IIM Bangalore's 2-year PGP programme, shortlists candidates based on their CAT 2019 scores, 10th, 12th and graduation marks, as well as the quality of their work experience.

Also read - IIM Calcutta's New Selection Criteria For 2019!

IIM Bangalore Selection Criteria 2019 - Phase 1

Minimum CAT 2019 Percentile Cut-Offs For IIM Bangalore

In order to even be considered for the shortlisting process for IIM Bangalore's WAT-PI round, candidates must meet the minimum sectional and overall CAT percentile cut-offs set by the institute. Please bear in mind that these are cut-offs used for preparing the first short-list. The scores of those called for interviews were higher. 

The following are the minimum sectional and overall CAT cut-offs that were set by IIM Bangalore for the PGP Class of 2021:

IIM Bangalore Selection Criteria 2019 | Minimum CAT Percentile Cut-Offs
	Section
Category	Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VA-RC)	Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DI-LR)	Quantitative Ability (QA)	Overall (OA)
General	80	75	75	85
NC-OBC	70	65	65	75
SC	65	60	60	70
ST	55	55	55	65
PwD	50	50	50	60

Note - Simply meeting the minimum sectional and overall CAT percentile cut-offs set by IIM Bangalore is not a guarantee of getting a WAT-PI shortlist call from the institute. IIM Bangalore computes composite scores by assigning weights to candidates' academic profile and CAT scores. In 2019, only 40% of the total weight is for a candidate's CAT 2019 scores, while the rest of the weight is for the candidate's profile. Therefore, a higher CAT 2019 score, as well as an above-average profile, will be important to obtain a WAT-PI shortlist call for admission to the PGP batch of 2020-2022.

Calculation of Composite Score (CS)

IIM Bangalore computes a weighted composite score based on the candidate's 10th marks, 12th marks, graduation marks, work experience, gender diversity and CAT 2019 scores. The following are the weights assigned to each of the components:

IIM Bangalore Selection Criteria 2019 WAT-PI Shortlisting Criteria For PGP Batch of 2020-2022
Component	Weight
CAT 2019 Score	40
10th Marks	20
12th Marks	10
Graduation Marks	20
Work Experience	8
Gender Diversity Factor	2
Total	100

Within the component 'CAT 2019', the following is the distribution of weights across the three sections of CAT:

IIM Bangalore Selection Criteria 2019 - WAT-PI Shortlisting Criteria For PGP Batch of 2020-2022
CAT Section	Weight	Points (Out of 40)
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension	35%	14
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning	40%	16
Quantitative Ability	25%	10
Total	100%	40

Work experience is calculated till 31st July 2019 and scores for work experience is computed as:

Pre Personal-Interview score for Work Experience = 8x/36 only if 0 < x < 36 = 8 if x ≥ 36. 

In simpler terms, candidates with no work experience get zero points, while those with 36 or more months of work experience get a maximum of 8 points.

Candidates' percentage scores in the 10th and 12th board exams are initially adjusted by dividing each such score by the 90th percentile score obtained in that board. The database of 10th and 12th scores of all CAT applicants of the past two years is used for identifying the 90th percentile score for each 10th and 12th board for this purpose.

Note - For all candidates in the first shortlist (based on minimum CAT 2019 percentile cut-offs), the top-10 candidates in each of the following - total score in CAT 2019, adjusted Bachelors’score (Commerce, Arts, and Science disciplines), and Professional (CA/ ICWA/ CS), from the first shortlist automatically qualify for PI. These candidates are given a chance to appear for PI due to their exceptional performance in these categories. However, at the end of Phase 2, all such candidates must merit selection based on the composite aggregate score, like any other candidate.

IIM Bangalore Selection Criteria 2019 - Phase 2

In Phase 2, candidates will be shortlisted for the PGP Class of 2022 based on a weighted composite score that is calculated by taking into account a candidate's quality of work experience, CAT 2019 scores, 10th marks, 12th marks, and graduation marks. The following are the weights assigned to the various components:

IIM Bangalore Selection Criteria 2019 - Final Selection Criteria For PGP Batch of 2020-2022
Component	Weight
Writing Ability Test (WAT)	10
Personal Interview (PI)	30
CAT 2019 Score	25
10th Marks	10
12th Marks	5
Graduation Marks	10
Work Experience	10
Total	100

An important point to keep in mind is that at this stage, the admissions panel at IIM Bangalore will evaluate candidates' quality of work experience.

"The work experience score will be multiplied by the quality of experience score, as evaluated by the interviewing panel as an assessment of the relevance of the work experience to the programme. The quality of work experience score will be evaluated on a 5 point scale (0.25 - 0.5 - 1 - 1.5 - 2) by each member of the panel during the interviews. The average quality of work experience score will be multiplied by the pre-PI work experience score and accordingly, the work/professional experience component score used in Phase 1 will be revised to arrive at a weighted work experience score."

Read the latest selection criteria on the institute's official website for more details on the work experience selection criterion, WAT-PI selection process, and grading methodology.

Also read - IIM Ahmedabad's Latest Selection Criteria For 2019