Top Exams to Get Into IIM: Admission Process, Eligibility, Cutoffs

Exams to get into IIM: Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) are the top institutes for MBA courses in India. Getting into these colleges is tough and requires lots of hard work and dedication. One of the first steps towards your goal of entry into the top IIMs is to gain a higher rank in the CAT exam. There are a total of 21 IIMs in India for students who dream of getting admission to these colleges. 

Some of the top IIMs in the country are IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, the Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode (IIMK), etc. The IIMs mostly offer different programs, such as executive, postgraduate, and doctoral. Every MBA aspirant wants to get admission to these prestigious institutes.

Top Exams to Get into IIM

Various exams are conducted across the world to get into the Institute of Management (IIMs) other than CAT. The other famous exams to get into IIMs are the GMAT, JMET, and GRE. Here is the list of exams, along with the minimum score that is required to get into IIMs.

Exam	Total Score	Minimum Score Requirement
GMAT	800	700 – 740
GRE	340	320 – 330
CAT	198	180 – 198

Eligibility Requirement for Admission in IIMs

The eligibility requirements for IIMs are similar to those for the CAT and should be kept in mind while planning to get admission to IIMs.

1. The minimum percentage required for graduation is different for the categories given below.

Category	Percentage
General and NC–OBC	50%
EWS	50%
SC, ST, and PwD	45%

2. The candidates who are studying in the final year of graduation are also eligible.
3. The candidate must clear the minimum cut-off for participation in the written test/GD and personal interview (PI) rounds.

Also Read: 📃 How to Get into IIM?

Stages for Entry in Top IIMs

There are three stages of selection to get entry into the top IIMs. 

• The first stage is to clear the CAT exam, which is conducted by the Indian Institute of Management (IIMs) every year. After the result of the CAT exam is announced, the candidate gets shortlisted based on the cut-off. The candidate who clears the cut-off and, based on a composite score, gets qualified for the next round.exam
• In the second stage, the candidate is called for the written test(WAT)/GD and personal interview (PI). The interview is taken by faculty, ex-faculty, or alumni of top IIMs to check the interpersonal and soft skills of the candidates. The written ability test is conducted to test the writing skills and comprehension abilities of the candidates. However, group discussion is only conducted by IIM Shillong in the second stage of the process.
• The final selection is based on the marks obtained at different stages of the CAT exam and the marks based on academic performance and work experience. Based on all final scores, candidates are provided with the selection.

Cutoffs of IIMs for Admission Process

The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) has a qualifying criteria for admission that can be attained by getting the required cut-off. The percentile cutoffs of different IIMs for the CAT exam are

Indian Institute of Management(IIMs)	Qualifying Cut-off for 2021	Expected Cut-off
IIM Bangalore	85	99-100
IIM Ahmedabad	80	99-100
IIM Calcutta	85	98-99
IIM Lucknow	90	97-99
IIM Indore	90	97-98
IIM Kozhikode	85	97-98
IIM Shillong	75	90
IIM Udaipur	92	92-94
IIM Rohtak	95	96-97
IIM Visakhapatnam	80	94-95
IIM Trichy	93	94-95
IIM Bodh Gaya	92	94-95
IIM Nagpur	85	94-95
IIM Jammu	90	94-95
IIM Kashipur	92	94-95
IIM Sambalpur	92	95-96
IIM Sirmaur	92	94-95
IIM Amritsar	85	95-96
IIM Ranchi	92	94-95
IIM Raipur	92	94-95

The candidates who make it to the final list for the CAT exam will get notifications through email. Confirmation of admission is crucial, which can be done by filling out the offer acceptance form and paying the admission acceptance fee. If somebody fails to pay the fees in the given time, then the offer is given to the next-best candidate. IIMs also provide the provision to defer admission, allowing the candidate to gain some experience before entering the PGP course for up to two years.

Common Admission Process(CAP)

The Indian Institutes of Management that are older follow their own criteria for the admission process. However, there are a total of nine new IIMs that have a common criteria for selection called the Common Admission Process (CAP). The nine IIMs that are included in the list are

1. IIM Udaipur
2. IIM Kashipur
3. IIM Trichy
4. IIM Raipur
5. IIM Bodh Gaya
6. IIM Jammu
7. IIM Ranchi
8. IIM Sambalpur
9. IIM Sirmaur.
10. IIM Nagpur

IIM Rohtak was also a part of the CAP, but it withdrew in 2020. In 2023, IIM Udaipur got the opportunity to conduct CAP. The latest inclusion in the list of CAPs is IIM Nagpur in 2024. There is no writing ability test (WAT) in CAP as it only includes a personal interview (PI). After the conclusion of the CAP final processes, there is an independent admission offer by the Indian Institute of Management (IIMs).

Preparation Tips for the CAT Exam

A candidate requires a basic understanding of the subjects, such as English and math, along with a proper revision from time to time for clearing the CAT exam. Solve the exercises related to the syllabus that include the applications of different subjects. Always make notes on the subjects you are studying with a proper timetable. Practice the topics that have a high weightage in the exam, such as algebra, arithmetic, quantitative numbers, and reading comprehension, from the start. 

Practice the sectional test every week for solid preparation and understanding of the exam. Test the preparations by giving proper mock tests and sample papers. Studying by following a proper plan and understanding different subjects can help the student clear the CAT exam.

Explore more about the CAT exam here

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