IIM Lucknow Admission: Getting into a prestigious institution like Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Lucknow is a dream for many MBA aspirants. But how does one crack the code and secure a seat in this esteemed institute? In this blog we will have a look on the criteria you need to fulfil for admission and the selection process that is followed from shortlisting till final selection of the candidate.
IIM Lucknow Admission Eligibility Criteria
- For the general PGPM program, the candidate should have completed or should be in final year of graduation for a minimum three year's bachelor's degree in any discipline. The candidate should have secured atleast 50% marks in aggregate or equivalent in his/her graduation from a recognized university.
- For PGP-ABM the candidate must possess a Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Science/ Agricultural Engineering/ Life Sciences/ Engineering/ Technology or allied subjects. Candidates not having these degrees will be required to fill a special form at the time of Personal Interview if selected.
- For PGP-SM the candidate must hold atleast 2 years of work experience in addition to a graduation degree with 50% marks.
IIM Lucknow Admission Process (2025-2027)
- To be eligible for admission at IIM Lucknow, the candidate must possess a minimum of 3 years bachelor's degree in any discipline with a minimum percentage or CGPA of 50% aggregate score.
- Additionally , candidate needs to appear and qualify the Common Admission Test (CAT). Only the candidates who meet the minimum cutoff score, both overall and section-wise will be considered for further stages. The table below shows the minimum percentile for each category for all the three MBA courses
| Minimum Sectional and Total Cut-off Percentile for Shortlisting for WAT- PI Stage | ||||||||||||
| Category | MBA | MBA-ABM | MBA-SM | |||||||||
| VARC | DILR | QA | Total | VARC | DILR | QA | Total | VARC | DILR | QA | Total | |
| General | 85 | 85 | 85 | 90 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 85 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 85 |
| EWS | 77 | 77 | 77 | 82 | 72 | 72 | 72 | 77 | 72 | 72 | 72 | 77 |
| NC-OBC | 77 | 77 | 77 | 82 | 72 | 72 | 72 | 77 | 72 | 72 | 72 | 77 |
| SC | 55 | 55 | 55 | 65 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 65 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 60 |
| ST | 50 | 50 | 50 | 60 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 55 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 55 |
| PWD | 50 | 50 | 50 | 60 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 55 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 55 |
VARC=Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension; DILR=Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning; QA=Quantitative Ability
For MBA-SM, minimum work experience of 24 months is an additional criteria.
Also Read, IIM Lucknow Batch Profile
IIM Lucknow Selection Process 2025-2027
MBA offered by IIM-Lucknow is a post graduate level two year residential program designed to help students gain excellent managerial skills and become high level decision makers. The program equips them with specific skills in finance, accounting, marketing and operations. The selection process comprises of two stages- first the initial screening for WAT & PI round and then the final selection based on overall profile, CAT scores, WAT-PI scores and other factors. The two stages are discussed in detail ahead-
Shortlisting for Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI)
CAT score is the first gateway to IIM Lucknow. The aspiring candidates need to excel in this exam which assesses their quantitative, verbal and logical skills. The CAT score is an important component , often acting as initial filter in the selection process. Candidates are required to meet minimum cutoffs on both section wise and overall percentile as given in the table above.
Those who meet the minimum cutoffs as notified by the institute will be eligible for the next round. Based on their CAT scores and academic performance, candidates are shortlisted for Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview( PI). A composite score is calculated based on CAT scores, past academic performance, work experience and academic & gender diversity. The breakdown for the same is highlighted below-
| Components | Weightage (MBA) | Weightage (ABM) | Weightage (SM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scaled CAT Score (CS) | 60% | 60% | 60% |
| HSC/ 12th Marks | 10% | 10% | 10% |
| Graduation Marks | 10% | 10% | 10% |
| Work Experience | 10% | 0% | 10% |
| Diversity Factor: Academic Discipline | 5% | 20% | 5% |
| Diversity Factor: Gender | 5% | 5% | 5% |
| Composite Score | 100% | 100 | 100 |
The WAT assesses candidate's writing skills and ability to put up their thoughts on the given topic, while the PI evaluates their communication skills, personality and suitability for the program. This round will be conducted in following cities- Bangalore, Kolkata, New Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow and Hyderabad.
Also Read, IIM Lucknow Placements
| Sl. No. | Component | Weight (MBA) | Weight (MBA-ABM) | Weight (MBA-SM) | Method of Scoring |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scaled CAT Score (CS) | 60 | 60 | 60 | CS = (Candidate's CAT score / Highest CAT score of 2024) × 60 |
| 2 | HSC marks (12M) | 10 | 10 | 10 |
12M = [{Max (P, 80) – 80}/20] x10, where P = Candidate's Class 12th percentile computed based on CAT applicants' pooled data of the past five years for the respective Boards and Disciplines. |
| 3 | Graduation Marks | 10 | 10 | 10 | GM is normalized as per Academic Discipline: (i) Engineering; (ii) Science; (iii) Commerce; (iv) Arts; (v) Others. GM = [(Candidate's Grad Score - μ) / σ] × 10, where μ = Mean, and σ = Standard Deviation of the respective Academic Discipline. Marks will be between 0 – 10. |
| 4 | Work Experience | 10 | 0 | 10 | MBA: If x > 6 months, WE = min{(x – 6) × 0.50, 10} MBA-SM: If x > 24 months, WE = min{(x – 24) × 0.50, 10} Where x = Number of completed months of work experience as of July 31, 2024. |
| 5a | Academic Diversity Factor (DF) | 5 | 20 | 5 | MBA/MBA-SM: If bachelor's degree is Non-Engineering, DF = 5 MBA-ABM: If Academic Discipline listed in Table 3, DF = 20 Else, DF = 0 |
| 5b | Gender Diversity (DF) | 5 | 5 | 5 | MBA/MBA-ABM/MBA-SM: If Gender = Female, DF = 5, else DF = 0 |
| 6 | Composite Score | 100 | 100 | 100 |
Final Selection
After the WAT-PI round, candidates are further evaluated based on parameters such as work experience, academic background, CAT scores, diversity factors and performance in the interview.
| IIM Lucknow Final Selection | ||
|---|---|---|
| Parameters | Weightage (MBA & MBA-SM) | Weightage (MBA-ABM) |
| CAT | 30 | 35 |
| Academic Performance (12th + Graduation) | 5 + 5 | 5 + 5 |
| Diversity Factor | 5 | 5 |
| Work Experience | 5 | NA |
| Written Ability Test (WAT) | 10 | 10 |
| Personal Interview | 40 | 40 |
| Final Score | 100 | 100 |
Thus, a final selection is made considering the overall performance of candidate in CAT, WAT-PI and other factors in table above. Once all the selection rounds are completed, a category-wise selection list is released on the official website. The candidates who get their name in the merit list become eligible for the admission. They can then secure and finalize their admission by paying the required admission fee as notified by the institute.
IIM Lucknow Admission FAQs
How much CAT score is required for IIM Lucknow?
The overall cutoff is 90 percentile, in addition you also need to get 85%ile individually in each section to get shortlisted.
What is the score required in 12th standard to get 10 points of academic weightage?
You must have 98% or more in your 12th standard in order to get full 10 points . Candidates with score less than 80% will be given 0 points in this section.
Does IIM Lucknow accept freshers?
Yes, having work work experience is not necessary for admission. However, those who have work experience gain an advantage in selection process and also during placements.
Does undergraduate internships count as work experience?
No, internships whether undergraduate or after graduation are not counted as work experience, only full time work done after graduation is considered as work experience.
What is the weightage given to CAT scores during shortlisting process and final selection?
CAT score holds 60% weightage during shortlisting for WAT-PI and 30% in final selections.
