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IIM Guwahati Selection Criteria 2026
The IIM Guwahati Post Graduate Programme (PGP) application into the 2026-28 batch is a two stage procedure:
- Stage 1 (CAT Eligibility): Applicants are required to achieve minimum cut-offs in CAT 2025 (for both sectional and overall) and they must have a positive (more than zero) raw score in all the sections.
- Stage 2 (Final Selection): Applicants who pass Stage 1 and a filling online application form will go through a Composite Score (CS). No Personal Interview will be conducted.
This simplifies and enhances the selection process at IIM Guwahati since the finished merit list is purely founded on objective scores.
IIM Guwahati Eligibility Criteria 2026
Before applying, candidates must satisfy the Basic Academic Eligibility (Stage 0). Below are the key requirements:
Criteria | Requirement |
|---|---|
Educational Qualification | Bachelor's degree from a recognised university |
Minimum Marks (General / EWS / OBC) | 50% aggregate or equivalent CGPA |
Minimum Marks (SC / ST / PwD) | 45% aggregate or equivalent CGPA |
Entrance Exam | Valid CAT 2025 score with positive raw score in all sections |
Age Limit | No upper age limit |
Work Experience | Not mandatory; considered under Score D in NAR formula |
Final Year Students | Eligible; admission provisional until degree completion |
Note: Final year undergraduate students can apply on a provisional basis. They must complete all degree requirements by the date specified by the institute. Admission will remain provisional until the final marksheet is submitted.
IIM Guwahati CAT Cutoff 2026
As per the official IIM Guwahati (IIMG) admission policy, candidates must clear the minimum CAT 2025 percentile cut-offs given in Table I below. These are the qualifying cut-offs for Stage 1. Candidates must also secure a positive raw score in all three sections of CAT 2025.
Table I: Minimum Cut-offs of CAT-2025 Percentile Ranks
Category | Non-PwD CAT Cut-off | PwD CAT Cut-off | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Overall Percentile Rank | Section-wise Percentile Rank (VARC, DILR, QA) | Overall Percentile Rank | Section-wise Percentile Rank (VARC, DILR, QA) | |
General, EWS | 85 | 75 | 75 | 65 |
NC-OBC | 80 | 70 | 70 | 60 |
SC | 75 | 65 | 65 | 55 |
ST | 65 | 55 | 55 | 45 |
Meeting the minimum cut-off is a necessary but not sufficient condition for admission. Clearing Stage 1 only qualifies a candidate to fill the application form. The final selection depends entirely on the Composite Score.
IIM Guwahati PI Shortlisting Criteria 2026
IIM Guwahati does not have a Personal Interview (PI) round in its selection. This is one of the main distinctions with the majority of other IIMs.
Those candidates, who have met the Stage 0 (Basic Academic Eligibility) and Stage 1 (CAT Eligibility) will be e-mailed by IIMG Admission office on an online application form. This form has to be filled and provided to ensure that the candidate is considered in case of final choice with respect to the allotted deadline.
The application form captures key profile details including:
- Class 10th academic performance
- Class 12th academic performance
- Bachelor's degree performance
- Work experience details (if any)
On the basis of these scores, one gets a Normalized Academic Rating (NAR) that constitute 35% of the final Composite Score. Hence, one of the surest ways of securing an admission is having a good academic history at all levels.
Read Also, IIM Cutoff 2026
IIM Guwahati Final Selection Weightage 2026
The final selection at IIM Guwahati is based entirely on a Composite Score (CS). The formula is as follows:
CS = 0.65 × NCAT + 0.35 × NAR
Where:
- NCAT (Normalized CAT Score) = CAT overall normalized score divided by the maximum possible CAT score.
- NAR (Normalized Academic Rating Score) = (A + B + C + D) / 3
Composite Score Components and Weightage
Component | Weight in CS | Sub-components |
|---|---|---|
Normalized CAT Score (NCAT) | 65% | CAT overall normalized score |
Normalized Academic Rating (NAR) | 35% | Scores A + B + C + D (out of 35) |
NAR Sub-components (A + B + C + D)
Score | Component | Based On |
|---|---|---|
A | Class 10th Performance | Marks / CGPA in Class 10 |
B | Class 12th Performance | Marks / CGPA in Class 12 |
C | Bachelor's Performance | Marks / CGPA in Graduation |
D | Work Experience | Full-time post-graduation work (completed months) |
Each category (General/EWS/SC/ST/NC-OBC/PwD) has now the final merit list made based on their Composite Scores.
How to Get Admission in IIM Guwahati 2026
Here is a simple step-by-step guide to secure admission to IIM Guwahati for the 2026-28 batch:
| S.no | Steps To Get Into IIM Guwahati |
|---|---|
1 | Register and appear for CAT 2026 |
2 | Score above the minimum CAT cutoff (sectional + overall) for your category |
3 | Receive email invitation from IIM Guwahati Admission Office to fill the online application form |
4 | Complete and submit the online application form with accurate academic and work experience details |
5 | Composite Score (CS) is calculated based on NCAT (65%) and NAR (35%) |
6 | Final merit list released category-wise based on Composite Scores |
7 | Accept the offer and complete fee payment within the deadline |
Keep these tips in mind to maximize your Composite Score:
- The target should be set high enough above the minimum CAT cut-off mark for your category. The CS would be high due to a high NCAT 65%. This would only guarantee the clearing of the first stage.
- It is vital to check whether all the three cutoff marks have been cleared (VARC, DILR and QA). Any percentage above four percent would result in disqualification from that section, although on its own.
- Your Academic records during Classes 10, Class 12 and graduation should be impressive. The two contribute towards NAR which makes up for 35% weight of the Composite Score.
- Work experience forms part of the score (Score D). It is important that if you have full-time experience in work after graduation, you should supply accurate information in the form.
- The completion of the form before the deadline is mandatory. You will not get further consideration even if you have passed the CAT cut-off if the form is not filled out..
IIM Guwahati Selection Criteria 2026 : Conclusion
The selection of IIM Guwahati is honest and fully based on merit, without PI round. This renders it an excellent choice of applicants who have a high CAT score along with a stable academic history. It is the 22nd IIM and the first to be in Assam, which has the support of Rs. IIM Guwahati with 555 crore in government investment will expand at a rapid scale in terms of faculty, infrastructure and placement.
Applicants should continue to check the official IIM Guwahati site as well as CAT official portal to get the latest updates since there will be specific scoring tables (2A, 2B, 2C, 2D) that will be mentioned in the detailed admission brochure.
