IIM JAP 2026
On 9 September 2025, Professor Sanjeev Prashar, Director-in-Charge at IIM Raipur, announced the Joint Admission Process (JAP). If you are preparing for CAT 2025 and dreaming of entering India's top IIM colleges, then you must know JAP details. This JAP main purpose is to simplify the MBA admission process. Currently, the Common Admission Process (CAP) is the one holding all applications and conducting the shortlisting. But from now on, it’s going to change. Let’s know what JAP brings for aspiring MBA students and how this helps in the admission process.
What is IIM JAP (Joint Admission Process)?
There were 21 Indian Institute of Management(IIMs) colleges in India. But they are different states, and it takes a long journey to attend the interviews while preparing.
Already getting admission in top IIM colleges is difficult enough, but travelling also…as an aspirant, you know how it's going to end. To make this easy, the government decided to conduct the Joint Admission Process (JAP).
Students with the institute's cut-off range should apply to JAP and attend a single interview for 4 IIMs. There is no need to attend each college for a separate interview, and the results will be shared among participating IIMs. This saves candidates time and reduces effort. Now, let’s check what IIMs are in JAP.
Also Read, What Is IIM JAP 2026? Eligibility Criteria, Admission Process
IIMs Participating in JAP 2025
In JAP not all IIMs participating are at the top, and those that are at the extreme ends of India, which are difficult to travel to, are participating.
The coordination responsibility rotates, and for the next cycle, IIM Raipur has been chosen to manage JAP 2026.
Here are the details of participating institutes:
| Portal | Coordinating IIM | Participating IIMs |
| JAP | IIM Raipur | IIM Raipur, IIM Kashipur, IIM Ranchi, IIM Tiruchirappalli |
This collaboration is more than just a convenience measure. It helps newer IIMs strengthen their presence while ensuring students don’t see different standards of evaluation across campuses.
IIM JAP Eligibility Criteria 2025
To participate in JAP, students need to meet the basic eligibility rules set by the IIMs. These are similar to the previous criteria. To know more, visit the individual IIMs' web pages.
- A valid current CAT score that clears the minimum cut-off percentile of the participating IIMs.
- A bachelor’s degree with at least 50% marks (45% for SC, ST, and PwD categories).
(Note: Keep a tab on these four IIMs for any change.)
- Eligibility under the reservation policies as per the Government of India norms.
The important point here is that each IIM decides its own cut-offs. So, while the process is joint, admission chances vary from one institute to another. Though, the cutoffs required for shortlisting for interviews will remain the same for the participating institutes but the composite score cutoffs for final admission will be different.
IIM JAP Expected Cutoffs
Though there is no notification released regarding JAP cutoffs, we can expect the cutoffs on the similar level as the IIM CAP cutoffs. Last year CAP released the shortlisting for the interview at 95 percentile so, we can expect the cutoffs to be around 95 percentile for IIM JAP 2026 process.
| Name of the institute | Expected JAP Cutoffs |
| IIM Raipur | 95 percentile |
| IIM Trichy | 95 percentile |
| IIM Ranchi | 95 percentile |
| IIM Kashipur | 95 percentile |
IIM JAP Shortlist Criteria
After the CAT results are released, candidates are shortlisted for the next stage of JAP. The shortlisting depends on several factors, not just the CAT score.
- CAT Performance: The first filter that decides who moves ahead expected to be around 95 percentile.
- Academics: Past performance in Class 10, 12, and graduation carries weight.
- Work Experience: Applicants with relevant work experience may get additional marks.
- Diversity Considerations: Gender and academic background are also factors.
Once shortlisted, candidates attend Written Ability Tests (WATs), Group Discussions (GDs), or Personal Interviews (PIs). What makes JAP efficient is that one performance is shared across all four IIMs, instead of repeating the same steps separately at each campus.
Each IIM, however, prepares its own final merit list. That means while the evaluation stage is joint, the final admission offers are independent.
IIM CAP vs JAP
Now let’s check the key differences between CAP and JAP and waht makes studens to register for CAP also.
| Aspect | IIM CAP | IIM JAP |
| Coordinator | Rotates among newer IIMs | IIM Raipur (2025 & 2026) |
| Number of Institutes | Remaining IIMs | 4 IIMs |
| Selection Rounds | Common WAT/PI | Common WAT/PI |
| Final Decisions | Independent by each IIM | Independent by each IIM |
| Key Difference | Larger group participation | Smaller cluster with focused coordination |
Note: It can be possible that the institutes participating in JAP and CAP both such as IIM Kashipur, IIM Trichy etc, can go under IIM JAP process and separate themselves from CAP process. But, right now it is not clear that they are going to do that. So, stay tuned for further updates.
How JAP Simplifies IIM Admission Process
For aspirants, JAP is more than a convenience. It has real benefits that make a difference during the high-pressure admission season:
| Key Aspect | Description |
| Clearer Process | Common evaluation standards minimize confusion about what each institute is looking for during the admission process. |
| Visibility for Newer IIMs | Participating institutes gain stronger exposure, attracting high-quality candidates who might otherwise focus only on older IIMs. |
| Fair and Uniform Selection | All applicants go through the same process, ensuring transparency and reducing variations in assessment methods. |
IIM JAP 2026: Conclusion
So, as per the above discussion, you might have already got a clear idea of what is JAP and how it is useful. Once you clear CAT 2025 and achieve a good score, and dream of getting into any of the above-mentioned 4 IIM colleges, make sure you register in JAP. Single interview at four colleges. But sometimes it can be overwhelming, but keep in check, prepare well, and get into your dream MBA institute.
