MICA Selection Criteria: Planning to apply for MICA's PGDM-C or PGDM programme? This guide covers everything you need to know about the admission process, including eligibility criteria, selection process, MICAT requirements, expected cutoffs and important dates. Whether you're aiming for MICA's flagship PGDM-C or the newer PGDM programme, you'll find all the key information in one place to help you evaluate your chances and make an informed application decision. Admissions to both programmes involve CAT/XAT/GMAT scores along with MICAT and further selection rounds.
MICA Selection Criteria 2026 PDF
MICA Admission Important Timeline
Event | Date |
MICAT I | December 6, 2025 |
MICAT I Scorecard | December 24, 2025 |
MICAT II | February 13, 2026 |
MICAT II Scorecard | February 28, 2026 |
GE & PI | March 2026 |
Final Merit List | Second week of April 2026 |
Provisional Admission Certificate Deadline | June 30, 2026 |
MICA Eligibility Criteria 2026
To be eligible for MICA's Post Graduate Programmes (PGDM-C and PGDM), you must meet the following conditions:
- Hold a Bachelor's degree (10+2+3 system) in any discipline recognised by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU)
- Have scored at least 50% marks or an equivalent CGPA in your bachelor's degree
- Final-year students can also apply, provided they submit a certificate from their institution's principal/registrar, confirming they are in the final year or awaiting results
- If provisionally admitted, the final mark sheet and passing certificate must be submitted by December 31, 2026
Note: CGPA must be converted to percentage. If your institute doesn't provide a conversion factor, multiply CGPA by 10.
MICA Selection Criteria 2026
MICA's admission process is a 3-stage filtering system. Here's how it works:
Stage | What's Evaluated |
Stage 1 | CAT / XAT / GMAT Score (mandatory) |
Stage 2 | MICAT (Aptitude and Descriptive Test) |
Final Round | Group Exercise (GE) & Personal Interview (PI) |
Every candidate must have taken at least one of CAT 2025, XAT 2026, or GMAT (2024 onwards). This is non-negotiable.
MICAT (MICA Admission Test) is a Computer Based Test conducted twice a year. The better of your two MICAT scores is considered. MICAT consists of three sections:
- Section A: Psychometric Test (qualifier - must pass to proceed)
- Section B: Descriptive Test
- Section C: Aptitude Test covering Divergent & Convergent Thinking, Verbal Ability, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, and General Awareness
MICA Minimum Cut Off
MICA uses a step-by-step filtering process where candidates must clear cutoffs at each level:
Step | Filter | Cutoff Basis |
Step 1 | Section A (Psychometric) | Qualifier - must pass |
Step 2 | CAT / XAT / GMAT | 85+ (Not officially released) |
Step 3 | MICAT (Aptitude and Descriptive Test) | Raw Score (sectional cutoffs apply) |
Note: The minimum sectional cut offs for MICAT are not officially declared, however candidates with non-negative scores are generally considered for further rounds.
PGDM candidates may face higher QADI (Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation) cutoffs than PGDM-C candidates, given the programme's stronger analytics focus.
MICA Shortlisting Process
Once you clear all written stages, shortlisted candidates are called for Group Exercise (GE) and Personal Interview (PI), held across five cities: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai.
To make the final merit list, candidates must be recommended by the majority of interview panelists.
The final composite score is calculated as follows:
Component | Weightage |
CAT / XAT / GMAT | 35% |
Personal Interview (PI) | 20% |
MICAT | 25% |
Group Exercise (GE) | 10% |
Academic Record (10th + 12th + Graduation) | 5% |
Extra-Curriculars, Sports, Diversity | 5% |
The final merit list is generally declared in the month of April. Offer letters are sent to selected candidates, and failure to accept by the deadline results in automatic removal from the list.
MICA Application Fees 2026
Application Type | Fee |
Single Programme | ₹2,500 (inclusive of MICAT) |
Each Additional Programme (up to 3 from one school) | +₹500 per programme |
You can apply for up to three programmes, but only from one school per MICAT attempt:
- School of Management: PGDM-C, PGDM, FPM
- School of Applied Creativity: CCC-Advanced, CCC-One Year, CCE
If you want to apply to programmes from both schools, you must appear for MICAT twice - once for each school, since the MICAT paper is different for each.
If shortlisted for more than one programme, you can only accept one offer. The choice, once made, is final.
MICA Selection Process: Conclusion
MICA's admission process is thorough and multi-layered, designed to identify candidates with strong communication, analytical, and creative abilities. To maximize your chances, focus on performing well across CAT/XAT/GMAT, all three MICAT sections, and the GE & PI rounds. Since all components contribute to the final score, a balanced preparation strategy works best.
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