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Minimum Percentage Required for IIMs
The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) rank among the top business schools in the country, drawing in lakhs of MBA hopefuls every year. Nonetheless, prospective students should know that it is possible to apply for admission at an IIM only when they meet the specified academic qualification norms, and the IIM selection process begins after that. A common concern among applicants is: What is the minimum percentage required for IIM admission?
The minimum marks needed by a candidate to get admission to IIMs depend upon his/her caste/category and the course he/she wishes to take up. Even though one qualifies the minimum requirements, they should know that IIM admission also relies on CAT score, academic results, work experience, and performance in various stages post-selection. This article discusses the minimum percent required at IIMs for admission and the main CAT eligibility criteria that applicants must be aware of.
| Download IIM ABC RTI Data PDF | ||
|---|---|---|
| IIM Ahmedabad RTI Data PDF | IIM Bangalore RTI Data PDF | IIM Calcutta RTI Data PDF |
Minimum Percentile Required for Top IIMs (RTI Data)
Candidates applying to the best IIMs typically need CAT percentiles far above the minimum percentage set by each college as the lowest cut-off. Meeting the qualifying percentile qualifies you as a candidate. Still, you might not get an interview call even then. As for top MBA colleges like IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, and IIM Calcutta, students from the general category must aim at getting a CAT percentile of almost 98–99+ to be able to compete with other candidates. Whether shortlisted or not is determined by various factors such as academic records, reservation status, length of working experience, and diversity in terms of academic, professional, or even gender diversity among the candidates.
IIM | Batch | General | EWS | OBC | SC | ST | PwD |
IIM Ahmedabad | PGP 2025-27 | 90.98 | 97.3 | 77.53 | 85.39 | 73.14 | 73.25 |
IIM Bangalore | PGP 2025-27 | 95.45 | 91.03 | 81.7 | 73.04 | 76.33 | NA |
IIM Lucknow | PGP 2025-27 | 91.02 | 90.13 | 86.2 | 67.8 | 60.3 | 60.16 |
IIM Kozhikode | PGP 2025-27 | 92.43 | 92.14 | 81.26 | 64.71 | 49.25 | 63.68 |
IIM Indore | PGP 2025-27 | 90.72 | 92.99 | 80.17 | 63.31 | 48.34 | 45.12 |
IIM Shillong | PGP 2025-27 | 98.45 | 98.36 | 98.45 | 83.71 | 69.67 | 65.18 |
IIM Mumbai | PGP 2025-27 | 91.56 | 81.32 | 86.45 | 79.79 | 63.64 | NA |
IIM Eligibility Criteria 2026
Candidates who want to go to Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) need to satisfy certain basic criteria to have the right to apply for the master's degree (like MBA) and other postgraduate management programs. Their main conditions are the degree level, minimum results, and the CAT entrance test. Applicants can submit a bachelor's degree application even if they are completing it at the final stage as long as they finish the entire program within the allowed period.
In some respects, the minimum eligibility requirements represent only a ticket to the candidate's application, but various shortlisting conditions of CAT scores, academic background, professional experience, gender balance, etc. and performance in further selection rounds may play an important role in different shortlisting and selections by different IIMs.
Eligibility Parameter | Requirement |
Educational Qualification | Candidates must possess a university or institution certificate equal to a bachelor's degree from an accredited university or institution. |
Minimum Marks – General/EWS/OBC | Generally, a minimum of 50 percent marks or an equivalent grade point average (CGPA) is the requirement. |
Minimum Marks – SC/ST/PwD | Candidates who fall under these groups often get a little bit of relaxation and are expected to obtain only 45 percent marks or an equivalent CGPA. |
Final-Year Students | Those who are in the final year of their bachelor's course and haven't completed it yet can also apply as long as they meet the conditions within the time limits. |
Entrance Examination | To apply via the Common Admission Test (CAT), a candidate has to take the CAT 2026 exams and also meet the qualifying criteria and shortlisting cut-offs by an IIM. |
Age Limit | Candidates can join the CAT/PGP programs irrespective of age, but there is usually no age limit. |
Work Experience | Work experience is mostly not required. But IIMs, in a few cases, may give preference and extra points to professionals with relevant work experience when selecting candidates. |
Graduation Marks Required for IIM
Graduation marks are one of the important basic eligibility criteria for admission to IIMs. Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from a university or an institution that is officially recognized. In addition, they should at a minimum meet the graduation percentage requirement for their category.
- The graduation marks alone do not determine the eligibility for IIM admission as some IIM institutes shortlist applicants and compute a final selection score on the basis of graduation performance.
- General category candidates: The candidate must have secured at least 50% marks or an equivalent CGPA score in graduation.
- SC, ST and PwD candidates: The minimum graduation marks to be secured is 45%.
A candidate can be shortlisted by many of the IIMs on the basis of their graduation performance; therefore, it is always better to maintain a good academic record. One must be aware that graduation marks are just a part of the admission process, but the other aspects of a candidate's academic profile or work experience also matter.
Can You Get Into an IIM with 50%, 55%, or 60% Marks?
Yes, candidates with 50%, 55%, or even 60% marks in their graduation are eligible to apply to an IIM, given they satisfy the relevant eligibility criteria and the overall selection test goes in their favour. In general, for the majority of aspirants, graduation with a minimum of 50% marks will be enough to sit for the CAT. On the other hand, SC, ST, and PwD candidates benefit from reduced minimum marks requirements and hence will be considered even if their scores lie below the cut-off.
But remember that just because your marks meet the minimum percentage requirement does not guarantee you will be admitted. IIMs are known to have other criteria in consideration besides the entrance test, like CAT percentile, past scores in secondary school examinations (Class 10 and 12), graduation marks, years and nature of work experience (if any), presence of diversity factors, etc. Then there will be a personal interview, where your performance will be crucial to your admission.
Graduation Marks | Can You Get Into an IIM? | What It Means |
50% | Yes | Meets the basic graduation eligibility requirement for most candidates, but a strong CAT score and overall profile may be important for shortlisting. |
55% | Yes | Qualification is not the only factor; candidates need to have a good CAT score and profile for shortlisting. |
60% or above | Yes | Even though candidates meet the basic eligibility criterion, selection will be based on their performance in the CAT entrance exam and other selection parameters. |
Also Read: How To Get Into IIM With Poor Academics? Check Now
Does Graduation Percentage Affect IIM Selection?
While the graduation percentage will also affect your admission at IIM, how heavily it is weighed will differ based on which college. For example, some IIMs allot some weightage to graduation marks while shortlisting for call or admission; others place more emphasis on CAT scores, Class 10 and 12 percentage of marks, work experience, and Personal Interview (PI) scores.
Having a poor graduation record is definitely disappointing, especially with a low percentage. However, one can't always say with certainty that a low graduation percentage would cause a rejection. So that's why, as long as the candidate is at least the minimum qualifying level, there would still be a possible chance for him or her. A good CAT score and impressive performances in the following rounds may greatly assist the candidate in showcasing their talents effectively. Apart from that, they should also review the admission policies of their desired IIMs because various IIMs put varying degrees of importance on graduation grade.
