IIM Bangalore Selection Criteria 2027-29: Full Weightage
Published 6 September 2026 · 8 min read · Indian Institute of Management
IIM Bangalore has published the admission procedure for its PGP batch of 2027-29, the one that runs on CAT 2026. The shortlist is built from CAT 55, class 10 10, class 12 10, bachelor’s 10, work experience 10 and gender diversity 5. After the interview the weights change to PI 40, CAT 25, WAT 10, work experience 10 and 5 each for the three academic scores. The structure is the same as last year.
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IIM Bangalore has published the admission procedure for its PGP batch of 2027-29, the one that runs on CAT 2026. The shortlist is built from CAT 55, class 10 10, class 12 10, bachelor’s 10, work experience 10 and gender diversity 5. After the interview the weights change to PI 40, CAT 25, WAT 10, work experience 10 and 5 each for the three academic scores. The structure is the same as last year.
The two scoring stages
Component | Pre-PI weight | Post-PI weight |
|---|---|---|
CAT 2026 | 55 | 25 |
Personal interview | Not applicable | 40 |
Written Ability Test | Not applicable | 10 |
Class 10 board score | 10 | 5 |
Class 12 board score | 10 | 5 |
Bachelor’s degree score | 10 | 5 |
Work experience or professional course | 10 | 10 |
Gender diversity | 5 | Not carried forward |
Source: PGP 2027-29 Admission Procedure, Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, iimb.ac.in.
Read the two columns together and the story is clear. Getting the call is mostly a numbers exercise. Converting it is mostly an interview.
The CAT 55 points are not split evenly
This is the detail most coverage skips. It should change how you plan your sections.
CAT section | Points in the pre-PI score | Points in the post-PI score |
|---|---|---|
DILR | 21 | 10 |
VARC | 19 | 8.75 |
QA | 15 | 6.25 |
DILR carries the most weight of the three and QA the least. At IIM Bangalore a strong DILR performance is worth noticeably more than the same performance in quant. If IIMB is your target, that is a real argument for putting DILR ahead of a fourth revision of algebra.
One filter sits ahead of all of this. Only candidates with a positive raw score in every section of CAT 2026 are considered at all. A section you leave largely blank, or attack until the negatives sink it below zero, ends your application before any weightage applies.
How work experience is scored
The formula is published in full. Pre-PI work experience score equals 10x divided by 36 where x is your months of experience, counted up to July 2026. It becomes a flat 10 once you cross 36 months.
So 36 months is the ceiling. A candidate with six years scores exactly what a candidate with three years scores.
Three exclusions are spelled out. Time as an intern does not count, during or after a programme. Neither does any apprenticeship, which explicitly includes the articleship inside a professional course. Nor does unpaid work anywhere.
There is also a rule that catches CA, CS and ICWA candidates by surprise. If you have both a professional course score and work experience, IIM Bangalore takes the higher of the two, not the sum. Your articleship months do not stack on top of your CA score.
What happens to work experience after the interview
The weight drops from 10 to 5, then gets multiplied by a quality of experience rating. Each interview panellist scores that quality on a five point scale of 0.25, 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2. The panel average is applied.
The range is wider than the table suggests. Two years of work rated 0.25 by the panel is worth about 0.8 points. The same two years rated 2 is worth about 6.7. Three years rated 2 hits the full 10. What you did with the job matters more than how long you held it.
The standardisation formula, in plain words
Your board and degree scores are not used raw. Each is converted with this formula, where val is your score, wt is the weight for that component, while mean and sd come from the applicant pool.
Standardised score = Max [0, min {wt, wt/2 + ((val - mean) / sd) x wt / 6}]
In plain terms: an exactly average score earns you half the available weight. Three standard deviations above the mean earns all of it. Three below earns nothing. That is why a 92 percent in class 12 is not automatically a strong score. It only counts as strong relative to everyone else applying that year.
Candidates who missed a class 10, class 12 or bachelor’s score because of COVID are not penalised. That component is dropped and its weight moves to the others.
The rule that gets some people an automatic interview
Inside the first shortlist, the top ten candidates in each of these lists qualify for the interview stage regardless of their composite score.
- Total CAT score.
- Adjusted bachelor’s degree score, counted separately for commerce, arts and science.
- Professional course score for CA, ICWA and CS candidates.
It is a narrow door. A commerce graduate with an exceptional degree score has a route in that does not depend on a perfect profile elsewhere. After the interview these candidates are judged like everybody else.
Stage two: the interview and the written test
The PI and the WAT happen on the same day, in the same place. The WAT runs about 30 minutes and asks you to write a note, marked on content and style.
Together they are half your final score, 40 for the interview and 10 for the WAT. Nothing else in the process comes close. Whatever got you the call, the call itself is not the achievement.
What you have to submit, plus the one people miss
Two online reference letters are mandatory. Not optional, not a tiebreaker.
Your referees submit them directly, on or before the last date for the application. Until that section is complete you cannot submit at all. IIM Bangalore says plainly that no separate extension is allowed and references cannot be sent in later.
References should preferably come from a current or past employer, or a teacher at an institution where you studied. Ask them early. A referee travelling in the last week of the window can cost you the application.
The rest of the document list:
- Class 10, class 12 and bachelor’s transcripts.
- Degree certificate or provisional certificate. A bonafide certificate too, if you are in your final year.
- Professional degree transcripts and certificate, if you have them.
- Statement of purpose.
- Work experience letters plus your first and last payslips.
- SC, ST, NC-OBC or EWS certificate where applicable. A disability certificate with the UDID card for PwD candidates.
The payslips are worth noticing. Employment claims get verified. IIMB states that a candidate found to have given incorrect information about work experience is dropped from the process, then barred from applying to any IIMB programme for three years.
The percentile cut-offs in the document
The annexure carries the cut-offs used for the 2026-28 batch on CAT 2025. They are published as an indication of the bar, not as the CAT 2026 numbers, which do not exist yet.
VARC | DILR | QA | Aggregate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
General | 80 | 75 | 75 | 85 |
NC-OBC | 70 | 65 | 65 | 75 |
EWS | 70 | 65 | 65 | 75 |
SC | 65 | 60 | 60 | 70 |
ST | 55 | 55 | 55 | 65 |
PwD | 50 | 50 | 50 | 60 |
IIM Bangalore adds one line under the table that matters more than the numbers. These are the cut-offs for building the first shortlist. The scores of candidates called for interview were higher. An 85 aggregate gets you into the pool. It does not get you an interview.
Eligibility, unchanged
A bachelor’s degree in any discipline with 50 percent or the equivalent CGPA, or 45 percent for SC, ST and PwD candidates. A completed CA, CS, ICWA or CMA or FIAI qualification also works, including for candidates who took that route straight after class 12 with no bachelor’s degree. You also need a CAT score valid on the date you apply.
What to do with this if IIMB is on your list
Three things follow from the document.
- Clear every section. A negative raw score anywhere ends it. The general category sectional bar sat at 80, 75 and 75 last cycle.
- Give DILR the respect the weightage gives it. It is the highest scoring section at both stages.
- Line up your referees now, before the application opens. This is the only part of the process that depends on somebody else meeting a deadline.
The rest is the percentile. That is still in your hands until 29 November. Timed sectional practice is at /practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the CAT weightage in IIM Bangalore selection for 2027-29?
CAT carries 55 points out of 100 at the shortlisting stage and 25 at the final stage. Within those, DILR carries the most weight, at 21 points pre-interview and 10 post-interview, followed by VARC at 19 and 8.75, then QA at 15 and 6.25.
What percentile is needed for an IIM Bangalore interview call?
For the 2026-28 batch on CAT 2025 the first shortlist cut-offs for general category candidates were 80 in VARC, 75 in DILR, 75 in QA and 85 aggregate. IIM Bangalore notes that candidates called for interview scored higher than these. CAT 2026 cut-offs will be published after the results.
How is work experience calculated at IIM Bangalore?
The pre-interview score is 10 times your months of experience divided by 36, capped at 10 once you cross 36 months, counted up to July 2026. Internships, apprenticeships including articleship and unpaid work do not count. After the interview the weight is halved to 5 and multiplied by a quality rating between 0.25 and 2 given by the panel.
Are reference letters mandatory for the IIM Bangalore PGP application?
Yes. Two online reference letters are compulsory and must be submitted by the referees themselves before the application deadline. The application cannot be submitted until the reference section is complete. No extension is given for references.
Has IIM Bangalore changed its selection criteria for 2027-29?
The published weightages match the 2026-28 cycle at both stages, including the CAT sectional split and the work experience formula. IIM Bangalore does state that the document applies to this cycle alone and that it can change the process for future years.
Does a CA candidate get points for both articleship and the CA qualification?
No. Where a candidate has both a professional course score and work experience, IIM Bangalore counts the higher of the two, not both. Articleship is explicitly excluded from the work experience count.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the CAT weightage in IIM Bangalore selection for 2027-29?
CAT carries 55 points out of 100 at the shortlisting stage and 25 at the final stage. Within those, DILR carries the most weight, at 21 points pre-interview and 10 post-interview, followed by VARC at 19 and 8.75, then QA at 15 and 6.25.
What percentile is needed for an IIM Bangalore interview call?
For the 2026-28 batch on CAT 2025 the first shortlist cut-offs for general category candidates were 80 in VARC, 75 in DILR, 75 in QA and 85 aggregate. IIM Bangalore notes that candidates called for interview scored higher than these. CAT 2026 cut-offs will be published after the results.
How is work experience calculated at IIM Bangalore?
The pre-interview score is 10 times your months of experience divided by 36, capped at 10 once you cross 36 months, counted up to July 2026. Internships, apprenticeships including articleship and unpaid work do not count. After the interview the weight is halved to 5 and multiplied by a quality rating between 0.25 and 2 given by the panel.
Are reference letters mandatory for the IIM Bangalore PGP application?
Yes. Two online reference letters are compulsory and must be submitted by the referees themselves before the application deadline. The application cannot be submitted until the reference section is complete. No extension is given for references.
Has IIM Bangalore changed its selection criteria for 2027-29?
The published weightages match the 2026-28 cycle at both stages, including the CAT sectional split and the work experience formula. IIM Bangalore does state that the document applies to this cycle alone and that it can change the process for future years.
Does a CA candidate get points for both articleship and the CA qualification?
No. Where a candidate has both a professional course score and work experience, IIM Bangalore counts the higher of the two, not both. Articleship is explicitly excluded from the work experience count.