IIM Selection Process: Check Key Stages, Selection Parameters, Generation of Final Merit List

All the 20 IIMs including IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Lucknow, IIM Indore, New IIMs, Baby IIMs release their selection process separately for the MBA admission. The selection process in IIMs for admission 2023 has been released by some of the top IIMs with significant changes – for example IIM Calcutta selection process, IIM Bangalore selection process and IIM Lucknow selection process has been released, while IIM Ahmedabad selection process will be released soon. 

 The selection process in IIMs for admission 2023 depends upon your performance in three major areas      

1. Your CAT 2022 exam score
2. Your Profile
3. Your Performance in IIMs’ PI-WAT Round

Before, we go through the complete step by step Selection Process in IIMs for admission 2023, let’s first know the important changes announced in top IIM Selection Process For MBA  admission 2023 

IIM Selection Process for MBA 2023-25 Batch: Key Changes
Many changes are visible in IIM Selection process for MBA admission 2023. In accordance with the IIM admission process with their respective admission policy, the major changes in selection process as announced IIM Bangalore selection process, IIM Calcutta selection process, IIM Lucknow selection process for admission 2023, are

IIM Bangalore Selection Process 2023: Key Changes
IIM Bangalore has announced following significant changes in its selection process 2023

IIMB Shortlisting Criteria: Key Changes

• CAT Score Weightage Up: CAT 2022 Score Weightage increased to 55% from 40% last year
• Class 10 Weightage Down: Weightage for Class 10 Marks reduced to 15% from 20% last year
• Class 12 Weightage Up: Weightage for Class 12 Marks increased to 15% from 10% last year
• No Weightage for Bachelor’s Degree: No Weightage will be given for Bachelor’s degree marks, last year it had 20% weight
• Gender Diversity Weight Up: Weightage for Gender Diversity Increased to 5% from 2% last year
• Work Ex Weight Up: Weightage for Work Experience increased to 10% from 8% last year

IIMB Final Selection Process: Key Changes

• PI Weight Up: Weightage for Personal Interview goes up at 35% for admission 2023 from 30% last year
• XII Class Weight Up: Weightage for 12^th class marks have gone up to 10% for admission 2023 from 5% last year
• Weightage for Graduation Dropped: No Weightage for Bachelor’s degree marks will be given in IIM Bangalore final selection criteria for admission 2023. Last year 10% weightage was awarded to performance in graduation in IIMB final selection criteria

IIM Calcutta Selection Process 2023: Key Changes
The significant changes announced in IIM Calcutta selection process 2023 are as given below

Shortlisting Process: Key Changes

• No Weightage for Graduation marks in Shortlisting.
• CAT 2022 Cut off is reduced to 85 percentile for admission 2023
• CAT 2022 sectional cut off for Quantitative Ability reduced to 75 percentile for General category
• For other categories also QA minimum required percentile has been reduced to 65 and below

Final Selection Process: Key Changes

• WAT is restored for admission 2023 with 8% weightage. Last year no weightage was given to WAT as it was not conducted
• PI Round gets highest weight of 48% in final selection round
• CAT score weight reduced to 30% in final selection round
• Weightage for Academic Diversity is increased to 6% from earlier 4%

IIM Lucknow Selection Process 2023: Key Changes
Following are the key changes announced in IIM Lucknow selection process for admission to PGP, PGP-ABM and PGP-SM 2023-25 batch 

Shortlisting Criteria

• Reduced Weightage to 60% for CAT 2022 
• Minimum sectional CAT cut off is 85%ile for PGP and 80%ile for PGP-ABM & PGP-SM
• Overall CAT cut off is 90%ile for PGP and 85 %ile for PGP-ABM & PGP-SM

IIML Final Selection Process

• PI-WAT round carries 50% weight 
• CAT 2022 score weight is 30% for PGP & PGP-SM, and 35% for PGP-ABM

Let us know all about the Selection Process in IIMs

The 3 Stages of IIM Selection Process 
There are three stages through which final IIM selection Process is completed, these are:

• Stage-1: Performance in CAT Exam
• Stage-2: Shortlisting by IIMs for Final Selection round
• Stage-3: IIMs Final Selection Process 2023 comprising PI & WAT

Your final admission offer depends upon your performance in all the above three stages of IIMs selection process. All the IIMs release key components, parameters and weightages for final selection process for MBA admission.

Stage-1: Performance in CAT 2022 Exam
The preliminary consideration to qualify for IIM Admission process at the first stage is your CAT percentile score. So you should complete following requirements to qualify at the first stage of IIM Selection Process

• Register and apply for CAT exam before the last date
• Must have appeared in the exam and score high
• Clear the sectional and overall CAT cut offs as prescribed by each IIM. All the IIMs announce their minimum CAT cut off percentile to shortlist candidates.
• You will be screened for Minimum required CAT sectional and overall percentile score
• Requirement of minimum CAT percentile is different in each IIM selection process 2023.
• If you do not qualify on minimum CAT cut off percentile score, you will not be considered for further rounds of IIM selection process

 IIM Selection Process 2022 & 2023: Minimum CAT Cut off for Shortlist 

Stage-2: Shortlisting for PI Round in IIM Selection Process
After considering that the candidate has qualified with CAT sectional and overall percentile score requirements, next stage in IIM Selection Process is the shortlisting process for PI-WAT round. The second stage of IIM Admission process is the one of the toughest as you are not able to do much at this stage. Different weightages on following key components in shortlisting process are awarded by IIMs

• CAT Score
• Academic Profile
• Academic Diversity
• Work Experience
• Gender Diversity

Key Components & Weightages in Shortlisting for IIM Selection Process
As the parameters and weightages to all the components differ from IIM to IIM in their respective shortlisting process, you can check and download the same as below

After declaration of CAT result, IIMs will shortlist the suitable candidates for final admission round as per their respective admission policy and weightages. 

Stage-3: IIMs Final Selection Process 2023: PI-WAT Round
The final selection process at IIMs consists of Personal Interview, Written Ability Test and in some of the IIMs Group Discussion round is also conducted. The shortlisted candidates are called to attend the PI round in number of cities as per the choice exercised by the candidates at the time of applying and completing the CAT registration form. Key highlights of PI-WAT round are:

• PI-WAT round commands higher weightage than CAT score in the final IIMs selection process
• Your final selection also depends upon your academic profile and diversity.
• Some of the IIMs like IIM Shillong, also conduct GD round based on the WAT
• After the completion of PI-WAT round, varying weightages are awarded
• Final Merit List is generated based on the weightages awarded to CAT scores, academic profile & diversity, work experience and gender diversity.
• Admission offers will be made by the respective IIMs in order of merit.

IIM Final Selection Process: Key Components and Weightages
Below are the key parameters and weightages awarded to each of the components in final IIM selection process for the IIMs

New IIM Selection Process: Common Admission Process (CAP)
Nine new IIMs conduct Common Admission Process (CAP). One of the 5 new IIMs coordinates the process by announcing a common shortlisting process based on similar criteria for CAP participating IIMs. Other IIMs conduct their selection process individually. So far, the newer IIMs have been declaring the 1st stage shortlists on the basis of CAT scores, whereas older IIMs also take into account the other parameters at the 1st stage shortlist. The CAP consists of common WAT and PI round… Read More

CAP 2023 Highlights

• CAP 2023 will be conducted from February 2023 onwards
• 9 New and Baby CAP participating IIMs are IIM Kashipur, Raipur, Ranchi,  Trichy, Udaipur, Bodhgaya, Sambalpur, Sirmaur, Jammu.
• Exact date for PI-WAT will be communicated by the CAP coordinating IIM on behalf of all participating nine IIMs
• CAP participating IIMs do not conduct their final admission round separately
• On the basis of scores obtained in CAP round alongwith their other individual admission components, each CAP participating IIM will prepare the merit list to make final admission offer to the candidates after the CAP round is over
• IIM Rohtak has opted out of the CAP and will conduct its own selection process
• Last year CAP was conducted by IIM Tiruchirappalli.. Read More

IIM Nagpur, IIM Rohtak, IIM Visakhapatnam Not to Participate in CAP 2023
IIM Nagpur, IIM Rohtak and IIM Visakhapatnam do not participate in CAP round and conduct their own final selection process to make admission offer to the students. The final admission offers will be generated as per the merit lists prepared on the basis of CAT scores, Academic profile, Work experience and gender diversity in accordance with the weightage awarded to each of these factors.

If you have done well in Personal Interview Round, have excellent academics you may expect to receive the final admission offer by IIMs in the month of April/May 2023. In case of more admission offers, it will be your decision to join the preferred institute 

CAT Selection Procedure Vs IIM Selection Process
CAT Selection process for admission to IIMs is the first stage screening process. IIMs screen the candidates who have scored a minimum required CAT percentile score in the first stage CAT selection procedure. The next and more important is the IIM Selection process which involves shortlisting for final selection round on the basis of profile, work experience, diversity among other parameters. The final round of IIM Selection process is the PI-WAT round which awards very less weightage to CAT exam score in the range of 20 to 40 percent and higher weightage of 60 to 80 percent to other components. After completion of PI round, final admission offers are generated by IIMs independently.

Each IIM Admission Process for MBA 2023: Independent from One Another
The Selection process for the 20 IIMs in India differs from one another. While all of these IIMs adopt three stage selection process, beginning with the 1^st stage of CAT score requirement of minimum sectional and overall CAT percentile, the IIM selection process at each of these IIMs is independent of other IIM. Although a good performance in CAT exam is the mandatory requirement for the first stage of CAT score based selection process 2023, other key parameters like academics, work experience, diversity, performance in GD-PI-WAT,  play even a greater role in the IIM admission process.    

Check IIM Admission 2024 Latest Selection Criteria, Cut Offs, Rankings, Placements