IIM Indore Selection Criteria 2026 — CAT Cutoff Raised to 90, Higher CAT Weightage & the PI-WAT Process Explained
The IIM Indore selection criteria for PGP 2026–28 saw the biggest shake-up among the top IIMs. CAT’s weight at shortlist jumped from 35% to 55%, academics were trimmed, work experience was added for the first time, and the General cutoff now sits at a steep 90 percentile. Here is every stage of the new process, decoded.
- What Changed in the IIM Indore Selection Criteria for 2026
- Eligibility & CAT 2025 Minimum Cutoffs
- Stage 2 of the IIM Indore Selection Criteria: PI-WAT Shortlist Weightage
- Stage 3 of the IIM Indore Selection Criteria: Final Composite Score
- IIM Indore Selection Criteria vs IIM A, B, C & K
- What a Strong IIM Indore Profile Looks Like in 2026
1. What Changed in the IIM Indore Selection Criteria for 2026
If you prepared for IIM Indore last year, take note — the rules have moved meaningfully. The 2026 admission policy rebalances the entire shortlist in favour of CAT and, for the first time, gives work experience a place in the mix. Three changes define the new IIM Indore selection criteria.
Table 1 — Key Changes in the IIM Indore Selection Criteria for 2026
| What Changed | The Detail |
|---|---|
| CAT weight raised to 55% | Up from 35% at the shortlist stage — aptitude now matters far more |
| Academics trimmed to 35% | Now Class 10 (10%) + Class 12 (25%), with school marks rebalanced |
| Work experience now counts (3%) | Previously zero — full-time work finally earns shortlist points |
The takeaway is simple: a strong CAT score carries more weight at IIM Indore in 2026 than it did in 2025, while the academic cushion has shrunk. That shifts the strategy for anyone targeting Indore specifically.
2. Eligibility & CAT 2025 Minimum Cutoffs
To be eligible for IIM Indore you need a bachelor’s degree with at least 60% marks, or a 50% score in the CA/CMA/CS qualifying examination, along with a valid CAT 2025 score that clears the minimum cutoffs below.
Table 2 — IIM Indore CAT 2025 Minimum Cutoffs (Section-wise)
| Category | Overall | VARC | DILR | QA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | 90 | 80 | 80 | 80 |
| EWS | 90 | 80 | 80 | 80 |
| NC-OBC | 80 | 70 | 70 | 70 |
| SC | 60 | 55 | 55 | 55 |
| ST / PwD | 45 | 40 | 40 | 40 |
⚠ The Highest CAT Bar Among the Top IIMs
At 90 percentile for General and EWS, IIM Indore sets a higher entry gate than IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta and Kozhikode, which sit at 85. And since the real converting percentile runs to roughly 92–93, treat 95+ as the floor and 99+ as the safe target if Indore is on your list.
3. Stage 2 of the IIM Indore Selection Criteria: PI-WAT Shortlist Weightage
Candidates who clear the cutoffs are ranked for the WAT-PI shortlist on a 100-point composite score. This is where the 2026 rebalancing bites hardest — CAT now dominates, and Class 12 is weighted far above Class 10.
Table 3 — PI-WAT Shortlist (Stage 2) Weightage
| Component | Weightage | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| CAT 2025 Score | 55 | VARC 16 + DILR 16 + QA 23 |
| Class 10 Score | 10 | Board marks |
| Class 12 Score | 25 | Weighted 2.5× higher than Class 10 |
| Gender / Academic Diversity | 7 | Diversity factor |
| Work Experience | 3 | Newly added in 2026 |
💡 Quant Strength Is a Structural Edge at Shortlist
Inside the CAT 55, QA carries the biggest sub-weight at 23 — more than VARC (16) or DILR (16). A strong Quant section therefore lifts your IIM Indore shortlist score more than an equally strong VARC or DILR section would. Pair that with Class 12 at 25% (vs Class 10 at just 10%), and the profile Indore rewards at shortlist is clear: a Quant-strong candidate with strong higher-secondary marks.
To gauge how high the bar really sits, here are the composite-score cutoffs for the PI shortlist in recent cycles — these are scores out of 100, not percentiles.
Table 4 — PI-Shortlist Composite Score Cutoffs (Recent Cycles)
| Category | 2026 (Expected) | 2025 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| General | 60–67 | 66.50 | 60.01 |
| EWS | 53–61 | 60.50 | 53.66 |
| NC-OBC | 51–58 | 57.50 | 51.50 |
| SC | 46–54 | 53.50 | 46.98 |
| ST | 40–47 | 46.02 | 40.95 |
4. Stage 3 of the IIM Indore Selection Criteria: Final Composite Score
Shortlisted candidates attend the WAT and Personal Interview, after which a fresh 100-point composite decides the final merit list. Here the interview takes over, and the CAT emphasis quietly flips from Quant to Verbal.
Table 5 — Final Selection (Stage 3) Weightage
| Component | Weightage | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Interview | 45 | The single biggest factor |
| CAT 2025 Score | 40 | VARC 20 + DILR 10 + QA 10 |
| Class 10 Score | 5 | Board marks |
| Class 12 Score | 5 | Board marks |
| Gender Diversity | 5 | Diversity factor |
💡 The CAT Emphasis Flips — and the Interview Decides
Two things stand out at the final stage. First, PI (45) and CAT (40) together are 85% of the final score, so academics fall away to just 10% and the interview becomes decisive. Second, inside the CAT 40, the weighting inverts — VARC now leads at 20, double DILR and QA. So Indore rewards Quant at shortlist and Verbal at the final, which means a genuinely balanced CAT profile serves you best across both stages.
5. IIM Indore Selection Criteria vs IIM A, B, C & K
After the 2026 changes, IIM Indore now stands out as the most CAT-and-interview-driven of the leading IIMs, with the highest entry cutoff. Here is how it compares.
Table 6 — IIM Indore vs Kozhikode vs Calcutta vs Bangalore vs Ahmedabad
| Parameter | IIM Indore | IIM Kozhikode | IIM Calcutta | IIM Bangalore | IIM Ahmedabad |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Min. CAT cutoff (Gen) | 90 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 |
| Shortlist — CAT | 55% | 50% | ~66% | 55% | ~65% |
| Shortlist — academics | 35% (10+25) | 35% (15+20) | ~29% (10+15) | 30% | In rating |
| Final — Personal Interview | 45% | 35% | 48% | 40% | 50% |
| Final — CAT | 40% | 35% | 30% | 25% | 25% |
| Final — academics | 10% | — | — | 15% | 15% |
💡 Which School Fits Your Profile?
IIM Indore now demands the highest CAT percentile just to apply (90), and weights CAT heavily at both stages (55% then 40%). If your CAT is strong — especially your Quant — and you interview well, the new IIM Indore selection criteria suit you. If your strength is a standout academic record, schools like IIM Bangalore (which keeps academics at 30% of the shortlist) may reward you more. Across all five, a 99+ percentile with no weak section keeps every door open.
6. What a Strong IIM Indore Profile Looks Like in 2026
Given the higher cutoff and the CAT-heavy rebalancing, here is the profile that converts an IIM Indore call:
- CAT: clear 90 to apply, aim 95–99+ to convert: The 90 floor is the highest among the top IIMs, and real calls run to roughly 92–93 for General. With CAT at 55% of the shortlist, your percentile does most of the heavy lifting here.
- Quant strength is a genuine edge: QA carries the biggest CAT sub-weight (23 of 55) at shortlist. A strong, fast Quant section lifts your Indore score more than an equally good VARC or DILR section. Akshita — a Quantifiers non-engineer who tamed the dreaded QA to a 98.95%ile — is exactly the profile this rewards.
- Class 12 marks carry real weight: At 25% of the shortlist (against 10% for Class 10), strong higher-secondary marks are a quiet advantage.
- Work experience now counts: Newly added at 3% in 2026 — modest, but full-time work is no longer ignored.
- VARC matters most at the final: Inside the final CAT 40, VARC leads at 20, so balanced sectional strength pays off across both stages.
- The PI is 45% of the final call: The interview is the single biggest factor in selection. Quantifiers’ GDPI preparation covers WAT structure, PI storytelling and current affairs, included with enrolled courses.
This is the balanced, CAT-strong profile Quantifiers builds students toward every year. Mridul (99.98%ile), Pallav (99.98%ile), Nikhil (99.96%ile) and Akshita (98.95%ile, a non-engineer who conquered QA) show that the right plan beats the right background. Start with free CAT study material, sharpen exam temperament on the TruCAT free mock series, and build daily consistency with the Daily Targets on the Quantifiers homepage.
