IIM Ahmedabad PGP 2027-29: What Changed in Admissions

Exam Updates

IIM Ahmedabad has revised the way it selects candidates for the PGP 2027-29 batch, the batch that CAT 2026 takers apply for. The headline change, as reported, is that CAT percentile now feeds the composite in place of the raw CAT score, and that candidates are normalised within their undergraduate discipline.

This guide sets out what third party reports say, with numbers, and what you should check on the official brochure. Everything below comes from Careers360 (6 October 2026) and Cracku (11 September 2026), not from the institute own page, which we did not open in this session. Weights, cutoffs and formulas can be amended by the institute at any time, so treat this as a reading aid and confirm on the official site.

What Was Announced and Where It Comes From

Careers360 reported on 6 October 2026 that IIM Ahmedabad had revised its PGP admission policy for the 2027-29 batch. Cracku had published a detailed breakdown of the same changes on 11 September 2026. The two accounts agree on the main structure, although their wording differs in small places, and one headline speaks of percentiles replacing scores while the body describes the shift more narrowly.

The institute holds the final word, and its brochure is the source to read. We could not open the institute own site in this session, so every figure below is attributed to a third party. The institute reserves the right to amend its policy, which means that even a correct report today can be out of date later.

Eligibility, as reported, is a bachelor degree with at least 50 percent marks or equivalent CGPA, and 45 percent for SC, ST and PwD candidates. Final year students and those awaiting results can apply, with conditions on submitting the marksheet and degree later. Offers are reported for the second week of April 2027, with acceptance by the first week of May 2027.

The Two Stages in the Reported Policy

The reported process has two stages. In the first, candidates are shortlisted for the writing ability test and the personal interview, using a composite of the application rating and the CAT percentile. In the second, the final composite combines the interview, the writing test and the stage one composite.

Stage one: the raw composite is reported as 0.35 times the normalised application rating, plus 0.65 times the CAT total percentile divided by 100. That raw composite is then normalised within the candidate undergraduate discipline. Shortlisting also follows the CAT cutoffs and reservation norms.

Stage two: the final composite is reported as 0.50 times the normalised interview score, plus 0.10 times the normalised writing test score, plus 0.40 times the normalised stage one composite. The interview therefore carries the largest single share of the final decision, as reported.

Component	Reported weight	Where it applies
Personal interview (normalised)	50 percent	Final composite
Writing ability test (normalised)	10 percent	Final composite
Normalised composite of rating and CAT	40 percent	Final composite
CAT total percentile	65 percent of the composite	Stage one shortlisting
Application rating	35 percent of the composite	Stage one shortlisting

What Reportedly Changed

Cracku lists several changes from the previous cycle. The old process had CAT at 25 percent and the application rating at 15 percent of the final selection, and the new one combines them into a single normalised composite at 40 percent. The CAT input moves from the overall score to the overall percentile.

The classification of candidates also changes. Twenty undergraduate disciplines reportedly replace the earlier academic categories, and the Admissions Committee retains discretion over classification. The benchmark used to normalise within a discipline moves from the average of the top 5 percent to the average of the top 1 percent. The stream wise slabs for Class 12 marks are replaced by one common scale used for Class 10, Class 12 and graduation.

A previous criterion based on Class 10 and 12 performance does not appear in the new published procedure, according to Cracku, though it notes that this does not prove it was removed for good. Careers360 states that the minimum CAT cutoffs are unchanged from last year, and neither article could confirm earlier weightings beyond this. Compare with the prior year brochure if you need the full picture.

The Application Rating

Cracku describes the application rating as the sum of five parts. Class 10, Class 12 and graduation marks each carry up to 10 points. Work experience carries up to 5 points, and gender diversity up to 3 points.

For the three academic parts, the reported slabs run from 1 point for 55 percent or below, 2 points for above 55 up to 60, 3 points for above 60 up to 70, 5 points for above 70 up to 80, 8 points for above 80 up to 90, and 10 points for above 90. Work experience is reported as nothing below 12 months, a rising score between 12 and 36 months, and the maximum of 5 above 36 months. Candidates who are not male are reported to receive 3 points for gender diversity.

These are third party descriptions of formulas, and the exact boundaries matter. Read the official slab table before you decide how to present your marks. Our guide on how much work experience adds in IIM selection shows how institutes use experience in general.

The Minimum CAT Percentile Cutoffs

The reported minimum cutoffs are in the table below. Careers360 says they are unchanged from the previous cycle. They are minimums for being considered, and not the percentiles at which calls go out. Actual calls depend on the composite of all candidates in your discipline, which the institute decides after the results are in.

A qualifying cutoff is the floor and the call cutoff is what the pool decides, and the two can be far apart. Do not treat a number in this table as a promise or a prediction. Our guide on CAT 2026 cutoffs compared across institutes shows how to read cutoffs in context.

Note also the sectional requirement. Candidates must meet both the overall and the sectional minimums for their category, as reported. The article lists non PwD and PwD columns, and the PwD minimums are lower.

Category	Overall minimum percentile	Sectional minimum percentile
General and EWS	95	85
NC-OBC	90	80
SC	85	75
ST	75	65
PwD (General)	85	75

The Timeline to Watch

The dates that matter are few. CAT 2026 is on Sunday, 29 November 2026, and the admit card download begins on Wednesday, 4 November, according to the official CAT site. The CAT result date is not confirmed, and any date you see for it before the organisers announce one is a guess. The institute own calendar for the writing test and interviews will follow the result.

For IIM Ahmedabad, Careers360 reports offers in the second week of April 2027 and acceptance with all formalities by the first week of May 2027. It also reports that a final year student who is admitted provisionally has to submit the marksheet and degree certificate for a final year examination held on or before 30 June 2027, by 31 December 2027. Read the exact wording in the brochure, since these are conditions that apply to you if you are in the final year.

Put these dates in your calendar as expected, and update them when the institute publishes its own schedule. Planning around a date that has not been published is how people end up with a clash.

What This Means for Your Preparation

CAT percentile has a visible place in the composite, but it is not alone. The application rating, the writing test and above all the interview hold a large share of the final score, as reported. Preparation for the interview, therefore, should start well before the results.

Your undergraduate discipline matters too, since the composite is normalised within it. You cannot change your discipline, but you can understand how the pool in your discipline may look. If many candidates in your discipline have high percentiles, the normalisation will take that into account.

Practically, three things deserve attention now. First, finish CAT preparation, since the percentile feeds the composite. Second, prepare documents and a profile that supports a strong application rating, using our three folder document system. Third, begin interview practice early, with a CAT mentor if you can.

Add application and interview milestones to the CAT study planner, or share your plan for a strategy review.