IIM Shillong Admission Criteria for PGP 2026-28
Table of Contents
Overview of IIM Shillong Admission Criteria: Process for PGP 2026-28
Shortlisting for Personal Interview (PI): Phase 1 of IIM Shillong Admission Process
Phase 2 of IIM Shillong Admission Criteria: Final Merit List & Admission Offers
Key Highlights
✔ IIM Shillong shortlists candidates using a Composite Score comprising CAT percentile (65%) and Normalized Application Rating Score (NARS) (35%).
✔ Academic performance in Class X, Class XII, graduation, and relevant work experience contribute to the Application Rating Score (ARS).
✔ Candidates are shortlisted for the Personal Interview (PI) through discipline-wise, category-wise, and gender-wise ranking to promote diversity.
✔ The final merit list is prepared using CAT score (40%), PI score (40%), ARS (10%), and Gender Diversity score (10%).
✔ Candidates with around 18–24 months of work experience receive the highest work-experience score during evaluation.
For CAT aspirants aiming at the PGP (MBA) 2026–28 batch, understanding IIM Shillong admission criteria is crucial, as they differ significantly from many other IIMs.
This blog offers a detailed breakdown of the IIM Shillong MBA admission process, including CAT cut-offs, composite score calculation, academic diversity handling, work experience scoring, gender diversity points, and final merit list preparation, all explained in simple language. The Indian Institute of Management Shillong (IIM Shillong) is known for its unique positioning among the IIMs emphasizing sustainability, ethics, diversity, and holistic leadership.
Overview of IIM Shillong Admission Criteria: Process for PGP 2026-28
The admission process for IIM Shillong’s PGP 2026–28 is divided into 2 phases:
Phase 1 – Shortlisting of candidates for Personal Interview (PI).
Phase 2 – Final Merit List & Admission Offers.
Each phase follows a transparent, data-driven, and diversity-oriented approach.
Shortlisting for Personal Interview (PI): Phase 1 of IIM Shillong Admission Process
Phase 1 of the admission process decided the eligibility of candidates based on their CAT exam scores and cutoffs.
Step 1: Preliminary Screening
The candidates have to have the minimum required CAT percentiles to be eligible for admission to IIM Shillong. All candidates who:
- Appeared for CAT 2025, and
- Selected IIM Shillong in their CAT application,
are eligible, provided they meet the minimum sectional percentiles in CAT as below:
| Category | VARC | DILR | QA |
| DA | 50 | 50 | 50 |
| ST | 50 | 50 | 50 |
| SC | 60 | 60 | 60 |
| EWS | 75 | 75 | 75 |
| General | 75 | 75 | 75 |
Step 2: Composite Score Calculation for Shortlisting
Composite Scores is based on the total CAT percentile and normalized application rating score (NARS). NARS will be based on scores assigned to Class X, Class XII, and Graduation percentages, along with the scores for months of experience.
| Component | Weightage |
| CAT Exam Overall Percentile | 65% |
| Normalized Application Rating Score (NARS) | 35% |
| Class X | Class XII (All Streams) |
Graduation (All Streams) |
|||
| Percentage | Score | Percentage | Score | Percentage | Score |
| 95-100 | 10 | 95-100 | 10 | 95-100 | 10 |
| 90-94.99 | 9 | 90-94.99 | 9 | 90-94.99 | 9 |
| 85-89.99 | 8 | 85-89.99 | 8 | 85-89.99 | 8 |
| 80-84.99 | 5 | 80-84.99 | 5 | 80-84.99 | 6 |
| 75-79.99 | 2 | 75-79.99 | 2 | 75-79.99 | 4 |
| <74.99 | 0 | <74.99 | 0 | <74.99 | 2 |
| <69.99 | o | ||||
Work Experience Scoring (D):
| Work Experience | Scores |
| < 7 months | 0 |
| 7–12 months | 6 |
| 12–18 months | 12 |
| 18–24 months | 14 |
| 24–30 months | 10 |
| 30–36 months | 6 |
| 36–42 months | 2 |
| 42+ months | 0 |
Now, Understand the Application Rating Score (ARS)
Normalized ARS (NARS) ensures fairness across applicants. ARS reflects a candidate’s academic consistency and professional exposure.
| Component | Description |
| Class X score | A |
| Class XII score | B |
| Graduation score | C |
| Work Experience | D |
Step 3: Academic Discipline-Wise Shortlisting
The candidates will be ranked based on their composite score. The candidates, then, will be grouped as per their academic disciplines in graduation. IIM Shillong strongly believes in academic diversity.
There are 6 Academic Categories (ACs) to group the candidates, including:
- AC1: Medicine & Surgery
- AC2: CA, CS, CMA, Actuarial
- AC3: Commerce, Economics, Management
- AC4: Engineering, Technology, Science
- AC5: Arts, Humanities, Law, Design, Education
- AC6: Any other disciplines
From each academic discipline, a certain percentage (𝛼) of candidates would be shortlisted for PI calls.
If,
- 𝑁: Number of candidates appeared for CAT exam,
- 𝑔: Number of academic disciplines
- Ni: Number of Candidates present in an Academic Discipline
- (𝜶𝒊) : Percentage of Candidates from each Academic Discipline
Each academic category is allocated shortlisting proportionally, based on:
(𝜶𝒊) = Number of candidates in discipline i / Total CAT applicants
This calculation matters because it ensures equal chances. Say, an Arts or Humanities graduate is not competing directly with Engineers for PI calls.
Step 4: Category & Gender-Based Distribution
The identified pool of eligible candidates in respective academic discipline (i) would be further grouped as per their social categories, the number of candidates in a social category, like EWS, ST, SC, OT, and General.
There will be a gender-based sub-grouping within every academic discipline and social category.
Also read, IIM Shillong Placement Report
Final PI Shortlist Ranking
Within each micro-group based on academic discipline, category, and gender, candidates are ranked purely on composite scores. The top candidates will get Personal Interview calls.
Phase 2 of IIM Shillong Admission Criteria: Final Merit List & Admission Offers
There will be different cut-off scores for candidate’s performance in the PI process in various categories. Though, communication skills are evaluated but not included in final score computation.
The minimum PI Cut-offs
| Category | Communication | PI |
| DA | 20% | 20% |
| ST | 20% | 20% |
| SC | 25% | 25% |
| EWS | 30% | 30% |
| Others | 30% | 30% |
Once PI rounds are completed, the overall scores candidate will include marks of PI round, along with ARS, scaled CAT scores, and gender weightage for the final merit list. The various weightage score for all the components are as shown here in a table.
Final Overall Score (OS)
| Component | Weightage |
| CAT 2025 Score | 40% |
| Personal Interview | 40% |
| Application Rating Score | 10% |
| Gender Diversity | 10% |
Next, candidates will receive admission offers in order of their rank based on the overall scores. Final admission offers are made strictly by rank and multiple waitlist iterations may occur.
Important Notes Every Aspirant Must Know
- IIM Shillong reserves the right to modify criteria.
- The sectional CAT performance is non-negotiable and PI shortlisting is independent of other IIMs
- Candidates receiving admission offers for the PGP 2026–28 batch must submit proof of graduation completion on or before 31 December 2026, as specified by IIM Shillong.
- Admission updates are shared via IIM Shillong Website, Email, and SMS. And, only shortlisted candidates receive communication.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the minimum CAT cutoff for IIM Shillong MBA admission 2026-28?
Candidates must meet the minimum sectional CAT percentile requirements specified by IIM Shillong. For General and EWS candidates, the minimum sectional percentile is 75 in VARC, DILR, and QA, while category-wise relaxations apply to reserved categories.
How does IIM Shillong shortlist candidates for the Personal Interview (PI)?
IIM Shillong shortlists candidates based on a Composite Score comprising CAT overall percentile (65%) and the Normalized Application Rating Score (NARS) (35%), which considers academics and work experience.
What is the weightage of the CAT score in IIM Shillong’s final selection process?
In the final merit list, the CAT 2025 score carries a weightage of 40%, while the Personal Interview performance also carries 40%.
Does IIM Shillong give weightage to work experience?
Yes. Work experience is included in the Application Rating Score (ARS). Candidates with approximately 18–24 months of work experience receive the highest score under this component.
Does IIM Shillong consider academic diversity during admission?
Yes. Candidates are grouped into different academic categories based on their graduation discipline. This helps ensure representation from diverse educational backgrounds.
Does IIM Shillong give weightage to gender diversity?
Yes. Female and transgender candidates receive gender diversity weightage during the final merit list calculation. Gender diversity contributes 10% to the final overall score.
What factors are considered in the IIM Shillong final merit list?
The final merit list is prepared using the CAT score (40%), the Personal Interview score (40%), the Application Rating Score (10%), and the Gender Diversity score (10%).
Is sectional CAT performance important for admission to IIM Shillong?
Yes. Candidates must satisfy both sectional and overall CAT cutoff requirements. A high overall percentile cannot compensate for a sectional score below the prescribed cutoff.
Can final-year students apply for the IIM Shillong MBA admission?
Yes. Final-year bachelor’s degree students can apply, provided they meet the eligibility requirements and submit proof of graduation completion within the timeline prescribed by the institute.
How is the Application Rating Score (ARS) calculated at IIM Shillong?
ARS is calculated using Class X score, Class XII score, graduation performance, and relevant work experience. The score is subsequently normalized to derive NARS for shortlisting.
Tags
