IIM Bangalore Cutoff 2025: For any MBA aspirant, IIM Bangalore, often called the “Silicon Valley of India” for management education, offers much more than just a degree; it represents prestige and long-term career value.
However, getting into a high CAT percentile doesn’t guarantee final admission in IIM Bangalore. When we look at the IIM Bangalore Cutoff 2025, it’s clear that while your CAT percentile helps you cross the first barrier, factors like consistent academic performance and quality work experience play a major role in securing the final admission.
This blog will guide you with the IIM Bangalore CAT cutoff for the PGP 2026-28 batch, the importance given to different selection criteria, and simple ways to understand and prepare for IIMB’s highly competitive selection process.
Table of Contents
IIM Bangalore Qualifying Sectional CAT Cutoff 2025
To be considered for the PGP 2026-28 batch candidates must have met the following minimum sectional and overall percentile thresholds:
| Category | VARC Percentile | DILR Percentile | QA Percentile | Overall Percentile |
| 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 |
Note: While the qualifying overall cutoff for the General category is 85, the final call percentile for a General candidate with a standard profile usually hovers around 99.7+ percentile.
Also Check: IIM Ahmedabad CAT Cutoff 2025
Expected Category-Wise IIM Bangalore Overall CAT 2025 Cutoff
Based on trends from previous years and the difficulty level of CAT paper, the expected final cutoffs for the 2026-28 batch are projected as follows:
| Category | Expected IIM-B CAT 2025 Cutoff |
| General | 99 |
| EWS | 96 |
| NC-OBC | 96 |
| SC | 90 |
| ST | 90 |
| PwD | 90 |
IIM Bangalore Selection Criteria 2026-28: The Two-Phase Process
IIM Bangalore is unique because it places significant emphasis on academic consistency (10th, 12th, and Graduation) and work experience right from the first stage of shortlisting.
Phase 1: Pre-PI Shortlisting
In this stage, a composite score is calculated to invite candidates for the interview. The weightage for the 2025 intake is distributed as follows:
- CAT 2024 Score: 55% (VARC: 19%, DILR: 21%, QA: 15%)
- Class 10th Board: 10%
- Class 12th Board: 10%
- Bachelor’s Degree: 10%
- Work Experience / Professional Course: 10%
- Gender Diversity: 5% (For female/transgender candidates)
The formula for the composite score at IIM Bangalore can be represented as:
Where Wi is the weight of the component and Ci is the candidate’s score in that component.
Also Read: IIM JAP Stage-1 Calls Out
Phase 2: Final Selection (Post-PI)
Once the interviews are conducted, the final merit list is prepared using a different set of weights. The CAT score weightage drops significantly here, making the Personal Interview (PI) the most critical factor.
| Parameter | Weightage (%) |
| Personal Interview (PI) | 40% |
| Writing Ability Test (WAT) | 10% |
| CAT Score | 25% |
| Class 10th Marks | 5% |
| Class 12th Marks | 5% |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 5% |
| Work Experience | 10% |
IIM Bangalore Previous Year’s Cutoff
Candidates are advised to review the IIM Bangalore cutoff trends from the past years published by the institute to expect the cutoff numbers for the upcoming sessions. The following table represents the IIM Bangalore qualifying cutoffs for the past 5 years:
| Category | 2024 Cut Off | 2023 Cut Off | 2022 Cut Off |
| General | 85 | 80 | 80 |
| EWS | 75 | 70 | 75 |
| NC-OBC | 75 | 70 | 75 |
| SC | 70 | 65 | 50 |
| ST | 65 | 60 | 50 |
| PwD | 60 | 55 | 40 |
Note: While the “Qualifying Cutoff” for the General category remains around 85 percentile, the actual “Final Call” percentile-the score at which candidates are actually invited for interviews- is usually 99.5+ for General category applicants due to intense competition.
Factors Affecting the IIM Bangalore Cutoff 2025
Several variables influence why the cutoff fluctuates each year:
- Number of Applicants: A higher number of CAT takers naturally pushes the percentile requirements higher.
- Difficulty Level of CAT: If any section is exceptionally tough, the raw scores required for a 99%ile drop, but the percentile cutoff remains high.
- Academic Diversity: The institute considers academic background and gender diversity during shortlisting, which may benefit non-engineers and female candidates.
Conclusion – IIM Bangalore Cutoff 2025
The IIM Bangalore Cutoff 2025 shows that the institute values overall excellence, not just a high CAT score. While CAT is important, your academic background and work experience also matter a lot. Once you clear the qualifying cutoffs, it is crucial to focus strongly on WAT and PI preparation, as these two stages together account for 50% of the final selection weightage and play a key role in securing admission.
Also Check: IIM Amritsar CAT Cutoff 2025 | IIM Shillong CAT Cutoff 2025
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is 95 percentile enough for IIM Bangalore?
A: For a General category candidate, 95 percentile meets the qualifying criteria but is rarely enough for an interview call unless the candidate has an extraordinary profile (e.g., National level sports, international awards, or 10/10/10 academics).
Q: Does IIM Bangalore have sectional cutoffs?
A: Yes. You must meet the minimum percentile in all three sections (VARC, DILR, and QA) as well as the overall aggregate to be eligible for shortlisting.
Q: Does IIM B give weightage to graduation marks?
A: Yes, IIM Bangalore gives 10% weightage to graduation marks during the initial shortlisting and 5% during the final selection.
Q: What is the weightage for work experience at IIM B?
A: IIM B gives 10% weightage to work experience. The “sweet spot” is usually between 24 to 36 months of experience.
