Indian Institute of Management - IIM Ahmedabad

IIM Ahmedabad offers six programs in the Master’s and Doctoral level of entry, along with two diploma programs which can be completed online. For IIM A admission, candidates are shortlisted on the basis of Common Aptitude Test (CAT) /GRE/GMAT (whichever is applicable), followed by group discussions and personal interviews for final selection. Interested applicants must follow the programme deadlines and be up to speed with the admission process for completing their application on time. 

IIM Ahmedabad admissions are open for candidates possessing a bachelor’s degree and to those in their final year of the bachelor's program. IIM Ahmedabad's flagship programme is the 2-year Post Graduation in Management (MBA) which will offer admission on the basis of CAT. Candidates must take the CAT and select IIM Ahmedabad on their CAT application form to be considered for this program. 

The group discussion component in the selection process has now been replaced with an Analytical Writing Test (AWT) for candidates who qualify the CAT for their respective programme. The final step in the admissions process is the Personal Interview (PI) which is taken by the programme board and is anticipated to be carried out virtually for the year 2021. 

IIMA PGP in Management (MBA) Admission
The program is the world’s most sought after business program in the world with less than 1 percent acceptance rate. IIMA admission is administered through CAT and subsequent rounds of personal interviews. For applicants of foreign nationality, GMAT  is the required entrance test and applications must be made through the Supernumerary Quota category on the IIM Ahmedabad PGP website.

IIMA MBA Eligibility Criteria

Applicants in their final year of study are eligible for the program, given that they complete their bachelor's degree before the session of 2021 commences.

Steps for IIMA MBA Admission:
(i.) Fill up the CAT 2020 form, select IIMA and programme on it, and pay test fees.

(ii.) IIMA will declare the CAT cut-off percentile

(iii.) Qualify on CAT for the selected programme.

(iv) Applicants need to meet the cut-off declared by IIM A

(v) IIM A will shortlist candidates for AWT and PI. Details will be available on IIMA’s website

(vi.) Sit for selection on the basis of AWTs and PIs

(vii) After the AWT and PI round, IIMA sends admission offers to successful candidates

(viii) The final selection is made after considering a number of factors such as CAT performance, academic record, work experience, performance in AWTs and PI, co-curricular and extra-curricular achievements.

(vii) Document verification and university enrolment. 

Documents Required for IIM Ahmedabad PGP (MBA) Admission:

1. Class 10th  mark sheet

2. 10+2 mark sheet

3. Reservation certificates

4. Bachelor's degree (official/provisional)

5. Resume 

6. Work Experience certificate (if applicable)

These documents also need to be uploaded at the time of applying for the CAT, so it is a best practice to keep these ready alongside a recent passport size photograph. 

Fee: Program fee is Rs. 23 Lakhs only. Applications for Need-based Scholarships are invited every year in the month of July/Aug.   

IIMA PGP Admission (Food and Agri-business Management (FABM))

The program is offered to students holding a Bachelor's degree and also to students who have cleared CA/ICWA/CS but do not hold a bachelor's degree. For admission, Indian nationals need to take the CAT and foreign nationals must take the GMAT.  

Eligibility:

Candidates are shortlisted on the basis of their CAT scores (70 percent) and Application Rating Score (30 percent) for the AWT and PI. Application Rating Score (ARS) combines a candidate’s 10th, 12th and graduation marks and averages them accordingly. Applicants with prior background in the Food/Agriculture industry are given preference during AWT and PI as the program is industry-specific.  

IIM Ahmedabad admission is offered to interdisciplinary students (non-food/agriculture) on a provisional basis till they furnish an Intent to Study document within a week of having received a call from the institute.  Applicants in their final year of bachelors study may apply, given that they complete the program before the session of 2021 begins. 

IIMA Admission Process for PGP-FABM:
(i.) Fill up the CAT 2020 form, select IIMA and programme on it, and pay test fees.

(ii.) IIMA will declare the CAT cut-off percentile

(iii.) Qualify CAT and ARS 

(iv) Applicants need to meet the cut-off declared by IIM A

(v) IIM A will shortlist and invite students who meet the cut-off to apply for the programme

(vi.) Sit for selection on the basis of AWTs and PIs.

(vii.) Submit an Intent to Study document within 1 week of admission offer 

(viii.) Document verification and university enrolment. 

Documents Required for IIM Ahmedabad PGP-FABM Admission:

1. Class 10th  mark sheet

2. 10+2 mark sheet

3. Reservation certificates

4. Bachelor's degree (official/provisional)

5. Resume 

6. Work Experience certificate (if applicable)

These documents also need to be uploaded at the time of applying for the CAT, so it is prudent to keep digital copies of these ready alongside a recent passport size photograph.  

Fee: Program fee is Rs. 23 Lakhs only. Applications for Need-based Scholarships are invited every year in the month of July/Aug.  

IIMA Admission for Fellow Programme in Management (PhD)

IIMA offers different areas of specialisations in its doctoral programme such as HR management, Information Systems, Agriculture, etc. . Admission is done on the basis of CAT, but other standardised tests such as GRE/GMAT/GATE are also considered based on the student’s area of specialisation. 

Admission into the program is highly competitive and is given to students to have excellent academic records and desire to pursue further studies in their chosen fields. Selection for foreign nationals is done through GMAT.

Students holding Masters/Bachelors (4 year program) degrees may apply for this programme for year 2021. Students in their final year of Bachelors/Masters study may also apply for the programme, given that they submit a document from their institution that verifies that the student has appeared for the final examinations which conclude his/her coursework towards the degree, before 31 May 2021.   

Fellows are given a monthly stipend of Rs. 32,000 in the first two years of research and increased to Rs. 35000 after qualifying their research for the next two years. Other funds and grants are also made available to fellows for academic research, seminars, etc. along with accommodation. 

Eligibility:

IIM Ahmedabad Admission Dates 

IIM-A Selection Process:

(i.) Candidates must fill the form for the program on IIMA web portal with an area of specialisation

(ii.) Furnish all documents on the page and pay the application fee of Rs. 500

(iii.) Take the CAT 2020 or other Standardised Test 

(iv.) Interview process by the concerned departments 

Documents Required: 

1. Masters/ Bachelors Mark sheet 

2. Letter of Recommendations

3. Academic Accolades along with a Resume

IIM Ahmedabad Admission to One-Year Full Time Post Graduate Programme in Management for Executives (PGPX)

This programme is designed for executives who are looking to raise their careers to the next level. Like other IIMA programs, admission is highly competitive. The IIM A admissions process has been made available in three rounds and requires candidates to take either the GRE or the GMAT. 

Eligibility: 

The application process is completed by shortlisting candidates on basis of work experience, past academic performance, professional/acad accolades, test scores. After shortlisting candidates are to write a Personal Essay on their motivations for taking the course, which is followed by a final personal interview. 

IIMA Admission Process for PGPX: 

(i.) Fill up an application on IIMA webpage for PGPX and pay application fees.

(ii.) Await selection list and submit Personal Essay on time 

(iii.) Sit for Personal Interview.

Documents Required:

1. Degree conferral documents

2. Work experience certificates

3. Up to date Resume

4. Personal Essay/ Statement of Purpose (SOP)

Fee: The fee for the one-year PGPX programme is Rs. 28 Lakhs.

IIMA Admission - Faculty Development Programme (FDP)

The programme has been in operation for more than 40 years now and invites applications from interested and motivated educators from various management concentrations. The on-campus programme has been cancelled for the year 2020 due to the pandemic. IIMA conducted its first online FDP from 22 June to 28 July 2020. The on-campus FDP provides educators with the option of certification in 2 different modules- 

1. Pedagogy and Research

2. General Management

 Eligibility: 

1. Applicants must have postgraduate level teaching experience or management research of at least two years. 

2. FDP is offered in English, so participants must be proficient in the English language.

IIM Ahmedabad Selection Procedure for PDP
1. Application form to be filled on IIMA FDP portal and fees paid.

2. Statement of Purpose is needed but maybe waived.

3. Telephonic interviews may be conducted.

4. Decision received within three working days. 

5. Program fee to be paid when offered admission into the program.

Fee: The program fee for the online program conducted this year was Rs. 30,680. 

IIM Ahmedabad Admission - Armed Forces Programme (AFP)

IIMA offers this programme for officers in the Indian Army to empower them with the skillset and the business acumen to thrive in the corporate world. This Business Management course is a 6 month full time study which is conducted every year from October to March to facilitate a smooth second career transition for the officers of the force. 

IIM-A Admission for e-Mode Post Graduate Programme (ePGP)

This is a two year interactive learning program by IIMA designed for junior, mid and senior level working professionals focused on a distance learning approach. The program allows executives the flexibility to complete the program in three years. The degree conferred is “Master of Management Studies (e-Learning mode)” by IIM Ahmedabad. 

Eligibility:

IIM-A Selection Process for e-PGP:

1. Valid CAT score (CAT score of a test taken within the last three years i.e. 2018, 2019, and 2020)  or,

2. Valid GMAT / GRE score (GMAT / GRE score of a test taken within the last five years

Documents Required:

1. Resume and Work experience certificates

2. Bachelor's degree 

Fee: The total programme fee is Rs. 20 lakhs to be completed in four instalments each semester.

IIMA Admission for ePGD in Advanced Business Analytics

IIMA offers this 16 month diploma program for working professionals to equip them with the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in the increasingly data centric world of business. Applicants with strong aptitude in quant and problem solving skills are encouraged to apply. The program is online and the term is set to start in Mar 2021 and commence in May-Jul 2022. 

Eligibility:

IIM Ahmedabad Admission Stages for ePGD in Advanced Business Analytics:

1. Candidates need to submit the online application on the IIMA webpage for the program 

2. Qualify on CAT/GRE/GMAT/ePGD-ABA test scores

3. Online Personal Interview (Jan-Feb 2021)

Documents Required:

1. Resume and Work experience certificates

2. Bachelor's degree 

3. Two Letters of Recommendation

4. Degree Transcripts

Fee: Program fee is Rs. 10 lakhs. 

Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad Cutoffs

IIMA cut off is the minimum percentile a candidate must secure on the CAT to be eligible for the second round which is AWT (Analytical Writing Test) and PIs (Personal Interview). The IIM Ahmedabad cutoff varies for programmes which offer reservation to some categories. A percentile represents a candidate’s performance compared to the percentage of applicants.

Admission to IIM A is done based on the Common Aptitude Examination (CAT) scores each year. The CAT percentile of a candidate is the admission criteria for PGPs in Management. The cutoff percentile for IIMA changes every year depending on many factors such as CAT difficulty level, number of aspirants, seats available, etc. By checking last year’s cutoffs a good estimate can be made as to how much a candidate needs to score to get a call from IIMA. 

With a good CAT percentile, candidates stand a chance to clear the IIM Ahmedabad cutoff and get admitted into the following programs- MBA (PGP in Management), MBA-FABM (Food-Agri Business Management), PhD in Management, e-PGP and e-PGD-ABA (Advanced Business Analytics). 

An Application Rating Score (ARS) is a normalised score which accounts for part of the criteria for getting past round 1 of selection. It comprises past academic performance in Bachelors, 10th and 12th grade marks.  

IIMA Cut Off - New Criteria from 2019

1. The CAT component for IIMA cutoff has been reduced from 70% to 65% for normalisation of score criteria in round 1 shortlisting, with the ARS now at 35%. 

2. IIM Ahmedabad has introduced work experience as new criteria for PGP program. More than 3 years of work experience gets candidates 5 points whereas less than 12 months gets no points on ARS. 

3. Applicants with Bachelors in Engineering or Arch. require > 85 % to get a perfect 10 score on AC-4 of ARS.

4. IIM A continues to not give additional points based on gender 

5. Candidates must reach minimum cutoffs in each of the 3 sections of the CAT.  

IIMA Cut Off Percentile of CAT 2020

Factors determining the IIM A Cutoff

1. The difficulty level of CAT 2020 - The difficulty level of the CAT entrance exam is considered to be the top determining factor in deciding the cutoff. If the overall paper is easy, then a high cutoff is expected. Whereas for difficult or tricky papers, the expected cutoff is lower. The CAT has been shortened by 60 minutes this year, so the paper is expected to be tougher.

2. Total number of applicants - The total number of students who register for CAT 2020 and apply to IIM A also affects the program cutoff. More the number of applicants, higher will be the IIM A cutoff. Applicants registered for CAT 2020 are lesser than the previous year.

3. Availability of seats - The number of seats available also determines the IIM A cutoff. If the number of seats is more, then the cutoff is expected to be low, whereas for a lesser number of seats, the IIM A cutoffs are high. There is no information by IIM A on change of seats in programs for 2021.

4. Previous year's cutoff trends - The analysis of the previous years’ cutoff trends helps in determining/predicting the cutoff for the current year 2020.

The PGP is the most popular program at IIM A which attracts the most applicants, which is why the cutoffs are so high. The program selects less than 0.1 per cent of the total applicants. 

IIMA Courses, Fees and Eligibility 

IIM Ahmedabad courses are divided into eight categories, all in the post-graduation or doctoral level of study. All programmes have a management focus and invite applications across many disciplines, each having separate admission criteria. IIMA courses stand out from the other IIMs in their extensive case-based study approach in all their subjects, in lieu of lectures and seminars. 

Six of these eight IIMA courses are taught in-person at the campus, and two programmes, namely ePGP in Management and ePGD in Advanced Business Analytics, follow remote instruction. IIM Ahmedabad courses are all designed to attract the sharpest and motivated individuals at different points in their careers. 

IIMA Courses and Eligibility Criteria:

Other specialised IIMA courses are the PGP for executives, Faculty Development Programme, and the Armed Forces Programme. These programmes are specially designed for executives, faculty and members of the Indian Armed forces. These programs are only open to applicants of the above-mentioned groups.

IIM Ahmedabad courses are designed for young management executives looking to elevate their careers to newer heights, but IIMA still manages to engage participants of all age groups and industries. Students can expect a wide variety in the cohort as the acceptance criteria are usually broad for most of the IIMA courses. 

 IIMA Courses Fee Structure

Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad Scholarships

The Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, offers a variety of scholarships to the deserving candidates. IIMA scholarship is an endeavour on the part of the institute to make sure that no student is kept from joining this prestigious institution due to lack of funds. IIMA offers a number of IIM Ahmedabad scholarships for various courses such as PGP MBA, PGP-FABM, PGPX. However, it should be noted that the scholarship can be revoked if the behaviour (academic or otherwise) of the student is found to not be in compliance with the scholarship and institutional rules. 

The students can avail of IIM-A scholarships provided by the government of India, corporations/ industries and IIM-A alumni. On top of this, IIM-A also provides need-based scholarships for PGP students. Their details are given below.

IIM Ahmedabad Scholarship Details

The Financial Aid and Awards Committee of the institute may determine the minimum grade points a student needs to be eligible for the IIMA scholarship. A student can take more than one IIM Ahmedabad scholarships or financial aid in one academic year, provided the total amount doesn’t exceed the yearly expenses payable to IIMA during that year and there is no objection from the sponsors.

Q1. What are the different components in PGPX admissions process?

Ans. The admission process for PGPX involves these steps:

• Submit the application online before deadline

• Appear in the interview that is conducted by IIMA faculty members. Video conferences are also held to interview international students

• If shortlisted, candidates have to pay Rs. 2 lac before the last admission date. This is the commitment fee and the remaining payment can be made in installments or lump-sum later

Q2. What is the IIMA MBA fee?

Ans. IIM Ahmedabad MBA fee is Rs. 23,00,000.

Q3. What are the IIM Ahmedabad courses?

Ans. IIMA courses are listed below:

• MBA (PGP in Management) 

• MBA (PGP in FPBM)

• Executive MBA 

• PhD in Management

• ePGP in Management (online)

• ePGD in Advanced Business Analytics (online)

Q4. What is the IIM Ahmedabad MBA eligibility criteria?

Ans. As per the IIMA MBA eligibility criteria, candidates should have a B.Sc, B.Tech, BA, or BA (Hons) degree with at least 50 per cent marks or equivalent CGPA. IIMA eligibility criteria for the reserved category is at least 45 per cent marks in graduation.

Q5. How can one get admission to IIMA MBA programme?

Ans. The step by step IIM Ahmedabad admission process is given here in detail.

• Fill up the CAT 2020 form, select IIMA and programme on it, and pay test fees.

• Meet the IIMA cut-off requirement.

• Qualify the Analytical Writing Test (AWT) and Personal Interview. 

• Final selection will take place considering a number of factors such as CAT performance, academic record, work experience, performance in AWTs and PI, co-curricular and extra-curricular achievements.

• If selected, complete the documentation process and pay the IIM Ahmedabad MBA fee.

Q6. What is the IIMA MBA CAT cutoff for 2020?

Ans. The overall IIM Ahmedabad CAT cutoff 2020 is 80 percentile rank.

Q7. What is the IIMA selection criteria for IIM Ahmedabad MBA admissions?

Ans. IIM Ahmedabad selection criteria for MBA programme includes CAT performance, academic record, work experience, performance in AWTs and PI, co-curricular and extra-curricular achievements.