Eligibility, selection weights, important dates and batch profile
IIM Shillong Admission 2026-27 — Eligibility, Cutoffs, Selection Process & Important Dates
CAT cutoffs (official, by category)
Category
VARC
DILR
QA
Total
General
80
80
80
90
EWS
70
70
70
80
NC-OBC
65
65
65
78
SC
55
55
55
65
ST
40
40
40
50
PwD
40
40
40
50
Sectional + total percentile minimums from the official admission policy. Meeting the cutoff is the FIRST gate — final selection depends on the composite score.
How selection works
Stage 1 — Shortlisting for PI
CAT 202560%
Class 10 + Class 12 marks15%
Bachelor's degree marks5%
Gender + academic diversity10%
Work experience10%
Eligibility + Exam details
Who can apply
Bachelor's degree: 50% aggregate (45% for SC/ST/PwD) in any discipline
CAT year accepted: 2025
Work experience: Not mandatory. Carries weight in NARS composite.
Age limit: No upper age limit
Detailed selection process — what to expect at each stage
01
Stage 1 — CAT 2025 eligibility
Valid CAT 2025 scorecard above sectional and overall cutoffs for your category. Minimum bachelor's degree aggregate per IIM norms.
02
Stage 2 — Phase 1 shortlist (NARS)
Composite Normalized Application Rating Score combining CAT, past academics, work experience and diversity. Academic disciplines (engineering, commerce, arts, science) are grouped and normalised so that an engineering-heavy applicant pool does not crowd out other disciplines.
03
Stage 3 — Phase 2 WAT + Personal Interview
Written essay scored on structure and argument. Personal Interview by a panel of faculty and external experts. Focus on motivation, career clarity and conceptual grounding.
04
Stage 4 — Final merit
Final score combines CAT, WAT, PI, past academics, work experience and diversity. Waitlist movement is published in batches across the cycle.