Top IIMs delay Admission 2023 Policy announcements; Are changes in offing?

IIM Admission Policy is a major annual document released by each IIM which decides the fate of 200,000 MBA aspirants. Each year, top 3 IIMs - IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta -- used to release their admission policy immediately after the start of CAT registration in August. However, this year, none of them have released their admission policy, even as CAT 2022 registration began on August 3. As on September 10, of the 20 IIMs, only IIM Lucknow has released its admission policy. It is this a usual delay, or there more to it? Looking at last many years’ trends, MBAUniverse.com believes that several changes may be offing thus causing this inordinate delay.

IIM Admission Policy covers key components of Admission Criteria…
Before we move further, lets quickly review what are IIMs’ Admission Policy key components and key information it contains. It covers

• CAT exam Score sectional and Overall Cut offs
• Shortlisting criteria with weightages awarded to CAT score, academics, gender diversity, work experience and other parameters
• Final selection criteria with weightages to PI round, CAT score (Which is always lower than the weightage awarded in shortlisting), academic profile, diversity, Work experience

Changes likely in IIMs Admission Policy for 2023
Following changes in admission policy 2023 of top IIMs are expected due to which the delay has occurred in policy announcement:

1. Reinstating the Weightage to Graduation Marks
IIMs consider the consistency of academic excellence from class 10 to graduation. However, last year, due to Covid pandemic situation, the CAT convening IIM Ahmedabad had announced not to consider graduation marks in CAT eligibility as in many states graduation exams were not conducted. Not only IIM Ahmedabad, but also IIM Calcutta, Bangalore and other IIMs dropped the 3 to 5 percent weightage which was awarded for graduation marks in shortlisting as well as in final selection process. For admission 2023, it may not happen and your academic performance in bachelor’s degree may become a key parameter in shortlisting and final selection. All the IIMs are likely to award due weightage to graduation marks in their admission process 2023.

2. More focus on Academic Diversity likely
All the IIMs are trying to improve academic and cultural diversity as the candidates from other than engineering back ground are not getting sufficient representation in the flagship programs of IIMs. It is likely that IIMs which do not award weightage to academic diverse back grounds like Arts, Humanities, Commerce etc. may include it as key parameter in shortlisting and also award good weightage to it in final selection process.

Similarly, the North East and Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh and other areas of India do not get sufficient Representation in IIM class rooms. To improve such cultural diversity, it is possible that some relaxations and weightages may be awarded to the students coming from these states and UTs.

3. Bonus Marks for Extra Curricular Activities
Although IIMs do not openly announce weightages for excellence in achievements in sports and other extra-curricular areas, however, in line with the policy of the Government to encourage and motivate the outstanding sports persons and achievers in various other fields, IIMs may award 3 to 5% bonus marks for such extra-curricular activities of State, National and International level. It may be noted that IIM Ahmedabad has already been awarding weightage to the profile of such candidates. In some cases even the candidates with 99 and 100 CAT percentile were not offered admission whereas the achievers in different areas with much lower percentile could get admission in IIM Ahmedabad.

4. Greater Weightage to Improve Gender Diversity
Most of the IIMs are taking steps by awarding 3-5% weightage to improve gender diversity and some of them have also got good results but still the ratio of gender diversity in flagship MBA/PGP program is not at the desired level. IIMs have a vision to have at least 45 to 50 percent girl students in their flagship programs but they are hovering around 25 to 35 percent. It is expected that IIMs may further increase the weightage to gender diversity which is around 7-8 percent now.   

5. Further Reducing CAT Cut off & Weightages in Shortlisting & Final Selection
Like IIM Ahmedabad, other IIMs may reduce the CAT 2022 sectional cut off to 70 percentile and overall cut off at 80 percentile. Besides, the weightage of CAT exam score in shortlisting may also go down from 50-60% to 30-40%. In final selection IIMs may award only 20-25% weight to CAT exam score. Over the years, most of the IIMs have reduced the CAT overall and sectional cut offs and have also reduced the weightage to CAT exam score in shortlisting. Below is shared the previous years top IIMs shortlisting and final selection criteria for a quick reference

Top IIMs Shortlisting Criteria
Below is shared top IIMs Shortlist Criteria at a Glance with this Key Components & Weightage

Top IIMs Final Selection Criteria: Components and Weightages
Below are the key parameters and weightages awarded to each of the components in final IIM selection process by the Top IIMs

IIMs, the front runners in offering Management education in India accept only CAT exam score for admission and along with them other top MBA colleges in Non-IIM category including FMS Delhi, MDI Gurgaon, SPJIMR Mumbai, 7 IITs and 500+ other top B-schools also accept only CAT exam score. CAT 2022 is being conducted by IIM Bangalore and the exam is scheduled on November 27, 2022 in 3 slots of 2 hour duration each. Read More  

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