IIM Ahmedabad PI Shortlist Composite Score 2027 rests on two inputs. It gives 65 percent weight to the normalised CAT 2026 score. The Application Rating carries the remaining 35 percent. Only candidates above this composite score cutoff get an AWT and PI call for the MBA 2027-29 batch.

The cutoff is not a percentile. It is a decimal figure between 0 and 1. For the last cycle with published figures, the General category merit list closed at a composite score of 0.659095. NC-OBC closed at 0.562360 and SC at 0.498964.

Clearing the CAT percentile bar is only the entry ticket. General and EWS candidates needed 95 overall and 85 in each section in the 2026-28 cycle. Marks in Class 10 and Class 12 act as a second gate. The shortlist is expected on iima.ac.in in the second week of January 2027.

Download PDF: IIM Ahmedabad PGP 2026–28 PI Shortlisting Criteria PDF

IIM Ahmedabad PI Shortlist Composite Score 2027: Formula, Cutoff & CAT Weightage

Check: IIM Ahmedabad PGP Admission Status 2026–28

IIM Ahmedabad PI Shortlist Composite Score 2027 Cutoff

IIM Ahmedabad draws a category-wise merit list on the composite score. The table below shows the minimum composite score at which candidates were called in the last cycle for which the institute published the figures. These serve as the working benchmark for 2027.

Category Minimum Composite Score Candidates Shortlisted
General 0.659095 153
EWS 0.576825 52
NC-OBC 0.562360 104
SC 0.498964 71
ST 0.435064 57
PwD (General) 0.491272 11

These are Stage 2 figures. A separate Stage 1 list is drawn first, and its cutoffs run lower for some streams. A total of 1,312 candidates were called for AWT and PI across both stages in that cycle.

Check: IIM Ahmedabad Courses & Fees 2027

How the IIM Ahmedabad Composite Score Is Calculated?

The formula is fixed and published by the institute. It reads as follows.

CS = 0.35 x Normalised AR Score + 0.65 x Normalised CAT Overall Score

Read More: IIM Ahmedabad Course Admission 2027: Dates, Eligibility, Registrations, Selection Criteria

Important Note: The cutoff and Composite Score values discussed below are based on the official IIM Ahmedabad admission policy for the 2026–28 batch (using CAT 2025 scores). They serve as the latest available benchmark until IIM Ahmedabad releases the admission policy for the 2027–29 batch based on CAT 2026.

Application Rating Score Components

The Application Rating, or AR, is the sum of five separate rating scores. Nothing outside these five heads counts at the shortlisting stage.

Rating Based On Maximum Score
A Class 10 marks 10
B Class 12 marks, stream-wise 10
C Bachelor's degree marks, discipline-wise 10
D Work experience, capped at 36 months 5
E Gender diversity, non-male candidates 3

The maximum possible AR is 38. Work experience below 12 months earns zero. Between 12 and 36 months the score is 0.20 multiplied by the months minus 11. Anything above 36 months is capped at 5.

Read More: IIM Ahmedabad Placement

Normalised AR and Normalised CAT Score

Raw scores are never used directly. The AR score is divided by the average AR of the top 50 applicants. In the 2025-27 cycle that average stood at 37. The CAT overall score is normalised the same way against the top scorers of the pool.

So a strong academic record is measured against the strongest records in the pool. A perfect AR is almost never needed. What matters is the distance from the top 50 average.

Composite Score Calculation Example

Example: a male engineering graduate scores 92 percent in Class 10 and 88 percent in Class 12 Science. His bachelor's degree score is 78 percent, with 24 months of work experience.

His rating scores are A = 10, B = 8, C = 8, D = 2.6 and E = 0. The AR totals 28.6. Against a top 50 average of 37, the normalised AR is 0.773.

If his normalised CAT score is 0.637, the composite score works out to 0.6848. That clears the General cutoff of 0.659095 from the last published cycle.

Check: IIM Ahmedabad Scholarship 2026

CAT 2026 Percentile Cutoff for the IIM Ahmedabad PI Shortlist 2027

No composite score is computed for a candidate below the CAT percentile bar. A positive raw score in every section is also required. The figures below applied to the 2026-28 cycle and are the base for 2027.

Category Overall Percentile Sectional Percentile
General / EWS 95 85
NC-OBC 90 80
SC 85 75
ST 75 65

PwD candidates get a relaxation of 10 percentile points on both counts. Transgender candidates in the General category are assessed at NC-OBC cutoffs. The General bar was raised sharply from 80 overall and 70 sectional in the earlier cycle.

Check: IIM Ahmedabad: Admission 2027, Fees, Courses, Cutoff, Ranking, Placement

IIM Ahmedabad PGP 2026–28 PI Shortlisting Criteria PDF
IIM Ahmedabad PGP 2026–28 PI Shortlisting Criteria PDF

Class 10 and Class 12 Marks Cutoff for the PI Shortlist

A second filter runs on school marks. IIM Ahmedabad computes P, the average of the Class 10 and Class 12 percentages. Candidates below the stream-wise minimum are dropped, whatever their CAT score. ST candidates need 65 in Science, 62 in Commerce and 59 in Arts.

Stream in Class 12 General / EWS NC-OBC SC
Science 80 75 70
Commerce 77 72 67
Arts and Humanities 75 70 64

A third filter applies to the bachelor's degree. The minimum is set at the 80th percentile of degree marks within the candidate's own academic group. This moves every year with the applicant pool.

Two-Stage Shortlisting for AWT and PI

The shortlist is built in two passes. Stage 1 picks exceptional performers within each academic discipline. Stage 2 then draws a plain category-wise merit list from everyone left over.

Stage 1 Minimum Composite Score by Academic Category

Candidates are grouped into academic categories AC-1 to AC-6 by their degree. The top 5 percent of each group is picked on composite score, subject to an upper limit. The General category figures below are from the last published cycle.

Academic Category Minimum Composite Score Candidates Selected
AC-4 Engineering and Science 0.661604 149
AC-3 Commerce and Management 0.643769 98
AC-5 Arts, Law and Design 0.528227 92
AC-2 CA, CS and CMA 0.527104 70
AC-1 Part I, MBBS 0.482863 12
AC-1 Part II, BDS and BAMS 0.388312 11

The spread is wide. An engineering applicant needed 0.661604 while an arts applicant cleared at 0.528227. Engineering applicants crowd the pool, so their internal bar sits highest.

Stage 2 Category-wise Merit List

Stage 1 selections are removed from the pool first. The remaining seats in the call list are filled purely on composite score within each reservation category. Upper limits per academic group of 150 for AC-4 and 100 for the rest apply only at Stage 1.

Preliminary Screening Numbers From the Last Two Cycles

Raising the CAT bar cut the eligible pool by nearly three quarters. The table shows how many candidates cleared the percentile filter in each cycle.

Category 2026-28 Cycle 2025-27 Cycle
General 6,106 24,123
NC-OBC 1,529 5,249
SC 584 1,986
EWS 328 1,502
ST 208 604
Total 8,838 33,630

A smaller pool does not mean a softer composite score cutoff. In the 2026-28 cycle the SC merit list closed near 0.4535, with 99 SC candidates called.

IIM Ahmedabad PI Shortlist 2027 (Tentative Dates)

IIM Ahmedabad releases its shortlist independently of the other IIMs. The dates below follow the pattern of the previous cycle.

Event Expected Date
PI shortlist on IIMA website Second week of January 2027
AWT and PI rounds January to March 2027
Admission offers Second week of April 2027
Acceptance of offer First or second week of May 2027

AWT and PI are held in six cities. These are Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi. Two preferred cities are chosen in the CAT application form itself.

IIM Ahmedabad PI Shortlist Composite Score 2027 FAQs

Ques. Is a 99 percentile in CAT 2026 enough to get an IIM Ahmedabad PI shortlist?

Ans. Not necessarily. A 99 percentile comfortably clears the minimum CAT cutoff for the General category, but IIM Ahmedabad shortlists candidates using a Composite Score, not CAT percentile alone. Academic profile, Application Rating (AR), work experience, and diversity factors can significantly influence the final shortlist.

Ques. Does work experience improve the IIM Ahmedabad PI Composite Score?

Ans. Yes. Work experience contributes to the Application Rating (AR). Candidates with 36 months or more of full-time work experience receive the maximum 5 AR points, while those with less than 12 months do not receive work experience marks.

Ques. Do non-engineers have an advantage in the IIM Ahmedabad PI shortlist?

Ans. At the shortlisting stage, candidates are evaluated within their Academic Categories (ACs). Historically, some non-engineering categories have had lower minimum Composite Scores than engineering categories. However, the final admission process uses a common category-wise merit list after the interview stage.

Ques. Can candidates check their IIM Ahmedabad Composite Score after shortlisting?

Ans. No. IIM Ahmedabad does not disclose individual Composite Scores, Application Ratings, or interview panel evaluations. The institute only publishes the minimum Composite Scores and cutoff values for each academic category after the shortlist is announced.

Ques. Who receives the gender diversity score in the IIM Ahmedabad selection process?

Ans. Non-male candidates receive a Gender Diversity Rating Score of 3, while male candidates receive 0. This score is added to the Application Rating (AR) before normalisation and contributes to the Composite Score.

Ques. Is the same Composite Score used for the final admission offer at IIM Ahmedabad?

Ans. No. The PI shortlist and the final admission offer are based on different evaluation formulas. The Final Composite Score gives substantial weight to the Personal Interview, along with CAT performance and the Application Rating.

Ques. What was the average Application Rating (AR) of the top applicants at IIM Ahmedabad?

Ans. For the 2025–27 MBA admission cycle, the average Application Rating (AR) of the top 50 applicants was 37. This value was used to normalise AR scores while calculating the Composite Score for shortlisting.

Ques. Do all IIMs follow the IIM Ahmedabad Composite Score formula?

Ans. No. Every IIM follows its own admission policy, with different weightages for CAT score, academics, work experience, diversity, written tests, and interviews. As a result, receiving a shortlist from one IIM does not guarantee a shortlist from IIM Ahmedabad, and vice versa.