IIM admissions 2021-2023: What do revised policies mean for you as a CAT 2020 test-taker

The new normal is beyond doubt demanding several small and large academic changes. And the best testimony to the fact is the restructuring of the academic delivery process and examinations by B-Schools. Blended methods of teaching that ensure no reduction in the content and redesigning of the academic calendar have by and large supported the young minds in new and different ways. Talking about the incoming batch of MBA students, the B-Schools are back to the drawing board and doing some serious work to make the road easier for the CAT 2020 test-takers! Here is the complete breakdown of the latest policies of IIM admissions 2021-2023.

The breakdown will include all relevant details of IIM admissions 2021-2023, the revised policies, number of stages, minimum eligibility requirements, weightage given to individual components at different stages, and much more. So, without any further ado, let’s get the ball rolling.

Note: Bookmark this article for future reference as it will be regularly updated the moment other IIMs release their admission policies for the 2021-2023 batch, which you probably do not want to miss!

IIM Bangalore

With an eye on consistency and high performance in past academics and all other parameters, IIM Bangalore has laid down its admission policy in 2 phases. The first phase will be applicable to all the eligible CAT takers to be called for WAT and PI. The second and the final phase will use the WAT, interview, and pre-PI scores to select the candidates for the PGP program.

For phase 1, the percentile cut-off scores applied to CAT 2020 as part of the admission process are mentioned below in the table. However, these cut-offs are just used to prepare the first shortlist as the scores of those who are called for interviews are generally higher. For the sectionals, out of 40 points for CAT, it has denoted 14 points for VARC, 16 points for LRDI, and 10 points for QA.

IIM Bangalore uses multiple parameters to judge the suitability of a candidate for its master’s program, like,

10th marks
12th marks
Graduation marks
Work experience
CAT 2020 and section-wise scores
Gender diversity

Based on these parameters, IIM Bangalore then shortlists candidates for the WAT-PI round, in accordance with the following weighted composite score:

The next step is preparing the final merit list based on the WAT and PI performance where the weightage of different components for the final phase is as follows:

Note:

The topics of WAT will be typically related to issues and developments in current socio-political, economic, and business affairs, though other topics such as sports and those that require more creative thinking may also be included.
The major parameters for judging the performance in WAT will be content and style.
Candidates with certifications like Chartered Accountancy, Cost Accounting, and Company Secretary will also be eligible for weightage under the category of professional courses as per the IIM Bangalore admission policy 2021-2023.
All candidates will be required to provide two confidential reference letters, which will be later used during PI evaluation. These letters can be from their employers or from teachers in the academic institutions where they had been students previously.

IIM Lucknow

Ranked 4th in the NIRF Ranking 2020 among the top 100 B-Schools in India, IIM Lucknow, has introduced slight changes in its admission policy for the batch of 2021-2023. The criteria for shortlisting and final selection of PGP, PGP-ABM, and PGP SM candidates includes 2 stages:

Shortlisting for WAT and PI
Final selection of candidates

In the first stage, candidates will be shortlisted on the basis of,

12th marks
Graduation marks
Work experience
Scaled CAT 2020 scores
Diversity factor (academic disciplines)
Diversity factor (gender)

To get shortlisted for the admission process, the candidates must meet the following minimum sectional and total percentiles in CAT 2020 for pursuing PGP.

Minimum overall and sectional CAT percentile cut-offs for PGP-ABM:

Minimum overall and sectional CAT percentile cut-offs for PGP-SM:

The candidates fulfilling the cut-offs will then be considered for WAT-PI rounds based on the following criteria:

For clearing the last stage of the IIM Lucknow admission process 2021-2023, the candidates must qualify the final weightage as assigned to the following components:

Note:

The aspiring PGP-SM candidates must meet additional eligibility criteria of minimum work experience of 2 years.
*When calculating the composite score for shortlisting candidates for WAT and PI, the maximum marks for both the diversity factors cannot exceed 20 for the PGP-ABM program.
The candidate shortlisted for WAT and PI round should fill-in and submit the WAT-PI form online within the stipulated deadline.
For clearing the PI round, the minimum score should be 12 out of 40

IIM Kozhikode

Yet again IIM Kozhikode is back with a revised admission policy for the batch of 2021-2023 with some of the biggest changes. Spanned across a three-stage process, the admission policy includes,

Screening of candidates meeting the minimum eligibility criteria
Shortlisting for PI
Final shortlisting based on the category-wise merit list

All the students who are aiming to opt for IIM Kozhikode for the upcoming session must first clear the following criteria in order to be to eligible for further stages and receive an email for online registration:

After the first screening, all the candidates who will successfully complete the registration process before the deadline will be assessed on the basis of the aggregate index score, which is computed keeping the following parameters in consideration:

Class 10th marks
Class 12th marks
Work experience
Performance in CAT 2020
Gender/academic diversity

All the CAT test-takers who will qualify for the second round of screening will appear for a PI, which will be followed by the computation of final scores. The admission offers will be made to the candidates who will be able to rank in the merit list. The final shortlist will be based on the following criteria:

Note:

There will be no WAT component in the selection process of IIM Kozhikode for the 2021-2023 batch.
For the gender diversity score, only female candidates or candidates with (or pursuing) a bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a discipline other than engineering/technology are eligible.
The gender diversity score can not be applicable to a mark of more than 10 (either gender diversity or academic diversity).
The PI round will focus on academic efforts and disposition, general awareness and social disposition, attitude, personality and communication, and the quality of work experience.
For analyzing the resume score, panelists will assess the quality of academic and professional qualifications.

With this, we hand over the baton to you. If you are appearing for CAT and are aiming to land on the premier premises of IIMs, it is up to you to make the best use of the one component that is under your control - your CAT 2020 scores. And to kick your CAT preparations up a notch, here is the suggested list that you should read before getting back to your study table!