IIM Raipur Admission 2026: Eligibility, CAT Cut-Off, Selection Process & Key Dates

Admission to the Indian Institute of Management Raipur for the MBA 2026-28 batch is based on performance in the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2025, followed by a structured multi-stage selection process under the Joint Admission Process (JAP) 2026.

Photo Credits: PTI

IIM Raipur is one of the participating institutes in JAP along with IIM Kashipur, Ranchi, and Trichy, allowing candidates to go through a common interview process before final selection.

Eligibility Criteria

To apply for the MBA programme at IIM Raipur, candidates must:

Hold a bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks (45% for reserved categories)
Appear for and qualify in CAT 2025
Meet minimum sectional and overall percentile requirements

Final-year graduation students are also eligible, subject to completion of degree requirements within the stipulated timeline.

CAT Cut-Off and Shortlisting

For the 2026 admission cycle, CAT cut-offs for IIM Raipur fall under the JAP framework:

Minimum qualifying cut-off: Around 90 percentile (General category)
Personal Interview (PI) shortlist cut-off: Approximately 96 percentile (General category)
Sectional cut-offs are also applicable across all CAT sections

In some admission cycles, the minimum threshold for shortlisting has been around 80 percentile, though actual shortlisting typically occurs at higher percentiles due to competition.

Selection Process

The admission process consists of the following stages:

CAT 2025 Score Evaluation
Shortlisting for Personal Interview (PI)
Personal Interview (conducted under JAP 2026)
Final Merit List Preparation

The final selection is based on a composite score that includes:

CAT score (major weightage)
Personal Interview performance
Academic performance (Class 10, 12, graduation)
Work experience and profile factors

As per the official policy, CAT score and interview together form a significant portion of the final evaluation.

Admission Timeline (Expected)

CAT 2025 exam: November 2025
Shortlisting: January 2026 onwards
Personal Interviews (JAP): February-April 2026
Final admission offers: April-May 2026

Candidates shortlisted through JAP will receive admission offers directly from IIM Raipur based on merit ranking.

What This Means for Aspirants

Admission to IIM Raipur remains competitive, with emphasis on high CAT percentile, academic consistency, and interview performance. Meeting the minimum cut-off does not guarantee selection, as final admission depends on overall profile evaluation.

Candidates are advised to prepare not only for CAT but also for the interview stage, which plays a critical role in final selection.