IIM CAP 2026 - Admission, Selection Process, Cutoff, CAP Participating Institutes, Dates, Shortlisting Criteria, Results

Full form of CAP: Common Admission Process.

What is CAP?

Common Admission Process for MBA/PGDM for Nine New or Baby IIMs after CAT examination.

CAP 2026, Common Admission Process or CAP, is a selection process for the MBA/PGDM/PGP program conducted after CAT for admission to the new Nine IIMs. The CAP is mainly based on CAT scores. The top IIMs, including IIM-A, B, C, I, and L, proceed with admissions based on each institute's cut-off after the announcement of the CAT 2025 result.

The aspirants who get a call after CAT result needs to take part in CAP.

CAP has two components:

1. i) Written Ability Test (WAT)
2. ii) Personal Interview (PI)

What is IIM CAP?

The Common Admission Process (CAP) for admission to nine new IIMs is a typical selection process. All aspirants interested and eligible for MBA/PGDM/PGP admission 2026 in nine baby IIMs must appear only for the one-time PI-WAT round. For this process, all new IIMs share the list of aspirants shortlisted for the WAT-PI process, with the IIM conducting CAP 2026.

The IIM who conducts The CAP arranges for the WAT-PI round. Minimum CAT 2026 cut off, admission factors, and their weightage is same to all CAP participating IIMs.

The aspirants' marks, obtained in the Common Admission Process 2026, are then sent to all participating IIMs. Based on the aspirants' final marks, all nine IIMs individually announce the merit list of selected aspirants for their MBA program. The list of selected students is displayed on the respective IIMs' websites. Aspirants can see this list after logging in to the website of that IIM.

Important Dates for CAP 2026

Aspirants after qualifying CAT 2025 should know the schedule for IIM CAP 2026 as mentioned below.

CAP 2026 Important Dates

There will be no Group Discussion as part of CAP 2025.

Guidelines for Aspirants filling CAP Registration Form

After submitting the IIM CAP 2026 registration form, aspirants cannot change the details. Therefore, you must carefully read the instructions before submitting your CAP form.

The following documents are required when filling out the IIM CAP registration form. So keep them handy:

1. Soft copy of the Photograph and Signature (Less than 100 KB)
2. Photo Id Card
3. CAT 2025 Scorecard
4. Class 10 and Class 12 mark sheet with a pass certificate
5. Graduation certificates
6. Experience certificates
7. Valid caste certificate (NC-OBC/ SC/ ST) as per the format given on the CAT website.
8. In the case of DAP / PwD, certificate as per the format given on the CAT website.
9. In the case of EWS, certificate as per the format given on the CAT website.
10. Extra-curricular and co-curricular certificates

How to register for IIM CAP 2026?

Here is the Registration process for CAP 2026-

Step 1: Visit the official website of IIM CAP.

Step 2: Click on the link ‘Register Now’.

Step 3: Fill all the desired information on CAP 2026 registration form.

Step 4: Upload all the compulsory documents in a approved format.

Step 5: Finally, submit the filled IIM CAP application.

What is the IIM CAP - Shortlisting Criteria?

The following are the overall percentile and the mini cut-off of the CAT percentile required in each category for listing applicants for PI:

What are the Main Components of IIM CAP?

The two major components of CAP areas below:

1. WAT or written ability test and
2. PI or personal interview.

How to Participate in Common Admission Process?

Once the CAT 2025 result is announced after the second week of January 2026, eligible candidates will find out about their shortlist status on the centralized official CAP 2026 portal (www.iimj.ac.in). Eligible aspirants will also receive a direct notification email. The centralized CAP registration process for IIMs starts roughly one to two weeks after the announcement of the CAT results.

CAP Centres For 2026

WAT (written ability test) and PI (personal interview) for the CAP 2026 of IIM will be held at the following CAP test centres:

1. New Delhi
2. Chennai
3. Kolkata
4. Mumbai
5. Bengaluru

Steps Followed in IIM CAP Process:

Aspirants getting valid score in CAT 2026 are eligible to take part in CAP. The steps that are followed by the IIMs are as below:

1. Step 1 - Shortlisting of candidates by individual IIMs
2. The aspirants meeting the particular cut off for the IIMs for which they have applied for, are shortlisted for the next round of the selection process. Aspirants get calls from several IIMs for the next stage of selection if they meet the mandatory cut-off of the IIM to which they had applied for.
3. Step 2 - List of shortlisted candidates is sent to CAP Coordinator IIM.
4. Step 3 - CAP conducting IIM to prepare list of shortlisted candidates.
5. Step 4 - Candidates to take part in WAT and PI
6. Aspirants who get a call for Common admission process 2026 are required to take part in the WAT, written ability test and PI, personal interview round be it in online mode or in person as decided.
7. Step 5 - CAP conducting IIM sends the WAT-PI score report to all participating IIMs under CAP.
8. Step 6 - Preparation of Final List of Candidates
9. All IIMs under CAP have their own admission plan and they provide weightage to the CAT score, applicant’s profile as well as CAP score before making a final offer to the aspirants.Finally the offer letters are sent to selected candidates through email.

Baby or New IIMs Final Selection Weights after cap 2026

The nine participating IIMs will prepare the final merit list for PGP/PGDM/MBA admission 2026 of the marks scored in PI and WAT in CAP 2026, the CAT 2025 test, and other parameters like academic profile and diversity subject to their admission criteria.

Final Selection Weights after CAP

CAP 2026 Shortlist: 20000+ Candidates are Expected to be Shortlisted

As the number of seats in IIMs are increased, this year 27000+ candidates who qualify the sectional and overall cut offs in CAT 2025 exam may figure in the CAP 2026 shortlist.

Shortlisting Ratio increased

More candidates per seat are shortlisted by IIMs as against earlier ratio

Category wise shortlist of candidates based on CAP

Aspirants may look at the minimum percentile for shortlisting by various IIMs and the number of candidates shortlisted for the following selection round.

Proposed Intake Through CAP for 2025-26 batch

Please note the following requirements for personal interview through online mode

1. Desktop/Laptop with camera
2. Headphone/earphone
3. Microphone
4. Stable and high-speed Internet connection
5. Stationary items such as pens/pencils/blank sheet etc
6. Installation of Zoom software on Desktop/Laptop
7. A white background or a clear background of a lighter colour ensuring better visibility.
8. A valid photo ID for verification

Instructions for Online Personal Interview

1. Candidates are required to join the Online Personal Interview through the Zoom platform by clicking on the provided link to attend the interview on the designated date and time of the interview.
2. For Forenoon Slot: The candidate should join by 9.30 am and should be available in the waiting room until his/her PI process is over.
3. For Afternoon Slot: The candidate should join by 1.30 pm and should be available in the waiting room until his/her PI process is over.
4. Candidates must be prepared for the interview with the necessary requirements as mentioned above in Part 1 on the designated date and time
5. No person other than the candidate should be present in the interview room in the house/any other place.
6. Recording devices are strictly prohibited in the interview room.
7. The audio and video must be ‘on’ for the entire duration of the interview.
8. Candidates are advised to be available for the entire slot as communicated.
9. Please check your inbox as well as SPAM or Junk or promotion boxes/folders regularly.

How to prepare for the interview?

1. The panel will evaluate the candidate’s academic efforts and disposition, attitude, personality and communication, and the quality of work experience.

IIMs Shortlisting Criteria - Important Points

Besides CAT 2026 score few of the main points that are considered while shortlisting the aspirants are mentioned below:

1. CAT 2025 Score:
2. IIMs that offer admission to the aspirants consider the overall as well as the sectional cut-off of CAT.
3. Educational Details & Profile
4. Academic qualification of the aspirants is given due weightage for selecting student for the final admission. Few of the IIMs give more weightage to the girl aspirants as well.
5. Work Experience.
6. 5 to 10% weightage is given to the students having supervisory experience of around 3 years plus.

Expected Cut offs for cap 2026 of participating New IIMs