1. Introduction & Objective

This policy defines the selection process for admission to the MBA programme at IIM Sambalpur for the academic batch 2026-28. The goal is to select the most suitable candidates through a holistic evaluation, considering multiple parameters rather than focusing solely on test scores. The institute also reserves the right to modify parts of the policy at any time before completion of the admission process. 

• Approximate batch size: 320 seats
• The policy applies uniformly across all categories, with appropriate reservation norms followed.

2. Eligibility Requirements

To be considered for admission, candidates must meet basic qualifications (details like percentages and qualifying degrees are usually provided in the complete policy PDF or IIM Sambalpur website). Typically, eligibility includes having a recognized bachelor’s degree with a minimum percentage and a valid CAT score, though the official PDF should be consulted for exact thresholds. 

3. Reservation Policy

Reservations are applied as per Government of India norms at each stage:

4. Selection Process Overview

The admission process follows three main stages:

Stage-1: CAT 2025 Shortlisting

• Only candidates who appeared for CAT 2025 and have selected IIM Sambalpur as a preference are considered.
• Candidates must secure at least a predetermined minimum overall CAT percentile to qualify for further stages.
• There are no specific sectional cut-offs, but only those with a positive raw score in each CAT section are eligible.
  
  
  
  The minimum cut-offs and percentiles (by category) 
   

  Category	Total Percentile
  General	90 #
  Economically Weaker Sections (EWS)	80
  Other Backward Classes – Non-Creamy Layer (NC-OBC)	75
  Scheduled Tribes (SC)	55
  Scheduled Tribes (ST)	40
  Differently Abled Persons (DAP)	40

  
  # For male candidates having at least one year of relevant work experience, and for all the female candidates, the minimum overall percentile in the General Category will be reduced to 85

5. Stage-2 & Stage-3 (Post-Shortlisting Process)

After shortlisting based on CAT 2025 

Stage-2: Evaluation

Shortlisted candidates are evaluated using:

• CAT score/percentile
• Academic qualifications and performance
• Relevant work experience
  
  The score for the Work Experience will be calculated based on the total months of 
  completed work experience of the candidate as of 31st December 2025.
   

  Months of work experience	Marks
  Less than 12 months	0
  12 months	5
  18 months	10
  24 months	15
  30 months	20
  36 months	15
  42 months	10
  48 months	5
  More than 48 months	0

• Other factors as defined by IIM Sambalpur
  
  Only relevant work experience after graduation in terms of completed months will be considered. Candidate should ensure that the work experience claimed by the candidate is authentic and professionally significant enough to deserve credit. No credit will be given for:
  • any time spent as an intern, during course of study in a programme, or
  • any periods of apprenticeship such as article ship required as part of certain professional courses, or
  • any unpaid work undertaken in any organization or institution.
  • Salary received in cash or through UPI (Pay TM, Google Pay etc.)
  
   In case the candidate is a proprietor or partner of a firm, the candidate must provide the following documents:
  
  • Certificate of registration for doing a business from the municipal corporation or appropriate authorities such as MSME certificate issued by Govt. of India, Udyog Aadhar Registration Certificate (whichever is applicable)
  • Registered partnership deed of the firm duly signed by all partners.
  • GST registration certificate
  • PAN card of the firm
  • Income Tax Return (ITR) for the relevant period
  • Bank account statement of the firm

Stage-3: Personal Interview (PI) & Final Selection

• Candidates meeting Stage-1 criteria are invited for a Personal Interview.
• Final selection considers overall performance in the PI, performance in previous academic records, CAT score, work experience, and any other criteria specified in the policy.
  
  For all the candidates shortlisted in Stage 1 and who later successfully completed and submitted the online application form, a Pre-PI Score will be calculated out of 75 as follows:
  • CAT score = 40
  • Class X = 3
  • Class XII = 3
  • Graduation = 4
  • Work Experience = 20
  • Gender Diversity = 5
  
  
  The components of the final merit score. The final merit score will be calculated based on this Table.
  
  Components of the final merit score
   

  Comonent	Score
  CAT Score	40
  Class X	3
  Class XII	3
  Graduation	4
  Work Experience	20
  Gender Deiversity	5
  Personal Interview	25
  Total	100

• 6. Policy Authority

The policy document is the official admission policy issued by Indian Institute of Management Sambalpur for the MBA programme for the 2026–28 academic batch. The institute retains the right to change criteria during the process if needed.