01 · Class profile
Who is in the IIMA PGPX class
Test scores
| Test | Average | Median | Range |
|---|
| GMAT Classic | 691 | Not published | Not published |
| GMAT Focus | 652 | Not published | Not published |
| GRE | 323 | Not published | Not published |
IIMA does not publish a median or range, and publishes no minimum test score. Students who took each test: 19 (GMAT Classic), 108 (GMAT Focus) and 33 (GRE).
Work experience of the class (number of students)
Number of students in each band, from IIMA's profile for recruiters.
Largest sectors in the class (number of students)
Manufacturing and engineering
14 Number of students in each sector.
MBA-PGPX 2026-27, the 21st batch (Class of 2027). 46 of the 160 students are women.
Average work experience is 7 years 6 months and average age 30 years 8 months on 31st Mar 2026, as in IIMA's press release. IIMA's recruiter profile shows 7.4 years of experience.
IIMA's pages differ: 29% women on its recruiter profile and brochure, 28% (46 of 160) in its press release. This page uses 29%.
The class also has 6 veterans, and 24% come from IIT, NIT or BITS.
Where do you sit in this class? Enter your score, experience and profile and see your position and interview risk.
Check my chances02 · Placements
Where IIMA PGPX graduates go
134 of 139
accepted offers
More than 200 companies took part and made over 300 offers, and about 65 of them recruited at PGPX for the first time.
Companies named by IIMA
The list includes Accenture, Amazon, Eli Lilly, EY, FinIQ Consulting, Genpact and NTT Data (the largest recruiters by offers), McKinsey, BCG, Deloitte, PwC, KPMG, Alvarez and Marsal, Apple, Flipkart, Reliance, Tata Consumer, L'Oreal and Mahindra and Mahindra.
IIMA states that placements are not guaranteed.
Accepted offers by industry (number of offers)
Number of accepted offers in each industry, 134 in all.
Others: conglomerates, manufacturing, automotive, environment and energy, retail, infrastructure.
Accepted offers by function (number of offers)
Product and category management
20 Supply chain and operations
8 Number of accepted offers in each function, 134 in all.
Others: programme management, finance, project management, analytics.
Class of 2026 (the 20th batch), from the Finals 2026 placement report, audited by B2K Analytics, dated 16th Jul 2026. Pay is total guaranteed cash, as IIMA reports it.
Of 156 students eligible for placement, 17 did not seek it through the institute (company-sponsored or already employed, entrepreneurship, family business, or placement outside the campus process). 139 sought it: 134 accepted offers and 5 did not.
The highest total guaranteed cash was ₹89.85 lakh, which includes an international offer converted to rupees. 2 of the offers were international.
03 · Fees and scholarships
What it costs, and how to pay less
up to 25%
entry scholarship
Programme fee for the 2027-28 batch is ₹36.20 lakh with single housing and ₹38.30 lakh with married housing, from IIMA's fee schedule published in October 2026. For the 2026-27 batch it was ₹35 lakh and ₹37.10 lakh.
The fee is usually a bundled fee that covers tuition, books and course materials, accommodation and services such as the library and computing. It does not cover the International Immersion Programme (the cost, excluding travel and stay, is extra) and, for 2027-28, it does not include meals.
The Round 2 application fee is ₹10,000. The ₹4 lakh commitment fee is paid in two parts of ₹2 lakh and is non-refundable.
There is also a refundable caution deposit: ₹35,000 for single housing or ₹70,000 for married housing.
IIMA scholarships
| Scholarship | What you get and who it is for |
|---|
| Entry scholarship | Up to 25% of the single-housing fee, considered after admission. IIMA lists these groups: under-represented gender, transgender students, non-Indian passport holders, national-level excellence in fine arts or sports, armed forces professionals, differently abled students, and people who worked in Central or State government or the not-for-profit sector. |
| Graduation scholarship | Up to 15% of the single-housing fee, for exceptional performance during the programme, on merit or all-round performance. |
| Interest waiver | IIMA's FAQ and brochure mention up to five merit scholarships that waive one year of interest on your bank loan, up to ₹3 lakh each. IIMA's fee page does not list them. |
IIMA publishes no income or score thresholds, no application form and no decision date for scholarships, and it does not say what share of students receive aid. Confirm the current terms with IIMA.
The Institute follows Government of India reservation policy for EWS, NC-OBC, SC, ST and PwD candidates.
Education loans
IIMA lists Central Bank of India, State Bank of India, Union Bank, Bank of Baroda, IDFC FIRST Bank, HDFC Credila and Punjab National Bank. IIMA hosts leaflets from the State Bank of India branch on campus (the latest lists 6.75% floating interest and loans up to ₹50 lakh, with no collateral or processing fee) and from Bank of Baroda (6.85%, no collateral up to ₹40 lakh). Earlier leaflets show different rates, and rates change, so confirm with the bank.
Could your profile earn a scholarship? Check where you stand before you apply.
Check my chances04 · Rounds and deadlines
Which round, and by when
Round 12nd Sep 2026
- Interviews:
- 25th to 27th Sep and 2nd to 4th Oct 2026
- Decision:
- 16th Oct 2026
Round 223rd Nov 2026
- Interviews:
- 18th to 20th Dec 2026 and 8th to 10th Jan 2027
- Decision:
- 22nd Jan 2027
IIMA runs two rounds. The Round 1 shortlist came out on 11th Sep 2026 and Round 1 decisions on 16th Oct 2026. The Round 2 shortlist is due on 4th Dec 2026. Decisions are offers and a waitlist.
Shortlisted candidates submit essays and a resume in a set window. For Round 2 this is 4th to 6th Dec 2026 (Round 1's window was 11th to 13th Sep 2026). Interviews in Ahmedabad, Delhi and overseas (on Zoom) come first, then Mumbai and Bangalore.
IIMA says there is no strategic advantage in applying in Round 1 rather than Round 2; Round 1 suits you if you want an earlier decision. You can apply only once across the two rounds. All dates are subject to change.
Not sure which round to aim for? We look at your file and tell you.
Check my chances05 · Clubs and activities
Life outside class
IIMA's student clubs and committees list has 58 entries, in one list for the whole institute.
Four of the clubs below describe themselves as PGPX clubs: EnergyX, FinX, TechX and Sales and Marketing. ConsultX is listed without a programme, and its page refers to the cohort without naming PGPX.
Career clubs that describe the PGPX cohort or PGPX students (5)
| Club | What they do |
|---|
| Energy | Brings together energy and mobility professionals, across oil and gas, renewables, power, nuclear, green hydrogen and more, to learn from faculty, alumni, industry experts and peers. |
| Fin | Workshops on finance topics, talks by finance leaders, and activities such as mock stock, case competitions and study tours. |
| Consult | Workshops on consulting interview preparation, speaker sessions with senior consulting leaders, industry trends, and work with the placement committee on opportunities for the cohort. |
| Sales and Marketing | A platform to keep up with the latest industry trends through collaborative learning. |
| Tech | Tech events, workshops and talks, and a network that connects the cohort with technology professionals. |
Other career clubs on IIMA's list (8)
IIMA does not say which programme these serve.
| Club | What they do |
|---|
| Consult Club | Equips students to be consultants through international competitions, workshops and globally read publications. |
| eCommerce Club | An overview of the industry and roles, case study competitions, speaker sessions with leaders from new-age companies, and industry trends. |
| GMLC, the General Management and Leadership Club | Case competitions, speaker panels, roundtables and networking for careers in general management. |
| ProdMan | Career, learning and connection outcomes for the next generation of product management leaders. |
| Healthcare HawX | Exposure to pharma, health policy, digital health and other parts of healthcare. |
| Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Club | Promotes entrepreneurship and venture capital, working closely with CIIE. |
| Forum for Industry Interaction | A student consulting body, founded in 1978, that works on real business problems for companies, start-ups and non-profits. |
| Public Policy | Speaker sessions, panel discussions and editorials on policy issues. |
Events across the institute (3)
| Event | What it is |
|---|
| Chaos | The cultural fest of IIM Ahmedabad. |
| The Red Brick Summit | The annual management symposium, with business plan events, case competitions, panel discussions and speaker sessions. |
| TEDxIIMA | Community talks on technology, social causes, innovation and policy. |
Student body (1)
| Club | What they do |
|---|
| Students' Affairs Council | The elected student body at the institute that manages extra-curricular and co-curricular student activities. |
Applicants tell us the PGPX and PGP clubs have merged and the X has gone from the names. This is as applicants reported it; IIMA has not published it. IIMA's own pages still show the older names (EnergyX, FinX, TechX and ConsultX).
Housing on campus is mandatory for the programme. The International Immersion Programme is compulsory.
Descriptions are as IIMA gives them on its student clubs and student life pages. Clubs change what they run each year.
06 · Process
From application to decision
Apply
Submit the online application with your GMAT or GRE score, your academic and work details and the application fee. There are no essays or letters of recommendation at this stage.
The Round 2 application fee is ₹10,000. You can apply only once across the two rounds.
Shortlist announcementBy email
IIMA says its application processing uses a computerised system that rates applications. Only shortlisted candidates are told, by email.
The parameters include GMAT score, age, work experience, international work experience, educational qualifications, industry and gender.
Essays and personal interview
Shortlisted candidates submit essays on topics announced with the shortlist, then are interviewed face to face by a panel of IIMA faculty.
IIMA's pages mention two essays, but applicants we have worked with were asked to write three, so be ready for three. Interviews are held in Ahmedabad, Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, with Zoom for international candidates. IIMA does not publish the interview length or panel size.
Decision
IIMA publishes offers and a waitlist on the decision date and tells successful candidates by email.
Accepting needs a commitment fee of ₹4 lakh, within the dates in your offer. IIMA gives no individual feedback on applications or interviews.
07 · What you need
What goes into the application
1. Eligibility
A bachelor's degree in any discipline (at least 15 years of study). Age of at least 25 on 31st Mar 2027, with no upper age limit. At least 4 years of full-time work experience after graduation, counted as of 31st Mar 2027. Part-time work generally does not count, and neither do undergraduate internships. IIMA also expects experience in managing both projects and people. There is no minimum percentage in your bachelor's degree, though IIMA says selected candidates are likely to have a consistently good academic record.
2. Test score
A valid GMAT (Classic or Focus) or GRE score is mandatory and cannot be waived. It must be from the last 5 years and from a test centre, as take-home tests are not valid. IIMA considers your highest valid score and accepts an unofficial score report at application, with the official report arriving within one week of submission. IIMA publishes no minimum score. It gauges English from your GMAT or GRE writing score, so TOEFL, IELTS or PTE are not needed.
3. Documents with the application
Your test score report, your academic qualifications from graduation onwards, your employment history (including entrepreneurship), certificates of achievements in sports, arts or extra-curricular activities at regional, national or international level, and passport details. Everything you enter must be backed by documents: IIMA cancels admission if the two differ.
4. Essays, after shortlisting
Only shortlisted candidates write essays, in a set window after the shortlist. IIMA announces the topics with the shortlist and has not published them.
IIMA's pages mention two essays, but applicants we have worked with were asked to write three, so be ready for three.
Essay 1: Problems you overcame (required, 400 words)
Please describe some of the problems you faced in the last three years of your work life and how you were able to overcome them.
Essay 2: What is special about you (required, 400 words)
Tell us what is special about you that makes you a good addition to the classroom.
Essay 3: Your impact (required, 200 words)
Describe the impact you have made in your personal, professional or social life over the past three years.
These prompts and word limits are as applicants reported them for this year's cycle; IIMA has not published them.
5. Recommendation letters
IIMA's FAQ says essays and letters of recommendation come only after shortlisting, but it describes only essays and, for candidates who receive an offer, details of three references. Applicants we have worked with were not asked for recommendation letters. IIMA publishes no format, template, questions or deadline for references.
08 · What IIMA wants
How IIMA reads your file
IIMA says its panel evaluates you on parameters such as these, and on your fitment for the programme. Here is what each means for your application.
| IIMA looks at | In plain words |
|---|
| Professional background and quality of experience | What you have done, how much responsibility you held, and the quality of the work. |
| Progression in your career | Whether your career has moved up in a way that makes sense. |
| Academic preparedness | Whether you can handle the academic load. IIMA considers your undergraduate record. |
| Leadership potential | Experience of leading projects and people, and the evidence for it. |
| Accomplishment | What you have achieved, at work and outside it. |
| Interpersonal skills | How you deal with people, which shows in the interview. |
| Fitment for the programme | Why a one-year programme, and why now. |
IIMA publishes no weightage for any of these. It also says it looks for people who will contribute proactively and share insights from their experience, and who show a clear desire for intellectual growth in the classroom and on group projects.
See how your file reads against these parameters before you spend weeks on the application.
Check my chances09 · Interview questions
What IIMA interviewers typically ask
Five questions that show the pattern, based on candidates' own accounts of their IIMA PGPX interviews. The tag says how likely that type of question is: high means it comes up in close to half of candidate accounts or more, medium in roughly a quarter to just under half, and low in fewer than a quarter. Nobody gets a fixed list, and many questions are follow-ups to your own answers.
| Topic | Chance | How it is usually asked |
|---|
| Extempore (current affairs and policy) | HIGH | “Should India impose a digital tax on global technology giants? (argue a side)” |
| Why an MBA | MEDIUM | “You already earn well, so why do you need an MBA now?” |
| Your career goals | MEDIUM | “Which companies or roles do you want after the programme, and what if they do not recruit on campus?” |
| Your current work, in depth | LOW | “How would you tell whether a sudden spike in your data is real?” |
| A case or technical question | LOW | “A short probability or calculus problem, or draw a graph for a described relationship.” |
IIMA's pages do not mention an extempore. Across the accounts we have, most describe one: you pick a topic, usually a current-affairs or policy statement, and argue for or against it while the panel pushes back.
In the 2026 season only some panels asked for one, and it came early, midway or late in the interview.
10 · Interview experience
What the interview is actually like
What IIMA says
| Topic | What to expect |
|---|
| Format | Face to face, with a panel of IIMA faculty. Zoom for international candidates. |
What candidates report
| Topic | What to expect |
|---|
| Duration | Candidates report about 20 to 30 minutes. |
| Panel | Candidates describe two professors. |
| Extempore | IIMA does not mention it. Candidates describe picking a topic and arguing a side while the panel pushes back. In 2026 only some panels asked for one, and it came early, midway or late in the interview. |
| Attitude | Candidates describe panels that range from warm to strict, and say the tone does not predict the result. |
Candidates' accounts are a guide to the pattern, not a promise.
Sample extempore topics
| Topic | Theme | Season |
|---|
| Should executive salaries be capped or not? | Business and work | 2026 |
| Should the use of generative AI like ChatGPT be discouraged by schools and colleges? | Technology and AI | 2026 |
| Other nations should mandate an under-16 social media ban like Australia did. | Technology and AI | 2026 |
| Universal basic income instead of welfare money. | Economy and jobs | 2026 |
| Should gig workers be given formal employee benefits and rights? | Economy and jobs | 2026 |
| Is India's Free Trade Agreement with other countries a political move or an economic one? | Geopolitics and trade | 2026 |
| CSR activities are a marketing gimmick. | Business and work | 2026 |
| Should India implement a digital tax on global tech giants? | Technology and AI | 2025 |
Topics as candidates reported them. Topics change every season, so use these to practise the format, not to guess the topic.
11 · FAQs
Questions students ask about IIMA PGPX
Is there a minimum GMAT or GRE score for IIMA PGPX?
IIMA publishes no minimum score, but a GMAT or GRE score is mandatory and cannot be waived. It must be from a test centre and no more than 5 years old, and IIMA considers your highest valid score. For the 2026-27 batch the averages were 691 on the GMAT Classic, 652 on the GMAT Focus and 323 on the GRE.
How much work experience do I need for PGPX?
At least 4 years of full-time work experience after graduation, counted as of 31st Mar 2027. Part-time work generally does not count, and neither do undergraduate internships. The average for the 2026-27 batch was 7 years 6 months. You must also be at least 25 on 31st Mar 2027, meaning born on or before 31st Mar 2002. There is no upper age limit.
What are the PGPX essay prompts?
IIMA announces the topics only to shortlisted candidates and has not published them. Applicants reported three essays this year: Essay 1 (400 words) asks you to describe problems you faced in the last three years of your work life and how you overcame them; Essay 2 (400 words) asks what is special about you that makes you a good addition to the classroom; Essay 3 (200 words) asks you to describe the impact you have made in your personal, professional or social life over the past three years.
Are essays and recommendation letters needed with the application?
No. Only shortlisted candidates write essays, on topics announced with the shortlist. IIMA's pages mention two essays, but applicants we have worked with were asked to write three. IIMA's FAQ says essays and letters of recommendation come only after shortlisting, but it describes only essays and, for candidates who receive an offer, details of three references. Applicants we have worked with were not asked for recommendation letters, and IIMA publishes no reference format. It has also not published essay prompts or word limits.
How is the PGPX interview conducted?
Face to face, by a panel of IIMA faculty, in Ahmedabad, Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, with Zoom for international candidates. IIMA does not publish the interview length or panel size and gives no individual feedback.
Which round should I apply in?
IIMA says there is no strategic advantage in applying in Round 1 rather than Round 2. Round 1 suits you if you want an earlier decision. You can apply only once across the two rounds.
How much does the IIMA PGPX cost?
For the 2027-28 batch the programme fee is ₹36.20 lakh with single housing or ₹38.30 lakh with married housing. The International Immersion Programme cost is extra.
Can I get a scholarship for PGPX?
IIMA offers entry scholarships of up to 25% of the single-housing fee to certain groups, and graduation scholarships of up to 15% for exceptional performance during the programme. It publishes no thresholds, application form or decision date.
Is there an extempore in the PGPX interview?
IIMA's pages do not mention one. Candidates' accounts across seasons describe an extempore in most interviews: you pick a topic, usually a current-affairs or policy statement, and argue for or against it while the panel pushes back. In 2026 only some panels asked for one, and it came early, midway or late in the interview, so be ready for it without counting on it.
Does IIMA guarantee placements?
No. IIMA states that placements are not guaranteed and are not an entitlement of the student. In the Class of 2026, 134 of the 139 students who sought placement through the institute accepted offers.