Admission to the MBA programmes at the Delhi School of Economics (DSE) - specifically Business Analytics (BA), International Business (IB), and Human Resource Development (HRD) - is managed exclusively by the Department of Commerce, University of Delhi. The institution relies entirely on the Common Admission Test (CAT) for initial screening and does not conduct a separate written entrance examination.
(Note: Admissions for the M.A. Economics programme are handled separately through the CUET-PG exam and the DU CSAS-PG portal. This guide applies strictly to the Department of Commerce MBA programmes.)
Baseline Eligibility Criteria
To be considered for the MBA selection process, candidates must meet both academic and entrance exam prerequisites:
- Degree Requirement: Applicants must hold a Bachelor's degree in any discipline from the University of Delhi or an equivalent recognised university.
- Minimum Marks: General category candidates must secure at least 50% marks in aggregate. Statutory relaxations apply for candidates from SC, ST, OBC, and EWS categories, as well as those applying under supernumerary quotas (PwBD, CW, Foreign Students, Ward Quota, and Orphan Quota).
- Entrance Exam: A valid CAT 2025 score is mandatory for the 2026-28 admission cycle. Overall negative CAT scores automatically disqualify a candidate from consideration.
CAT Cutoffs: Sectional and Overall Trends
DSE does not officially publish fixed, pre-determined CAT cutoffs. Instead, the threshold fluctuates annually based on the applicant pool's performance and seat availability across the 400+ total MBA intake.
- Sectional Minimums: Candidates must clear a baseline of 50 percentile in each of the three CAT sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA). Historically, clearing the initial shortlist comfortably requires 60+ percentile in each section.
- Overall Competitive Percentiles (General Category): While 85 percentile is often cited as a theoretical minimum for shortlisting, actual conversions require significantly higher scores. MBA (International Business) is historically the most competitive, with successful candidates often securing 96+ percentile. MBA (Human Resource Development) typically sees conversions around the 94+ percentile mark, while MBA (Business Analytics) conversions generally cluster around 91+ percentile. Cutoffs for reserved categories are substantially lower.
Selection Process and Composite Score Calculation
Candidates who clear the initial CAT screening are invited to the final evaluation stage, which includes Document Verification, a Group Discussion (GD), a Personal Interview (PI), and an Extempore speaking round.
Final seat allotment is based on a 100-point composite merit score. While the exact percentage split can undergo minor revisions in each cycle's brochure, the evaluation framework heavily prioritises the entrance exam while rewarding academic consistency and interview performance:
- CAT Score Weightage: Serves as the primary anchor, typically accounting for 60% to 80% of the final merit score.
- Academic Performance (Class X and XII): Typically weighted between 7.5% and 10% for each board examination. Crucial Calculation Rule: Unlike some institutions that consider only the "best four" subjects, the Department of Commerce calculates this academic weightage using all subjects listed on the official Class X and Class XII mark sheets.
- GD, PI, and Extempore: These interactive rounds make up the remainder of the composite score (typically 15% to 25% combined) and are critical for final conversion, acting as the deciding factor for candidates with similar CAT percentiles.
- Gender Diversity Augmentation: To promote balanced classroom demographics, female applicants who do not apply under supernumerary categories receive a direct bonus of 5 marks added to their final composite score.
2026 Application Timeline and Next Actions
Applying for the CAT exam does not automatically register a candidate for DSE. Applicants must submit a separate application on the Department of Commerce admission portal.
For the 2026-28 batch, the application window ran from December 22, 2025, to January 19, 2026, with GD and PI rounds conducted between May 4 and May 8, 2026.
- Immediate Deadline (Current Applicants): The final counselling and seat allotment round for the 2026 admission cycle is scheduled for August 29, 2026. Waitlisted or allotted candidates must monitor their registered emails and the department portal to lock their seats and pay the admission fee.
- Future Applicants: Candidates targeting the 2027 intake should prepare for the CAT exam in November 2026 and expect the DSE separate application portal to open in late December 2026.
