IIM Kozhikode admissions: domestic PGP and 2027–29 routes
The next stated IIM Kozhikode admissions deadline for 2027–29 is 14 December 2026 for international postgraduate applicants in Admission Cycle 1. A second international cycle is scheduled for 21 December 2026 to 15 March 2027. Those dates do not apply to the domestic two-year Post Graduate Programme (PGP).
For domestic PGP applicants, IIMK’s latest full policy available in the official material reviewed here is for the 2026–28 batch and uses CAT 2025. Its thresholds, shortlisting weights and dates are historical examples, not 2027–29 rules. Do not use them to decide whether a CAT-2026 score qualifies for the next domestic batch. Recheck IIMK’s PGP admission page and selection-process page for the next domestic policy and its application window.
This page separates the domestic PGP route from the currently dated international postgraduate route. Other IIMK programmes, including executive programmes, have their own admission notices and deadlines.
Domestic PGP: eligibility and CAT thresholds from the 2026–28 policy
IIMK’s 2026–28 policy required a bachelor’s degree with at least 60% aggregate marks and at least three years of study after 10+2 or equivalent. It also allowed candidates who had completed CA, CMA (ICWA) or CS to meet the stated qualification route with at least 50% aggregate in that examination. The policy required a positive scaled score in every section of CAT 2025.
The same policy set these minimums for its 2026–28 batch:
For Class X and XII, the policy calculated percentages from all subjects on the marksheet or gradesheet, whether or not the board itself uses every subject in its own aggregate. It described the CAT percentile and school percentages above as minimum eligibility filters, not a promise of a shortlist. The policy also treated the graduation requirement and the CAT-based route separately from the CA/CMA/CS alternative described above.
These figures belong only to the 2026–28 PGP policy and CAT 2025. IIMK can change criteria by batch. Use the next batch’s own notice, category definitions and instructions before applying.
How the domestic PGP selection worked in the last published policy
IIMK describes a three-stage process on its PGP selection page. In Stage 1, candidates who opted for IIMK in their CAT application and met the minimum criteria received instructions for a separate online IIMK registration. Completing that registration moved a candidate into consideration for Stage 2; it was not itself an interview call.
For the 2026–28 batch, Stage 2 shortlisted candidates category by category using an Aggregate Index Score. Its published components were CAT 2025 (50%), Class X (15%), Class XII (20%), gender or academic diversity (10% or 5%), and work experience (5%). CAT’s three section scaled scores had equal weight within the CAT component. The policy also described board- and stream-based adjustments for school marks. It awarded the gender-diversity score to female and transgender candidates; the academic-diversity score applied to specified non-engineering or technology degrees. A candidate could receive only one of those diversity scores.
Shortlisted candidates then took a Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI). In that batch’s final score, CAT counted 35%, PI 35%, WAT 20%, and resume score 10%. The policy named CA, CMA or CS qualifications and CFA Level 1, 2 or 3 as resume-score factors. Offers followed common and category-wise merit lists under Government of India reservation norms. Candidates had to produce original certificates at the interview stage.
The exact work-experience calculation, interview venue list, dates and final weights are policy-specific. The 2026–28 policy counted full-time remunerative experience after graduation or the stated professional qualification and excluded internships, projects, articleship, part-time and pre-graduation work. Treat none of those details as confirmed for 2027–29 until IIMK issues its next policy.
International postgraduate applicants: published 2027–29 dates and requirements
IIMK’s international postgraduate pages publish two 2027–29 application cycles:
As of 4 November 2026, Cycle 1 is the next stated deadline. Apply through IIMK’s international postgraduate application portal, then monitor the address used in the application for institute updates. The published application fee is ₹850 (the page describes this as approximately USD 10); it is waived for applicants registered on the Study in India (SII) portal.
For the 2027–29 batch, the eligibility page says applicants must hold a valid passport issued by a country other than India. A foreign national currently residing in India may use CAT 2026 or GMAT/GRE scores obtained within the previous three years. The academic requirement is a graduate degree or equivalent with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA; a foreign-university graduate must submit an Association of Indian Universities equivalency certificate at registration.
The page lists GMAT Classic (10th Edition) at 560 or GMAT Focus at 535, GRE at the stated 60th-percentile/overall-320 rule, or CAT 2026 at the 80th percentile. Scores must be valid on the application deadline; home-based text editions are not accepted. English proficiency can be shown by a TOEFL or IELTS score above the 70th percentile or equivalent, an eligible degree from an English-speaking country, or a certificate from the last degree-awarding institution.
Eligible applicants attend a virtual interview. IIMK says final selection uses the average score awarded by a panel of two or more faculty members. It expects to communicate offers within one month of each application deadline. Selected candidates must confirm acceptance by paying USD 3,000 within one month of the offer. Foreign nationals also need an SII Unique ID for the student-visa process; IIMK says visa applications will not be processed without it. Check the linked pages again before submission in case the institute revises the timetable or instructions.
What to do next
If you are applying to the domestic two-year PGP: take the CAT route described in the current batch notice, opt for IIMK in the CAT application where required, and complete IIMK’s separate registration if invited. Before relying on any CAT-2026 threshold, eligibility rule or deadline, confirm that IIMK has published the PGP policy for your batch. The 2026–28 numbers above are for comparison only.
If you are an international postgraduate applicant for 2027–29: check the relevant test-score rule and score-validity date, prepare degree marksheets and the required equivalency evidence where applicable, and submit through the official portal before the cycle deadline. Register on SII early if you need its fee waiver or will need a student visa. Check the official eligibility page for score forwarding and English-proficiency evidence.
For either route, a minimum threshold only permits consideration under that policy; it does not assure a shortlist or offer. IIMK’s official pages and the current intake notice control if a later update changes a date, test requirement, document or selection stage.