Start with the programme, not the campus name
ISB’s Hyderabad identity can make the admissions route look campus-specific, but the two programmes covered here have different audiences and locations. The Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP) is a one-year management programme offered across ISB’s Hyderabad and Mohali campuses. ISB says admissions are unified across both campuses, so this is not a separate Hyderabad-only intake. The Post Graduate Programme in Management for Young Leaders (PGP YL) is a 20-month, full-time residential programme, and the current cycle’s application portal identifies ISB Hyderabad as its location.
The practical distinction is work experience and programme length. PGP requires at least 24 months of full-time professional experience. ISB’s current PGP page places the cutoff as of 31 March, while its detailed eligibility page describes the minimum as prior to enrolment. Because those phrases use different date references, check the Class of 2028 application form for the exact experience cutoff before submitting. PGP YL is designed for early-career applicants, with an experience limit of up to 24 months under the joining-year rule. A recent graduate should compare the current PGP YL Class of 2027–29 route with the PGP Class of 2028 route, rather than choosing based on which campus appears in the institution name.
This guide uses the live 2027–28 PGP cycle and the live 2027–29 PGP YL cycle checked on 6 November 2026. Some PGP YL eligibility material still displays 2026–28 details. Where that conflicts with the current admissions portal, use the current cycle’s deadline and test list, and do not carry forward old score-validity dates. Check the live form for cycle-specific score windows before paying for or scheduling a test.
PGP Class of 2028: two deadlines remain
The PGP Class of 2028 application has three rounds. Round 1 closed on 20 September 2026, so the next deadline is 6 December 2026. Round 3 closes on 17 January 2027. Applications submitted after the Round 1 deadline roll into Round 2; submissions after 6 December move to Round 3. ISB will not accept Class of 2028 applications after 17 January 2027. The rounds are submission windows, not successive stages that every applicant must complete. Candidates may apply once per application year.
The published interview windows are indicative. Round 2 interviews are scheduled from the fourth week of December 2026 through the first week of February 2027, with final decisions expected in mid-February. Round 3 interviews are scheduled during February 2027, with final decisions expected in mid-March. If you can submit a complete application by 6 December, use Round 2; waiting for Round 3 does not create a separate application stage or a lower competition pool. ISB says competition is the same across rounds, while an earlier decision gives more time for financing and logistics.
For the PGP, GMAT or GRE is required. The admissions page permits an unofficial score when the test has been taken on or before the deadline for the chosen round. Upload the test-confirmation email as a PDF, enter the approximate score in the form, and arrange for the testing agency to send the official score directly to ISB. The school lists round-specific score windows for this cycle: 21 September 2021–20 September 2026 for Round 1, 7 December 2021–6 December 2026 for Round 2, and 18 January 2022–17 January 2027 for Round 3. A Round 2 applicant should use the Round 2 window, not the Round 3 window. A test taken after the relevant deadline cannot satisfy that round’s unofficial-score instruction.
PGP eligibility and application file
Applicants need a bachelor’s degree or equivalent. ISB accepts a three-year undergraduate degree from an Indian university; applicants must disclose transcripts from all undergraduate and postgraduate institutions attended. The published eligibility page sets no minimum percentage or CGPA. That does not make academic history irrelevant: the application asks applicants to present their academic record, so the absence of a numeric threshold should not be confused with an absence of academic evaluation.
The PGP is intended for applicants with at least 24 months of full-time work experience before enrolment. The application asks for roles, employers, employment type, compensation, duration, industry and function. This section lets applicants show progression and responsibility, including movement across teams or industries. Part-time roles and side projects may be listed alongside primary employment, but should not be treated as replacing the stated full-time experience requirement.
The required test is GMAT (10th Edition or Focus Edition) or GRE. The eligibility page says there is no minimum score and no preference between the two tests. Scores must be test-centre based, verified and no more than five years old as of the application deadline. For this 2027–28 cycle, use the date window printed for your chosen round. The testing agency must send the official report to ISB, even if the application initially uses an unofficial result. The published codes are GMAT N2D-J5-01 and GRE 7010 or 7892; confirm the code and receipt status in the testing portal before ordering a report.
The application requires two essays and one online recommendation by the relevant round deadline; an optional essay is available for additional context. The recommender need not be the applicant’s current supervisor. Choose someone who can speak to the applicant’s work and development, brief them on the deadline, and leave time for submission in the same round. An incomplete earlier-round application may be evaluated later once completed, but that is not a reason to intentionally defer documents: the later deadline still controls the final eligible submission window.
PGP YL Class of 2027–29: a separate early-career route
PGP YL is a 20-month, full-time residential programme at ISB Hyderabad. The current application portal lists GRE, GMAT or CAT as accepted tests. The cycle-specific deadline page lists the Class of 2027–29: Round 1 closes 20 December 2026 and Round 2 closes 15 February 2027. Applications after the Round 1 deadline roll to Round 2; ISB will not accept applications for this class after 15 February. The rounds are submission windows, and an applicant may submit only one application in the academic year during a single round.
The current PGP YL portal says applicants may submit an unofficial score if the test has been taken on or before the round deadline. It asks for the score-confirmation email as a PDF and an approximate score, with official results sent by the testing agency. The current portal is the responsible source for the 2027–29 accepted tests. A separate eligibility page still refers to the older 2026–28 cycle and CAT 2025. Do not use those old cycle-specific dates to decide whether a score is valid for the 2027–29 class; confirm the exact score window inside the live application form.
The eligibility page describes a bachelor’s degree or equivalent and a maximum of 24 months of work experience as of 15 June in the joining year. However, that page still contains 2026–28 cycle-specific test details. Applicants to the current 2027–29 class should confirm that the experience cutoff and supporting-document checklist in the live form before relying on the older page. The current admissions portal describes shortlisting based on academic performance, awards and achievements, essay and test performance, followed by interviews with senior industry leaders, ISB faculty and alumni. These requirements belong to PGP YL and should not be transferred to the one-year PGP.
ISB’s FAQ says that although PGP YL is MBA-equivalent in content, the programme awards a certificate of completion rather than a Master of Business Administration degree. That distinction is worth checking against your intended credential before applying. Do not treat PGP YL as a Hyderabad campus option attached to the separate ISB Mohali entity. The current portal names Hyderabad, and the programme page describes a residential Hyderabad-based experience. The flagship PGP, by contrast, is common across Hyderabad and Mohali. The campus distinction matters when planning residence and checking which programme’s application you are completing.
A practical submission sequence
- Choose the route first. Use PGP if you meet its 24-month full-time experience requirement and want the one-year programme. Compare PGP YL if you are within its early-career experience limit and want the 20-month Hyderabad residential programme.
- Select a round based on a complete file. For PGP Class of 2028, the next deadline after this guide’s review date is 6 December 2026, followed by 17 January 2027. For PGP YL Class of 2027–29, Round 1 is 20 December 2026 and Round 2 is 15 February 2027. Recheck the application portal before submission.
- Match the test to the programme and round. PGP requires GMAT or GRE and publishes a score-validity window for each round. PGP YL’s current portal accepts GRE, GMAT or CAT. Do not assume CAT works for flagship PGP or apply the old YL 2026–28 score window to the 2027–29 cycle.
- Request official reports early. Where the current cycle allows an unofficial score, upload the confirmation PDF and approximate score as instructed, then ask the testing agency to send the official report. Confirm the test code and receipt status in the application portal.
- Reserve time for essays and recommendations. PGP calls for two mandatory essays, an optional essay and one online recommendation. PGP YL has its own essays and interview process. Follow the programme-specific checklist rather than reusing a previous-year file without checking each field.
The official pages reviewed here provide admissions dates and requirements, not a single institution-wide deadline. They also do not establish programme-specific fees, application-fee amounts or a seat count in the materials used for this page. Check the live programme application for those items and for deadline changes. This guide is an admissions planning aid, not a substitute for the application form’s final instructions.