What is the admission requirement for the MBA at IIM Lucknow?

For admission to the MBA course at IIM Lucknow, applicants are required to have 50% marks in a Bachelor’s degree along with valid CAT scores.

What is the entrance exam required for admission to IIM Lucknow?

The entrance examination required for admission to IIM Lucknow is the CAT (Common Admission Test).

What is the application fee at IIM Lucknow?

The application fee at IIM Lucknow is INR 1000 (INR 500 for SC and ST category).

What is the CAT score required for IIM Lucknow?

The CAT score required for admission to IIM Lucknow varies as per the course. The minimum CAT score is 90.

Is IIM Lucknow hard to get into?

Yes, getting into IIM Lucknow is considered tough due to its selection procedure.

Overview Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Lucknow Admissions

Indian Institute of Management Lucknow offers various Postgraduate Programmes and Doctoral Programmes for management students. Admissions to these programmes are based on the marks obtained in entrance examinations, while some courses consider the total work experience and the academic evaluation of the applicants. IIM Lucknow admission process typically begins with the written examination.

If a student is applying for admission in the PGP-MBA programme, he or she must have a valid score card of Common Admission Test (CAT) examination. IIM Lucknow offers several programmes which are specially designed for working professionals, like PGPWE and IPMX Programmes. IIM Lucknow admission 2026 is based on the relevant work experience, followed by the valid score card of GMAT/GMAT Focus Edition/CAT/GATE/PGPWE entrance examination, etc.

Indian Institute of Management Lucknow also offers a One-year International Programme in Management for Executives (IPMX). This programme is specially designed for mid or senior-level professionals or executives to prepare them for top positions and ranks in the industry. IIM Lucknow admission 2026 to the IPMX programme is based on a valid score card of GMAT/GMAT Focus edition/GRE entrance test.

IIM Lucknow admission process to doctoral programmes (PhD) is also very straight forward. The applicants have to go through the various levels of assessments, like academic performance, research skills and professional experiences in some cases. Applicants who have qualified the research level entrance examinations, such as NET/JRF/SRF, conducted by UGC/CSIR and other government institutions, shall be exempted from the written test of the IIM Lucknow.

IIM Lucknow conducts interviews and sometimes group discussions to get to know applicants better. These sessions assess not just academic marks but also your thinking skills, communication abilities, and problem-solving approach. The institute follows government reservation rules for the admission of students. IIM Lucknow fees structure is different for various programmes.

IIM Lucknow courses offered are mostly residential, and students are accommodated in the hostel facility provided inside the campus. A lot of academic and industry-based activities, workshops, guest lectures, etc, are conducted in IIM Lucknow regularly, which helps the students to enhance their skills to get a high-ranking job profile in the industry. IIM Lucknow Placements have shown excellent placement

IIM Lucknow Admissions Highlights

IIM Lucknow has different courses, and each course needs a certain exam for admission. The list of exams may change based on the program you want to join. Some courses need tests like Common Admission Test (CAT), Graduate Record Examination (GRE), or Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). Some also need rounds like a Writing Ability Test or an Interview. The table below make it easy to see which exam is needed for each program.

Course Names	Entrance Exam Required
Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP)	CAT-Common Admission Test
Post Graduate Programme in Agribusiness Management (PGP ABM)	CAT-Common Admission Test
Post Graduate Programme in Sustainable Management (PGP SM)	CAT-Common Admission Test WAT-Writing Ability Test AT PI-Personal Interview
Blended Master of Business Administration (bMBA)	CAT – Common Admission Test GRE – Graduate Record Examination GMAT – Graduate Management Admission Test GMAT – Graduate Management Admission Test (Focus Edition)
Post Graduate Programme in Management for Working Executives (PGPWE)	GMAT – Graduate Management Admission Test GMAT– Graduate Management Admission Test (Focus Edition) GRE – Graduate Record Examination CAT – Common Admission Test GATE – Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering PGPWE Entrance Exam – PGPWE Written Test
International Programme in Management for Executives (IPMX)	GMAT- Graduate Management Admission Test GMAT Focus Edition- Graduate Management Admission Test (Focus Edition) GRE-Graduate Record Examination
Doctoral Programme in Management (DPM(PhD)	CAT- Common Admission Test GATE- Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering GRE- Graduate Record Examination GMAT- Graduate Management Admission Test JRF- Junior Research Fellowship SRF- Senior Research Fellowship
Executive Fellow Programme in Management (EFPM)	CAT-Common Admission Test GATE- Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering GMAT-Graduate Management Admission Test GMAT Focus Edition-Graduate Management Admission Test (Focus Edition) GRE- Graduate Record Examination JRF-Junior Research Fellowship SRF-Senior Research Fellowship

IIM Lucknow PGP Admission Details

The Post Graduate Programme in Management is a two-year, full-time residential course, meaning students live on campus for the entire duration of the program. Such‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ a system keeps students thoroughly engaged with their classes, projects, group work, and other campus activities. Besides, it develops the qualities of a good team and helps people learn to collaborate effectively. Post Graduate Programme is designed to create capable and self-assured managers. It makes the students familiar with core concepts of business. Additionally, it equips them with the skills necessary for their future jobs. The ultimate objective is to assist them in excelling in the business world while making a valuable ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌contribution.

The IIM Lucknow academic calendar for the academic year 2026 is likely to be released soon. The first term classes shall start in July 2026, and the first semester exam shall be held in November 2026. For further details, students can visit the IIM Lucknow Admission Portal, which is available at the official website. IIM Lucknow Placements statistics are also available on the website of IIM Lucknow.

IIM Lucknow Eligibility Criteria for PGP

Particulars	Criteria
Academic Qualification	Applicants must have a Bachelor’s degree with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA. (45% for the reserved category candidates)
Accepted Entrance Exam	CAT (Common Admission Test)
Minimum Test Score Required	Based on the cutoff list released by the Indian Institute of Management Lucknow (IIM Lucknow)
Final Year Students	Candidates in their final year of studies are also eligible to apply. They have to submit a certificate by June 30, 2026.
Reservation Policy (as per Government of India norms)	Scheduled Caste (SC): 15% Scheduled Tribe (ST): 7.5% Other Backward Classes (NC-OBC): 27% Economic Weaker Sections (EWS): 10% Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwD): 5%

IIM Lucknow Selection Process for PGP

IIM Lucknow follows a three-step process for selection in the PGP-MBA programme:

Checking Eligibility
Shortlisting for Personal Interview
Final Selection

Step 1: Checking Eligibility

Students who wish to seek admission to the PGP-MBA programme at IIM Lucknow must meet the minimum eligibility criteria set by the Institute. Students also have to achieve the minimum overall percentile. Those students who meet these eligibility criteria will move to the next selection stage.

Step 2: Shortlisting for Personal Interview (PI)

Those candidates who meet the minimum eligibility criteria from stage 1 will go through stage 2 for further selection. Candidates will be selected based on the reservation policy of the institute, and shortlisting will be based on their composite score.

Stage 3: Final Selection

Final selection is based on the marks obtained in the stage 1 and stage 2 processes. The selection of candidates will be done separately for each category, which includes General, EWS, OBC, SC, ST, and PwD, and the ranking will be based on each student’s Composite Score. The final list of selected candidates will be published on the official website of the IIM Lucknow.

IIM Lucknow PGP Cutoff

IIM Lucknow releases the cutoffs for the selection in PGP courses. This cutoff is based on the various cores of reservation, set by the Government. To get shortlisted for IIM Lucknow PGP (MBA), candidates must meet both sectional and overall percentile cutoffs in the CAT exam. The cutoff varies depending on the categories, as shown below in the table:

Category	Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)	Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)	Quantitative Ability (QA)	Total
General	85	85	85	90
EWS (Economically Weaker Section)	77	77	77	82
NC-OBC (Non-Creamy OBC)	77	77	77	82
SC (Scheduled Caste)	55	55	55	65
ST (Scheduled Tribe)	50	50	50	60
PwD (Persons with Disabilities)	50	50	50	60

IIM Lucknow PGP ABM Admission Details

IIM Lucknow PGP ABM is a two-year Post Graduate Programme in Agribusiness Management, a full-time residential course designed to develop agribusiness leaders, entrepreneurs, and intrapreneurs with vision, competence and appropriate attitude for promoting agribusiness and agro-based enterprises with a strong international orientation.

The objective of the programme is to develop the understanding of the key functions of businesses and critical and analytical skills that equip students to excel in complex, uncertain and dynamic business environments. For further details regarding the admission process, students can contact at IIM Lucknow admission contact number, provided on the official website.

Duration: Two years

Mode: Full-time, Regular

IIM Lucknow Eligibility Criteria for PGP-ABM

Particulars	Criteria
Academic Qualification	A Bachelor's degree in Agriculture Science/ Agricultural Engineering or allied subjects such as Agriculture, Agronomy, Soil Science, Agricultural Engineering, Animal Husbandry or Fishery, Dairy Science and Technology, Forestry, Food Technology, Food Technology & Management, Horticulture, Biology, Biochemistry, Bio-technology, Botany, Home Science, Life Science, Zoology, Veterinary Science, etc. Candidate must hold a Bachelor's Degree, with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA (45% in case of the candidates belonging to the reserved Category).
Accepted Entrance Exam	CAT (Common Admission Test)
Final Year Students	Candidates appearing for the final year of a bachelor's degree and those who have completed degree requirements and are awaiting results can also apply. If selected, such candidates will be allowed to join the programme provisionally, only if they submit a certificate by June 30, 2026.
Reservation Policy (as per Government of India norms)	Scheduled Caste (SC): 15% Scheduled Tribe (ST): 7.5% Other Backward Classes (NC-OBC): 27% Economic Weaker Sections (EWS): 10% Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwD): 5%

IIM Lucknow Selection Process for PGP-ABM

The selection process for the IIM Lucknow PGP-ABM programme is as per the process given below:

CAT 2025 Results

Information related to the CAT 2025 results will be tentatively available starting from the first week of January 2026 on this website. The list of candidates shortlisted for the next level of selection will be made available on the website of the Indian Institute of Management Lucknow (IIM Lucknow). Students must achieve the qualifying marks in the CAT examination.

Admission Process

Indian Institute of Management Lucknow (IIM Lucknow) shortlists candidates for the interview stage based on its own criteria, which may be independent of each other. The process may include a Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interviews (PI). Performance in the CAT 2025 examination is an important component in the admission process. The institute may additionally use other factors such as the previous academic performance of the candidates, relevant work experience, gender, and academic diversity, and other similar inputs in shortlisting and ranking of candidates at various stages of the IIM Lucknow admission process.

Verification Process

If a candidate is shortlisted for an interview by any Indian Institute of Management Lucknow (IIM Lucknow), he must comply with the following eligibility verification:

Marksheets and Degree Certificates: The candidate must show all the mark sheets and submit attested copies to prove eligibility at the time of the interview. If a candidate is selected for a programme, the original degree certificate and mark sheets of all semesters, along with their attested copies, must be submitted for verification at the time of joining the programme.
Reservation Category Requirement: If shortlisted for an interview, SC, ST, NC-OBC, EWS, and PwD candidates must show the original caste/class or disability certificate and submit a photocopy at the time of the interview, along with the submission requirements as specified.
Candidates in the Final Year of Graduation: If shortlisted for an interview, candidates appearing for the final bachelor's degree or equivalent qualification examination must show an original certificate from the Principal or Institution certifying that the candidate has obtained 50% marks or equivalent (45% in case of candidates belonging to the SC, ST and PwD category) based on the latest available marks. He/she must submit an attested copy of the original certificate at the time of the interview.

IIM Lucknow Eligibility Criteria for IIM Lucknow PGP ABM

Category	Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)	Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)	Quantitative Ability (QA)	Total
General	85	85	85	90
EWS (Economically Weaker Section)	77	77	77	82
NC-OBC (Non-Creamy OBC)	77	77	77	82
SC (Scheduled Caste)	55	55	55	65
ST (Scheduled Tribe)	50	50	50	60
PwD (Persons with Disabilities)	50	50	50	60

IIM Lucknow PGP SM Admission Details

The Indian Institute of Management Lucknow offers a two-year full-time residential Post Graduate Programme in Sustainable Management (PGP SM). Post Graduate Programme in Sustainable Management states that businesses are embedded in society and cannot be separated from it, and therefore aims to develop management professionals with a holistic perspective on economic, social and environmental issues.

IIM Lucknow PGP SM is one of the popular courses among the very few institutes in India, perhaps among the very few in the world also, to have pioneered a Sustainable Management Programme. Students can read more informational points for the MBA-SM course for the IIM Lucknow admission 2026.

Criteria	Details
Citizenship	Must be a citizen of India
Age Limit	There is no upper age limit for this programme
Academic Qualification	Candidates must have a Bachelor's degree in any discipline with at least 50% marks (45% for the reserved category) or equivalent, with at least two years of professional experience.
Selection Process	Based on overall performance in Written Test + Personal Interview. Minimum sectional cut-offs apply for AT.
Reservation Policy / Seats	As per Government Norms and regulations Scheduled Caste (SC): 15% Scheduled Tribe (ST): 7.5% Other Backward Classes (NC-OBC): 27% Economic Weaker Sections (EWS): 10% Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwD): 5%
Degrees Awarded	After successful completion of the course, the student will be awarded with an MBA degree
Contact for Queries	Ms Johara (PGPSM Office) Phone +91-120-6678517 Email: pgpsmoffice@iiml.ac.in

Weights for Final Score calculation

Component	Weight
Common Admission Test (CAT)	30
Academic Performances	5+5
Diversity Factor (DFa +DFb)	5
Work Experience	5
Writing Ability Test (WAT)	10
Personal Interview (PI)	40
Final Score	100

IIM Lucknow PGPWE Programme Admission Details

Indian Institute of Management Lucknow offers a two-year full-time residential Post Graduate Programme in Management for Working Executives. Indian Institute of Management Lucknow (IIM Lucknow) provides this programme at its Noida campus. This course was previously known as the Working Managers' Programme (WMP).

IIM Lucknow PGPWE is a uniquely designed program for working executives, entrepreneurs and professionals who desire to enhance their managerial knowledge and skills through formal management education while continuing to work full-time in their ongoing professions or business.

Duration: Two Years

Mode: Full-time, Regular (residential Course)

IIM Lucknow Eligibility Criteria for PGPWE:

Criteria	Details
Citizenship / Eligibility	Must be a citizen of India
Age Limit	There is no upper age limit for this programme
Academic Qualification	Candidates must have a Bachelor's degree in any discipline with at least 50% marks (45% for the reserved category) or equivalent, with at least two years of professional experience.
Selection Process	Based on overall performance in Written Test + Personal Interview. Minimum sectional cut-offs apply for AT.
Entrance Exam Accepted	GMAT/GMAT Focus Edition/GRE/CAT/GATE/PGPWE Entrance Exam
Minimum Marks Required	General/EWS/NC-OBC: 50% or equivalent CGPA SC / ST / PwD: 45% or equivalent CGPA
Reservation Policy / Seats	As per Government Norms and regulations Scheduled Caste (SC): 15% Scheduled Tribe (ST): 7.5% Other Backward Classes (NC-OBC): 27% Economic Weaker Sections (EWS): 10% Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwD): 5%
Degrees Awarded	After successful completion of the course, the student will be awarded with an MBA degree
Contact Information (IIM Lucknow Admission Office)	Admission Office, Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow - Noida Campus B-1, Sector-62, Institutional Area, Noida 201 307 (UP) Phone: +91-120-6678481 Email: admission_nc@iiml.ac.in

IIM Lucknow Admission Process for PGPWE Programme

Indian Institute of Management Lucknow (IIM Lucknow) selects students based on a three-stage selection process:

Eligibility Check
Writing Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview
Final selection

IIM Lucknow Selection Process for PGPWE

Candidate must fill and submit the Application Form online, Application Form, and upload the scanned copies of the documents in support of the attainments mentioned in the IIM Lucknow Eligibility Criteria.
Completed Application Form must be submitted by November 20, 2025
Based on the scores in GMAT/GMAT Focus Edition/GRE/CAT/GATE/ PGPWE Entrance Exam, candidates are shortlisted for the Writing Ability Test and Personal Interview.
After the Writing Ability Test & Personal Interview are done, the final score is calculated using the following weightage formula:

Component	Weight
Test Score	30%
Academic and Professional Profile	30%
Writing Ability Test	10%
Personal Interview	30%

IIM Lucknow IPMX Programme Details

Indian Institute of Management Lucknow offers a one-year International Programme in Management for Working Executives (IPMX). Indian Institute of Management Lucknow (IIM Lucknow) offers this course at its Noida campus. IPMX is a one-year residential programme designed for mid/senior-level professionals to prepare them for top positions in industry roles.

The IPMX programme was started in the year 2008 and is accredited by AACSB and the Association of MBAs (AMBA). Candidates who want to seek admission in this one-year executive programme must have a valid score card of GMAT/GMAT Focus Edition/GRE entrance tests.

IIM Lucknow Eligibility Criteria for IPMX

To apply for this programme, candidates need to meet the following conditions:

A bachelor’s degree in any stream with a minimum of 50% marks or equivalent from any recognised university.
A valid GMAT or GRE score, the score must be valid till the last date of application; It is mandatory to submit the Official Score card/Test Taker copy (if the Official Score card is not yet received) along with the application.
Candidates need to submit the GMAT/GMAT Focus Edition/GRE score card along with the application form
A minimum of 5 years full-time (Regular) post-qualification (after graduation) work experience is mandatory for admission to the IPMX programme at Indian Institute of Management Lucknow (IIM Lucknow).
The Programme is open to executives of all nationalities.

IIM Lucknow Selection Process for IPMX

The selection for the IPMX programme at Indian Institute of Management Lucknow (IIM Lucknow) is processed through the following pattern:

Candidate fills and submits the application form online, Application Form and uploads the scanned copies of the documents in support of the attainments mentioned in the Eligibility Criteria.
Completed Application Form must be submitted by October 17, 2025, for the first phase and December 17, 2025, for the second phase.
The candidate provides the contact details of the recommenders. The suggested recommenders will receive an email requesting them to submit the recommendation letters online directly to the admissions office.
Candidates are shortlisted for the Writing Ability Test (WAT) and the Personal Interview (PI) based on GMAT/GMAT Focus Edition/GRE score card.
A candidate’s final score for selection in IPMX for batch 2026 – 27 will be calculated based on the assigned weights as per the following table:

Particulars	Weightage
GMAT/GMAT Focus Edition/GRE Score	30%
Academic and Professional Profile	30%
Writing Ability Test (WAT)	10%
Personal Interview	30%

Note- Offer of admission will be provided on the final score.

IIM Lucknow bMBA Admission Details

Indian Institute of Management Lucknow provides a two-year Blended Post Graduate Programme (b-MBA), specially designed for working professionals. The syllabus of bMBA programme holds a careful balance between academic curriculum and real-world experiences, integrating core courses, electives, and a dedicated project to ensure holistic learning and application.

Students can continue in their current professional roles while benefiting from access to Indian Institute of Management Lucknow (IIM Lucknow)’s distinguished faculty, a diverse peer network, and cutting-edge digital learning resources.

Duration: Two years

Mode: Full-time, Regular (Residential Programme)

IIM Lucknow Eligibility Criteria for bMBA

To get admitted to the blended-MBA programme, students must meet the IIM Lucknow eligibility criteria, given below:

Work Experience: Minimum of three years of full-time relevant work experience after graduation on August 31, 2025.
Candidate must have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional qualification (CA/CS/ICWA) with minimum 50% marks from a recognised university or Institute in India or abroad.
Candidates must have a valid CAT/ GRE/ GMAT/ GMAT (focus) score. The exam should be centre-based only, and the score card is Valid for the last five years.
The programme is open to applicants of all nationalities, and both Indian and international candidates can apply.

Equivalent Qualifications:

Candidates who want to seek admission to the b-MBA programme, having the following eligibility criteria, are eligible to apply:

Bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognised university.
Chartered Accountant (CA) or Company Secretary (CS) from ICAI.
Cost and Management Accountant (ICWA/CMA) from ICAI.
Foreign degree equivalents must be recognised by AIU (Association of Indian Universities).

IIM Lucknow Admission Process for bMBA

The process of admission to the blended-MBA programme at Indian Institute of Management Lucknow (IIM Lucknow) is based on a three-stage admission process, which is as follows:

Shortlisting Stage
Personal Interview (PI)
Final Admission Stage

Shortlisting Stage:

Shortlisting is based on the following criteria and respective weightages:

Parameter	Weightage
Entrance Exam Score	50
HSC Marks	10
Bachelor’s Degree Marks	20
Work Experience	15
Gender Diversity	05
Total	100

Interview Stage

Candidates shortlisted on the basis of their Shortlisting Score will be invited for the interview. Only candidates scoring a minimum of 12 marks out of 40 in the interview will be considered for the final merit list preparation.

The Minimum qualifying marks in the Personal Interview are 12 out of 40 Marks. Candidates who do not achieve the minimum marks in PI will not be allowed to move to the further admission stages.

Final Admission Stage

Candidates who complete the shortlisting and Personal Interview Stage successfully are considered in the final stage of admission. The illustration of final score calculation is given as follows:

Candidate Details		General Category Score	SC/ST/PwD Category Score
Class 12th Mark	78%	6	7
Graduation Marks	75%	12	14
Work Experience	4.5/5 years	5	5
GMAT Score	567	30.583	30.583
Gender Diversity for Female		5	5
Score for Stage 1 Shortlist		58.583	61.583

Indian Institute of Management Lucknow PhD Admission Details

Indian Institute of Management Lucknow offers a Doctoral Programme in Management for research scholars who are enthusiastic about research in the different fields of the Management sector. The programme was launched in 2000-2001 and is specially designed to produce high-quality academicians, researchers, and management thinkers by providing an opportunity for interdisciplinary education and research in management. The highly academically charged environment of the institute helps scholar to develop and sharpen their intellect.

Duration: 3 to 5 Years

Mode: Full-time, Regular (Residential)

IIM Lucknow Eligibility Criteria for PhD

The candidates who want to get admission in the PhD programme must have one of the following qualifications obtained from any of the universities incorporated by an act of the central or state legislature in India. IIM Lucknow admission criteria for PhD course is given below:

Candidates must have a Master's degree or its equivalent in any discipline with a minimum 55% aggregate marks (50% for SC/ST candidates).
Candidates having a Bachelor's Degree in Engineering with 75% marks [70% for SC/ST candidates].
Any professional qualifications such as CA, ICWA and CS with a minimum 55% aggregate marks.
Candidates must have secured a minimum of 55 % marks in all their public examinations starting with the secondary level.
Work experience in industry or academics, though not mandatory, will be given due credit in the selection process.

Area of specialisation

The Doctoral Programme in Management (DPM) offers a wide range of specialisation areas to help students focus on their research interests. Students must read out the IIM Lucknow admission criteria 2026 details, available on the official website and brochure, provided by the IIM Lucknow. Some of the areas of specialisation of PhD programmes are given below:

1. Agri-Business Management
2. Business Sustainability
3. Communication
4. Decision Sciences (OR/ Stats)
5. Economics and Business Environment
6. Finance & Accounting
7. Human Resource Management
8. Information Technology & Systems
9. Marketing Management
10. Operations & Supply Chain Management
11. Strategic Management

Note: Students can choose only one specialisation area while applying. The area should be related to their academics and interests.

IIM Lucknow PhD Admission Details

The admission process for the PhD programme at Indian Institute of Management Lucknow (IIM Lucknow) is based on as per given process:

Applicants will be shortlisted for the selection interview based on a valid score of one of the following exams: Common Admission Test (CAT), GATE, GRE, GMAT or JRF/SRF, conducted by UGC/CSIR/ICAR.
The score card of the entrance examinations taken during the last two years will only be considered valid.
Applicants will be shortlisted for an interview based on the following:
CAT
GATE
GRE
GMAT
JRF
SRF

Admission to the programme is also open to international applicants, including NRIs and foreign nationals. Their admission will be based on GMAT/GRE scores obtained within the previous year.

Admission Schedule for Admission in PhD Programmes

Activity	Date
Announcement of the Programme	October 2025
Last date of submission of the completed application	16 February, 2026
Announcement of Shortlisted Candidates	First week of March, 2026
Personal Interviews	First Week of April, 2026
Announcement of Selected Candidates	Third week of April, 2026
Last Date of Acceptance and Submission of Acceptance Fee	First Week of May, 2026
Commencement of Program	June, 2026

IIM Lucknow PhD for Working Executives Admission Details

Indian Institute of Management Lucknow offers the Executive Fellow Programme in Management (EFPM). This is a doctoral program and primarily aims at preparing students for a career in management research, teaching and consulting.

The program is uniquely designed to meet the learning aspirations of enthusiastic executives and teaching professionals, and will enhance the state-of-the-art research skills required for increased understanding of today's complex business world while continuing to work. Students must meet the minimum admission criteria, according to the IIM Lucknow Admission Policy.

IIM Lucknow Eligibility Criteria for EFPM

For admission to the EFPM (PhD) programme at Indian Institute of Management Lucknow, students are required to meet the following minimum eligibility criteria:

For General Category Candidates:

Candidates must passed class 10+2 with minimum 50% marks.
Graduation and Post Graduation courses with minimum 50% marks and 55% marks respectively or equivalent CGPA.
Students having Graduation in Engineering, CA, CS or ICWA with a minimum 55% aggregate marks and B.Com. as UG degree with minimum 50% marks or equivalent CGPA.

For SC/ST Category Candidates:

Candidates must passed class 10+2 with minimum 50% marks.
Graduation and Post Graduation courses with minimum 45% and 50% marks respectively or equivalent CGPA.
Students having Graduation in Engineering, CA, CS or ICWA with a minimum 50% aggregate marks and B.Com. as UG degree with minimum 45% marks or equivalent CGPA.
Note: Post Graduation with less than two years is not acceptable for admission at IIM Lucknow Campus

Work Experience:

Candidates should currently employed in a full-time job with a minimum of 7 years of work experience as on 31st March 2026.
Age of the candidate should not be more than 55 years as on 31st March 2026.

Qualifying Examinations (Any of the following)

CAT
GATE
GMAT
GMAT Focus Edition
GRE
JRF/SRF
PGWE Entrance Examination held in December 2025 by IIM Lucknow, Noida campus.

Note: Online GMAT/GMAT Focus Edition/GRE (take-home) exam scores are not valid; only test centre-based GMAT/GMAT Focus Edition/GRE scores are valid.

Selection Process for PhD for Working Executives

Students who want to seek admission to the PhD for Working Executive programme at Indian Institute of Management Lucknow (IIM Lucknow) must have to go through the following steps:

The candidate submits a duly filled Application Form along with copies of documents in support of the attainments.
The candidate needs to mention the area of specialisation from the following academic areas:
Agribusiness Management
Economics and Business Environment
Business Sustainability
Business Communication
Decision Sciences (Statistics and Operations Research)
Finance and Accounting
Human Resource Management
Information Technology and Systems
Marketing Management
Operations and Supply Chain Management
Strategic Management

Candidates can fill out only one application form in which they can apply to two areas of specialisation. Applications filed by the candidates are shortlisted by the area-level screening committee.

Shortlisted candidates are called for a personal interview at either the IIM Lucknow Campus or its Noida Campus. Final selection in the EFPM (PhD for Working Executives) at IIM Lucknow admission is based on personal interview and academic, and profile of the candidates.