IRMA Admission Process 2025: Eligibility Criteria, Important Dates, Selection Process

IRMA Admission Process 2025: The Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) has started the admission process for its Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Rural Management) program for the 2025-2027 batch. The selection process includes application submission and a personal interview (PI).

Indian candidates must submit their CAT, XAT, or CMAT scores to get shortlisted for IRMA 2025 admissions. However, foreign candidates need to submit their GMAT or GRE scores. Candidates interested in applying should check the eligibility criteria, selection process, and important dates before starting the application process.

Enroll Now for MBA Online Batch

Important IRMA Admission Process 2025 Dates

The Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) has released the important admission dates for the 2025 PGDM intake. Below are the important deadlines for both Indian and foreign candidates.

Foreign nationals must follow the dates provided below for IRMA 2025 admissions:

Eligibility Criteria IRMA Admission Process 2025 

IRMA sets the eligibility criteria for PGDM admissions in 2025. Here are the crucial eligibility criteria Indian nationals must fulfill to proceed with the application process:

• Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognized university.

• A minimum aggregate score of 50% is required for general category candidates (45% for SC/ST/DAP candidates).

• Final-year students can also apply. However, they must submit proof of UG degree completion by September 2025.

• Candidates must secure a minimum of:

• 85 percentile or above in CAT 2024, XAT 2025, or CMAT 2025 for Merit-based Calls.

• For profile-based calls, candidates must score 80 percentile or above in CAT 2024, XAT 2025, or CMAT 2025.

For sponsored candidates, IRMA has set the following eligibility criteria:

• Must have a bachelor’s degree from a recognised institution.

• Should have at least two years of full-time work experience as of July 1, 2025, with the sponsoring organisation.

• The sponsoring organisation must commit to financing the candidate's fees and grant leave for the program.

Foreign candidates should meet the following eligibility requirements to apply for IRMA: 

• Candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree with at least 50% aggregate from a recognised institution.

• They must submit GMAT or GRE scores (from 2016 onwards) meeting IRMA’s cut-off criteria.

Enroll Now for MBA Online Batch

IRMA Selection Process 2025 for Indian Nationals

The IRMA selection process consists of two stages. In the first stage, applicants are selected based on their entrance exam scores. Further, these candidates need to attempt and clear the PI stage to make it to the final merit list. Provided below is the detailed IRMA selection process for Indian nationals:

Stage 1: Shortlisting Based on Entrance Exam Scores

Candidates are shortlisted based on their CAT 2024, XAT 2025, or CMAT 2025 scores. Shortlisted candidates will receive notification regarding their selections via email and SMS.

Stage 2: Interview Process

Shortlisted candidates must participate in the Written Ability Test (IWAT) and Personal Interview (PI) rounds. The details of these selection rounds are as follows:

• IRMA Written Ability Test (IWAT) – Candidates must write 200-300 words on a given topic, assessing their rural aptitude and written communication skills.

• Personal Interview (PI) – After WAT, candidates need to participate in the PI round, which aims to evaluate their communication skills, managerial abilities, and interest in rural management.

Personal Interview Centers

For Indian nationals, IRMA will conduct offline interviews. To take the PI round, candidates will be allocated centres in any of the following cities:

Anand, Bhopal, Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Chandigarh, Delhi, Hyderabad, Guwahati,  Jaipur, Patna, Lucknow, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune.

IRMA Selection Process 2025 for NRI Candidates

NRI applicants are shortlisted based on GMAT (taken after Jan 2020), CAT 2024, XAT 2025, or CMAT 2025 scores. Here are the details of the IRMA selection process 2025 for NRI candidates:

• Shortlisted candidates will be required to take an Online Personal Interview (OPI) in March 2025.

• Final selection will be based on the entrance exam scores, which will carry 60% weightage, while the personal interview will carry 40% weightage.

Enroll Now for MBA Online Batch

IRMA Final Selection Criteria

The IRMA final merit list will be prepared based on the entrance exam, PI performance, academic qualification, work experience, etc. Each component carries a different weightage for the final selection. The table below presents the key components and their weightage for IRMA final selection:

IRMA Selection Criteria 2025

IRMA selects candidates under two categories, namely merit and profile. The details of these two selection categories are provided below:

1. Merit-cum-Profile Based – In this category, candidates are evaluated for the following aspects:

• Relevant graduation degrees (Agriculture, Public Policy, Dairy, Development, etc.)

• Graduation from top-ranked institutions

• Work experience in rural development sectors

• Minimum 80 percentile in CAT/XAT/CMAT

2. Merit-Based – To receive a call from IRMA under this category, candidates must meet the general cut-off requirement. Generally, IRMA sets its cut-off score for CAT, XAT, and CMAT at 85 percentile. However, the cut-offs for reserved category candidates are determined separately.

Enroll Now for MBA Online Batch

How to Apply for IRMA 2025?

To apply for PGDM in Rural Management, candidates must fill out the application form online. Here are the steps to apply for IRMA 2025:

• Visit the official website of IRMA.

• Register with a valid email ID.

• Fill in personal and academic details as per Aadhar card.

• Upload scanned documents, including photos, signatures, category certificates, etc., in the specified format and file size.

• Pay the application fee online via credit/debit card or net banking.

• Review the application form and submit it online.