SOIL (School of Business Design), Gurgaon, formerly known as SOIL Institute of Management, is among India’s newer but rapidly rising B-schools. Its positioning is unique: integrating design thinking, liberal arts, innovation with management education. With the evolving corporate demands, students increasingly aim for institutions that develop creativity, holistic thinking, and problem-solving skills—areas where SOIL focuses heavily.
SOIL offers multiple postgraduate management programs, primarily:
PGDM (2-year Post Graduate Diploma in Management) in Business Design & Innovation.
PGPM (1-year Post Graduate Program in Management) for early-career professionals, and PGPM-HR variant.
Because PGPM and PGDM serve different target audiences (freshers/early professionals vs more experienced ones), their cutoffs, eligibility, and selection criteria differ. Knowing those differences and past cutoff trends is essential for anyone applying in 2025.
In this article, you’ll get:
An overview of PGDM vs PGPM at SOIL
What data is known about past cutoffs (CAT, NMAT, etc.)
Expected cutoff ranges for 2025 by category
Detailed eligibility, selection process, fee & placement insights
Practical strategy & FAQs
PGDM vs PGPM: Key Differences
Before talking cutoffs, it's important to distinguish what PGDM and PGPM at SOIL are, because they have different selection criteria, candidate profiles, and hence different cutoff expectations.
Because of these differences, you’ll see different cutoff lines for PGDM vs PGPM in SOIL's admission rounds past years.
Eligibility, Recent Placement & Program Details
Eligibility for PGDM: Bachelor’s degree (any discipline), usually minimum 50% marks; freshers and those with up to ~3 years of work experience can apply. Exams accepted: CAT, XAT, NMAT, MAT, CMAT.
PGPM (1-year) requires more experience: 2+ years of work experience for the PGPM program. PGPM-HR has some flexibility.
Placements:
PGDM: Top 50% CTC ~ ₹12.9 LPA; top 25% ~ ₹14.3 LPA.
PGPM: Top 50% CTC ~ ₹15.4 LPA; top 25% ~ ₹18.8 LPA.
PGPM-HR: approx ₹13.7 – 16.5 LPA in top quartile.
Program Structure: PGDM includes liberal arts foundation, design thinking, regular projects/immersion; PGPM is accelerated, leadership-oriented, with more intensive schedule.
Past Cutoff Data & Trends Available for SOIL
While SOIL School of Business Design does not always release official cutoff data in the same way as IIMs or other public B-schools, information from admission cycles and student discussions gives a fairly clear picture of how the cutoffs have trended for both PGDM and PGPM programs.
PGDM Cutoffs
The PGDM program is AICTE-approved and generally has more structured cutoff benchmarks compared to the PGPM. Based on recent years:
CAT Percentile Range: In 2022, cutoffs hovered around 70 percentile. By 2023–2024, this had edged upwards to 72–75 percentile, particularly for Round 1 of shortlisting.
CMAT Percentile: For candidates applying via CMAT, the comfort zone appears to be around 90+ percentile, with stronger consideration for applicants crossing 93–95 percentile in competitive years.
XAT/NMAT: XAT cutoffs usually fall in the 70+ percentile range, while NMAT scores of around 210–220+ are considered competitive.
This indicates a gradual tightening of entry benchmarks, particularly for students seeking admission into the flagship PGDM program.
PGPM Cutoffs
The PGPM, being a one-year intensive program, follows a more holistic admissions process, but entrance scores still matter:
CAT: A percentile of 65–70 has historically been acceptable.
GMAT: Scores of 550+ are often considered strong and increase the chances of being shortlisted.
NMAT: Scores in the range of 210+ usually stand out.
Since the PGPM attracts professionals with prior work experience, the emphasis is not solely on test scores but also on academic background, career progression, and clarity of goals.
Trend Analysis (2022–2024)
Over the past three years, the general trend has been:
Slight upward shift in cutoffs for PGDM, driven by increasing applicant volumes and competition.
Stable cutoffs for PGPM, since the program relies more on profile-based evaluation than strict percentile cutoffs.
Higher demand in business design and leadership-oriented tracks has nudged cutoffs upward in certain specializations.
Key Takeaway
PGDM aspirants should target at least CAT/XAT 72–75 percentile, CMAT 93+, or NMAT 220+ to stay safe in the 2025 cycle.
PGPM aspirants can expect some flexibility in cutoffs but should maintain a minimum CAT 65–70 percentile or GMAT 550+ alongside strong professional credentials.
Expected Cutoffs 2025: PGDM vs PGPM
Given the known data and trends, here are reasonable expected cutoff ranges for 2025 for both PGDM and PGPM, broken down by category where possible.
These are projections; actual cutoffs will depend on applicant pool quality, number of seats, and economic/environmental factors.
Category-wise Cutoffs
Let’s look at what we know (or can reasonably infer) for categories based on previous years:
General / Open: PGDM CAT cutoff around 75 percentile in recent years (2024). For PGPM, expected to be similar or slightly higher for experience-based applicants.
OBC / EWS: Public data is not very transparent, but anecdotal reports suggest cutoffs ~ 70-73 percentile for OBC/EWS for PGDM in SOIL. Lower bound of profile helps.
SC / ST: Soft data suggests SC/ST candidates who cross ~65-70 percentile may secure offers in PGDM (though scholarships or fee concessions may play a role).
International / NRI: Little public past percentile data, but in PGPM / PGDM exam + experience + SOP combined are heavily considered.
Eligibility, Selection Process & Other Factors Influencing Cutoffs
To understand why cutoffs are what they are, you have to consider the whole selection pipeline at SOIL.
Eligibility
PGDM: Bachelor’s degree (recognized university), min 50% aggregate. Freshers or up to ~3 years’ experience acceptable.
PGPM: Minimum 2 years work experience required for general PGPM. PGPM-HR may have some flexibility.
Selection Process
Entrance exams: CAT, XAT, NMAT, MAT, CMAT, GMAT accepted. Best among scores considered in some cases.
Shortlisting: On exam score + profile evaluation (academic record, work experience, projects) + creative or innovation potential.
Interviews / Workshops: Usually after shortlist; often includes Personal Interview (PI), possibly work sample / case discussion / group exercise depending on program.
English proficiency is implicitly required (especially for PGPM or candidates with lesser exposure).
Other Factors
Batch size & number of applicants: If many high-quality applicants apply, cutoff percentile moves upward.
Specialization demand: Streams like Analytics, Business Design attract more demand which implies higher cutoffs.
Scholarship & Financial Aid: To qualify for merit scholarships, candidates must exceed baseline cutoffs.
Placement, Fee & Return on Investment
These also influence cutoff expectations, because aspirants consider ROI along with chance of admission.
PGDM Fee (Business Design): ~INR 16.20 lakhs tuition alone; total fee higher including other costs.
PGPM Fee: PGPM cost is comparable to INR 9-10 lakhs or slightly higher per year but returns are faster due to 1-year program.
Placements: PGDM’s top 50% and top 25% CTCs as per recent data: ~₹12.9 LPA and ₹14.3 LPA respectively. PGPM: top 50% ~₹15.4 LPA, top 25% ~₹18.8 LPA.
High placement outcomes raise demand, pushing up cutoffs for high-performing batches.
FAQs
Here are answers to common questions given this updated info:
What is the difference between PGDM and PGPM at SOIL?
PGDM is a 2-year full time program suited to freshers or early professionals with strong creative and foundational learning. PGPM is 1-year, meant for professionals with ~2+ years’ experience seeking accelerated growth. PGPM-HR focuses on HR leadership.
What are the known cutoffs for SOIL PGDM based on CAT/XAT?
Public trackers suggest around 75 percentile for PGDM CAT in 2024 (SOIL Gurgaon, Round 1).
How high is GMAT required for PGPM?
GMAT ~ 550+ is often cited as a strong benchmark. Lower GMAT may be considered if profile is outstanding.
Are scholarships available? What is needed to get them?
Yes. SOIL offers merit-based, achievement-based and need-based scholarships. To qualify one often needs to exceed the baseline cutoffs, i.e, strong exam score + profile + interview.
Is work experience mandatory for PGPM?
Yes, PGPM typically requires 2+ years of work experience. Freshers are eligible for PGDM.
What is the selection process?
Entrance exam score (one of CAT/XAT/NMAT/MAT/CMAT/GMAT) → Profile shortlisting → Personal Interview / Workshops / Case exercise. Sometimes SOIL may use its internal test or group exercise depending on program.
Does SOIL publish detailed category-wise cutoffs?
Not always; public sources show some overall cutoffs (for PGDM) but category-wise breakdowns are less reliably published. Expect variation by round.
How does PGDM Business Design specialization affect cutoffs?
Because Business Design is seen as an emerging, premium specialization (with design thinking, liberal arts integrated), demand is higher → cutoff percentiles tend to be at or above the general program average.
What is expected cutoff for SC / ST candidates?
Based on informal / tracker data: approx 65-70 percentile CAT/XAT/other exam, but with stronger weight to personal interview and profile.
How much does fee vs placement justify the cutoff?
Given PGDM fee ~INR 15-16+ lakhs and PGPM higher, but placements for PGPM are stronger in top-25% bracket, aspirants must aim for high cutoffs + performance to justify investment.
Strategy Tips for 2025 Applications at SOIL
If applying for PGDM, start building your profile early: do creative/innovation projects, internships, and cultivate leadership traits.
If applying for PGPM, ensure you document your work experience, achievements, responsibilities, and outcomes clearly.
Prepare for multiple exams; don’t rely only on CAT if you have potential in GMAT/NMAT.
Performance in interview / workshops often acts as tie-breaker; practice soft skills and case study / design thinking mindset.
Apply early: earlier rounds often have lower cutoffs; later rounds may be more competitive.
