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MBA Entrance Exam in India: Complete Guide to Top Exams and Preparation

MBA entrance exam

Pursuing an MBA after graduation is akin to taking a huge leap towards a successful career in management. It is a roadmap for leadership skills, strategic thinking, and profound knowledge of how businesses work across the globe. Everyone wants to pursue Masters of Business Administration programmes from top B-schools like IIMs, XLRI Jamshedpur, MDI, etc. This blog covers in detail the dates, qualifications, and structures of various MBA entrance exams in India in 2024.

Applicants preparing to study for any MBA entrance exam must be fully informed of the important dates associated with the entrance tests. The best MBA entrance exam in India is the CAT or Common Admission Test. Twenty IIMs accept it, and many more consider its score. A candidate from the general category needs to graduate with at least 50% of the available marks and SC/ST/PwD students need to score at least 45 % to be eligible for applying to the CAT exam. Additionally, top national-level MBA exams available in India and accepted by the elite management schools of India include SNAP, NMAT, CMAT, XAT, and GMAT.

MBA Entrance Exams in India Requirements 2024

  1. A Bachelor’s Degree with 50% (45% for SC/ST/PwD) marks from a recognized University
  2. Qualified MBA entrance exams like CAT, MAT, XAT, CMAT etc.
  3. Work experience is desired
  4. No age limit

Top MBA Entrance Exam 2024 in India

Candidates can refer to the following top list of MBA admission exams that are held in India in 2024 along with the conducting organizations based on the number of students appearing for the test:

MBA Entrance Exam Conducting Body Application Fees
CAT Indian Institute of Management Rs 2500 (G), Rs 1150 (SC/ST/PWD)
CMAT National Testing Agency Rs 2000 (G), Rs 1000 (SC/ST/PWD)
XAT  XLRI Jamshedpur Rs 2100
MAT The All India Management Association (AIMA) Rs 2100
SNAP Symbiosis International Rs 2250
MAH MBA CET The Maharashtra State CET cell Rs 1000 (G), Rs 800 (SC/ST/PWD)
TS ICET Kakatiya University, Warangal Rs 750 (G), Rs 550 (SC/ST/PWD)
APICET Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Ananthapuramu Rs 650 (G), Rs 550 (SC/ST/PWD)
KMAT Karnataka Post Graduate Private Colleges’ Association (KPPGCA) Rs 850
TANCET  Anna University Rs 800 (G), Rs 400 (SC/ST/PWD)
NMAT Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) Rs 2800
IIFT National Testing Agency Rs 3000 (G), Rs 1500 (SC/ST/PWD)
GMAT Graduate Management Admission Council Rs 23001
IBSAT The ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education Rs 1800
ATMA The Association of Indian Management Schools Rs 1500+ 18% GST

 

Top MBA Entrance Exam in India

CAT (Common Admission Test)

The Common Admission Test, often known as the CAT, is a yearly national MBA entrance exam that is rotated among IIMs. It is one of the most attempted entrance tests taken up for admission to various MBA and PGDM courses across IIMs, IITs, and other national universities. Not less than twenty IIMs and over 1200 additional management institutes in the country accept the results of the CAT. Every year, more than two lakh aspirants appear for this MBA entrance test.

Eligibility: All applicants should have a bachelor’s level of qualification with at least 50% of total marks or equivalent CGPA. In the case of SC/ST and PwD candidates, it is 45% of total marks or equivalent CGPA.

Pattern: The duration of the CAT entrance test is one hour and twenty minutes. The test has three sections: Quantitative Ability; Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning; Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension.

Main Points Details
Sections in Exam 3 (VARC, DILR and QA)
Exam Duration 2 hours (2 hour and 30 min for PwD Category)
Time Duration by Section 40 minutes
Exam Mode Computer-based Exam (CBE)
Medium of Instruction English
Questions Types MCQ and Type in Type Answer
The CAT Marking System +3 for every right answer
-1 for every wrong answer

XAT (Xavier Aptitude Test)

The Xavier Aptitude Test is conducted once every year for Jamshedpur’s Xavier School of Management, offering a window into its MBA and PGDM courses. More than 160 elite B-schools in India accept the scores of this test for admission. This is a computer-based MBA entrance examination since it is a computer-based testing.

Eligibility: To be able to sit for this XAT test, the candidate must possess a three-year bachelor’s degree or its equivalent qualification from an accredited university.

Pattern: Section 1-Verbal and Logical Ability, Data Interpretation and Quantitative Ability; Section 2- Mock Keyboard Testing; Section 3- General Awareness, Essay Writing.

XAT Main Points Details
Mode of Exam Computer-Based Test (CBT)
Duration 3 hours 30 minutes
Number of Questions 100 – 105
Marking System

1 Mark for Correct Answer

0.25 negative marking for Incorrect Answer

 

GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test)

It is conducted by the Graduate Management Admission Council, in short GMAC, for admission to various top B-schools worldwide for their respective MBA and PGDM programs. Candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree to be eligible for GMAT registration, and there is no minimum or maximum grade point average required.

Eligibility: UG degree

Pattern: Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA): One essay topic; Integrated Reasoning (IR): 12 questions; Quantitative: 31 questions; Verbal.

Main Points Details
Exam Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT)
Level International Level Exam
Conducting Body Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC)
GMAT 2024 Exam Mode and Language Online
GMAT Test Duration 3 hours and 7 min

 

CMAT (Common Management Admission Test)

The NTA conducts a national-level entrance test for aspirants aiming for admission in management courses available in the country, called the Common Management Admission Test, or CMAT. CMAT scores are accepted by more than one thousand MBA courses spread all over India. This is an admission test that is conducted each year in January and March.

Eligibility: The candidate must be a citizen of India and should have successfully cleared the bachelor’s degree or equivalent from a known university to be eligible to sit for the CMAT test.

Pattern: The test will be three hours long and will be conducted via CBT. There will be questions from the Quantitative Technique and Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning, Language Comprehension, General Awareness, and Innovation & Entrepreneurship sections in the CMAT test.

Main Points Details
Exam Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT)
Level International Level Exam
Conducting Body Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC)
GMAT 2024 Exam Mode and Language Online
GMAT Test Duration 3 hours and 7 min

 

ATMA (AIMS Test for Management Admissions)

The AIMS Test for Management Admissions is normally referred to as ATMA. This test is conducted by the Association of Indian Management Schools for those candidates who seek to be enrolled in various management courses like PGDM and MBA.

Eligibility: Candidates applying to take this test, called ATMA, should have obtained a bachelor’s degree having at least 50% of the possible points.

Pattern: Verbal Skills, Quantitative Skills, Analytical Reasoning Skills.

Main Points Details
Exam Mode Computer-Based Test
Duration of Exam 3 hours
Courses that accept ATMA scores MBA, PGDM, PGDBA, MCA

 

NMAT 2024

Narsee Monjee Aptitude Test or NMAT is conducted by the Graduate Management Admission Council, popularly known as GMAC, for admission to the candidates into the management program offered at NMIMS along with other prestigious B-schools. Earlier, the test was conducted by NMIMS.

Eligibility: A candidate should have a bachelor’s degree in any stream from an accredited college or university to be eligible to take up the NMAT.

Pattern: Quantitative Skills, Language Skills, Logical Reasoning.

Main Points Details
Examination Mode Online
Duration 2 hours
Question Type Objective (MCQs)
Total Questions 108 questions
Maximum Marks 360 marks
Medium English

 

Important Dates and Timelines

National MBA Entrance Exams in India

MBA Entrance Exam 2024 Exam Dates
CAT November 2024
CMAT May 2024
MAT August 2024
ATMA June 2024
IPMAT May 2024

 

State Level Entrance Exams in India

MBA Entrance Exam 2024 Exam Dates
MAH MBA CET March 2024
TS ICET June 2024
AP ICET May 2024
KMAT Kerala June 2024
KMAT Karnataka November 2024
TANCET March 2024

 

University Level MBA Entrance Exams in India

MBA Entrance Exam Exam Dates
XAT January 2024
SNAP December 2024
IIFT Exam To be announced
NMAT November-December 2024
TISSNET To be announced
IBSAT December 2024

 

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FAQ's

Which MBA Entrance Exam is the Best in India?

The Common Admission Test, popularly known as CAT, is one of the best MBA entrance tests in India, considered by most.

Is giving CAT sufficient for any MBA aspirant?

More than 1000 B-Schools in India accept the CAT scores. But there are some top colleges and universities that conduct their own MBA exams, so candidates must know about other exams too.

How to prepare for the MBA Entrance Exam?

A candidate preparing for an MBA entrance exam has to concentrate on Quantitative ability, Verbal ability, Logical reasoning, General knowledge, and Essay writing.

Which are the best government colleges for MBA placement?

Among the Top Govt. Colleges for MBA, according to the NIRF rankings 2023, the list includes IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Kozhikode, and IIM Lucknow.

Is the calculator available in CAT?

Yes, candidates are allowed to use on-screen calculators during the CAT examination.

Is the GMAT syllabus the same as that of the CAT?

The syllabi of the entrance tests for both CAT and GMAT are almost identical.

How helpful are the previous year’s question papers for entrance exams?

Previous year question papers for the MBA entrance exam are really very helpful in test preparation as they provide key insights such as types of questions, topic-wise weightage, difficulty levels and other trends over the years. Along with online mock tests, previous years’ question papers are highly recommended for exam preparation. Your preparation is incomplete without the same.

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