There are numerous entrance exams for admissions to MBA programs across the country. However, the top MBA entrance exams ensure candidates an opportunity to get into a top B-school with a good reputation and high placements. Here is a list of the top MBA entrance exams in India
|
Entrance Exam |
Number of Questions |
Time Allotted |
Exam Timeline (Tentative) |
Official website |
|
CAT |
66 |
120 minutes |
November 2024 |
|
|
XAT |
102 |
210 minutes |
January 2025 |
|
|
NMAT |
108 |
120 minutes |
October 2024 to December 2024 |
|
|
SNAP |
60 |
60 minutes |
December 2024 |
|
|
MICAT |
234 |
165 minutes |
December 2024 & January 2025 |
|
|
MAH MBA CET |
200 |
150 minutes |
March 2025 |
|
|
CMAT |
100 |
180 minutes |
April – May 2025 |
|
|
TANCET |
100 |
120 minutes |
March 2024 |
|
|
CUET PG |
75 |
105 minutes |
March 2024 |
|
|
TISSNET |
Conducted through CAT |
|||
About the Top MBA Entrance Exams
CAT
The Common Admission Test (CAT) is one of the most popular MBA entrance exams with over 2 lakh applicants per year. It is a computer-based exam, held across the country in the month of November each year. CAT is the only entrance test for admission to MBA programs in the IIMs and over 150 B-schools accept the CAT score for admission to their programs.
|
Section |
No of Questions |
MCQ/ NMCQ |
Sectional Time Limit (In Minutes) |
Scoring Pattern (Negative Marking is only for MCQs) |
|
Section-1: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) |
24 |
19/5 |
40 |
+3 for Correct; |
|
Section-2: Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) |
20 |
15/5 |
40 |
+3 for Correct; |
|
Section-3: Quantitative Ability (QA) |
22 |
14/8 |
40 |
+3 for Correct; |
|
Total |
66 |
66 |
120 |
198 |
XAT
XAT or Xavier Aptitude Test is another popular MBA entrance exam held for admissions to the Xavier member institutes including XLRI Jamshedpur, XIMB, and XIME. The exam is given by over 75,000 candidates per year and is held annually in the month of January. Some other top B-schools that accept XAT are Great Lakes Chennai, SPJIMR, TAPMI, etc.
XAT 2025 Exam Pattern
|
Exam Sections |
Number of questions |
Overall Time Duration |
|
Part-1 |
75 Total MCQs |
170 Minutes |
|
Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning |
26 |
No Sectional Time Limit |
|
Decision Making |
21 |
No Sectional Time Limit |
|
Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation |
28 |
No Sectional Time Limit |
|
Part-2 |
20 Total MCQs |
10 Minutes |
|
General Knowledge |
20 |
Ideal Time 10 Minutes |
|
Analytical Essay Writing (AEW) |
Scrapped for XAT 2025 |
Dropped |
|
Total questions (Part 1 + Part 2) |
95 MCQs |
NMAT
NMAT is a national-level examination held by GMAC for admission to top MBA institutes including NMIMS and XIMB among 30 B-schools in India. The exam is held annually over 70 days and candidates can attempt the exam three times. Unlike other MBA entrance exams, the exam can be attempted in two modes, i.e. online proctored at home, or a test center.
NMAT 2024 Exam Pattern
|
Exam Sections |
Number of Questions |
Allotted time in Minutes |
Scoring Range |
|
Language Skills |
36 |
28 |
12-120 |
|
Quantitative Skills |
36 |
52 |
12-120 |
|
Logical Reasoning |
36 |
40 |
12-120 |
|
Total |
108 |
120 |
36-360 |
SNAP
The Symbiosis National Aptitude Test (SNAP) is held by Symbiosis International (Deemed University) for admission to 15 member institutes including SIBM, SCMHRD, and SICSR. The national-level exam is held annually over three days. Candidates can attempt the exam three times out of which the highest score will be considered the final score and no normalization will take place.
|
Sections in SNAP 2024 |
Total Questions |
SNAP 2024 Marking Scheme |
Negative Marking in SNAP |
Maximum Marks you can score in SNAP |
|
General English: Reading Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning, Verbal Ability |
15 |
+1 mark for each correct answer |
– ¼ Mark for each wrong answer |
15 |
|
Quantitative, Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency |
20 |
+1 mark for each correct answer |
– ¼ Mark for each wrong answer |
20 |
|
Analytical & Logical Reasoning |
25 |
+1 mark for each correct answer |
– ¼ Mark for each wrong answer |
25 |
|
Current Affairs |
Discontinued |
— |
— |
— |
|
Total |
60 |
— |
— |
60 |
CMAT
Convened by the National Testing Agency, the Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) is a three-hour online, online-held MBA entrance exam. CMAT is accepted by over 1000 AICTE-approved institutes across India. Some of the top management institutes that accept the exam include Great Lakes Chennai, BIMTECH, and VIT Vellore.
|
CMAT 2024 Exam Sections |
Number of Questions |
Maximum Marks Section-wise |
|
Language Comprehension |
20 |
80 |
|
Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation |
20 |
80 |
|
Logical Reasoning |
20 |
80 |
|
General Awareness |
20 |
80 |
|
Innovation & Entrepreneurship |
20 |
80 |
|
Total: Sections-5 |
100 |
400 |
MAH MBA CET
Have any query?
The MAH MBA CET is an entrance exam that paves the way to MBA programs in Maharashtra, Held by the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE), the government body responsible for technical education in Maharashtra, the exam is 2.5 hours long. The exam has 200 multiple-choice questions divided into 4 sections.
|
MAH MBA CET Sections |
Number of Questions |
Marks per Question |
|
Logical Reasoning |
75 |
1 |
|
Abstract Reasoning |
25 |
1 |
|
Quantitative Aptitude |
50 |
1 |
|
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension |
50 |
1 |
|
Total |
200 |
200 |
TANCET
The Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test (TANCET) is an annual state-level MBA entrance examination conducted by Anna University every year. The exam is divided into 5 sections of 20 questions each. It measures a candidate’s aptitude for management studies and their ability to handle the rigors of an MBA program.
CUET PG
The Common University Entrance Test (CUET) PG is a national-level entrance examination conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) in India for admission to postgraduate programs offered by central universities, participating state universities, and deemed universities.
MBA Entrance Exams: A Closer Look
In recent years, pursuing an MBA/PGDM has gained immense popularity based on several factors. The primary concern related to MBA is the amount of time and effort a candidate has to put in before and after MBA admissions. So it is imperative to understand the various MBA entrance exams to identify tier relevance to the goals.
|
Features |
MBA Entrance Exam |
|
MBA Program Fees |
INR 5 – 30 lakhs |
|
MBA Specializations |
|
|
MBA Average CTC Offered |
|
|
Top Recruiting Sectors |
|
|
Top Recruiters |
Amazon, Apple, Bain & Company, Citigroup, Deloitte, Facebook, Accenture, Boston Consulting Group, JP Morgan and Chase Co, Morgan Stanley, etc. |
MBA Admission Procedure through MBA Entrance Exams
|
Important Parameters |
Description |
|
Eligibility Criteria |
At least 50% in graduation, final year students can register as well. |
|
Age limit |
None |
|
Selection of the Entrance exam based on targeted colleges |
CAT scores: 20 IIMs, FMS, IMT, MDI, IMI, and IITs XAT scores: XLRI, GIM, IMT, MICA NMAT score: NMIMS, SP Jain, Great Lakes, KJ Sumaiya SNAP score: 16 Symbiosis member institutes |
|
Selection of shortlisted students for further admission rounds (Group Discussion- Written Ability Test-Personal Interview) |
Shortlisting is based on weightage given to several parameters including exam score, academic background, professional work experience, and gender diversity. Top B-schools like IIMs, FMS, IMT, and MDI conduct mandatory batch-wise group discussion sessions for students who are shortlisted. |
|
Declaration of merit lists by the universities |
The institutes announce the results of candidates in the form of merit lists. |
|
Accepting admission letter and payment of acceptance fees |
Post declaration of the result, the university/B-school sends an e-offer letter via an official email. A candidate needs to revert to the email by accepting the offer letter and paying the acceptance fees by the given date to confirm admission. |
Institutes Accepting Top MBA Entrance Exams in India
When candidates choose the MBA entrance exams they wish to appear for, they must identify the B-schools of their choice. Based on the institutes and the entrance exams they accept, candidates should finalize their decision for the MBA entrance exams. Here are the top MBA entrance exams and the list of major universities that accept them for admission.
|
MBA Entrance Exams |
Top B-schools |
|
CAT |
IIMs, IMI, FMS Delhi, JBIMS, SPJIMR, IIT, MDI |
|
XAT |
XLRI, XIMB, XIME, TAPMI, MICA, IMT, GIM |
|
NMAT |
NMIMS, XIMB, ISB Hyderabad, SPJIMR, TAPMI, IBS |
|
MICAT |
MICA Ahmedabad |
|
CMAT |
Great Lakes, GIM, VIT, BIMTECH |
|
SNAP |
SIBM Pune, SCMHRD Pune +13 other Symbiosis Colleges |
|
MAH MBA CET |
JBIMS, SIMSREE, PUMBA |
|
TANCET |
Anna University, PPG Business School |
Top MBA Entrance Exams in India FAQS
- Which is the top MBA entrance exam in India?
CAT or Common Admission Test is the most popular MBA entrance exam with over two lakh registrations. CAT provides the opportunity of getting into prestigious institutes such as IIMs, FMS Delhi, SPJIMR, etc.
- Can I do MBA without cracking CAT?
Yes, you can pursue an MBA without sitting for the CAT exam. You can opt for other MBA entrance exams such as XAT, NMAT, SNAP, CMAT, etc. However, you will not be able to get admission to top B-schools such as the IIMs without acing CAT.
- Which is the easiest MBA entrance exam?
The difficulty level of SNAP and MAT exams is usually lower than other MBA entrance exams. However, the candidates must not take any exam lightly preparation requires exhaustive study and practice of sample questions.
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