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

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:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Important Dates and Timelines

National MBA Entrance Exams in India

State Level Entrance Exams in India

University Level MBA Entrance Exams in India