All CoursesBusiness schools prefer candidates who demonstrate strong critical reasoning and problem-solving skills, two essential traits of a good manager, that can be tested by an individual’s performance on a standardized test. There are several MBA entrance exams in India that are conducted to test these skills. However, if you are an MBA aspirant and are planning to enroll yourself into one of the best MBA programmes in India or abroad, then we’ve listed out a few tests you must consider taking to help you get into the best MBA programme that suits your goals and higher education needs.
MBAs is an essential qualification that you should have if you’re aspiring for a career in Management. Presenting your test scores of the entrance test asked by your targeted university is the first and foremost requirement for any MBA programme. In India, there are many MBA entrance exams conducted every year. Some of the national-level exams are: CAT, MAT, XAT etc. Some state-level exams are: ICET, KMAT, TANCET etc. In addition to these, there are GRE and GMAT exams if you intend to pursue a master’s programme abroad.
So here’s a list of top MBA entrance exams conducted in India that we have curated for you.
MBA Entrance Exams in India 2021
National-level MBA entrance tests:
| Exam | Eligibility Criteria | Exam Pattern | MBA Entrance Exam Dates |
| CAT (Common Admission Test) | A Bachelor’s degree under 10 + 2 + 3 scheme by the MHRD/ UPSC/ AICTE with at least 50% marks (45% for SC, ST and PWD candidates) | Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (60 mins) + Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (60 mins) + Quantitative Ability (60 mins) = Total 180 Minutes | Application Procedure Starts During August-September |
| XAT (Xavier’s Aptitude Test) | The candidate must hold a Bachelor’s Degree from a recognized university. The minimum pass percentage required is 50% (45% for SC, ST and PWD candidates) | Verbal and Logical Ability + Decision Making = 170 Mins & Essay & General Awareness (35 mins) | Registration for XAT commences from August & exam is conducted in January |
| MAT (Management Aptitude Test) | The candidate must be a Graduate in any discipline. Final year students are also eligible | Language Comprehension (30 mins), Mathematical Skills (40 mins), Data Analysis and Sufficiency (35 mins) Intelligence and Critical Reasoning (30 mins) Indian and Global Environment (15 mins) | There are two types of tests: Paper and Computer-based. Registrations for MAT exams start in the month of December. |
| CMAT (Common Management Admission Test) | Recognized Bachelor’s Degree of minimum 3 Years duration which you have obtained at least 50% (45% in case of candidate belonging to reserved category) | 25 questions each from 1) Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation, 2) Logical Reasoning, 3) Language Comprehension, 4) General Awareness | Online Application starts from October |
| IIFT (Indian Institute of Foreign Trade) | The candidate must hold a Bachelor’s Degree | 135 questions from quantitative ability, Verbal Ability, Logic & Data Interpretation and General Awareness | Registration for IIFT commences from July to September and the entrance exam is conducted in November |
| ATMA (AIMS Test for Management Admissions) | Candidates should have completed their graduation from a recognized university & should have scored a minimum of 50% of marks in aggregate | Quantitative, verbal & analytical reasoning skills = Total 180 questions | Registrations for the online test begin in October and Exam is conducted in the month of March |
| NMAT (Narsee Monjee Admission Test) by GMAC | The candidate must hold a Bachelor’s Degree from a recognized University with at least 50% marks | Language Skills, Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Skills (Total 120 minutes) | Registrations begin between July to October The exam is conducted between November-December |
| SNAP (Symbiosis National Aptitude Test) | The candidate must hold a Bachelor’s Degree from a recognized University with at least 50% marks | 40 marks each on 1) General English: Reading Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning, Verbal Ability, 2) Quantitative, Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency, 3) Current Affairs (of last 2 years) and 4) Analytical & Logical Reasoning. Total exam duration – 120 minutes | Commencement of application – August Date of Exam – December |
State-level MBA entrance tests include:
| Eligibility Criteria | Exam Pattern | MBA Entrance Exam Dates | |
| ICET (Integrated Common Entrance Test) | The applicants must be 21 years of age and must have passed their Graduation from any recognized Board /University | 200 questions from 1) Section A – Analytical Ability (75 questions), 2) Mathematics (75 questions), 3) Communication (50 questions) | MBA application starts in February. MBA Exam is conducted in the month of May |
| KMAT (Karnataka Management Aptitude Test) | Bachelor’s Degree of minimum 3 Years duration. Obtained at least 50% (40% in case of candidate belonging to reserved category) | 1. Maths 2. Logical Reasoning 3. Aptitude 4. Comprehension | Application starts from May and the exam is conducted in July |
| TANCET (Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test) | The applicants should be a Bachelor in any stream with a least 50% marks | Questions from Verbal Ability, Reading Comprehension, Quantitative Aptitude, Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning (Total 120 minutes) | Application Forms are usually available from May and the Entrance Exam is conducted in the month of June |
| HPCMAT (Himachal Pradesh Combined Management Aptitude Test) | Bachelor’s degree with at least 50% marks or 45% marks in the case of SC/ST candidates. | 50 questions each from the 4 subjects – English Comprehension, Reasoning, Business environment, Arithmetic Comprehension and Data Interpretation | Application forms can be availed online from April and the exam is conducted during June |
| KIITEE (Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology University) | The candidate must possess a graduate degree in any discipline recognized by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) with at least 50% aggregate. | Quantitative Aptitude – 40 questions Analytical Reasoning – 40 questions English – 30 questions General Knowledge – 20 questions Issues of Social Concern – 20 questions | The entrance exam is conducted in the month of January |
These are some of the best MBA entrance exams in India. However, if you’re looking to pursue an MBA abroad and are looking to take an MBA entrance test in India then there are two main globally recognised tests that you can consider taking, they are:
1.GMAT
The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is a computer adaptive test, conducted by GMAC (Graduate Management Admission Council) worldwide throughout the year. More than 2,300 international colleges that offer more than 7000 programs accept the GMAT test as part of their admission requirement. The exam consists of four sections — Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA), Integrated Reasoning (IR), Quantitative Aptitude and Verbal Reasoning. Candidates score anywhere between 200 to 800 on the GMAT test. This is an international test conducted in India and costs around US$250.00.
Several Indian business schools accept GMAT scores, ISB being the most prominent one amongst them.
2. GRE
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is a computer-based standardized test. MBA aspirants who are looking to study at business schools abroad can also take the GRE test which is conducted and administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). The syllabus of the GRE test contains verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning and analytical writing sections and registration costs $205. Although the GRE and GMAT seem very similar tests, they serve different purposes. One of the key differences between the GMAT and GRE test is that the former is solely used to apply to an MBA programme or any of its specializations, the GRE, on the contrary, is mostly used as an admissions requirement to technical programmes such as an MSc but is also accepted as part of an MBA programme’s requirements. Hence, it can be safe to say that GREs offer more flexibility to an individual who is not sure of the programme they’d like to enrol in but would like to attend a test and have their scores ready.
Now that we’ve given you a list of MBA entrance examinations in India, you are in a better position to choose and evaluate which test suits your needs and MBA goals.
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