Which entrance exams are required for an MBA in India?

Question

Nitin Chauhan · Accepted Answer

The most common entrance exam for MBA in India is the CAT (Common Admission Test). It is widely known by all top institutions, and most other universities will also accept you if you have a good CAT score. However, CAT is not the only route to getting your MBA, XAT (Xavier Aptitude Test) for example is another test to get into other premier institutes under the Xavier name and others who recognize it. Other exams include NMAT, SNAP, and MAT, and are accepted by various schools across the country. Each of these exams has its own purpose and focus in different areas. However, they just generally assess your skills in verbal ability, quantitative aptitude, data interpretation, and logical reasoning
Now, depending on where you are applying, you might also come across state-level exams like MAH CET (for Maharashtra) or TANCET (for Tamil Nadu), which are specific to certain regions. These exams could open doors to more local options if you&rsquo;re considering staying in a particular state.
The intensity of preparation is something you should keep in mind&hellip; While CAT is known to be more competitive and tougher, others like MAT or CMAT are considered a bit less demanding. So, if you feel like balancing your options or diversifying your applications, you can sit for multiple exams and see where you stand.
No matter which one you choose, aim for a solid score because, in most cases, that score could be your ticket to the interview stage&hellip; and that&rsquo;s where you&rsquo;ll really need to stand out.

A.D Singh · Answer

The most prominent entrance exam in India is the Common Admission Test (CAT), which is mandatory for the highly esteemed Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and many other top-ranking business schools. CAT primarily emphasizes domains such as quantitative aptitude, verbal ability, reading comprehension, data interpretation, and logical reasoning.
Besides CAT, some other entrance exams you might look for, depending on your choice of institutes are:

XAT (Xavier Aptitude Test): More specifically toward entry into XLRI or other premier B-schools. Other than the standard test sections like verbal, logical reasoning, and quantitative aptitude, this too has sections related to decision-making, general knowledge, and essays.

These include some of the topmost institutes in India, such as ISB Hyderabad and a few IIMs, where scores from GMAT are accepted for MBA or executive MBA, especially for international students or those who have work experience.
The Management Aptitude Test, or MAT, is conducted by AIMA. MAT is accepted in most tier-2 and tier-3 MBA colleges.
CMAT stands for Common Management Admission Test. Accepted by many government and private institutes all over India, it is an exam managed by the National Testing Agency (NTA).

SNAP: Admission test for MBA programs of Symbiosis International University.
NMAT: NMIMS as well as other institutes accept the scores for their management programs.
IIFT-Indian Institute of Foreign Trade Exam: This is directed for those students who are interested in pursuing the IIFT MBA in International Business.

The format and levels of difficulty of exams differ so you have to pick the right one which is best applying for the most favored colleges.