MBA is one of the most sought after degrees in the present corporate world. The admission process for most of the institutes is similar. While some institutes conduct their own admission tests.
IIMs conduct the CAT exam and the CAT scores are widely accepted in most of the top MBA colleges. There are several other moderate level MBA entrance exams like XAT exam, NMAT exam, MAT exam and CMAT exam.
Get more details regarding the top MBA entrance exams for 2025, their exam pattern and colleges that accept them.
Why is an Entrance Exam for MBA Important?
MBA entrance exam is a prerequisite for admission to various management schools. Every year numerous candidates appear for different management entrance exams to pursue their dream of getting a post graduate degree in management. Therefore, it is important for all the MBA applicants to be prepared for the different entrance exams that they need to apply for the MBA admissions. A comparison of the different sections of all the important management exams has been given below:
Top 10 MBA Entrance Exams in India
Across the nation there are several entrance exams required for MBA admissions. An MBA entrance exam list has been given below:
CAT
It is the most popular management entrance exam in India. It is conducted every year and serves as the gateway to IIMs. Every year around 2.5 lakh candidates appear for this exam.
XAT
It is the second most sought after exam and is conducted by XLRI- Xavier School of Management for the graduate programmes. It is generally conducted in the month of January every year. Two sections which are different in this exam as compared to CAT are decision making and essay writing. XAT scores are also accepted by S P Jain, GIM, Department of Management Studies, IIT – Madras, Loyola Institute of Management, Great Lakes Institute of Management – Madras, Institute of Public Enterprise – Hyderabad.
MAT
It is conducted by AIMA for admission to MBA. It is conducted generally 4 times a year in the months of February, May, September and December. The top institutes that accept the MAT scores are Christ University, Galgotias Business School, NIILM Centre of Management Studies, MITCON Institute of Management, Alliance Business Academy, Jagan Institute of Management Studies, and ITM (Navi Mumbai).
SNAP
Symbiosis National Aptitude is conducted by the Symbiosis International University for admission into their graduate programmes. It has an additional section for General Awareness and has no sectional time limit. It is conducted in the month of December.
GMAT
There are around 2300 graduate business schools worldwide that accept the Graduate Management Admission Test scores. The candidates are assessed on their analytical writing, integrated reasoning, quantitative reasoning and verbal reasoning skills. Through GMAT the applicants can get admission into the management programmes both nationally and internationally.
NMAT
Narsee Monjee Aptitude Test is usually conducted during the month of October-November every year. A candidate is allowed to take 3 attempts in a year, including the no shows. It is a prerequisite for NMIMS – Bangalore, Hyderabad and Mumbai Campus, ICFAI, Alliance University, ARM University, and BIT University.
CMAT
The Common Management Admission Test is approved by AICTE and is a national level test conducted to get admission to management programmes in India. It is held in the month of April. Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management, Great Lakes Institute of Management, Welingkar Institute of Management, Goa Institute of Management, Birla Institute of Technology – Mesra, K J Somaiya Institute of Management, Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship, Bangalore, etc., are some of the institutes accepting CMAT scores.
IIFT
It is the test conducted by the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade for admission in the MBA programme for their Delhi, Kakinada and Kolkata campuses. It is generally conducted in the month of December. This test, just like CAT, has no age limit for the candidates who want to take the test.
TISSNET
The Tata Institute of Social Sciences conducts this computer based test to select the candidates for its full time PG degree programmes. This test consists of three sections namely: English Proficiency, Mathematical & Logical Reasoning, and General Awareness.
MH-CET
It is a computer based test for admission to a two year full time PG degree courses in MBA/MMS and PGDM/PGDBM in government, university departments, University managed and unaided institutes in the state of Maharashtra. It is conducted in the month of March for two days. The scores are accepted by some of the best-ranked B-Schools like Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, K J Somaiya Institute of Management Studies and Research, N L Dalmia Institute of Management Studies and Research, Indira Institute of Management, PUMBA, and other MBA colleges in Maharashtra.
Top MBA Colleges Participating in Major MBA Entrance Exams
A list of the colleges participating in the major MBA entrance exams has been given below:
Entrance Exams Across India
The MBA entrance exam dates have been given below:
National Level MBA Entrance Exam List with Details
National Level MBA entrance exams help the students get admitted to top b-schools across the country. The following table lists the MBA entrance exam names based
State Level MBA Entrance Exam List with Details
A number of Indian states have their own management admission exams, for which applicants from other states can also apply. The university administering the exam determines the syllabus and structure of the exam.
MBA entrance exams play a crucial role in shaping your management career by opening doors to top B-schools across India. Understanding the exam patterns, eligibility criteria, and application timelines can give applicants a competitive edge. With the right approach and timely preparation, cracking an MBA entrance exam in 2025 can be their first step toward a rewarding professional journey in management.
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