Top MBA Entrance Exams 2024: After graduation, choosing an MBA is like stepping into a powerful accelerator for your career. It's a roadmap that guides you towards leadership skills, strategic thinking, and a deep understanding of how businesses work. In India, every aspirant wishes to pursue Masters of Business Administration programmes from top B-schools including IIMs, XLRI Jamshedpur and MDI, etc. In this article, we bring you the important information related to the MBA exam dates, eligibility and exam pattern of the MBA entrance exams in India 2024.
Prior to preparing for any MBA entrance test, candidates should ensure they are well-informed about the important dates related to the entrance exams. The top MBA exam in India is Common Admission Test (CAT). The CAT scores are accepted by 20 IIMs and many more. The eligibility criteria to apply for the CAT exam is graduation with a minimum of 50% aggregate marks (45% for SC/ST/PwD) candidates. Other top national-level MBA exams in India accepted by top management institutes of India are SNAP, NMAT, CMAT, XAT, and GMAT.
MBA Entrance Exams 2024
Candidates can check the list of the top MBA entrance exams in India 2024 along with their conducting bodies based on the number of students who appear for the exam:
MBA Entrance Exam Names
|
Conducting Body
|
CAT
|
Indian Institute of Management
|
CMAT
|
National Testing Agency
|
XAT
|
XLRI Jamshedpur
|
MAT
|
The All India Management Association (AIMA)
|
SNAP
|
Symbiosis International
|
MAH MBA CET
|
The Maharashtra State CET cell
|
TS ICET
|
Kakatiya University, Warangal
|
APICET
|
Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Ananthapuramu
|
KMAT
|
Karnataka Post Graduate Private Colleges' Association (KPPGCA)
|
TANCET
|
Anna University
|
NMAT
|
Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC)
|
IIFT
|
National Testing Agency
|
GMAT
|
Graduate Management Admission Council
|
IBSAT
|
The ICFAI Foundation For Higher Education
|
ATMA
|
The Association of Indian Management Schools
|
MBA Entrance Exams Dates 2024
The top national-level MBA exams in India are CAT, SNAP, XAT, CMAT, MAT, ATMA, etc. Candidates can check the list in the table given below:
National Level MBA Entrance Exams
|
MBA Exam Dates
|
CAT
|
November 24, 2024
|
CMAT
|
May 15, 2024
|
MAT
|
August 14 to August 25, 2024
|
ATMA
|
June 23 2024
|
IPMAT
|
May 23, 2024
|
XAT
|
January 5, 2025
|
SNAP
|
December 8, 15, and 21, 2024
|
Additionally, there are some top state-level MBA entrance exams including MAH CET, TS ICET, AP ICET, KMAT, etc. Check the table below:
State Level MBA Entrance Exam 2024
|
Exam Dates
|
MAH MBA CET
|
March 9 to 10, 2024 (Tentative)
|
TS ICET
|
June 5 and June 6, 2024
|
AP ICET
|
May 6 and May 7, 2024
|
KMAT Kerala
|
June 30, 2024
|
KMAT Karnataka
|
November 16, 2024
|
TANCET
|
March 9, 2024
|
Apart from national and state-level MBA entrance exams, there are some university-level MBA entrance exams in which MBA aspirants can consider pursuing MBA in various specialisations.
University-level MBA Entrance Exam
|
Entrance Exam Dates
|
XAT
|
January 5, 2025
|
SNAP
|
December 8, 15, and 21, 2024
|
IIFT Exam
|
To be announced
|
NMAT
|
November 5 to December 20, 2024
|
TISSNET
|
To be announced
|
IBSAT
|
December 28 to 29, 2024
|
Candidates are required to make the payment of the prescribed amount of admission application fee at the time of the form filling for MBA entrance exams 2024. They must note that the registration fees are subject to change, it is advisable to stay updated with the latest updates. As per the past year's trends, aspirants can check the category-wise exam fees for top MBA entrance exams in India.
MBA Entrance Exam Names
|
MBA Application Fees (For General Category)
|
MBA Application Fees Details (For Reserved Category)
|
CAT
|
INR 2,300
|
INR 1,150
|
CMAT
|
INR 2,000
|
INR 1,000
|
XAT
|
INR 2,100
|
-
|
MAT
|
INR 2,100
|
INR 2,100
|
SNAP
|
INR 2,250
|
-
|
MAH MBA CET
|
INR 1,000
|
INR 800
|
NMAT by GMAC
|
INR 2,800
|
-
|
GMAT
|
Nearly INR 22,000 (Indian students)
|
-
|
ATMA
|
INR 2,000
|
-
|
Top MBA Exam Eligibility Criteria 2024: Detailed Overview
To get admission into prestigious institutions such as IIMs, XLRI Jamshedpur, and MDI, students must appear for all MBA entrance exams like CAT, MAT, CMAT. Candidates can refer to a comprehensive list of entrance exams after their graduation, offering detailed insights and information crucial for securing admission into various prominent MBA colleges across the country.
CAT 2024
Common Entrance Test or CAT, is a national-level entrance exam and is considered to be the most preferred entrance exam for admission into various MBA and PGDM courses in IIMs, IITs, etc. The CAT scores are accepted by 20 IIMs and over 1200 other management institutes across the country. Every year, more than two lakh candidates appear for the MBA entrance exam.
- Candidates must have a Bachelor’s degree, with a minimum of 50% marks or equivalent CGPA (45% marks in case of (SC/ST and PwD) category candidates.
- The CAT entrance exam is conducted for the duration of 120 minutes. It is divided into three sections i.e. Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Ability.
CAT Entrance Exam: Highlights
Candidates who are interested in applying for the CAT exam can check the overview of the Common Admission Test (CAT) in the table below:
Particulars
|
Details
|
No. of Questions
|
66 in 2022
|
Sections in Exam
|
3 (VARC, DILR and QA)
|
Exam Duration
|
2 hours (2 hour and 30 min for PwD Category)
|
Section Wise Time Duration
|
40 minutes
|
CAT Exam Slots
|
3
|
Mode of Exam
|
Computer-based Exam (CBE)
|
Medium of Instruction
|
English
|
Types of Questions
|
MCQ and Type in Type Answer
|
CAT Marking Scheme
|
+3 for every right answer
-1 for every wrong answer
TITA has no negative marking
|
CMAT 2024
Common Management Admission Test or CMAT, is a national-level entrance examination conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission to management programmes in the country. The CMAT scores are accepted by more than 1,000 MBA colleges across India. The entrance exam is held between January and March.
- Candidates must be a citizen of India and have completed his/her bachelor's degree from any recognised university to be considered eligible for the CMAT exam.
- The exam is conducted in a Computer-based Test (CBT) mode with a duration of three hours. The CMAT exam includes questions from various sections i.e. Quantitative Technique and Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning, Language Comprehension, General Awareness and Innovation & Entrepreneurship.
CMAT 2024 Exam: Highlights
Aspiring candidates wishing to take admission to the MBA courses can check the highlights of the CMAT exam in the table given below:
Particulars
|
Details
|
Exam Name
|
Common Management Admission Test (CMAT)
|
Conducting Body
|
National Testing Agency (NTA)
|
Frequency of the Exam
|
Annually
|
Mode of Exam
|
Online
|
Exam Medium
|
English Only
|
Total Questions
|
100
|
Number of Sections
|
- Language Comprehension
- Quant & DI
- Logical Reasoning
- General Knowledge
- Innovation & Entrepreneurship
|
Question Type
|
Objective
|
Total Marks
|
400
|
Duration of Exam
|
3 hours (180 minutes)
|
XAT 2024
Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur conducts Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) every year for admission into MBA/ PGDM programs. This MBA entrance exam is conducted in online CBT mode and the XAT scores are accepted in over 160 elite B-schools across India for admission. The eligibility criteria for XAT exam is a three-year bachelor degree or its equivalent from any recognised university.
XAT Exam Pattern 2024
Candidates can check the XAT exam pattern from the table given below.
XAT 2024 Particulars
|
Exam Structure Details
|
Sections
|
3 sections :
Section 1
- Verbal and Logical Ability
- Data Interpretation and Quantitative Ability
Section 2
- Mock Keyboard Testing
Section 3
- General Awareness
- Essay Writing
|
Exam Mode
|
Computer-Based Test (CBT)
|
Exam Duration
|
3 hours 30 minutes
|
Number of Questions
|
100 - 105
|
Marking Scheme
|
- 1 Mark for Correct Answer
- 0.25 negative marking for Incorrect Answer
- After 8 unattempted answers, - 0.10 mark for each unanswered question
|
NMAT 2024
Narsee Monjee Aptitude Test or NMAT exam is conducted by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) for admission into MBA courses at NMIMS and other top B-schools. Earlier, the exam was conducted by NMIMS itself. Candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognised university or institute to be eligible for NMAT.
NMAT Exam Pattern: Highlights
Candidates can check the NMAT exam pattern in the table mentioned below:
Particulars
|
Details
|
Examination Mode
|
Online
|
Duration
|
2 hours
|
Total Number of Sections
|
- Quantitative Skills
- Language Skills
- Logical Reasoning
|
Question Type
|
Objective (MCQs)
|
Total Number of Questions
|
108 questions
|
Maximum Marks
|
360 marks
|
Marks Per Question
|
+1 for every correct answer
|
Medium
|
English
|
Negative Marking
|
No
|
SNAP 2024
Symbiosis National Aptitude Test or SNAP is conducted by the Symbiosis International (Deemed University). Candidates who will appear for SNAP entrance exam can get admission into 16 Symbiosis institutes offering MBA and PGDM courses.
- Candidates must be a graduate from a recognised university or institution with 50% marks and 45% of aggregate marks for reserved category (SC/ST and PwD candidates).
- Aspirants who are in the final year of their graduation can also apply for the SNAP entrance exam.
SNAP Exam: Highlights
Candidates interested in applying for the SNAP entrance exam can check the highlights in the table given below:
Particulars
|
Details
|
Mode of examination
|
Computer-based (Online)
|
Marks per questions
|
1 mark
|
Negative Marking
|
-0.25 marks
|
Duration of exam
|
1 Hour
|
Number of questions
|
60 questions
|
Total marks
|
60 marks
|
Number of sections
|
- General English
- Analytical & Logical Reasoning
- Quantitative-Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency
|
Language of paper
|
English
|
Number of attempts
|
Three
|
ATMA 2024
AIMS Test for Management Admissions or ATMA is organised by the Association of Indian Management Schools (AIMS) for candidates to get admission to various management courses such as MBA, PGDM, etc. Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree with at least 50% marks to apply for the ATMA exam.
ATMA Exam: Highlights
Candidates can look at the following details for an overview of the ATMA exam.
Exam Particulars
|
Details
|
Exam Name
|
AIMS Test for Management Admissions (ATMA)
|
Exam Conducting Body
|
Association of Indian Management Schools (AIMS)
|
Exam Mode
|
Computer-Based Test at Exam Centre
|
Duration of Exam
|
3 hours
|
Exam Timings
|
2 pm - 5 pm
|
Exam Application Fee
|
- Unreserved Category: INR 2000
- Female Candidates: INR 1500
- North-Eastern Candidates: INR 1000
|
Courses that accept ATMA scores
|
MBA, PGDM, PGDBA, MCA
|
Syllabus
|
- Verbal Skills
- Quantitative Skills
- Analytical Reasoning Skills
|
ATMA Exam Dates 2023
|
- 25 February 2023
- 28 May 2023
- 23 July 2023
|
GMAT 2024
Graduate Management Admission Test or GMAT exam is conducted by Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) for admission to various MBA, PGDM programmes in top B-schools globally. Candidates must be a graduate and no minimum or maximum grade point average is required to register for the GMAT entrance test.
GMAT Exam 2024 Highlights
MBA aspirants can check the overview of the GMAT exam in the table below:
Particulars
|
Details
|
Exam name
|
Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT)
|
Exam Level
|
International Level Exam
|
Conducting Body
|
Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC)
|
Language
|
English
|
GMAT 2024 Exam mode
|
Online
|
GMAT Current version test duration
|
3 hours and 7 min
|
GMAT 2024 Focus Edition test duration
|
2 hours 15 min
|