MBA Entrance Exams: India And Abroad

MBA aspirants are invariably advised, “The best view comes after the toughest climb” because of the increasingly cut-throat competition they face. To enter senior-level leadership roles in consulting, business and management, it has become nothing less than indispensable to have an extra edge and the MBA degree provides that. With companies preferring candidates who have a sound understanding of business fundamentals and are capable of managing different aspects of the company, the competition for seats at top MBA colleges is only going to get tougher. In order to get into such elite B-schools, aspirants have to appear for one of the popular MBA entrance exams, a few of which are summarised in this blog. 

MBA Entrance Exams & Important Dates

MBA entrance exams are doorways to numerous Business Administration programs offered around the world. With an array of highly ranked institutes offering this program and even more students wishing admission for the same, the entrance exams have become tougher. The overall MBA admission process is wholly or, at least, partially based on scores of such examinations. The exams are structured to test a student’s problem-solving, critical analysis and comprehension abilities amongst others and whether they will be a good fit for the program. Tabulated below are some of the renowned Master of Business Administration exams in India

MBA Entrance Exam	Application Deadline	Exam Date
CAT 2023	Third week of September 2023	November 26, 2023
IIFT 2024	Last week of September 2023	Third week of December 2023
XAT 2023	December 11, 2022	January 8, 2023
TISSNET 2023	May 30, 2023	February 25, 2023
NMAT 2022	November 10, 2022	October 14 – December 27, 2022
SNAP 2022	November 30, 2022	December 18, 2022
IBSAT 2023	December 21, 2022	December 24 – 25, 2022
CMAT 2023	January 15, 2023	February 26, 2023

Note: CAT/XAT is increasingly being recognized by international institutes. Refer to our blogs on MBA colleges through CAT score to know more.

MBA Entrance Exams (Indian)

India is home to some of the leading MBA institutes with world-renowned faculty and a curriculum at par with that of top business schools abroad. One of the common prerequisites is that the candidates should hold a graduate degree with a minimum aggregate score of 50%. Additionally, the stages of admission after the entrance test generally involve group discussions and personal interviews. Listed below are some of the MBA entrance exams conducted for securing admission into top Indian institutes: 

CAT (Common Admission Test)

CAT, one of the most popular examinations in India is conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management. Considered one of the toughest MBA entrance exams, the CAT is a computer-based test that examines an individual’s reasoning, verbal ability, general knowledge, and mathematics. Apart from the 20 IIMs, the CAT score is accepted by a multitude of business schools like MDI Gurgaon, FMS, IMI Delhi, etc.

MAT (Management Aptitude Test)

Conducted by the All India Management Association (AIMA), the scores of the MAT exam are accepted by more than 600 B-Schools across the country. It features generally in the list of national-level MBA entrance exams and aims to test the candidates on the basis of quantitative and critical reasoning, English comprehension, data analysis & sufficiency and the Indian & Global Environment. The exam is held four times a year and it’s up to the candidate to decide. The 150 minutes test has 200 questions and is held in computer-based tests, paper-based tests and internet-based tests. The flexibility of giving the exam online as well as offline mode is what makes this exam all the way more popular.

XAT (Xavier Admission Test)

Conducted by the XLRI Institute, this exam is considered one of the oldest MBA entrance exams in the country. More than 70 universities accept the XAT score for admission to their different MBA programs. It has 99 questions assessing quantitative ability, verbal & logical ability, decision-making, data interpretation, and general knowledge. Any student with a Bachelor’s degree in any discipline is eligible to sit for the exam.

NMAT (Narsee Monjee Management Aptitude Test)

The Mumbai-based Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies conducts the NMAT every year to grant admission to its highly-rated MBA program. Offered by GMAC, the NMAT is one of the popular MBA entrance exams and comprises 120 questions on logical reasoning, language, and quantitative abilities. The university has provided students with the flexibility to attempt the exam online as well as offline mode, whichever they prefer. Certain changes for the year 2020 are, a reduction in the number of questions to 108 with the same duration and all the sections have equal weightage without any negative marking.

SNAP (Symbiosis National Aptitude Test)

SNAP is a national-level entrance examination for management courses which is conducted by Symbiosis International University. The exam is generally used for admissions in all the institutions under Symbiosis International University. However, many other institutions have also started accepting SNAP scores for admissions in their management programs.SNAP is a computer-based test and measures the critical thinking of the students on the basis of general English, quantitative, data interpretation, data sufficiency, analytical and logical reasoning.

MBA Entrance Exams (Abroad)

The two main primary MBA entrance exams in order to study abroad at top universities include: 

GRE

The Graduate Record Examination scores are usually accepted by a number of business schools in the world. It is among the commonly accepted MBA entrance exams and has three sections verbal ability, quantitative ability, and analytical reasoning. A GRE score of 320+ can increase your chances to enter the top 20 colleges. The interesting thing about this exam is this exam happens all throughout the year and it’s up to the candidates to decide when they opt to give the exam. The exam has different centres in major cities from which you may choose. The exam provides two kinds of tests i.e. general test which tests the candidate on verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning and analytical writing skills and the other one is a subject test which focuses on specific courses and measures the candidate’s expertise in specific fields. The exam doesn’t have any eligibility as such, but you need to have a bachelor’s degree as it is a post-graduation program. Further, the eligibility criteria may vary from one university to another.

GMAT

One of the most popular and attempted MBA entrance exams, the GMAT specifically tests suitability with respect to management courses. A high GMAT score of around 700 is considered above par and significantly elevates chances of getting selected to top B-Schools of the world. The exam is in CAT (computer adaptive test) format and assesses the candidate’s analytical writing, quantitative, verbal and reading skills in standard written English. However, scoring well on these papers alone is surely not enough to get admission abroad. The IELTS/TOEFL scores, statement of purpose, letters of recommendation and a host of other materials are also required.

Also Read: GRE vs GMAT

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