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CAT vs MAT vs XAT: The three most renowned entrance exams for MBA in India are CAT, XAT, and MAT. But, before planning to take any of these MBA entrance exams, you must be aware of the differences between them. A few such differentiating factors are the qualifying percentile, academic background, work experience (if any), and active participation in extracurricular activities that decide your admission to a top-tier B-School. Therefore, in this blog post, you will get insight into the basic differences between CAT, MAT, and XAT tests to decide which is the right choice for you.
Table of Contents
What is the CAT Exam 2024 For?
The Indian Institute of Management is responsible for conducting one of India’s toughest MBA entrance exams, infamously known as CAT. It stands for the Common Admission Test. On average, a total of 1,200 MBA colleges in India accept this test. Let us read the key highlights of the CAT exam 2024 from the table below:
| CAT Exam | Details |
| Conducting Body | IIM |
| Exam Level | National |
| Exam frequency | Once a year |
| Exam mode | CBT |
| Exam duration | 2 hours |
| CAT exam date 2024 | 24th November 2024 (Tentative) |
| CAT Registration Date | 3rd to 15th November 2024 (Tentative) |
| Application Fees | General category – INR 2,400 Reserved category – INR 1200 |
| CAT Eligibility | Graduation with 50% score (45% for SC/ST students). Students in Final-year graduation can also apply for this test |
| CAT Syllabus | Section 1: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) Section 2: Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning Test (DILR) Section 3: Quantitative Ability Test (QA) |
| Exam Pattern | 66 MCQs and non-MCQs |
| No. of Test Cities | 155 |
| Course Offered | MBA/PGDM |
| Exam Helpdesk No. | 1-800-210-1088 (Toll-Free) |
| CAT Official Website | https://iimcat.ac.in |
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XAT Exam 2024 Key Highlights
XAT stands for Xavier Aptitude Test. XLRI Jamshedpur is responsible for conducting the XAT test every year on the first Sunday of January. XAT test ranges from moderate to high difficulty levels. Let us read the key highlights of the XAT exam 2024 from the table below.
| XAT Exam | Details |
| Conducting Body | XLRI, Jamshedpur |
| Exam Level | National |
| Exam frequency | Once a year |
| Exam mode | CBT |
| Exam Duration | 3 hours |
| XAT exam date | 07-Jan-2024 |
| Registration Dates | 15-Jul-2023 to 30-Nov-2023 |
| Eligibility | Graduation in any stream from a recognised university Final-year graduation students can also apply |
| Exam fees | INR 2,100 |
| XAT syllabus | Decision-Making Section Verbal & Logical Ability Section Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation Section General Knowledge Section |
| XAT pattern | 102 questions in MCQ form |
| No. of test cities, | 73 |
| Course offered | MBA/PGDM |
| Exam helpdesk no. | 18002674008 |
| Exam website | https://xatonline.in/ |
Do Check Out Other Blogs on XAT!
All About MAT Exam 2024
The word MAT stands for the Management Aptitude Test. This is the most easy exam. The key feature of the MAT test is that candidates can take a test at their convenience this test is conducted four times a year and provides different modes for giving the test. Let us read the key highlights of the MAT exam 2024 from the table below:
| MAT Exam | Details |
| Conducting Body | All India Management Association (AIMA) |
| Exam Level | National |
| Exam frequency | Multiple times a year |
| Exam mode | CBT, PBT, and IBT |
| Exam duration | 2.5 hours |
| MAT exam schedule | CBTPBTIBT |
| MAT registration dates | 4th week of March for all the three PBT, CBT, IBT |
| Eligibility | Graduation in any stream from a recognized university Final-year graduation students can also apply |
| Exam fees | CBT/PBT- INR 1650 CBT- INR 2750 |
| MAT syllabus | Language Comprehension Section Data Analysis & Sufficiency Section Mathematics (Quantitative Aptitude) Section Intelligence and Critical Reasoning SectionIndian & Global Environment Section |
| MAT pattern | 200 questions in MCQs format |
| No. of test cities | PBT Mode – 27CBT Mode – 26 |
| Course offered | MBA/PGDM |
| Exam helpdesk no. | 011 – 24645100 / 011 – 24617354 / 011 – 43128100 |
| Exam website | https://mat.aima.in/ |
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CAT vs MAT vs XAT – Which is the Right Choice for You?
The right option depends on the strength of the candidate, the specific requirements of the B-schools candidates are interested in, and the format of the test that matches their preferences.
- CAT is often considered the most relevant if a candidate is targeting the top IIMs and other top-notch management institutes.
- For those aiming at XLRI institutes for them, the XAT is the best option.
- Whereas, the MAT examination is regarded as an easy test that is widely accepted by a variety of B-schools.
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| 📑XAT Admit Card | XAT Eligibility Criteria 2024 |
FAQs
No Indian Institute of Management does not accept the MAT Score Card, They only accept CAT scores.
The key difference between the CAT and GMAT is that the GMAT is a global exam and helps candidates to pursue master’s abroad along with Indian B-School whereas the CAT is a national exam and is accepted only by Business schools in India.
There is no limit or maximum attempts for the CAT exam, so candidates are valid to take the exam every year as long as they match the eligibility criteria.
This was all about the “CAT vs XAT vs MAT”. For more such informative blogs, check out our Management Exams Section, or you can learn more about us by visiting our Indian exams page.