MBA Entrance Exams 2022-23: Check all Details – Key Dates, Colleges Accepting, Cutoff
Saurav Anand
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August 18, 2022
One has to appear for the Top MBA entrance exams, if he/she wants admission to the top MBA colleges in India like IIMs, IIFT, FMS, SPJIMR, MDI, XLRI, IITs, NMIMS, TISS, and other Top MBA colleges in India. MBA Entrance Exams can be are of three categories namely, National level MBA entrance exams like CAT, XAT, and NMAT; State level MBA entrance exams like MAH MBA CET, Karnataka PGCET, Tamilnadu TANCET, Telangana TSICET; Institute level MBA entrance exams like IIFT, TISSNET, MICAT, IBSAT for admission to the respective institute.
In India, there is a great demand for MBA Courses these days and with it, the students need to know the importance and key features of the Top MBA Entrance Exams. So, Here in this article, you will get the complete information about the MBA Entrance Exams.
Most Popular MBA Entrance Exams
- Generally, there are around 10 most popular MBA entrance exams in India for MBA course admission, which include CAT, XAT, IIFT, NMAT, SNAP, TISSNET, CMAT, MAT, IBSAT, and GMAT.
- Also, some State Level MBA Entrance Exams like MAH CET, TANCET, PGCET, and KMAT are crucial for getting into MBA colleges in Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
- Apart from IIFT, TISSNET, and IBSAT, other institutes/university-specific MBA Entrance exams are KIITEE Management, MICAT, and UPES MET.
Top 5 MBA Entrance Exams
Here is the list of the top 5 MBA Entrance Exams that deliver admission to top MBA colleges in India:-
- CAT 2022 is the largest and most important MBA entrance exam driving admission in IIMs & other top Business Schools in India with more than 2.30 lakh aspirants competing for it annually.
- XAT 2023 directs to admission in XLRI and other top 140+ B-schools, with about 1 lakh aspirants participating in the exam annually.
- NMAT 2022 GMAC governs admission in NMIMS with more than 80 thousand aspirants competing in for the exam annually.
- IIFT 2022 is an institute-level MBA entrance test governing MBA (IB) 2023-25 batch admission at IIFT Delhi & IIFT Kolkata. More than 60000 aspirants apply for the exam every year.
- SNAP 2022 oversees admission in SIBM Pune & 15 other Symbiosis institutes, with around 80 thousand applicants annually.
MBA Entrance Exams Eligibility criteria
- The basic Common eligibility criteria to come across in any MBA entrance exam in India is that the aspirants must have a work experience after graduation or Fresh graduates must have a minimum of 50% marks for becoming eligible to apply for Top MBA entrance exams.
- XAT comes with the exception as it does not stipulate any minimum percentage of marks in graduation.
- The application process for Top MBA entrance exams 2022 for admission 2023 has started opening gradually.
- So for getting admission to the Top MBA Colleges in India in 2022, you first need to get register yourself and apply for the respective MBA entrance exam.
MBA Entrance Exams Important Dates
The important details of the Top MBA entrance exams which are open or opening soon for admission in 2023 are given below.
| Name of the Exam | Registration Start Date | Last Date to Apply | Exam Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| XAT 2023 | August 10, 2022 | November 30, 2022 | January 8, 2023 |
| IIFT 2023 | September 2, 2022 | October 15, 2022, | December 4, 2022 |
| TISSNET 2023 | November 17, 2022, | January 10, 2023, | January 21, 2023 |
| SNAP 2022 | August 04, 2022, | November 24, 2022, | December 10-18-23, 2022 |
| 4th-week CMAT 2023 | November 15, 2022 | January 15, 2023 | February 26, 2023 |
Levels of MBA Entrance Exams
| Level | Name of Exam |
|---|---|
| National Level | CAT, CMAT, XAT, IIFT, SNAP, NMAT by GMAC, IBSAT |
| State Level | TS ICET, AP ICET, JEMAT, MAH MBA CET |
| University Level | B-MATNIPER, JEE, MBA, CUSAT, CAT |
National MBA Entrance Exams
MBA Exam dates and schedule with top MBA Colleges in India accepting exam and MBA Entrance Exam Calendar is shared below.
| Name of the Exam | Exam Date | Top MBA colleges accepting Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Common Admission Test (CAT) 2022 | November 27, 2022 | IIMs, FMS Delhi, SPJIMR, MDI, IITs, IMI, IMT |
| Xavier Aptitude Test - XAT 2023 | January 8, 2023 | XLRI, XIMB, IMI, IMT, TAPMI, Great Lakes |
| NMAT by GMAC 2022 | October 10 to December 19, 2022 | NMIMS, K J Somaiya, XUB, VIT Vellore, SD Bacconi Asia Centre |
| SNAP 2022 | December 18, 2022 | SIBM Pune, SCMHRD, SIOM & 12 Other Symbiosis colleges |
| CMAT 2023 | February 26, 2023 | GIM Goa, BIMTECH, K J Somaiya, IFMR, Welingkar, Jaipuria, N L Dalmia |
| MAT 2022 (September) | PBT- September 4, 2022IBT- Aug 28 to Sept 17, 2022CBT- September 18, 2022 | JAGSoM, IPE Hyderabad, Jaipuria, BIMTECH (Specialized PGDM), JIMS, NDIM |
| ATMA 2022 (July) | July 24, 2022 (Over) | Welingkar, CIMR, SOIL, IMS |
| GMAT 2022 | Available Round the year | SPJIMR, IMI, IMT, XIMB, TAPMI, FORE, LBSIM, GIM Goa |
State MBA Entrance Exams
- The state-level MBA entrance exams are administered by the specific state CET cell like CET Cell of DTE Maharashtra; Karnataka KEA as well as private MBA entrance exam conducting bodies like KMAT Karnataka.
- The MBA colleges accepting these entrance exam scores include University B-schools and private PGDM colleges.
- The MBA Entrance exams for admission 2022 announcement for some of these state-level exams have been released while for others it will be released soon.
| Name of the Exam | Dates of the Exam | Top MBA College Accepting Exam Score |
|---|---|---|
| MAH CET 2022 | August 23, 24 & 25, 2022 | JBIMS, SIMSREE, PUMBA, N L Dalmiya, SIES, CIMR |
| Karnataka PGCET 2022 | Not yet announced | IBA, AIMS, Alliance, ABBS, Kristu Jayanti |
| TANCET 2023 for admission 2023 | 2nd week of May 2022 | Anna University, Tamilnadu, Madras University, SRM University, SSN School of Management Chennai, Hallmark Business School Trichy, St Josephs School of Management, Trichy, PSGIM Coimbatore |
| TS ICET 2022 | July 27 & 28, 2022 | Kakatiya University (KU); Osmania University (OU); Telangana University (TU);Satavahana University (SU) |
| KMAT 2022 | To be Announced | IBA, AIMS, Alliance, ABBS, Kristu Jayanti |
Institute Level MBA Entrance Exam:-
- The institute-level MBA entrance exams are supervised by the specific management colleges that may or may not accept scores of other entrance exams.
- Most of these exams will be conducted in 2022 and some in 2023.
| Name of the Exam | Exam Dates | Top MBA Institute Accepting Exam score |
|---|---|---|
| IIFT MBA (IB) 2023 Entrance Exam | December 4, 202, | Indian Institute of Foreign Trade-Delhi, Kolkata, Kakinada |
| TISSNET 2023 | January 21, 2023 | Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS) all campuses |
| IBSAT 2022 | December 24 & 25, 2022 | 9 ICFAI B-Schools |
| MICAT 2022 & 2023 | December 10, 2022 ,& January 28, 2023 | MICA Ahmedabad |
| KIITEE Management 2023 | January 2023, 33rd-week | KIIT School of Management (KSOM) Bhubaneswar |
| IRMASAT 2023 | Will Not be Conducted | IRMA Anand |
MBA Entrance Exams Application Fees:-
| Name of the Exam | Application Fee (General category) | Application Fee (Reserved category) |
|---|---|---|
| CAT | Rs.2300/- | Rs.1150/- |
| XAT | Rs.2000/- | Rs.2000/- |
| IIFT | Rs.2500/- | Rs.1000/- |
| NMAT by GMAC | Rs.2800/- | Rs.2800/- |
| SNAP | Rs.1800/- | Rs.1800/- |
| CMAT | Rs.2000/- | Rs. 1000/- |
| MAH CET | Rs.1000/- | Rs. 800/- |
| MAT | Rs.1850/- | Rs.1850/- |
| IBSAT | Rs.1800/- | Rs.1800/- |
| TISSNET | Rs.1030/- | Rs. 500/- |
| MICAT | Rs.2100/- | Rs. 2100/- |
| KIITEE Management | Rs.1250/- | Rs.1250/- |
Before going to opt for all the above MBA entrance exams, one should notice that the cost of MBA entrance exam registration is around Rs.18,000/- and avoid such a high MBA entrance exam registration fee, you may choose the preferred MBA entrance exams the scores of which are accepted by more top MBA colleges in India. For example, CAT, XAT, CMAT, NMAT, and MAT are the vaster national level MBA entrance exams and cover more than 1000 MBA colleges accepting their exam score. This way you could lessen the burden of the MBA entrance exam cost.
MBA Entrance Exams Syllabus
- There are a few common topics among all the MBA Entrance Exams Syllabus like Verbal Ability, Reading Comprehension, Reasoning, and Quantitative Aptitude.
- While Other sections and topics in MBA Entrance Exams Syllabus may vary as XAT has a key section on Decision Making; IIFT, and CMAT award good weightage to their GK section while CAT and NMAT do not have a GK section.
- According to the professionals, one should first survey the MBA Entrance Exams Syllabus and then start the MBA Entrance Exams Preparation to avoid the wastage of time and confusion.
- For example, if one wants to have similar MBA entrance exams preparation for top exams, you can opt for a combination of CAT, NMAT, and XAT or a combination of IIFT, SNAP, and CMAT and the like.
People Also Ask -
1. How to Apply for MBA Entrance Exam 2022?
Answer. Most of the top MBA entrance exams such as CAT, XAT, SNAP, and CMAT take place in December and January. The CAT exam date has been announced. You can check the rest of the details above.
2. What is the best Entrance Exam for MBA?
Answer. Most Popular MBA Entrance Exams in India for Admission
- CAT.
- CMAT.
- MAT.
- XAT.
- NMAT.
- SNAP.
- ATMA.
- GMAT.
3. Which form should I fill out for my MBA?
Answer. For every MBA aspirant, Common Admission Test (CAT) is the goal. However, apart from CAT some of the other management entrance examinations which the candidate should give are XAT, IIFT, MAT, CMAT, SNAP, ATMA, TS ICET, AP ICET etcetera.
4. Which entrance exam for MBA is easy?
Answer. In India, based on MBA aspirants' feedback, CMAT is the easiest MBA entrance examination. The Common Management Admission Test or CMAT is a national-level entrance examination conducted by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).
5. Is Cat compulsory for MBA?
Answer. No, CAT or CMAT exam is not compulsory for MBA. There are a host of other MBA entrance exams similar/equivalent to CAT like XAT. Several institutes have their own entrance exams like NMAT for NMIMS, TISS, SNAP for Symbiosis, IIFT, CET for Maharashtra institutes, MICA, etc.
6. Can I get admission to an MBA without an entrance exam?
Answer. Do you know that Direct MBA Admission without Entrance Exam is available in many MBA colleges in India? AICTE has also directed the PGDM/MBA colleges to offer direct admission in 2022 on the basis of academic scores, to such institutes where MBA entrance tests could not be conducted due to the pandemic.
7. What is the Difference Between CAT and XAT Entrance Exam?
Answer. Difference Between CAT and XAT Entrance Exams: Comparative Analysis
| Component | IIMs CAT | XLRI - XAT |
|---|---|---|
| Exam Date | November 27, 2022 | January 8, 2023 |
| When to Apply | August 1st week to September Last week | August 3rd week to December 2nd week |
| Exam Conducted by | Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) | Xavier School of Management (XLRI) Jamshedpur |
| Testing Mode | Computer Based Test | Computer Based Test |
| Total Questions | 66 (Since 2021, Earlier 100) | 101 (Since 2022, earlier 100) |
| Overall Time Limit to Attempt the Exam | 2 hours (Since 2020, Earlier 3 hours) | 3 hours & 10 Minutes (Since 2022, earlier 3 hours) |
| Type of Questions | 48-50 questions are MCQs, the rest Non-MCQs | 100 MCQs + 1 subjective on Essay Writing |
| Answer Options for MCQs | 4 | 5 |
| Marks Awarded for each Correct Answer | 3 | 1 for MCQs 3 for Essay Writing |
| Negative Marking | MCQs with 1/3 negative marking; No negative marking for Non-MCQs | 75 MCQs with 1/4 negative marking; No negative marking for 25 MCQs on GK and Essay writing test |
| CAT Vs XAT Difficulty | Moderately Difficult | The difficulty level is higher |
| Difference Between CAT And XAT Syllabus: Total Sections | 3 | 3 (Main sections) 2 (GK & Essay Test score not counted for percentile calculation) |
| Difference Between CAT And XAT Syllabus: Section-1 | Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension- 24 questions | English Language & Logical Reasoning- 26 questions |
| Difference Between CAT And XAT Syllabus: Section-2 | Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning -20 questions | Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation- 28 questions |
| Difference Between CAT And XAT Syllabus: Section-3 | Quantitative Ability-22 questions | Decision Making-21 questions |
| Difference Between CAT And XAT Syllabus: Section-4 | Not Applicable, only 3 Sections | General Awareness-25 questions essay Writing (Subjective)- 1 question |
| Facility to Choose Order of Sections | No, has to follow pre-defined sectional order | Yes, Any question from any section within the overall time limit |
| Individual Sectional Time Limit | Each section with 40 Minute time limit | No Restriction |
| Top MBA Colleges Accepting Exam Score | 20 IIMs, FMS, MDI, SPJIMR, IMI, IMT, IITs, TAPMI, XIMB, and hundreds of other B-schools. | XLRI, SPJIMR, IMT, TAPMI, XIMB, and 145 other MBA colleges |
8. Is MBA hard to study?
Answer. In short, an MBA is as difficult as you make it, and is as rewarding as you invest in it. In the business world, there is rarely any hand-holding. You either develop into a competent business expert or are surpassed by the competition.
9. Is it compulsory to write the Entrance Exam for MBA?
Answer. Not just that students with dollar dreams are taking exams for MBA abroad. But to pursue an MBA, one has to write an Entrance Exam. Especially to get a seat in IIMs and some top b-Schools which can give high boosting points to your career MBA Entrance Exams like CAT, GMAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, ATMA, NMAT are mandatory.
Frequently Asked Questions:-
Q1. Which is the top MBA entrance exam in India?
Ans. Common Admission Test or CAT by IIM is considered the top MBA entrance exam in India. CAT 2022 will be held on November 27 and the registration process will begin on August 3, 2022.
Q2. Which is the easiest MBA entrance exam?
Ans. The difficulty level of CMAT and MAT exams is usually lower than other MBA entrance exams. However, the candidates must not take any exams lightly.
Q3. What is the syllabus of an MBA entrance exam?
Ans. MBA entrance exam syllabus consists of topics from Quantitative Aptitude, Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning, English Comprehension, and General Awareness.
Q4. How many times is MAT conducted in a year?
Ans. MAT exam is conducted four times a year – February, May, September, and December. The candidates can take the exam in the month they are best prepared to appear for it. Due to COVID-19, MAT is being conducted in IBT mode as well.
Q5. How many attempts are allowed in NMAT?
Ans. In NMAT, three attempts are allowed to each candidate within the 75-day test window. Performance in the last attempt is accepted for admission by NMAT participating colleges.
Q6. Is NMAT the same as GMAT?
Ans. Both NMAT and GMAT are conducted by the same agency – GMAC. Both are adaptive tests and their scoring pattern is similar but there are several differences between NMAT and GMAT.
Q7. Should I take CAT or GMAT?
Ans. GMAT scores are accepted by foreign universities but CAT score is not, thus if a candidate is planning to study management abroad, then they must take the GMAT. But if the candidate is targeting the IIMs for full-time MBA, they must take CAT.
Q8. Which are the state-level top MBA entrance exams?
Ans. Some of the top state-level MBA entrance exams are MAH CET for Maharashtra, TSICET for Telangana, TANCET for Tamil Nadu, APICET for Andhra Pradesh, KMAT for Karnataka, KMAT Kerala for Kerala, DAVVCET for Madhya Pradesh, UPSEE for Uttar Pradesh, HPU MAT for Himachal Pradesh, and OJEE for Odisha.
Q9. How many colleges accept XAT exam scores?
Ans. Over 700 MBA colleges accept XAT exam scores for admission apart from XLRI Jamshedpur, which includes the Faculty of Management Studies (FMS), SP Jain Institute of Management Research (SPJIMR), Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Xavier Institute of Management & Entrepreneurship (XIME), International Management Institute (IMI), etc.
Q10. Which top MBA colleges apart from IIMs accept CAT?
Ans. CAT is accepted by all top MBA colleges in India including FMS, SPJIMR, MDI, IMT, XIME, IMI, IITs (Department of Management), BIMTECH, Fore School of Management, Great Lakes Institute of Management, Goa Institute of Management, etc.