Top MBA entrance exams in India & important dates

The demand for MBA qualified candidates in job market is always high. This is why, over the years, a Master's Degree or Postgraduate Diploma in Management has become a preferred choice for fresh graduates, as well as, experience professionals.


Graduates from any discipline can enroll for MBA course.

The MBA course duration is of two years and the students can choose from a number of specialization options available. India has an abundance of top rated academic institutions that offer specialized MBA degree.

Here are popular nomenclatures of various management courses
MBA (Master of Business Administration)
MBM (Master of Business Management)
MMS (Master of Management Studies)
PGDM (Postgraduate Diploma in Management)

Most of the management entrance exams are aptitude based and aims to judge if the candidate has what it takes to study management and become a good manager. Most of the management institutes/colleges/universities conduct the entrance exam in a computer-based-test (CBT) mode, followed by group discussion and personal interview.

But before you apply for an MBA entrance exam, you should have clarity as to from where you want to pursue your degree and in which specialization. There are many MBA entrance exams conducted every year by various institutions. Here are some of the top MBA entrance exams:

Common Admission Test (CAT): This is one of the most prestigious management entrance test which is primarily conducted for admission to different campuses of Indian Institute of Management (IIM). The CAT score is also used by various top business schools and colleges to shortlist candidates for MBA admission.

Management Aptitude Test (MAT): This entrance exam is conducted by All India Management Association, New Delhi. The MAT test scores is used for admission to Master of Business Administration and allied programmes by over 600 business schools across India.

AIMS Test for Management Admissions (ATMA): This is a national level entrance exam conducted by Association of Indian Management Schools headquartered at Hyderabad. The ATMA test scores are also for admission to management courses offered by universities and colleges across the country.

Maharashtra MBA Common Entrance Test (MAH-MBA/MMS CET): Maharashtra Common Entrance Test is conducted by the government's Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) for admission to MBA or MMS courses offered by universities and colleges across the state.

Common Management Admission Test (CMAT): This is a national-level aptitude test conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission in all management programmes approved by AICTE.

There are also institutes who conduct their own management entrance tests. Some of these may even accept CAT or other management test scores. check out the list here:

• Indian Institute of Foreign Trade MBA (International Business)
• Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT)
• Symbiosis National Aptitude (SNAP) Test
• NMAT by Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC)
• TISS-NET for courses at Tata Institute of Social Sciences
• MICAT for courses at Mudra Institute of Communication, Ahmedabad
• IRMASAT for admission to Institute of Rural Management, Anand

MBA Entrance Exams Important Dates

Entrance Exam	Upcoming exam date
Common Admission Test (CAT)	November 29, 2020
Management Aptitude Test (MAT)	PBT: May 16, 2020 CBT: May 3, 2020
AIMS Test for Management Admissions (ATMA)	May 24, 2020
Maharashtra MBA Common Entrance Test	March 2021
Common Management Admission Test (CMAT)	January 2021
Xavier Aptitude Test	January 2021
Symbiosis National Aptitude (SNAP) Test	December 13, 2020
NMAT by Graduate Management Admission Council	Oct 4 to Dec 17, 2020
TISS-NET	January 10, 2021
MICAT	December 5, 2020 January 23, 2021
IRMASAT	February 2021