MBA admission to some of India’s finest institutions is based on CAT, MAT, XAT, NMAT, and other management entrance examinations scores. Here you will find information about application deadlines, eligibility, fees, and exam dates for the major MBA entrance examinations.
NEW DELHI: In today’s environment, having a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree is almost a requirement for graduates. An MBA degree provides you with a competitive advantage in terms of money, skills, corporate management positions, professional network, and much more.
Every year, thousands of management hopefuls sit for top MBA entrance examinations to get admission to IIMs, XLRI, FMS, MDI, IBS, JBIMS, IIFT, SPJIMR, NMIMS, IITs, and other institutions. For MBA admissions in 2021-22, registration for CAT, MAT, IBSAT, NMAT, and other exams has started, and here are the details on their eligibility, application procedure, cost, exam dates, and more.
Previously, MBA admissions were granted only on the basis of merit. The MBA admission requirements have altered as a result of the increased number of persons interested in obtaining an MBA and the restricted number of seats available at B-schools. MBA admissions are now decided on the basis of performance on management entrance tests and personal interviews (PI)
MBA Admission 2021: Key details of entrance exams
This year, most MBA admission examinations will be administered as internet-based tests (IBT) because to the COVID-19 epidemic. Here are some essential information about some of the major MBA admission exams that applicants may find useful.
| Entrance exam | Conducting body | Official website | Last date to apply | Exam date |
| CAT 2021 | Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad | iimcat.ac.in | September 15, 2021 | November 28, 2021 |
| MAT 2021 | All India Management Association (AIMA) | mat.aima.in | CBT Phase 2: September 4, 2021PBT: August 29, 2021IBT: September 9, 2021 | CBT Phase 2: August 21, 2021PBT: September 5, 2021IBT: August 28 to September 12, 2021 |
| XAT 2022 | XLRI, Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur | xatonline.in | November 30, 2021 | January 2, 2022 |
| NMAT 2021 | Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) | nmat.org | November 10, 2021 | October 14 to December 27, 2021 |
| IBSAT 2021 | ICFAI Foundation For Higher Education | ibsindia.org | December 16, 2021 | December 25 and 26, 2021 |
MBA entrance exam 2021: Overview
Common Admission Test (CAT)
The Common Admission Test (CAT 2021) is a computer-based test for postgraduate management programmes including MBA, PGDM, Fellow programmes in management, Executive MBA, and remote MBA.
CAT eligibility criteria
- Academic qualification: A bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 50% marks (45% for SC/ ST/ PwD).
- There is no upper age limit for applying to IIM CAT 2021.
- Work experience is not required.
- Reservations are made on a category-by-category basis.
- Graduate students in the previous two years (2020-21): Candidates having “promotion/ pass” certificates rather than “award of marks” certificates in either of the last two years of their bachelor’s degree can select this option on the CAT application form.
Management Aptitude Test (MAT)
Another prominent national-level entrance test for MBA/PGDM admissions is the Management Aptitude Test (MAT 2021). February, May, July, September, and December are the four to five times a year when MAT is held.
MAT eligibility criteria
- Academic qualification: Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 50% marks or an equivalent CGPA (45% for SC/ ST/ PwD). Students in their last year of study are also able to apply.
- There is no upper age limit for applying to MAT 2021.
- Work experience is not required.
Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT)
Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT 2022) is a national-level management entrance test held by XLRI, Jamshedpur for MBA/PGDM admission. More than 700 B-schools accept XAT scores for admission to their postgraduate management programmes, including XLRI and ten other XAMI members.
XAT eligibility criteria
- A three-year bachelor’s degree or equivalent in any subject is required. Students in their last year of study are also able to apply.
- There is no upper age limit for applying to XAT 2022.
- Non-resident Indians (NRIs): They can apply using their legitimate GMAT scores.
NMIMS Management Aptitude Test (NMAT)
NMIMS Management Aptitude Test (NMAT 2021) is a national-level computer-based entrance exam for MBA admission to major business schools in India, including NMIMS Mumbai, SPJIMR Mumbai, VIT Vellore, XIM Bhubaneswar, and many more.
NMAT eligibility criteria
- Academic qualification: Graduation from any stream with a minimum of 50% aggregate marks under the 10+2+3 or four-year study pattern. Students in their final year are also eligible to take the NMAT test.
- There is no upper age limit for taking the NMAT by GMAC 2021 test.
- Work experience: Two to three years of prior work experience is desirable.
- Maximum number of attempts: three, including no-shows.
ICFAI Business Studies Aptitude Test (IBSAT)
The IBS Aptitude Test (IBSAT 2021) is the critical online computer-based management entrance exam for MBA admissions in all ICFAI Business Schools (IBS) in India in 2022. The ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education administers the IBSAT admission exam (a deemed to be University).
IBSAT eligibility criteria
- Academic qualification: Students must have completed 15 years of schooling (10+2+3 or 10+2+4) with a minimum of 50% in aggregate. Students in their final year are also eligible to take the IBSAT exam. Students in their final year are also eligible to take the IBSAT exam.
- The medium of teaching is English, and the language of graduation is English.
MBA entrance exam application fees
| Name of the exam | Application fee |
| CAT application fee 2021 | General: Rs 2,200Reserver: Rs 1,100 |
| MAT registration fee 2021 | For PBT, CBT, IBT: Rs 1,650For both PBT and CBT: Rs 2,750 |
| XAT application fee 2022 | Registration: Rs. 1800 (+ Rs 300 XLRI programmes)Ex-PGDM through GMAT/GRE: Rs. 2,500NRI/Foreign Candidates through GMAT: Rs 5,000 |
| NMAT registration fee 2021 | Registration/ retake: Rs 2,300 + applicable taxesAdditional score reports: Rs 200 + applicable taxesReschedule: Rs 1,100 + applicable taxes |
| IBSAT registration fee 2021 | Registration: Rs 1,800 |
