Top MBA Entrance Exam in India

The MBA is still one of the most popular postgraduate degrees in India, with students aspiring to a professional career. The MBA program aims to help students acquire analytical, leadership and managerial skills relevant to fulfilling business and management careers.

Students looking for MBA admissions in well-known institutes must appear for their respective entrance exams. There are both national and university-level entrance exams for the MBA program in India. One of the top MBA entrance exams in India is CAT. These tests examine candidates in areas such as quantitative aptitude, logical reasoning, verbal ability, and general awareness. Some MBA entrance exams other than CAT are XAT, NMAT, CMAT, MAT, ATMA, and MICAT. Further, detailed information about MBA entrance exams and their upcoming updates for 2026 will be provided.

MBA admission process 2026

MBA aspirants need to follow these steps to pursue admission in their preferred management school:

• Meet the MBA entrance exam in India 2026 eligibility criteria of holding a bachelor's degree with a minimum of 50% marks or equivalent.
• Register for MBA entrance exams such as CAT/ MAT/ XAT/ NMAT, etc. by filling out the form and paying the MBA entrance exam fees.
• Appear for the entrance exam to assess the aptitude and reasoning skills.
• Based on these entrance exam scores, the candidates should go through GD/ WAT and PI rounds conducted by management institutes.

Final selection will be based on these performances and the process for MBA admission.

List of MBA Entrance Exam in India 2026

Top MBA entrance exams in India 2026:

Students aspiring for MBA admissions in their interested management schools/institutes must be aware of the entrance exams given below.

CAT 2026:

Common Admission Test (CAT) is the national-level entrance exam for MBA aspirants. It is conducted by IIMs. This test is conducted only once a year in online mode. CAT scores are considered in all the IIMs along with 1000+ B-schools across the country.

Candidates who have completed their bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 50% will be eligible to take up the CAT exam. The CAT 2026 exam paper consists of 3 sections, i.e., Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA). The total duration of the exam is 2 hours.

CAT important dates 2026:

As per the IIM's latest update, below is the CAT 2026 exam schedule:

XAT 2026:

Being a national-level entrance exam, Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) is conducted by XLRI Jamshedpur. If the candidates have eligible XAT scores, then they can get MBA admissions in XLRI and 800+ management institutes. It is an online exam held in CBT format. The frequency of XAT is just once a year, probably in January. The XAT 2026 exam paper consists of sections like Verbal & Logical Ability, Decision Making, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, and General Knowledge. The total duration of the exam is 3 hours.

XAT Important dates 2026:

Candidates are advised to keep track of the exam updates to help them be on track and prepare well. Here are the XAT 2026 exam details:  

NMAT by GMAC 2026:

NMAT- Narsee Monjee Management Aptitude Test is a national-level MBA entrance exam conducted by GMAC (Graduate Management Admission Council). This exam is held to provide MBA admissions into NMIMS and other business schools. The unique feature of this exam is, it has multiple testing windows. Each candidate gets 3 attempts within the testing window, and the highest score is considered.

Being an online exam, the NMAT 2026 paper consists of 3 sections such as Language skills, Quantitative skills, and Logical reasoning. The total time given for NMAT is 2 hours to complete 108 questions.

NMAT Important dates 2026:

It is important for the candidates to check the official NMAT 2026 website for accurate information. The tentative timeline given by GMAC is:

CMAT 2026

CMAT- Common Management Aptitude Test conducted by NTA. It is an online CBT mode exam. CMAT scores is accepted by more than 1000+ AICTE-approved management colleges. Students willing to apply for CMAT must have completed their UG program in any discipline with a minimum of 50% marks.

The CMAT 2026 exam paper consists of 5 sections, such as Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning, Language Comprehension, General Awareness, and Innovation & Entrepreneurship. The total duration of the exam is 3 hours.

CMAT Important dates 2026

As per NTA, the CMAT 2026 application form will be out from 14 November 2026 and the exam is on 20 January 2026. Below is the tentative schedule given by NTA.

SNAP 2026

Symbiosis International University (SIU) Pune is the conducting body of SNAP. This is an online exam held once a year. SNAP scores are accepted by all Symbiosis institutes (like SIBM, SCMHRD, etc.) To qualify for SNAP, applicants must have a UG degree with an average of 45% marks overall.

SNAP 2026 paper consists of 3 sections, such as General English, Quantitative, Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency and Analytical & Logical Reasoning. The exam duration is 1 hour to attend 60 questions.

SNAP Important dates 2026

SNAP 2026 applications are all set to open from 20 November 2026. The table below provides information about the 2026-2027 timeline and admissions.

MAT 2026

All India Management Association is the conducting body of MAT. As a national-level entrance exam, MAT scores are accepted in 600+ business schools across the country. Compared to other entrance exams, MAT is held multiple times a year (February, May, September, and December). Also, this test is available in offline and online modes.  

MAT 2026 paper consists of multiple sections, such as Language Comprehension, Mathematical Skills, Data Analysis & Sufficiency, Intelligence & Critical Reasoning, and Indian & Global Environment.

MAT Important dates 2026

AIMA has tentatively given out the timeline for MAT 2026 in both online and offline modes. Check MAT 2026 official website for more info.

MAH MBA CET 2026

MAH MBA CET is a state-level entrance exam conducted by the State Common Entrance Test Cell of Maharashtra. The scores secured in this exam are considered to get MBA and MMS admissions. Eligible candidates can get into government, private, and unaided MBA colleges of Maharashtra.  

MAH MBA CET is held only once a year (usually in March). The total duration of the exam is 2.5 hours to complete 200 questions. The paper consists of 4 sections, such as Logical Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude, and Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension.

MAH MBA CET Important dates 2026

SCET, Maharashtra, will soon announce the exact dates of the exam. Here is the tentative timeline:

AP ICET 2026

AP ICET-Andhra Pradesh Integrated Common Entrance Test is a state-level entrance exam of AP conducted for admission into MBA and MCA programs. AP ICET scores are considered to offer admission to MBA universities and affiliated colleges in Andhra Pradesh.

There are 3 sections in AP ICET, i.e. Analytical ability, Mathematical ability, and Communicational ability. The total number of questions is 200, and the time to answer is 150 minutes.

AP ICET Important dates 2026

The accurate MBA entrance exam dates have not yet been announced by the conducting body. As per the AP ICET 2026 official website, applications will be open from March- April 2026. It is recommended that the candidates check the official website for more updates.

IBSAT 2026

ICFAI Business School conducts IBSAT. It is a proctored online test to give admission to the MBA and PGPM courses. The selection process IBS MBA or PGPM program is based on micro-presentation and PI rounds. Based on the eligible IBSAT scores, candidates can avail seats I any of the IBS campuses across the country.

IBSAT 2026 consists of 4 sections: Verbal Ability, Reading Comprehension, Quantitative Aptitude, and Data Adequacy with Data Interpretation.

IBSAT Important dates 2026

IBS has given out the schedule for 2026-2027 admissions. Interested parties can check the table below and proceed accordingly.

KMAT 2026

KMAT- Karnataka Management Aptitude Test. It is a state-level entrance exam of Karnataka conducted for admission to MBA, PGDM, and MCA programs in the state. KMAT scores provide admission into AICTE-approved management institutions in Karnataka.

The KMAT 2026 paper consists of Language Comprehension, Mathematical skills, and Basic aptitude with a total of 120 questions. The KMAT 2026 exam duration is 2 hours.

KMAT Important dates 2026

KMAT 2026 session 1 tentative schedule is given by the concerned authority as of given table:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):