Top MBA Entrance Exams in India 2025: Eligibility, Fees & Key Dates

Are you someone who has completed a bachelor's degree and is thinking of pursuing an MBA degree program to make a successful management career? Most of the bachelor's degree holders think this way.

An MBA degree is the most sought-after credential in today's competitive job environment. You can pursue a wide range of job alternatives with an MBA degree, such as management positions and business opportunities, and gain broad professional networking. Getting into the top management Institutes in India can be a challenging task to many students. This is because only the best applicants are taken into consideration out of the many students who take the MBA entrance exam. Let's explore the top MBA entrance exams in India in 2025.

Your Guide to the Top MBA Entrance Exams

For management admissions, in India there are numerous institutes that hold a series of MBA entrance tests, e.g., the Common Management Admission Test, Xavier Aptitude Test, Indian Aptitude Test, Symbiosis National Aptitude Test, NMIMS Management Aptitude Test, GUJCET and MH-CET. Below is a list of some of the best MBA entrance exams and Institutes that accept those admission examinations scores for admissions.

• Common Admission Test: Admission to the Indian Institute of Management (IIMs) requires passing the CAT entrance exam. The nation is home to twenty-one IIMs. This entrance examination is considered to be the most difficult admission test for management education in India.

• Xavier Aptitude Test: The purpose of the XAT test is to provide admission to management courses offered by the Xavier group of educational institutions throughout the nation.

• Symbiosis National Aptitude Test: The Symbiosis Institute administers this SNAP test to applicants for management programs. The level of difficulty of this exam is moderate.

• NMIMS Management Aptitude Test: It is an entrance exam used for admissions to MBA and other management programs at Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) and other leading Indian business schools. The university has test centers in Hyderabad, Bangalore, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, and Indore, apart from other cities in the country.

• Common Entrance Test (MAH MBA CET): It is accepted by most of the state universities and colleges which are affiliated with them for getting admission into the MBA in the state. Most of the management colleges come under the centralized admission scheme of the Maharashtra state government every year. The best business schools accept the score of MAH MBA CET, i.e., Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Sydenham Institute of Management Studies, Xavier Institute of Management & Research, and Department of Management Sciences (PUMBA), Pune.

• Common Management Admission Test: The National Testing Agency administers the management entrance test (CMAT) for admission to university departments and institutions that have received AICTE approval.

MBA Entrance Exams with Fees,Dates and Eligibility Details

If you are an MBA student of the future and wish to pursue this degree from a renowned institute, then you must know some facts regarding management programs from top management schools. In India, all B-schools have established their management programs as postgraduate in management. Although most Institutes do not grant a degree in the very title Master of Business Administration (or MBA), for instance, JBIMS college located in Mumbai grants a top-level management course, titled Master of Management Studies degree or MMS.

Likewise, Indian Institutes of Management (or IIMs) grant the Post Graduate Program in Management, also referred to as a PGP degree program. A bachelor's degree in any discipline is the minimum qualification to appear for these MBA entrance tests. Final year students can also appear for these tests as long as they send the graduation certificate well in advance of their academic semester at B-school.

The information about the entrance tests, fees, and likely dates is presented below:

Sr. No.	Exam Name	Conducting Body	Notification Month	Exam Month	Exam Fee
1	CAT (Common Admission Test)	Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs)	July/August	November	₹ . 2500 (Gen), ₹ .1250 (SC/ST/PwD)
2	XAT (Xavier Aptitude Test)	XLRI, Jamshedpur	August/ September	January	₹ . 2200
3	MAT (Management Aptitude Test)	All India Management Association (AIMA)	February / May / August / November	March / May / September / December	₹ . 2100
4	CMAT (Common Management Admission Test)	National Testing Agency (NTA)	February/March	May	₹ .2500 (Gen), ₹ . 1250 (SC/ST/ PwD)
5	SNAP (Symbiosis National Aptitude Test)	Symbiosis International (Deemed) University	August/ September	December	₹ 2250 per attempt
6	NMAT by GMAC	Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC)	August/ September	October to December	₹.3000
7	MAH CET	Maharashtra CET Cell	April / May	December	₹ .1,000 (Gen), ₹800 (Reserved category)
8	ATMA (AIMS Test for Management Admissions)	Association of Indian Management Schools (AIMS)	January / May / July	February / May / July	₹ . 2000
9	MICAT (MICA Admission Test)	Mudra Institute of Communications , Ahmedabad	September/ October	December & January (2 phases)	₹ . 2100

 

Finding the Exam That Suits You Best

For management program aspirants, choose the right exam as early as possible. Because starting to prepare to study for the chosen exam is essential. Aspirants are required to examine their abilities and financial situation to determine which exam is best suited for them.

Based on difficulty levels, the CMAT and MAH CET exams are best for those aspirants who are targeting specific Institutes / colleges. Due to their broad focus on aptitude, logical reasoning, and management acumen, the CMAT and MAH - CET are a little easier to understand and should be more beneficial for students of all verbal and mathematical skill levels. However, despite the intense competition, you won't be in the top percentile on any test.

MBA entrance examinations vary in difficulty based on the exam format, competition, and question complexity. The common aptitude test (CAT) and the Xavier aptitude test are often regarded as the most demanding, requiring a high degree of quantitative (math), verbal ability, problem-solving abilities, and an unpredictable pattern to ensure that no one can specialize in a single field. The Symbiosis National Aptitude Test and the NMIMS Aptitude Test are significantly less difficult than the previous two in that they measure speed and accuracy over complex problem solving, and the NMIMS test prefers no negative marking approach, enabling you to attempt as many questions as you desire.

Conclusion

If you are aiming to get admission to the best MBA Institutes / Colleges in India, you will need the appropriate strategy and study material. To begin with, you have to concentrate on a particular exam. If you are properly prepared, then even you can attempt exams such as CAT, XAT, SNAP, NMAT, CMAT, and MAH CET. You need to choose the MBA entrance exam which is best suited to your career aspiration as well as strength.

For making a better and stringent decision, having information about the trends of examinations, fees, and qualifications will be more preferable. Your chances of success get boosted automatically by just staying disciplined and following a regular routine of studies.