To secure admission in top MBA colleges in India that offer courses like MBA and PGDM, the students need to score good marks in the MBA entrance exams. The students must have a bachelor degree (of any discipline) that has been completed in a duration of 3 years from a recognised university or college to apply for the MBA entrance tests.
In India, there are 8 top MBA Exams that have a nationwide acceptance. These tests are MAT, CAT, ATMA, CMAT, SNAP, GMAT, XAT, and NMAT. KMAT, MAH CET, TS ICET, etc. are some other top MBA exams in India that are held by various states. Among these MBA exams, let’s see which exams qualify in our list of top 5 MBA exams in India.
- CAT
CAT is certainly one of the most popular MBA exams held by the IIM i.e. Indian Institute of Management. Held once a year, it is a national level exam and its scores are accepted by most top management institutes spread throughout the country. The CAT scores are accepted by more than 1000 management colleges and 20 IIMs across the country.
It is an MCQ type test that is held in more than 400 centres across the country. It comes with three sections viz. Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation, Verbal Ability, and Quantitative Aptitude. The students get 180 minutes to answer the 100 questions that are asked in this exam. Over 2 lakh candidates appear for this test every year. All these things make it the most popular entrance test in our list of top 5 MBA exams in India.
- CMAT
CMAT (Common Management Admission Test) is considered the second most popular and one of the top MBA exams in India. Around 1,50,000 students appear for this test every year, and its scores are considered for providing admission into over 1000 MBA colleges and institutions throughout the country. This exam is held every year in January and consists of these four sections:
- General Awareness
- Language Comprehension
- Logical Reasoning
- Quantitative Technique
It is an online CBT i.e. computer-based test that has a duration of 3 hours. This exam is likely to be held in March 2022. Top business schools provide admission to their MBA courses on the basis of CMAT performance.
- XAT
Over 1,00,000 students appear for the XAT (Xavier Aptitude Test) every year. Securing good marks in this exam helps students to secure admission in more than 800 MBA institutes spread across the country. It is a computer-based test that focuses on these sections:
- General Awareness
- Decision Making
- Logical Reasoning
- English Language
- Quantitative Aptitude
It is a computer-based exam that is held in January every year.
- SNAP
Symbiosis National Aptitude Test is for students who want to secure admission in the prestigious Symbiosis International University that has 16 management institutes under it. Including these 16 institutes, around 33 MBA colleges accept SNAP scores . SNAP test is held every year in the month of December and is a CBT that has a duration of 2 hours. The following sections hold prime importance in this test:
- Logical and Analytical Reasoning
- General English
- Data Sufficiency and Data Interpretation, and Quantitative Ability
The students can register for this exam between August and November.
- NMAT
NMIMS Management Aptitude Test i.e. NMAT is in our list of top 5 MBA exams in India because its scores are accepted by top management universities and colleges across the nation. It is organised by GMAC and consists of 108 MCQ type questions that are to be solved in 3 hours. The candidates can appear in the exam three times, and the top 3 scores can be used to secure admission. The main sections in the aptitude test include:
- Logical Reasoning
- Quantitative Ability
- Language Skills
It is a CBT that is held between the months of October and December.
The application and exam dates of the above top 5 MBA exams in India are given below:
| Exam Name | Last Application Date (Tentative) | Exam Date (Tentative) |
| CAT | Mid-September | End November |
| CMAT | TBA | TBA |
| XAT | Mid-December | Start January |
| SNAP | End November | Mid-December to Mid January |
| NMAT | Mid-November | Mid October to End December |