MBA Entrance Exam 2025-2026 in India: The MBA admissions landscape in India is shaped by a mix of
national, state, and university-level entrance exams. Each MBA entrance exam is for
different levels of business schools, with specific patterns, frequency, and
acceptance rates. National-level MBA entrance exams are a pathway to admission
into top MBA colleges in India. MBA entrance exams can be classified into four
categories:
A) Common Admission Test (CAT) for IIMs, IITTs, and other
top B-Schools
B) Xavier Admission Test (XAT) for XLRI and more than 250
MBA colleges)
C) Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) for all AICTE and
UGC approved colleges and universities
D) University Level Management Entrance Tests, Like SNAP,
NMAT, and others
D) State MBA entrance exams like MH-CET and others.
Apart from these types of MBA entrance exams, there are more than 15 popular MBA entrance examination test like IBSAT, MAT, ATMA, and others.
| MBA Entrance Exam | Exam Date | Exam Registration Fees | Top Colleges Accepting Exam |
| CAT 2025 | November 30, 2025 | INR 2,600/- | IIMs, IITs, FMS, MDI, SP Jain, and others |
| XAT 2026 | January 4, 2026 | INR 2,200/- | XLRI Jamshedpur and Delhi NCR, XIM University, and others |
| NMAT 2025 | Nov. 5 to Dec. 19, 2025 | INR 3,300/- | NMIMS Mumbai, XIM University, K J Somaiya, TAPMI, and Others |
| SNAP 2025 | Dec.6,14, and 20, 2025 | INR 2,250/- | SIMB Pune, SCMHRD, and Symbiosis all colleges |
| CMAT 2026 | January 23, 2026 | INR 2,500/- | JBIMS, KJ Somaiya, and others |
CAT 2025: Mandatory Exams for Admission to Indian Institute of Management (IIMs), IITs, and Top MBA Colleges.
The Common Admission Test (CAT) 2025 stands as the most competitive MBA entrance examination in India. Registration for the CAT exam will begin on August 1, 2025, and the exam date is scheduled for November 30, 2025. The Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIM Kozhikode) is conducting the CAT 2025. It is anticipated that over 350,000 candidates will appear in the CAT 2025 examination.
| Particulars | Details |
| CAT Exam Full Form | Common Admission Test |
| CAT Exam 2025 Conducting Body | IIM Kozhikode |
| CAT Exam Date | Sunday, November 30, 2025 |
| CAT Exam Timing | Slot 1: 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM Slot 2: 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM Slot 3: 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM |
| CAT Exam Duration | 2 Hours (120 Minutes) |
| Number of questions expected in CAT 2025 | 66 to 68 Questions |
| Scoring pattern for the CAT 2025 Exam | The CAT marking scheme is +3 for every correct answer and -1 for every incorrect answer. There was no negative marking for TITA questions (Type In The Answer questions). |
| Official Website | https://iimcat.ac.in/ |
XAT 2026: Compulsory Exams for XLRI Jamshedpur Admission
| Particulars | Details |
| Full Form of XAT Exam | Xavier Aptitude Test |
| XAT exam conducting body | XLRI Jamshedpur |
| XAT 2026 Exam Date | Sunday, January 4, 2026 |
| XAT 2026 exam registration date | July 10, 2025 |
| Number of questions expected in XAT 2026 | 95 MCQs |
| Duration of XAT Exam | 3 Hours (180 Minutes) |
| Scoring pattern for the XAT 2026 Exam | +1 Mark for Correct Answer -0.25 for Wrong Answer |
| Official Website | https://xatonline.in/ |
NMAT 2025: Mandatory Exam for Admission to NMIMS Mumbai
NMAT (NMAT by GMAC) is an important national-level MBA entrance exam through which admission is given to top MBA colleges in India, such as NMIMS Mumbai, TAPMI, XIMB, and other institutes and universities. The NMAT exam is conducted by GMAC (an international non-profit organization of business schools) and is a national-level entrance exam for MBA and PGDM programs. The NMAT exam dates for 2025 are from November 5 to December 19, 2025. NMAT registration 2025 is open from August 1 to October 10, 2025. NMAT is a mandatory exam for MBA admission to NMIMS Mumbai, and 150 other top non-IIM MBA colleges in India and abroad are accepting NMAT scores.
| Particulars | Details |
| NMAT Full Form | Narsee Monjee Management Aptitude Test |
| NMAT Exam Conducting Body | Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) |
| NMAT 2025 Exam Dates | November 5 to December 19, 2025 |
| NMAT Test Mode | Computer-Based Test |
| Duration of NMAT Exam | 2 Hours (120 minutes) |
| Number of questions expected in NMAT 2025 | 108 Questions |
| Scoring pattern for the NMAT 2026 Exam | +1 Mark for each Correct answer, and no negative marking for wrong answers. |
| Official website | https://www.mba.com/exams/nmat |
SNAP 2025: Mandatory Exam for MBA Colleges of Symbiosis
International University
| Particulars | Details |
| SNAP Full Form | Symbiosis National Aptitude Test |
| SNAP 2025 Exam Conducting Body | Symbiosis International University (SIU) Pune |
| SNAP Test Mode | Computer-Based Test at Test Centres |
| Duration of SNAP Exam | 1 Hour (60 Minutes) |
| Number of questions expected in SNAP 2025 | 60 Questions |
| Scoring pattern for the SNAP 2025 Exam | +1 Mark for each Correct answer, and 0.25 Mark negative marking for a wrong answer |
| Official Website | https://www.snaptest.org/ |
The Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) exam is another popular MBA entrance exam for admission to over 1000 MBA/PGDM colleges approved by AICTE. CMAT 2026 will be conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on January 24, 2026 (Expected). Registration is expected to begin around November 14, 2025, and close in December 2025. This exam is a computer-based test (CBT), and its scores are used for admission to MBA/PGDM programs in various management institutes in India.
CMAT Exam Highlights:
| Particulars | Details |
| Full Form of CMAT | Common Management Aptitude Exam |
| CMAT exam conducting authority | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
| CMAT Exam Date | January 24, 2026 (Expected) |
| CMAT Exam Mode | Computer-Based Test (CBT) |
| Total Questions in Test | 100 Questions |
| Exam duration | 180 Minutes |
| Number of Sections | 5 Sections with 20 questions in each section |
| Official Website | https://cmat.nta.nic.in/ |