Entrance exams for MBA programs are a means of gaining admission to some of the best management colleges in India and around the world. Each year, hundreds of candidates enroll in numerous entrance exams for MBA programs conducted nationally, state-wise, institutionally and internationally to get admission in the college of their choice. Some of the famous entrance examinations for the MBA program include CAT, XAT, CMAT, NMAT, GMAT and GRE and knowledge of their test patterns, application deadlines, fees and other requirements is very important.
Top International MBA Entrance Exams
GMAT and GRE exams are two entrance test that are highly popular and accepted among those who intend to join foreign universities to earn their MBA degrees and for various EMBA programs as well. GMAT is conducted by GMAC, which has been specially designed for admission to business schools and it is available both online as well as test centers. The GRE is another international MBA entrance exam that is offered by the Educational Testing Service which is accepted by various international business schools and can also be taken online and from test centers.
Key Details of Top International MBA Entrance Exams
| Exam | Official Conducting Body | Exam Mode | Application Fee |
| GMAT | Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) | Online as well as test centre-based | USD 300 (online) and USD 275 (at a test centre) + taxes |
| GRE | ETS – Educational Testing Service | Computer-based at the test centre or an online test at home | GRE General Test: ₹22,000 | GRE Subject Test: ₹14,500 |
International MBA Entrance Exams Important Dates 2026
| Exam | Application Form Dates | Admit Card Date | Exam Date | Result dates |
| GMAT | Throughout the Year | Throughout the Year | Throughout the Year | Throughout the Year |
| GRE | Throughout the Year | Throughout the Year | Throughout the Year | Throughout the Year |
Top National-Level MBA Entrance Exams in India 2026
Entrance tests conducted at the national level are the most common means to get into top management institutes in India. Entrance exams like CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, NMAT and CUET PG are administered by various organizations and are recognized by top business schools in the country. All of these entrance exams are mainly conducted in computerized format and test candidates for aptitude, reasoning, mathematics, and verbal abilities. Application fee and exam pattern differ from each other, providing students flexibility to apply for MBA admissions according to their needs.
Key Details of Top National-Level MBA Entrance Exams
| Exam | Conducting Body | Exam Mode | Application Fee |
| CAT | Top IIMs on a rotational basis | Computer-Based Test (CBT) – Online | General Category: ₹2,500Reserved Category: ₹1,250 |
| XAT | Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur (XLRI) | Computer-Based Test (CBT) – Online | ₹2200 |
| MAT | AIMA | PBT offline, CBT online and PBT + CBT | ₹2200 for PBT and CBT ₹4000 for PBT + CBT |
| CMAT | National Testing Agency | Computer-Based Test (CBT) – Online | Male from EWS/General/OBC-NCL categories- ₹2500Female from EWS/General/OBC-NCL categories- ₹1250Male and Female from SC/ST/PwD categories- ₹1250Transgender category- ₹1250 |
| NMAT | Graduate Management Admission Council or GMAC | Computer-Based Test (CBT) – Online | Registration – ₹3000 + taxesRetake – ₹3000 + taxesReschedule – ₹1200 + taxesAdditional Score Reports (after 5 free ones) – ₹400/report + taxes |
| CUET PG | National Testing Agency | Computer-Based Test (CBT) – Online | For one paper ₹700. |
National-level MBA Entrance Exams Important Dates 2026
| Exam | Application Form Dates | Admit Card Date | Exam Date | Result dates |
| CAT | First week of Aug 2026 to Third week of Sep 2026 | Nov 2026 First Week | Last Sunday of Nov 2026 i.e 29th Nov 2026 | Last Week of Dec 2026 |
| XAT | July 2026 to Dec 2026 | Dec 2026 | Jan 2027 (First Sunday of Jan) | Third week of Jan 2027 |
| MAT | Four times a year | PBT-28-May-2026CBT- 11-Jun-2026 | PBT- 31-May-2026CBT- 14-Jun-2026 | Last week of Jun 2026 |
| CMAT | Oct 2026 to Nov 2026 | Jan, 2027 | Jan 2027 | Feb 2027 |
| NMAT | Nov 2026 to Dec 2026 | In Oct last week 2026 | Nov to Dec 2026 | Jan 2027 |
| CUET PG | Dec 2026 to Jan 2027 | Feb 2027 to Mar 2027 | Mar 2027 | Apr 2027 |
Top Institute-Specific MBA Entrance Exams in India 2026
MBA entrance tests which are specific to the institute, are administered by various colleges and universities individually to select students for their management course. Entrance tests like SNAP, MICAT, XGMT, IBSAT, SRCC GBO, ATMA and GAAT are formulated to judge candidates’ abilities and managerial potential. Most of these tests take place online in a computer-based format and give students a chance to gain direct admission to some of the best private universities and management colleges in India.
Key Details of Top Institute-Specific MBA Entrance Exams
| Exam | Institute / University | Exam Mode | Application Fee |
| SNAP | SIU-Symbiosis International University (Deemed) | Computer-Based Test (CBT) – Online | ₹2,250 (Demand Draft) |
| MICA | MICA Ahmedabad | Computer-Based Test (CBT) – Online | ₹2100 |
| XGMT | XIM University Bhubaneswar | Computer-Based Test (CBT) – Online | ₹1500 – XGMT exam fee₹1800 – base fee for registration₹400 – additional score fee |
| IBSAT | IBS Hyderabad | Home monitored mode | ₹1800 |
| SRCC GBO | Shri Ram College of Commerce | Computer-Based Test (CBT) – Online | General, OBC and Foreign Nationals – ₹2500 |
| ATMA | AIMS – Association of Indian Management Schools | Computer-Based Test (CBT) – Online | ₹1500 |
| GAAT | GITAM Deemed to be University | Computer-Based Test (CBT) – Online | ₹1200 |
Institute-Specific MBA Entrance Exams Important Dates 2026
| Exam | Application Form Period | Admit Card Date | Exam Date | Result dates |
| SNAP | Aug 2026 to Nov 2026 | Nov to Dec 2026 | Dec 2026 | Jan 2027 |
| MICA | Sep 2026 to Nov 2026 | 1 Phase- Dec 20262 Phase- Feb 2027 | 1 Phase- Dec 20262 Phase- Feb 2027 | 1 Phase- Dec 20262 Phase- Feb 2027 |
| XGMT | Sep 2026 to Jan 2027 | Jan 2027 | Jan 2027 | Jan 2027 |
| IBSAT | 18 Jun 2026 to the third week of Dec 2026 | Last week of Nov 2026 | Last week of Dec 2026 | Jan 2027 |
| SRCC GBO | Dec 2026 to Jan 2027 | Feb 2027 | Feb 2027 | Apr 2027 |
| ATMA | 6 May 2026 to 28 Jun 2026 | 8 July 2026 | 12 July 2026 | 18 July 2026 |
| GAAT | Oct 2026 to Dec 2026 | Last week of Jan 2027 | Feb 2027 | Feb 2027 |
Top State-Level Entrance Exam for MBA in India 2026
Key Details of Top State-Level MBA Entrance Exams
Entrance tests for MBA courses in various states are held by state governments and universities for admission to their MBA courses in the states. Some common entrance tests include AP ICET, KMAT Karnataka, KMAT Kerala, MAH MBA CET, TANCET and TGICET. Such entrance tests are held in computerised format and evaluate students on various subjects including quantitative ability, logical reasoning and language proficiency. State-level MBA entrance tests are economically feasible entrance test options and are accepted by government and private management colleges in many states in India.
| Exam | Organising Body | Exam Mode | Application Fee |
| AP ICET | Andhra University Visakhapatnam | Online CBT Mode | ₹550 (basic online fee) for the exam |
| KMAT Karnataka | KPPGCA – Karnataka Post Graduate Private Colleges’ Association | Home-Based Remote Proctored Test | ₹873.60 |
| KMAT Kerala | Commissioner of Entrance Exams (CEE) Kerala | CBT Testing Mode | ₹1000 is the application fee for the General and OBC categories₹500 for SC categoryNo fee for the ST category |
| MAH MBA CET | State Common Entrance Test Cell, Maharashtra | Online CBT Mode | MBA CET exam fees are ₹1200 for General Category StudentsMHCET MBA Exam form fee ₹1000 for Reserved Category Students |
| TANCET Tamilnadu | Anna University, Chennai | Paper-based (OMR Sheet) | General Category TANCET fee is ₹1000Reserved Category TANCET fee is ₹500 |
| TGICET Telengana | Mahatma Gandhi University | Online Computer-Based Examination | ₹750 for General and ₹550 for Reserved |
State Level MBA Entrance Exams Important Dates 2026
| Exam | Exam Date | Application Form Period | Admit Card Date | Result date |
| AP ICET | 2 May 2026 | 5 Feb to 5 Apr 2026 | 15 Apr 2026 | 16 May 2026 |
| KMAT Karnataka | To be announced | 2 Apr 2026 to 30 Jun 2026 | To be announced | To be announced |
| KMAT Kerala | 22 Feb 202631 May 2026 | Session 1-Jan 2026to 5 Feb 2026Session 2- 27 Apr 2026 to 5 May 2026 | Session 1- 16 Feb 2026Session 2- 23 May 2026 | Session 1- 2 Mar 2026Session 2- 15 Jun 2026 |
| MAH MBA CET | 6, 7, 8 Apr 2026 and 9 May 2026 | 10 Jan 2026 to 20 Feb 2026 | 1 to 3 Apr for 6, 7, 8 Apr 2026 and | 30 May 2026 and 12 Jun 2026 |
| TANCET Tamilnadu | 9 May 2026 | 16 Mar 2026 to 10 Mar 2026 | Apr 2026 | 22 May 2026 |
| TGICET Telengana | 13 May 2026 and 14 May 2026 | 12 Feb 2026 to 16 Mar 2026 | 4 May 2026 to 14 May 2026 | 19 Jun 2026 |
FAQs
1. How to apply for the MBA entrance exam in 2026?
To get admission in the entrance test for MBA in 2026, go to the exam’s website, register yourself, fill in the form, attach the necessary documents, pay the form fee and then submit the form on time.
2. What is the fee for CAT registration 2026?
Registration Fee of CAT 2026 is estimated to be as follows-
- For General, EWS & NC-OBC category candidates- ₹2,600
- For SC, ST & PwD candidates- ₹1,300
Payment of registration fee has to be made online via credit/debit card/net banking/UPSI and cannot be refunded.
3. Which MBA entrance exam is upcoming?
The MBA entrance examinations that will take place in India in the coming year include NMAT, SNAP, XAT, CMAT, MAT and ATMA exams that are scheduled to be held from late 2026 to early 2027. The most crucial examination out of all of them will be the CAT 2026 examination, which will take place in Nov 2026.
4. What are the entrance exams for MBA other than CAT 2026?
Besides CAT 2026, some other MBA entrance tests that exist in India are XAT, NMAT, SNAP, CMAT, MAT, ATMA, GMAT and IIFT (for international business schools). These tests are recognized by various institutes offering MBA/PGDM programs in India.
5. What is the best time to apply for an MBA?
The ideal period for applying for an MBA is around 8 to 12 months prior to the commencement of the admissions process cycle, which begins in the period from Aug to Dec in relation to entrance exams such as CAT, XAT and SNAP.
