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So, you wish to pursue an MBA for that X-factor which sets you apart from your peers and you are looking through scores of articles on the internet, like many others. If you were looking for a one-stop guide which answers all your queries, and then some more, you are at the right place.
Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a two-year post-graduate program that is offered in a variety of specialisations. India's best MBA colleges accept admissions on the basis of the nationwide entrance test, the Common Aptitude Test (CAT), that is held once a year. Those who are interested may pursue an MBA in various learning modes - regular, online or distance education.

While an MBA is a 2-year degree course available only in colleges affiliated to universities, some autonomous institutes offer a Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM), a 1-year course.
Most management colleges in India shortlist candidates for MBA admission on the basis of what you score in CAT, the group discussion and your personal interview. As of now, the country's premier MBA colleges, like the IIMs, MDI, XLRI, SPJIMR, IIFT, IMT and FMS DU, have initiated the admission procedure for the 2022-24 batch. Additionally, the registration process for top MBA entrance examinations such as CAT, XAT, SNAP, IIFT and NMAT by GMAC for the next academic session has commenced online.
MBA admission 2022
MBA admissions for 2022 are currently taking place in numerous B-schools across India. Students can choose from various government and private institutions in all the states of India.
Please note that even if you score a 99 percentile in CAT, the best way to ensure that your career path has an edge over others is by ensuring that you choose the right B-school. Keep reading for some detailed insight about MBA admission for the batch of 2022-24, including the admission schedule, eligibility criteria and more.
Eligibility criteria for MBA admission 2022
The MBA eligibility criteria takes into account multiple factors such as your academic details and the marks you scored during graduation, apart from what you score during the entrance exam. If you wish to take admission in a reputable college offering MBA for the next batch (2022-24), you have to fulfil the following criteria:
- You must possess a Bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognised university or institute.
- Even if you are in your final year of graduation, you are eligible to apply for MBA provided you submit the required paperwork at the time of admission.
- A minimum of 50% during graduation is necessary for candidates from the open category. If you belong to a reserved category, the minimum percentage required during graduation is 45%.
- You should have a valid score from any university, state or national level entrance examination.
Entrance exams for MBA admission 2022
Admissions into any B-school typically happens through an entrance exam or an MBA admission test. This exam can be any of the following types:
- National Level Entrance Test, which is conducted by an apex testing body or a top management school on behalf of other colleges. For eg.: CAT, CMAT, MAT or ATMA
- State Level Entrance Test, which is held by a state-level testing body or the state's top B-school at the behest of other participant colleges from that state. For eg.: MAH-CET, KMAT, OJEE, TANCET or APICET
- Some B-schools conduct tests for entrance into their own MBA programme. At times, these scores can be counted as a qualifying criterion by a different management school. For eg.: IIFT, XAT, NMAT, SNAP, IBSAT
- Test conducted by a university for entrance to MBA programmes being offered by colleges that are affiliated with it. eg: KIITEE, HPU MAT
MBA admission process 2022
Across every college/ institute in India, admission into the MBA programme is carried out by shortlisting candidates on the basis of an entrance exam, which is followed by a group discussion and personal interviews. Outlined below are different phases during the MBA admission process
- Phase 1: Candidates appear in an MBA entrance exam that may be conducted on a state, university or national level.
- Phase 2: Candidates are shortlisted on the basis of the marks they secured in the entrance exam, their academic profile as well as their work experience.
- Phase 3: All candidates undergo a WAT/GD/PI and other relevant personality assessment tests.
- Phase 4: The final list for MBA admission is compiled after due consideration of a candidate's performance in all three phases.
MBA admission 2022: Key national level entrance exams and application deadlines
Provided below is the schedule of top national-level entrance examinations along with the last date to apply for admission to different MBA colleges. If you have applied for admission into the MBA programme, you would already know that most of the deadlines have passed by. However, feel free to share this blog's link with those who require it so that they gain some insight into the pattern and make use of it in the future.
MBA entrance exam schedule
Exam | Top MBA colleges | Registration window | Entrance exam date |
CAT 2021 | 20 IIMs, FMS, SPJIMR, MDI, IITs, IMI, NITIE, IMT | August 4 - September 15, 2021 | November 28, 2021 |
XAT 2022 | XLRI, XIMB, XIME, IMT, TAPMI | August 10 - November 30, 2021 | January 4, 2022 |
NMAT 2021 | NMIMS, VIT, SPJIMR, XUB, ISB | August 3 - November 10, 2021 | October 14 to December 27, 2021 |
SNAP 2021 | SIBM Pune, SCMHRD, SIIB, SIBM Bangalore | August 31 - November 27, 2021 | December 19, 2021 January 8, 2022 January 16, 2022 |
IIFT 2022 | IIFT Delhi, Kolkata | September 1 - October 15, 2021 | December 5, 2021 |
CMAT 2022 | K J Somaiya Mumbai, GIM Goa, IFMR Chennai, Welingkar, BIMTECH | Yet to be announced | Yet to be announced |
MAT 2021 | More than 100 B-schools including Balaji University (BIMM) Pune, Jaipuria Noida, NDIM Delhi, JIMS | November 30, 2021 (PBT last date) November 14, 2021 (CBT Phase 1 last date) December 12, 2021 (CBT Phase 2 last date) December 15, 2021 (IBT last date) |
December 5, 2021 (PBT)November 21, 2021 (CBT Phase 1)December 19, 2021 (CBT Phase 2)November 27, 2021, to December 18, 2021 (IBT) |

MBA admissions 2022: Schedule for college applications
Candidates can check in the tables provided below for the opening and closing dates of the top colleges to apply for MBA admission 2022-24. The data has been compiled on the basis of which colleges are accepting the marks you obtain from various entrance exams such as CAT 2021, XAT 2022, SNAP 2021, NMAT by GMAC.
Top IIMs accepting CAT (2021) score for MBA admission 2022
IIM Ahmedabad |
IIM Bangalore |
IIM Calcutta |
IIM Lucknow |
IIM Indore |
IIM Kozhikode |
IIM Shillong |
IIM Raipur |
IIM Ranchi |
IIM Rohtak |
IIM Kashipur |
IIM Trichy |
IIM Jammu |
IIM Udaipur |
IIM Amritsar |
IIM Bodh Gaya |
IIM Nagpur |
IIM Sambalpur |
IIM Sirmaur |
IIM Visakhapatnam |
Top colleges (apart from IIMs) accepting CAT (2021) score for direct admission in MBA
Provided below are the cut-offs and application window for MBA admission in the top B-schools in India for the 2022 session.
College / Institute | Cut-off | Application window |
MDI Gurgaon | 90+ | Third week of September - last week of November 2021 |
IIT Delhi IIT Bombay IIT Kharagpur IIT Madras |
90+ | January 1 - last week of January 2022 |
FMS Delhi | 97+ | October 1 - last week of November 2021 |
SPJIMR, Mumbai | 85+ | Last week of September - last week of November 2021 |
XIMB, Bhubaneswar | 90+ | Second week of October - second week of December 2021 |
IMT Ghaziabad | 90 | Last week of September - last week of November 2021 |
NITIE Mumbai | 90+ | November 1 - last week of January 2022 |
IMI New Delhi | 90 | Last week of September - last week of November 2021 |
TAPMI Manipal | 85 | Third week of October - last week of December 2021 |
Great Lakes Chennai | 85 | Third week of October - last week of December 2021 |
MBA admission schedule for colleges and institutes accepting XAT (2022) score
College / Institute | Cut-off | Application window |
XLRI Jamshedpur | 95 | Yet to be announced |
XIM Bhubaneswar | 90 | Yet to be announced |
IMT Ghaziabad | 90 | Yet to be announced |
GIM Goa | 85 | Yet to be announced |
XIME Bangalore | 80 | Yet to be announced |
MBA admission schedule for colleges and institutes accepting SNAP (2021) score
College / Institute | Cut-off | Application window |
SIBM Pune | 97 | Yet to be announced |
SCMHRD Pune | 96 | Yet to be announced |
SIIB Pune | 93 | Yet to be announced |
SIBM Bangalore | 89 | Yet to be announced |
SIBM Hyderabad | 88 | Yet to be announced |
SIOM Nashik | 89 | Yet to be announced |
MBA admission schedule for colleges and institutes accepting NMAT by GMAC (2021) score
College / Institute | Cut-off | Application window |
NMIMS Mumbai | 95 | Yet to be announced |
VIT Vellore | 80 | Yet to be announced |
SOIL Gurgaon | 75 | Yet to be announced |
SDA Bocconi Asia Centre, Mumbai | 75 | Yet to be announced |
Which are the top entrance exam for MBA?
Mentioned below are some of the prominent entrance exams:
CAT
XAT
CMAT
MAT
SNAP
ATMA
NMAT
TANCET
MAH CET
APICET
TSICET
KMAT Karnataka
KMAT Kerala
Karnataka PGCET
What is the minimum score/ percentile required in CAT if I want to get admission in one of the IIMs?
What is the eligibility criteria to pursue an MBA?
Please note, institutes/ colleges have their own policies and the marks of some entrance exams won't accepted by certain entities.
What is the difference between an MBA and a PGDM?
Is appearing for the CAT exam necessary for an MBA?
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