MBA Admission: Dates, Eligibility, Exams and Top Colleges

  • By Kirti Yadav
  • 20 December 2021
MBA Admission: Dates, Eligibility, Exams and Top Colleges

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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?

There are numerous reputable university, state and national-level entrance exams which you can appear in, if you would like to pursue an 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?

It ultimately depends on the candidate's profile. However, as per the trend we have been witnessing in the past, the minimum percentile range to receive a GD/ PI call from IIMs is 95+ percentile.

What is the eligibility criteria to pursue an MBA?

Candidates must possess a bachelor's degree in any discipline with at least 50% percent marks at graduation to pursue an MBA. Admission into the programmme is granted on the basis of your scores on any one of the entrance tests.
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?

The primary difference between the two is that an MBA is a degree course that is offered only by the colleges affiliated to universities, whereas the PGDM is a diploma course which is offered by autonomous institutes.

Is appearing for the CAT exam necessary for an MBA?

No, there are different entrance exams if you would like to pursue an MBA. However, IIMs only accept CAT scores. IIMs do not provide direct admission or accept the marks of other entrance exams.

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