MBA Admission 2024: Eligibility, Entrance Exams, Top Colleges

Admission to MBA courses in 2024 is done through entrance tests conducted at the national, state and university levels. Eligibility for an MBA course requires that he/she must have passed at least 50% (45% for SC/ST) from a recognized college/university in any discipline, science, commerce or arts. Postgraduate students can also apply for MBA courses, many students pursue an MBA after a Masters. Some of the popular and widely accepted entrance exams are CAT, GMAT, XAT, MAT, SNAP and NMAT. Good marks in these entrance exams will give you a chance to apply to top B-schools like the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) and Xavier School of Management (XLRI).

CAT is the most popular and popular exam that MBA aspirants take to get admission in their dream MBA college. More than 2 million students attend CAT every year. Some of the top MBA institutes for admission through the CAT exam are IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Lucknow, Great Lakes Institute of Management and GIM. There are more than 5717 MBA institutes in India offering MBA courses. Management courses are available in various disciplines like Finance, Operations, Retail, Sales and Marketing, Entrepreneurship etc. and students can choose any one according to their interests. Students who wish to apply to the MBA Entrant 2024 program can read more about admission details.

MBA Admission Entrance Exams 2024

MBA entrance exams are a way to get into nationally recognized MBA programs. MBA aspirants should plan ahead and study hard for these exams to increase their chances of getting into prestigious MBA programs in India.

Below is the list of best MBA exams for admission in various B-schools with important dates

Entrance Exams	Exam Date	Exam Schedule
CAT	24 Nov '24	CAT Schedule
ATMA	23 Jun '24 (June Session) 21 Jul '24 (July Session)	ATMA Schedule
CMAT	May '25 (tentative)	CMAT Schedule
MAT	May '25 - Jun '25	MAT Schedule
SNAP	Dec '24	SNAP Schedule
XAT	Jan '25 (tentative)	XAT Schedule
IBSAT	Dec '24	IBSAT Schedule
KMAT	Nov '24 (tentative)	KMAT Schedule
MAH CET	Mar '25 (tentative)	MAH CET Schedule
TANCET	March '25 (tentative)	TANCET Schedule

MBA Colleges in India: Admission Process & Selection Criteria

The first institution that immediately comes to mind among the best MBA colleges in India is the Indian Institute of Management, popularly known as IIM. These prestigious MBA institutes consist of 20 campuses out of which the top five – viz. IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow and IIM Kozhikode - are the most sought-after. Every year, more than two lakh MBA candidates appear for the CAT (Common Admission Test) conducted by IIMs for admission to MBA/PGDM/PGP programmes. The IIM admission process includes the CAT exam as well as the Group Discussion/Personal Interview (GD/PI).

Admission Process of Top MBA Colleges in India other than IIMs

Such top MBA institutes have the same admission process ie. entrance exam, WAT/GD and PI but accept multiple entrance exams

MBA Admission & Selection Criteria of Top MBA Colleges

As mentioned earlier, the MBA admission process includes an entrance test followed by GD/PI. However, different MBA colleges accept different exam scores. The table given below has the list of top MBA colleges and the exam scores they accept for admission. Also indicated in the table is whether these institutes conduct GD/PI or not.

MBA College Name	MBA Entrance Exam	Group Discussion/Personal Interview (GD/PI)
Management Development Institute, Gurgaon	CAT/GMAT	Yes
Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi	CAT	Yes
Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Delhi	IIFT Exam/GMAT	Yes
Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai	MAH-CET	Yes
Narsee Monji Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai	NMAT by GMAC	Yes
SP Jain Institute of Management & Research, Mumbai	CAT/XAT/GMAT	Yes
XLRI-Xavier School of Management	XAT/GMAT	Yes
Institute of Management Technology	CAT/XAT/CMAT/GMAT	Yes
Symbiosis Institute of Business Management	SNAP	Yes
Prin. L. N. Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research	CAT/XAT/ATMA/CMAT/GMAT	Yes
IRMA, Anand	CAT/XAT and IRMASAT	Yes
MICA, Ahmedabad	CAT/XAT/CMAT and MICAT	Yes

MBA Cutoff

The cutoff for MBA programs in India can vary widely depending on the business school, applicant category (general, OBC, SC/ST) and other factors. Candidates can check below MBA Cut off Table below for 2023.

CAT Cutoff for MBA IIM Admission 

Candidates can check the CAT cutoff for MBA IIM admission in the table below.

IIMs	Qualifying CAT Cutoff 2023 (Percentile) (General)	Final CutOff 2023 (General)
IIM Ahmedabad	85	99-100
IIM Bangalore	85	99-100
IIM Calcutta	85	99
IIM Lucknow	90	97-98
IIM Indore	90	97-98
IIM Kozhikode	85	97-98
IIM Amritsar	90	95-96
IIM Nagpur	85	95-96
IIM Sambalpur	93	95-96
IIM Trichy	93	95-96
IIM Raipur	93	94-95
IIM Ranchi	90	94-95
IIM Kashipur	94	94-95
IIM Vizag	80	92-94
IIM Udaipur	93	92-94
IIM Bodhgaya	93	92-94
IIM Rohtak	95	92-94
IIM Shillong	75	90
IIM Sirmaur	92	90
IIM Jammu	93	90

List of MBA colleges in India by entrance exam

Below is a list of MBA colleges in India that accept different entrance exam scores. Check them all before choosing a college for MBA admissions. 

MBA colleges in India accepting CAT	MBA colleges in India accepting IBSAT
MBA colleges in India accepting MAT	MBA colleges in India accepting ATMA
MBA colleges in India accepting XAT	MBA colleges in India accepting IIFT
MBA colleges in India accepting CMAT	MBA colleges in India accepting SNAP
MBA colleges in India accepting NMAT	MBA colleges in India accepting TSICET
MBA colleges in India accepting MAH CET	MBA colleges in India accepting TANCET

Frequently Asked Questions 

Ques: What are the application deadlines for MBA programs in 2024?

Ans: Application deadlines vary by school. Most programs have multiple rounds of applications with deadlines typically in September, January, and April. Check the specific deadlines on the official websites of the programs you are interested in.

Ques: What are the basic eligibility criteria for applying to an MBA program?

Ans: Generally, you need a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution. Work experience requirements vary, but most top programs prefer candidates with 2-5 years of professional experience. Additionally, you may need to take the GMAT or GRE.

Ques: Do I need to take the GMAT or GRE for admission?

Ans: Most MBA programs require either the GMAT or GRE, although some programs offer waivers based on work experience or other qualifications. Check with the specific programs for their requirements.

Ques: What are the components of a typical MBA application?

Ans: A typical MBA application includes an online application form, resume, personal essays, letters of recommendation, GMAT/GRE scores, academic transcripts, and sometimes an intervie

Ques: What should I include in my MBA application essays?

Ans: Your essays should highlight your career goals, why you want to pursue an MBA, why you are interested in that particular school, and how you can contribute to the program. Be authentic and provide specific examples from your experience.