41% of Students Preparing for CAT: Shiksha Poll Highlights Top Entrance Exams for students aspiring for MBA in India
Recently, Shiksha conducted a poll. The poll shows that 41% of students are preparing for the Common Admission Test for management studies. 38% of them are preparing for other MBA entrance exams. The Management Aptitude Test is popular among 15% of students. The poll result shows the popularity of management education among the students. You can check the detailed information on the MBA entrace exam and syllabus in this article.
Related Information for MBA:
Career Opportunities after MBA in India and Abroad
Top MBA Entrance Exams in India
Discover top MBA colleges explored by similar minds
Students like you who showed interest in this article are also exploring the following colleges
Want better recommendations?
There is a 90% more chance of getting best college recommendations by sharing preferences.
- Chat with our counselor
- Get your personalised list of colleges & exams matching your preferences
Management is the most preferred postgraduate course among graduate. Admission to MBA program is based on national level entrance examination. Each MBA entrance exam has a different test syllabus, paper pattern, and difficulty level. Let's discuss the MBA entrance exam below.
-
CAT (Common Admission Test)
CAT is a national level entrance exam conducted for admission to MBA programs offered in Indian Institutes of Management and 1200 top B-schools, including FMS Delhi, MDI Gurgaon, SPJIMR Mumbai, and IMT Ghaziabad. Completed a bachelor's with 50% marks can appear for the test.
CAT is conducted once a year. The duration of the test is two hours. The question paper consists of three sections:
- Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)
- Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)
- Quantitative Ability (QA)
Each section has a 40-minute time limit and is equally important for the final percentile calculation. The question paper usually has around 66 questions, and the marking scheme includes +3 for correct answers and -1 for incorrect answers (only for MCQs).
Syllabus for CAT Exam:
The syllabus of the CAT exam is given below:
| Section |
Topics |
|---|---|
| VARC |
Reading comprehension passages, para jumbles, sentence correction, and odd one out. |
| DILR |
Bar charts, pie charts, line graphs, seating arrangement, puzzles, data sufficiency. |
| QA |
Number systems, percentages, time-speed-distance, geometry, algebra, probability, and set theory. |
Click here for the detailed CAT Syllabus
- MAT (Management Aptitude Test)
- XAT (Xavier Aptitude Test)
- SNAP (Symbiosis National Aptitude Test)
- Other Prominent MBA Entrance Exams
- Conclusion
MAT (Management Aptitude Test)
MAT is national level entrance exam conducted by the All India Management Association (AIMA). The exam is held in February, May, September, and December. The Management Aptitude Test score is accepted by over 600 B-schools in India.
Students with a bachelor degree in any stream can take the exam. MAT can be taken in three modes: paper-based test (PBT), computer-based test (CBT), and Internet-based test (IBT). The test duration is 150 minutes. The question paper will consist of 200 questions. MAT questions will be based on language Comprehension, Mathematical Skills, Data Analysis & Sufficiency, Intelligence & Critical Reasoning, and Indian & Global Environment. Each section consists of 40 questions, and the marking scheme is +1 for each correct answer and -0.25 for each wrong answer.
CAT is a speed based test of analytical aptitude, logical reasoning skills, data interpretation and English comprehension. Now, it may sound tough, but these are the skills which we are taught in school so there is nothing new to learn. What is required is to learn these subjects at advanced level. If you are an average student but have studied Science or commerce in Class-12 and graduation, you will find a lot of familiar topics in Data Interpretation, Quantitative Aptitude and Logical Reasoning. All you will need is brush up the basics and practice the concepts on advance level problems.
However, since the competition is so high in CAT and less than 95 percentile can break your dream of joining a top college like IIM, the preparation for CAT requires a lot of focus, dedication, discipline and diligence. If you can do that, despite being an average student, you can crack the CAT exam.
Yes, the NMAT is easier than the CAT exam. This is due to the following reasons:
- There is no negative marking in the NMAT unlike one-third negative marking for wrong answers in the CAT.
- You can do guess marking in a last-minute rush and get three marks even if only one choice is right.
- NMAT allows you to schedule the order of sections during the test. This makes it easier to attempt the sections for which you are well prepared.
- According to the updated pattern, the CAT has only 66 questions, compared to the NMAT's 108 questions, but the level of difficulty is higher.
- The CAT is a concept-based exam where you need to understand each question, and therefore, you need accuracy as well as speed in this exam.
- The competition in the NMAT is less than that in the CAT. As most MBA aspirants aim for IIM.
Syllabus for MAT Exam:
The syllabus of the Management Aptitude Test is given below:
| Section |
Topics |
|---|---|
| Language |
Reading comprehension, antonyms, synonyms, grammar. |
| Math |
Averages, speed-time-distance, profit & loss, geometry. |
| Reasoning |
Series, statements & conclusions, analogies. |
| Data Analysis |
Graphs, data tables, charts. |
| GK |
Business awareness, current affairs, static GK. |
-
XAT (Xavier Aptitude Test)
XLRI Jamshedpur conducts the Xavier Aptitude Test, which is another premier MBA entrance exam. The score of XAT is accepted by more than 160 institutes across India. XAT is considered one of the toughest MBA exams in India. Known for its unique emphasis on decision-making and ethical reasoning. Students with a Bachelor’s degree in any discipline can appear. The exam is held in January every year. The XAT exam spans 3 hours and 30 minutes and includes the sections mentioned below: Verbal and Logical Ability. Decision Making. Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation. General Knowledge. Essay Writing (evaluated during the personal interview stage).
Syllabus for XAT Exam:
You can check the table for Xavier Aptitude Test:
| Section |
Topics |
|---|---|
| Decision Making |
Case-based questions require ethical and analytical decision-making. |
| Quant & DI |
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, Venn diagrams, tables, graphs. |
| Verbal |
Critical reasoning, vocabulary, grammar, and reading comprehension. |
| General Knowledge |
Static GK, current affairs, economics, politics, and international events. |
Explore more MBA exams with upcoming dates
SNAP
30 Sep '25 - 10 Jan '26
5 Jan '26 - 10 Jan '26
29 Nov '25 - 11 Jan '26
13 Jan '26
XAT
22 Jan '26
15 Dec '25 - 23 Jan '26
23 Jan '26
-
SNAP (Symbiosis National Aptitude Test)
The Snap Exam is organized by Symbiosis International (Deemed University), is the entry point for MBA programs offered by 15 Symbiosis institutes, including SIBM Pune and SCMHRD.
Eligibility requires a bachelor’s degree with at least 50% marks (45% for SC/ST candidates). The exam is usually held in December and is known for its speed-focused format.
The exam has a total duration of 60 minutes and includes three sections:
- General English (Reading Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning, Verbal Ability).
- Quantitative, Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency.
- Analytical & Logical Reasoning.
The paper consists of 60 questions and follows a +1 for correct and -0.25 for incorrect answers marking scheme.
Syllabus for Snap Exam:
Here is the detailed syllabus for Snap Exam:
| Section |
Topics |
|---|---|
| Quant |
Time and work, percentages, permutation & combination, number systems. |
| Verbal |
Synonyms, idioms, para-jumbles, and reading passages. |
| Reasoning |
Syllogisms, coding-decoding, and visual reasoning. |
NMAT exam is conducted by GMAC three times during one MBA admission session. GMAC facilitates the three exam takes within a testing window. The test window for NMAT ranges around 45 days. Once the candidate has a valid score, he/she can compete the retake registration process and schedule any date that is 15 days after the previous attempt.
Candidates can choose to appear for NMAT up to three times on chosen dates within the test window specified by GMAC. Of all the three test scores, best exam score is sent to the NMAT participating colleges, chosen by the applicant while filling the form.
Each section of MAT exam has equal weightage. All the five sections - Language Comprehension, Intelligence and Critical Reasoning, Data Analysis and Data Sufficiency, Mathematical Skills and Indian & Global Environment have 30 questions. Each question carries one mark thus the section wise weightage of marks is 30 per section. There is negative marking of 0.25.
There are several benefits of appearing in the CMAT exam. It is easier than other exams and accepted by many B-schools. Check below some of the key benefits of CMAT.
- CMAT is conducted at the end of MBA entrance exam season, so MBA aspirants don't have to study much as the previous experience of exams like CAT, XAT, SNAP comes in use.
- CMAT score is accepted by about 1,300 MBA colleges in India which includes top colleges in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities.
- CMAT exam is a moderate difficulty level exam so it is easier to score high in CMAT than CAT, XAT, IIFT, GMAT.
- CMAT cut offs for admission in to top colleges are not exceptionally high, so you can get a good MBA college with a decent CMAT score.
- There's no 50 per cent aggregate criteria for CMAT application. Candidates with passing marks in graduation can also appear for the exam.
- CMAT application fee for women and reserved category candidates is only INR 1,000 which is quite less as compared to CAT, XAT, IIFT, SNAP fees.
Click here for the detailed Snap Syllabus
Other Prominent MBA Entrance Exams
Apart from CAT, XAT, MAT, and SNAP, several other entrance exams are also highly regarded by Indian B-schools:
- NMAT by GMAC: Conducted for admission to NMIMS and other partner institutes. Offers multiple attempts in a testing window.
- CMAT (Common Management Admission Test): Conducted by NTA, accepted by 1,000+ AICTE-approved colleges.
- IBSAT: ICFAI Business School Admission Test for admission to IBS Hyderabad and other campuses.
- IIFT Exam: Specifically for Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (Delhi and Kolkata), includes questions on international business.
- TISSNET: For admission to Tata Institute of Social Sciences programs in HRM, health, and more.
Conclusion
Shiksha poll shows that the majority of students prepare for the CAT for management admission. Also, the entrance exams like MAT, XAT, SNAP, and NMAT are popular among management aspirants. Students must know the eligibility criteria, exam syllabus, and paper pattern to plan their preparation. You have to stay focused and manage the time to qualify in the exam.
Pallavi is a graduate in BJMC which is popularly known as Bachelor of Journalism and Mass Communication with a strong passion for writing. She basically specializes in creating insightful and very well researched SE
Read Full Bio
Yes, CMAT is much easier that CAT exam. Despite the fact that CMAT and CAT syllabus are same and that CMAT has two more sections than CAT the former is much easier than the latter. The CAT exam is usually of moderate to high difficulty level, whereas the CMAT exam is of easy to moderate difficulty level.
There are key differences between CMAT and CAT which make the former easier. There is no sectional time limit in CMAT so candidates do not face the pressure of completing a given section within certain time limit. In CAT there are 4-5 Reading Comprehension passages which are 500-600 words, and 12-14 question.
In CMAT there is usually, only one Reading Comprehension passage, having 4 questions. The Quantitative Aptitude questions of CMAT are also easier than CAT and so are Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation questions. It is easier to score high percentile in CMAT as the number of applicants is more than one Lacs less in CAT.