All About CAT, MAT, XAT, CMAT: Full Form, Eligibility, Dates, Exam Fees, Syllabus

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Updated on Sep 29, 2026 21:54 IST

CAT, MAT, CMAT, XAT are the top most MBA entrance exams in India for MBA admission. If you are planning a career in management, you need to clear one of these exams. Read all about CAT, MAT, CMAT and XAT in this article. Also know about other MBA entrance exams.

CAT, MAT, CMAT, XAT are among the top four MBA entrance exams in India for MBA admission. These exam scores are accepted by the top MBA colleges in India. Read all about CAT, MAT, CMAT, XAT along with other top institute and state level exams, like IBSAT, APICET, and TS ICET in this article. Also know about other top MBA entrance exams that are gateway to some of the top MBA colleges in India.

CAT, MAT, XAT and CMAT are India’s most popular national level MBA entrance exams in India. If you qualify any of these exams, you are sure to get a seat in a well ranked and well reputed B-School. All four of these exams are conducted between November and January. Many aspirants appear for all four or at least two of them. Syllabus and pattern of CAT, MAT, XAT and CMAT are same with a few variations. For most of the candidates, CAT preparation forms the base for preparation of rest of the three. Read below to read key details of CAT, IBSAT, MAT, XAT and CMAT, including application dates, fee, pattern and syllabus.

Table of contents

Top MBA Entrance Exams in India 2026-2027
CAT Full Form and Highlights
MAT Full Form and Highlights
XAT Full Form and Highlights
CMAT Full Form and Highlights
Other Top MBA Entrance Exams

Top MBA Entrance Exams in India 2026-2027

CAT, conducted by IIM is the top entrance exam in India for MBA. Every year nearly 2.5 lakh MBA aspirants apply for CAT. It is the gateway to IIMs, FMS Delhi, IMT, SPJIMR, IIT-DoMS, MDI Gurgaon, IMI Delhi and other top-ranked MBA colleges. Overall, nearly 1600 colleges accept CAT score for admission.
XAT is the gateway to XLRI Jamshedpur, MDI, IMT, LIBA, BITS Pilani, XISS, KJ Somaiya, MICA, BIMTECH, IRMA, XIMB, etc. XAT is also accepted by nearly 1000 + B-Schools in India.
MAT exam score is accepted by over 800 B-schools in India, including Amity University, Christ University, ITM University, DY Patil B-School, JIMS Rohini, Taxila Business School, Alliance University, etc. MAT is conducted by AIMA.
CMAT is conducted by the NTA and is valid for admission to all AICTE-approved colleges. Top colleges accepting the score include, JBIMS Mumbai, GIM Goa, KJ Somaiya, Welingkar Institute of Management Mumbai, SIMSREE Mumbai, Great Lakes Institute of Management Chennai, NL Dalmiya Institute of Management, Jaipuria Institute of Management, BIMTECH, KIIT School of Management, XIME Bangalore, etc.

⚡ CAT 2026 Exam Guide: Know all about Common Admission Test to get into the best B-Schools

Get a complete overview of CAT exam 2026 to be conducted by IIM Indore on November 29 for nearly 2.9 lakh MBA aspirants.

📄 Download PDF

The MBA entrance exam season has kicked off with opening of XAT registration 2027 and the announcement of CAT 2026 dates. XAT 2027 registration started July 15 and will end on December 6, 2026. CAT 2026 registration closed on September 22, and SNAP 2026 registrations started on August 21 and will close on November 25, 2026. MAT 2026 application window for December session is open and close on December 21, 2026 and CMAT 2027 applications will follow. Candidates can also register for NMAT 2026 by October 10, 2026.

So, if you are planning to pursue MBA in the 2027 academic session you must appear for any of these national-level MBA entrance exams. Ideally, you should appear in more than one national level MBA entrance exam as admission cut offs and score-accepting colleges are different for each of them. Appearing for more than one exam will give you more options.

Also Read: MBA Admission 2027: Check Application Deadline and Process of Top B-Schools

CAT Full Form and Highlights

The full form of CAT is Common Admission Test is conducted by the IIM. The exam score is valid for admission to over 1,600 MBA colleges in India. CAT is conducted annually and considered the toughest MBA entrance exam. This year IIM Indore will conduct the exam, so the test can be expected to be slightly easier than last year. Here are key highlights of CAT 2026 exam:

CAT Features	CAT Details
Conducting institute	IIM
Exam level	National
Exam frequency	Once a year
Exam mode	CBT
Exam duration	2 hours
CAT 2026 exam date	29-Nov-2026
Registration Dates	03-Aug-2026 to 22-Sep-2026
Eligibility	Graduation with 50 % aggregate (45 % for SC/ST students) Final year graduation students are also eligible to apply
Number of applications	2.95 lakh (in 2025)
Number of test takers	2.58 lakh (in 2025)
Exam fees	INR 2,700 (General category) and INR 1,350 (Reserved category)
CAT syllabus	Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) Quantitative Ability (QA)
CAT pattern	68 MCQs and non-MCQs
No. of test cities	170
Exam purpose	Admission into IIMs, SPJIMR, FMS, MDI, IMT and over 1,300 B-Schools in India
Course offered	MBA/PGDM
Exam helpdesk no.	1-800-210-1088 (Toll Free)
Exam website	https://iimcat.ac.in

Also Read:

MAT Full Form and Highlights

The full form of MAT is Management Aptitude Test. It is an easy exam and conducted multiple times in a year. One can choose the month as well as the mode in which one wants to appear for it. MAT December exam dates 2026 have been announced and the registration process is underway. Read key highlights of MAT 2026 exam below:

MAT Features	MAT Details
Conducting institute	All India Management Association (AIMA)
Exam level	National
Exam frequency	Multiple times a year
Exam mode	CBT, PBT
Exam duration	2 hours
MAT exam schedule	20-Dec-2026 (PBT) 27-Dec-2026 (CBT)
MAT registration dates	14-Dec-2026 (PBT) 21-Dec-2026 (CBT)
Eligibility	Graduation in any stream from a recognised university Final year graduation students are also eligible to apply
Number of applications	40,000 (approx.)
Exam fees	INR 2,300 (INR 1,700 additionally for second test mode)
MAT syllabus	Language Comprehension Data Analysis & Sufficiency Mathematical Skills (Quantitative Aptitude) Intelligence and Critical Reasoning Economic and Business Environment
MAT pattern	150 questions in MCQs format
No. of test cities	35-40
Exam purpose	Admission to 800 MBA Colleges in India (approx.)
Course offered	MBA/PGDM
Exam helpdesk no.	011 - 24645100 / 011 - 24617354 / 011 - 43128100
Exam website	https://mat.aima.in/

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XAT Full Form and Highlights

The full form of XAT is Xavier Aptitude Test and it is conducted by XLRI Jamshedpur annually every year on first Sunday of January. XAT is of moderate to high difficulty level. After CAT, XAT is the most popular option among MBA aspirants. Read key highlights of XAT 2027 below:

XAT Features	XAT Details
Conducting institute	XLRI, Jamshedpur
Exam level	National
Exam frequency	Once a year
Exam mode	CBT
Exam Duration	180 minutes
XAT exam date	January 3, 2027
Registration Dates	15-July-2026 to 6-Dec-2026
Eligibility	Graduation in any stream from a recognised university Final year graduation students are also eligible to apply
Number of applications	Nearly 1.00 lakh ( for 2025 exam)
Exam fees	INR 2,300
XAT syllabus	Decision Making Verbal & Logical Ability Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation General Knowledge
XAT pattern	95 questions in MCQ format
No. of test cities	110
Exam purpose	Admission to XLRI and 800 MBA colleges
Course offered	MBA/PGDM
Exam helpdesk no.	18002674008
Exam website	https://xatonline.in/

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Is XAT tougher than CAT?

What is the difference between CAT and MAT?

What is the difference between CAT and CMAT?

CMAT Full Form and Highlights

The full form of CMAT is Common Management Admission Test. It is conducted by the NTA and valid for admission to all government institutions for MBA and PDGM programmes. Many private institutes also accept CMAT score for admission. Some of the top CMAT colleges include JBIMS Mumbai, SIMSREE Mumbai, KJ Somaiya Institute of Management, GIM Goa, Welingkar’s PUMBA Pune and BIMTECH. Read key highlights of CMAT 2027 below:

Commonly asked questions

Q: How to calculate CMAT percentile?

Since CMAT is usually conducted in two shifts, there are chances of the question paper of one shift being slightly tougher or easier in comparison to the question paper of other shift. In order to negate the possibility of any candidate having an advantage or disadvantage due to this, the exam authorities normalise the CMAT scores before percentile calculation. Once that is done, the authorities use the normalised score for percentile score calculation. CMAT percentile is basically a rank of a candidate vs the total number of candidates who appeared in the exam. Given below is the formula for calculating CMAT percentile prescribed by NTA: Formula to Calculate CMAT Percentile: If 10,000 candidates appeared in CMAT and only 1 candidate scored the highest marks (365/400). Since they have scored the highest in exam, their rank will be 1 and CMAT percentile score will be: 100 x 9999/10,000= 99.99.

Q: How many CAT mock tests to practice to score 99 percentile?

Experts recommend that aspirants must practice at least 40 CAT mock tests to score above 99 percentile well in the exam. Most of the CAT test takers take up to 50 mock tests of various types and difficulty level. CAT toppers in previous years have practiced even up to 80 mock tests during their preparation. However, candidates must decide the number of CAT mock tests depending on their control and confidence on topics as the exam day comes closer. Mock tests are the best way to judge your performance viz. The important topics of CAT. The more one practices CAT mock tests, the more accurate they get in solving questions from all subjects. It is very important to know which formula to apply to which type question to solve the problem accurately. Mock tests help candidates in this aspect which is why practicing mock tests is most important in CAT preparation.

Q: When can I apply for CMAT?

CMAT exam is conducted annually in January and the registration window opens in October. You can apply for CMAT 2027 once the application window open in October 2026.

Q: Can I give NMAT three times?

Candidates can appear for NMAT exam three times during one admission session. GMAC considers the best of three scores to be sent to the NMAT participating institutes for admission. Candidates who wish to appear for more than one exam take have to fill the retake registration form. The retake registration can be filled after the candidate takes the first exam attempt. While filling the retake registration form, candidates have to pay the registration fee again. Additionally, candidates have to schedule the retake exam.

CMAT Features	CMAT Details
Conducting institute	National Testing Agency
Exam level	National
Exam frequency	Once a year
Exam mode	CBT
Exam Duration	3 hours
Exam schedule	07-Feb-2027
Registration Dates	Third week of October to Last week of November 2026
Eligibility	Graduation in any stream from a recognised university Final year graduation students are also eligible to apply
Number of applications	50,000
Exam fees	General male candidates: INR 2,500 Reserved category male, women and transgender: INR 1250
CMAT syllabus	Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation Logical Reasoning Language Comprehension & Verbal Ability General Awareness Innovation and Entrepreneurship (optional paper)
CMAT pattern	100 questions in MCQ format
No. of test cities	124
Exam purpose	Admission to 1300 MBA colleges
Course offered	MBA/PGDM
Exam helpdesk no.	0120-6895200
Exam website	https://www.nta.ac.in

Other Top MBA Entrance Exams

Given below is the list of some other popular MBA entrance exams you can explore and consider applying for admission a B-School of your choice:

Commonly asked questions

Q: How many mock tests to attempt to score 99 percentile in CMAT?

There is no particular number of CMAT mock test that you should target to solve during your preparation phase but on an average it has been seen that about 30-40 CMAT mock tests are good enough to score 99 percentile. Candidates must start solving CMAT mock tests after completing the syllabus as it will help them gauge which are the topics that they have understood well and which are the topics that require more work. 30-34 CMAT mock tests are recommended as, CMAT exam is all about speed and accuracy. The more questions you'll solve in an exam environment, the better you'll get at understanding, choosing and solving questions faster and correctly. Important point to note about practicing CMAT mock test is that one should analyse every mock test to understand the gaps and fissures and what to do to fill them. Another aspect to keep in mind is not to overdo it. When you start to score 98-99 percentile in CMAT mock tests consistently then you should stop and focus on revision, etc.

Q: What is the CAT exam cutoff required to get admission to IIM Bangalore?

The CAT cut offs for IIM Bangalore hovers between 97-100 percentile. The qualifying CAT cut off required for being eligible for IIM Bangalore's Written Ability test (What) and Personal Interview PI is 85 percentile for General category students, whereas for SC candidates, it is 70 percentile. For ST candidates, it is 65 percentile and for PwD candidates it is 60 percentile. Given below are the sectional and overall qualifying CAT cut offs for IIM Bangalore.

General category: 80 VARC 75 DILR 75 Quantitative Aptitude 85 (Overall)
NC-OBC category: 75 VARC 65 DILR 65 Quantitative Aptitude 75 (Overall)
EWS category: 70 VARC 65 DILR 65 Quantitative Aptitude 75 (Overall)
SC category: 65 VARC 60 DILR 60 Quantitative Aptitude 70 (Overall)
ST category: 55 VARC 55 DILR 55 Quantitative Aptitude 65 (Overall)
PwD category: 50 VARC 50 DILR 50 Quantitative Aptitude 60 (Overall)

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MBA Entrance Exams	MBA Entrance Exams Full-Form
IBSAT	ICFAI Business School Aptitude Test
KMAT	Karnataka Management Aptitude Test
MICAT	MICA Common Aptitude Test
MAH CET	Maharashtra MBA Common Entrance Test
NMAT by GMAC	Narsee Monjee Management Aptitude Test by GMAC
SNAP	Symbiosis National Aptitude Test
TANCET	Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test Exam
TSICET	Telangana State Integrated Common Entrance Test
APICET	Andhra Pradesh Integrated Common Entrance Test
Karnataka PGCET	Karnataka Post Graduation Common Entrance Test
OJEE MBA	Odisha Joint Entrance Examination MBA
KMAT Kerala	Kerala Management Aptitude Test

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