MBA Entrance Exams You Can Take by Preparing for CAT
Aspirants preparing for CAT exam, can appear for a lot of other MBA entrance exams with the same preparation strategy. Know all about MBA entrance exams which you can take by preparing for only CAT.
Common Admission Test or CAT is the most widely accepted MBA entrance exam in India. Along with CAT, many other national and state level MBA entrance exams are conducted in India. Some are conducted by government education bodies and some by private universities/institutes.
Since the motive of MBA entrance exams is to select candidates with aptitude for management roles and managerial tasks, syllabus of all the MBA entrance exams are more or less the same. The syllabus of all MBA entrance exams includes, Quantitative Aptitude, Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning and Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension. All the exams are similar to each other in terms of syllabus but for a few which have General Knowledge section.
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CAT is considered the toughest MBA entrance exam and it is proven that if you are well prepared for CAT, you can crack other MBA entrance exams too with a bit of modification in exam preparation strategy, like topic specific preparation and by practicing exam specific mock test series (at least 15-20). Mock test series help you familiarize self with the actual exam atmosphere and mold oneself according to speed and accuracy desired for that particular exam. We have listed some of the MBA entrance exams you can attempt by preparing for CAT 2022. Take a look.
Yes, CAT syllabus is difficult to crack if you do not have enough time. There are three subjects in CAT- VARC, DILR and Quantitative Aptitude. Most of the candidates find RC passages tough to crack. In Quants, Arithmetic, Algebra and Geometry pose significant challenge during preparation. In DILR, Reasoning questions often turnout to be tricky and confusion.
The overall difficulty level of Andhra Pradesh ICET exam is moderate, as per the Andhra Pradesh ICET 2026 question paper analysis.
1. The Communication Ability section is usually easy to attempt with a 70-marks weightage.
2. The Analytical Ability section is also Moderate in difficulty, with a total score weightage of 75 marks.
3. In comparison to other exams, the Mathematical Ability section includes formula based questions, hence the difficulty level of this section is easy to moderate if the candidate is prepared properly. The weightage of this section sis 55 marks.
Candidates can check detailed analysis of Andhra Pradesh ICET question papers at this link: https://www.shiksha.com/mba/apicet-exam-analysis.
- XAT
- CMAT
- MAT
- SNAP Test
- NMAT by GMAC
- IIFT Exam
- ATMA
- IBSAT
- MAH CET MBA
- OJEE (MBA)
- TSICET
- APICET
- KMAT
- KMAT Kerala
- Other MBA Entrance Exams: State and University Level
XAT
Xavier Aptitude Test or XAT is conducted by XLRI, Jamshedpur for admission to its various PGDM courses and about 1,000 other MBA colleges across India. XAT consists of same topic as that of CAT, but the exam pattern and difficulty level of XAT is different from CAT. So, although the topics remain the same, the preparation strategy is a bit different for XAT.
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31 Dec '25
Exam pattern and syllabus of XAT
| XAT syllabus and question paper pattern |
||
|---|---|---|
| Sections |
Number of Questions |
Marks Allotted |
| Decision Making |
22 questions |
22 |
| Verbal and Logical Ability |
26 questions |
26 |
| Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation |
27 questions |
27 |
| General Knowledge |
25 questions |
25 |
| Total marks, duration and marking scheme |
||
| Total marks |
Duration |
Negative marking |
| 100 |
3 hours |
Yes. 0.25 (¼) mark deducted wrong answer |
Also Read:
CMAT
Common Management Admission Test or CMAT is taken by roughly 1.5 lakh candidates every year in the month of January. Earlier, CMAT used to be conducted by the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) but in 2019, the National Testing Agency (NTA) took over the responsibility to conduct it. Like CAT, CMAT too tests management aspirants on Quant, Logical Reasoning and English Language and Comprehension. CMAT has one extra subject – General Awareness. A new optional section – Innovation and Entrepreneurship – was added in 2020.
Exam pattern and syllabus of CMAT
| CMAT syllabus and question paper pattern |
||
|---|---|---|
| Sections |
Number of Questions |
Marks allotted |
| Data Interpretation |
20 questions |
80 |
| Logical Reasoning |
20 questions |
80 |
| Language Comprehension |
20 questions |
80 |
| General Awareness |
20 questions |
80 |
| Innovation and Entrepreneurship (optional) |
20 questions |
80 |
| Total marks, duration and marking scheme |
||
| Total marks |
Duration |
Negative marking |
| 400 |
3 hours |
Yes. 1 mark to be deducted for wrong answer. |
Also Read:
MAT
Management Aptitude Test or MAT also one of the popular MBA entrance exams. More than 600 institutes accept MAT scores for admission to management programmes. MAT is conducted by All India Management Association (AIMA) four times a year – February, May, September and December. The exam is held in remote proctored Internet Based Test (IBT), Computer Based Test (CBT) and Paper Based Test (PBT) modes.
The four main sections of MAT are same as CAT i.e. Language Comprehension, Mathematics (Quant), Data Analysis and Reasoning. MAT aspirants will have to prepare for one extra subject Indian and Global Environment, which carries 40 marks.
Exam pattern and syllabus of MAT
| MAT syllabus and question paper pattern |
||
|---|---|---|
| Sections |
Number of Questions |
Marks allotted |
| Language Comprehension |
40 questions |
40 |
| Mathematical Skills |
40 questions |
40 |
| Data Analysis and Sufficiency |
40 questions |
40 |
| Intelligence and Critical Reasoning |
40 questions |
40 |
| Indian and Global Environment |
40 questions |
40 |
| Total marks, duration and marking scheme |
||
| Total marks |
Duration |
Negative marking |
| 200 |
2.5 hours |
Yes. 0.25 (¼) mark deducted wrong answer |
Also Read:
SNAP Test
Symbiosis National Aptitude Test or SNAP Test is conducted by Symbiosis International University. SNAP scores are primarily used for admission to 15 institutes under Symbiosis International University. However, many other MBA/PGDM institutes accept SNAP scores for admission.
Like CAT, SNAP Test also has the three main subjects like other MBA entrance exams i.e. English Language and Comprehension, Quantitative Aptitude and Logical Reasoning. The difference between CAT and SNAP Test lies in the difficulty level of the questions and exam pattern.
Exam pattern and syllabus of SNAP Test
| SNAP Test syllabus and question paper pattern |
||
|---|---|---|
| Sections |
Number of Questions |
Marks allotted |
| General English: Reading Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning, Verbal Ability |
15 questions |
15 |
| Quantitative, Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency |
20 questions |
20 |
| Analytical & Logical Reasoning |
25 questions |
25 |
| Total marks, duration and marking scheme |
||
| Total marks |
Duration |
Negative marking |
| 150 |
2 hours |
Yes. 0.25 (¼) mark deducted wrong answer |
Also Read:
NMAT by GMAC
NMAT by GMAC is conducted by Graduate Management Admission Council for admission to about 200 member B-schools. The computer-based exam is conducted over a 75-day testing window, between October and December. The NMAT question paper contains three sections, same as CAT – Quantitative Skills, Logical Reasoning and English Language.
Exam pattern and syllabus of NMAT
| NMAT syllabus and question paper pattern |
||
|---|---|---|
| Sections |
Number of Questions |
Marks allotted |
| Language Skills |
36 questions |
108 |
| Quantitative Skills |
36 questions |
108 |
| Logical Reasoning |
36 questions |
108 |
| Total marks, duration and marking scheme |
||
| Total marks |
Duration |
Negative marking |
| 324 |
2 hours |
No |
Also Read:
IIFT Exam
The NTA conducts IIFT Entrance Exam on behalf of Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT). The IIFT exam is on par with CAT and XAT in difficulty level. Since its exam pattern and marking scheme are different from other common entrance exams for MBA admissions, it requires extra effort in preparation.
Exam pattern and syllabus of IIFT Exam
| IIFT exam syllabus and question paper pattern |
||
|---|---|---|
| Sections |
Number of Questions |
Marks allotted |
| Quantitative Ability |
25 questions |
75 |
| Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation |
30 questions |
90 |
| Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension |
35 questions |
105 |
| General Knowledge |
20 questions |
30 |
| Total marks, duration and marking scheme |
||
| Total marks |
Duration |
Negative marking |
| 300 |
2 hours |
Yes. -1 for each wrong answer in QA, LRDI & VARC. -0.5 for each wrong answer in GK |
Also Read:
ATMA
AIMS Test for Management Admissions (ATMA) is also a national-level management entrance test. It is conducted in online as well as offline mode and held four times a year-February, May, July and August. Like CAT, ATMA also test management aspirants in three parameters – Analytical Ability, Quantitative Ability and English Language.
Exam pattern and syllabus of ATMA
| ATMA syllabus and question paper pattern |
||
|---|---|---|
| Sections |
Number of Questions |
Marks allotted |
| Analytical Reasoning Skills Part 1 |
30 questions |
30 |
| Analytical Reasoning Skills Part 2 |
30 questions |
30 |
| Quantitative Skills Part 1 |
30 questions |
30 |
| Quantitative Skills Part 2 |
30 questions |
30 |
| Verbal Skills Part 1 |
30 questions |
30 |
| Verbal Skills Part 2 |
30 questions |
30 |
| Total marks, duration and marking scheme |
||
| Total marks |
Duration |
Negative marking |
| 180 |
3 hours |
Yes. 0.25 marks to be deducted for wrong answer. |
Also Read:
IBSAT
ICFAI Business School Aptitude Test or IBSAT is conducted by the ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education for admission to its nine campuses across India. IBSAT is conducted in online mode and the duration of exam is two hours. IBSAT tests the candidate on same parameters as CAT – Analytical Ability, Quantitative Ability and English Language.
Exam pattern and syllabus of IBSAT
| IBSAT syllabus and question paper pattern |
||
|---|---|---|
| Sections |
Number of Questions |
Marks allotted |
| Verbal Ability |
50 questions |
50 |
| Reading Comprehension |
30 questions |
30 |
| Quantitative Aptitude |
30 questions |
30 |
| Data Adequacy/ Sufficiency and Data Interpretation |
30 questions |
30 |
| Total marks, duration and marking scheme |
||
| Total marks |
Duration |
Negative marking |
| 140 |
2 hours |
No |
Also Read:
MAH CET MBA
MAH CET MBA is a state-level management entrance exam conducted by State Common Entrance Test Cell, Maharashtra. MAH CET MBA scores are valid for admission to all MBA institutes and colleges in the state of Maharashtra. The syllabus of MAH CET MBA is same as CAT, namely, English Language, Quantitative Aptitude and Logical Reasoning.
Exam pattern and syllabus of MAH CET MBA
| MAH CET MBA syllabus and question paper pattern |
||
|---|---|---|
| Sections |
Number of Questions |
Marks allotted |
| Logical Reasoning |
75 questions |
75 |
| Abstract Reasoning |
25 questions |
25 |
| Quantitative Aptitude |
50 questions |
50 |
| Verbal Ability/ Reading Comprehension |
50 questions |
50 |
| Total marks, duration and marking scheme |
||
| Total marks |
Duration |
Negative marking |
| 200 |
2.5 hours |
No |
Also Read:
OJEE (MBA)
Odisha Joint Entrance Exam or OJEE is a state-level entrance test conducted by the Government of Orissa for admission to various courses like BTech, BHMS, BAMS, MBA, MCA etc. OJEE MBA exam is conducted for candidates who wish to pursue management courses in state institutes and universities. OJEE MBA question paper contains three subjects common to all MBA entrance exams – verbal Reasoning, Analytical Reasoning and English Language. OJEE MBA aspirants will have to prepare two more subjects General Knowledge and Computer and Business Fundamentals - to clear the exam.
Exam pattern and syllabus of OJEE MBA
| OJEE MBA syllabus and question paper pattern |
||
|---|---|---|
| Sections |
Number of Questions |
Format |
| Verbal Reasoning |
40 questions |
|
| Analytical Reasoning |
40 questions |
|
| General Knowledge |
10 questions |
|
| Comprehension |
20 questions |
|
| Computer and Business Fundamentals |
10 questions |
|
| Total marks, duration and marking scheme |
||
| Total number of questions |
Duration |
Negative marking |
| 120 |
2 hours |
Yes. 1 mark to be deducted for each |
Also Read:
TSICET
Telangana State Integrated Common Entrance Test (TSICET) is an online written test, conducted for admission into MBA and MCA courses ((full time/part-time/evening/distance mode) of all universities in the state of Telangana and their affiliated colleges. The TSICET question paper consists of same topics as CAT but are named differently.
Exam pattern and syllabus of TSICET
| TSICET syllabus and question paper pattern |
||
|---|---|---|
| Sections |
Number of Questions |
Marks allotted |
| Analytical Ability |
75 questions |
75 |
| Mathematical Ability |
65 questions |
65 |
| Communication Ability |
50 questions |
50 |
| Total marks, duration and marking scheme |
||
| Total marks |
Duration |
Negative marking |
| 200 |
2.5 hours |
No |
Also Read:
APICET
Andhra Pradesh - Integrated Common Entrance Test (APICET) is a state-level MBA and MCA entrance examination conducted for admission to colleges in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The exam pattern of the APICET is same as TSICET and its syllabus is same as CAT.
Exam pattern and syllabus of APICET
| APICET syllabus and question paper pattern |
||
|---|---|---|
| Sections |
Number of Questions |
Marks allotted |
| Analytical Ability |
75 questions |
75 |
| Mathematical Ability |
75 questions |
75 |
| Communication |
50 questions |
50 |
| Total marks, duration and marking scheme |
||
| Total marks |
Duration |
Negative marking |
| 200 |
2.5 hours |
No |
Also Read:
KMAT
Karnataka Management Aptitude Test (KMAT) is conducted by Karnataka Private Post Graduate Colleges Association (KPPGCA), for admission to MBA/PGDM courses offered by state institutes and universities. KMAT’s exam pattern is similar to other state level management entrance exam - Verbal Ability, Quantitative Ability and Logical Reasoning.
Exam pattern and syllabus of KMAT
| KMAT syllabus and question paper pattern |
||
|---|---|---|
| Sections |
Number of Questions |
Marks allotted |
| Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension |
40 |
160 |
| Quantitative Ability |
40 |
160 |
| Logical Reasoning |
40 |
160 |
| Total marks, duration and marking scheme |
||
| Total marks |
Duration |
Negative marking |
| 480 |
2 hours |
No |
Also Read:
KMAT Kerala
Kerala Management Aptitude Test or KMAT Kerala is conducted by University of Kerala for admission to MBA/PGDM programmes offered by colleges and institutes affiliated to the varsity. KMAT Kerala is same as other common entrance exam, wherein the candidates are tested on their English Language, Quantitative Aptitude, Logical Reasoning and General Knowledge.
Exam pattern and syllabus of KMAT Kerala
| KMAT Kerala syllabus and question paper pattern |
||
|---|---|---|
| Sections |
Number of Questions |
Marks allotted |
| English language, Reading and Comprehension |
50 |
50 |
| Quantitative Aptitude |
50 |
50 |
| Data Sufficiency and Logical Reasoning |
40 |
40 |
| General Knowledge and Business Scenario |
40 |
40 |
| Total marks, duration and marking scheme |
||
| Total marks |
Duration |
Negative marking |
| 180 |
2.5 hours |
No |
Also Read:
| VARC Questions with Answers for Practice | DILR Questions with Answers for Practice | Quantitative Aptitude Questions with Answers for Practice |
Other MBA Entrance Exams: State and University Level
There are other MBA entrance exams, which you can appear for by preparing for CAT exam. Click to read all about at other MBA entrance exams you can attempt:
| Other MBA Entrance Exams |
|
|---|---|
| MICAT | |
| VMOU MET | |
TS ICET rank based on marks may change year to year depending on several factors. These factors include the number of candidates who took the exam, number of qualified candidates, difficulty standards of the TS ICET exam and more. For instance in the past session, TS ICET 2022 the rank 1 holder secured 170+ marks, whereas, in TS ICET 2021, the top 1 rank holder secured 155+ marks. Candidates securing 150+ marks can expect their rank to be within the top 20. TSCHE releases the TS ICET rankers list for top 20 rank holders along with the results.