MAT Selection and Admission Process 2026: Check Dates, Participating Colleges

Admit Card - 5 Mar '26

Updated on Feb 22, 2026 21:07 IST

By Vipra Shrivastava, Senior Manager - Content

MAT selection and admission process typically includes Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI). The MAT exam score is accepted by nearly 800+ MBA colleges in India. These colleges conduct the selection process individually as per their own admission cycle. MAT exam is conducted in four phases so candidates can choose the exam session according to the admission cycle of the preferred college among MAT participating institutes.

AIMA provides the option of selecting 5 colleges in the MAT application form. Once the MAT result is announced, AIMA sends candidates' MAT scores to those 5 colleges. Read here all about MAT selection criteria and admission process.

Table of contents

MAT Selection Process 2026
MAT 2026 Exam Dates & Schedule
MBA Admission Through MAT 2026
MAT Admission 2026: WAT/GD and PI
MBA Colleges Accepting MAT Score
FAQs on MAT 2026 Counselling

MAT Selection Process 2026

Check below are some key points related to MBA admission through MAT score:

Selection of college in the MAT application form does not mean admission is confirmed
Selection of candidates is based only on minimum MAT cut off for the chosen institutions.
Candidates can apply to upto 5 colleges through MAT application form.
If a candidate wishes to apply for more than 5 colleges, they will have to pay extra amount.
If a candidate wishes to apply to non MAT participating colleges, that accept the score for admission, they will have to apply seperately.
Participating institutes may have different selection criteria, cut offs and parameters.
Minimum academic eligibility criteria is 50% in graduation (45% for Reserved categories)
AIMA has no role in selection of candidates for MBA admission through MAT
Some of the MAT participating colleges offer admission to MAT qualifiers on the basis of exam score only. They do not conduct WAT/GD-PI
MAT score is also valid for admission to Maharashtra MBA colleges through MAH CET CAP and also o some of the other states.

MAT 2026 Exam Dates & Schedule

Take a look at the table below for the complete schedule of MAT 2026 exam

Dates	Upcoming Exam Dates
08 Mar ' 26	MAT Feb 2026 CBT

Dates	Past Exam Dates
01 Mar ' 26	MAT Feb 2026 PBT

MBA Admission Through MAT 2026

MBA admission through MAT includes three steps:

Registering for MAT exam and selecting five MAT participating colleges as preference
Appearing MAT exam (February, May, August or December)
Participating in GD/PI/WAT round of the institutes selected as preference in the application form

MAT Cut Offs 2026

MAT cut offs for MBA/PGDM admission are lower than other MBA entrance exam. Around 80-90 percentile will be good enough to get you a good college. Given below is the list of some of the top MBA Colleges accepting MAT score and their expected admission cut offs:

MBA College	MAT cut off 2026 (percentile)
Amity Business School, Noida	90+
Christ University Bengaluru	80-90
BIMTECH Greater Noida (Specialized Programs)	80-90
SIESCOMS Navi Mumbai	80-90
Jagan Institute of Management Studies (JIMS), Rohini Delhi	80-90
Indus Business Academy	80-90
Institute of Management Studies (IMS)	80-90
IPE Hyderabad, Institute of Public Enterprise	80-90
Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow	80-90
New Delhi Institute of Management (NDIM)	80-85
Vignana Jyothi Institute of Management	80-85
IES Management College and Research Centre	80-85
ITM Business School, Navi Mumbai	80-85

Watch Video to know more about Top MBA Colleges in India Accepting MAT Score for Admission.

Check MAT cut offs and predict calls from colleges accepting MAT score for admission. Check Fees, Placement Reviews, Admission, Shortlist Criteria and Eligibility of all MAT participating colleges by clicking the link below:

Predict MAT Admission Calls

Commonly asked questions

Q: What are the parameters on which MAT participating college shortlist candidates?

MAT participating colleges shortlist candidates on the basis of their past academic record, MAT score and performance in What/GD-PI. Some colleges also consider prior work experience in full time mode at executive or managerial level. In many institutes the scores of Class 12 is given a lot of importance, while in some colleges the score of MAT is considered the most important. Candidates must note that it is critical to have a good profile overall. An important point that MAT aspirants must know is that even though there is no minimum eligibility criteria of 50 percent for appearing in MAT the participating colleges have the minimum score criteria for full-time MBA Admission. Candidates should have scored a minimum of 50 percent in graduation (45 percent for SC/ST/PwD candidates), to be eligible for getting shortlisted for admission through MAT score. So, they should ensure they have at least the minimum score required in graduation before applying for MAT.

Q: How will I know about MAT GD/PI schedule?

The MBA institute will send Group Discussion GD and Personal Interview . PI letter to each candidate who had selected the institute in MAT application form upon their selection based on MAT cut offs. The candidate should keep checking their email ID mentioned in MAT application form. The letters/emails have GD/PI dates, time and venue mentioned on it along with other details related to the GD/PI process. If a candidate wishes to apply at college other than the ones they had selected in the MAT form, then they should visit the website of their desired MBA college and check the application schedule. Once they will fill the application form, they will be informed about the GD/PI schedule via email. Candidates must keep handy the MAT admit card, MAT scorecard, academic certificates, passport size colored photographs, original and requisite fee amount for admission on the day of Group Discussion and Personal Interview.

MAT Admission 2026: WAT/GD and PI

MAT 2026 qualifying candidates shortlisted for the personality assessment round will receive call letters in their registered email ID. They will have to appear for the selection rounds at the institutes. Details that will be mentioned on the call letter include:

Last date to complete registration
Date, time and venue of WAT/GD/PI
Documents to carry
Fee amount to carry

Candidates need to carry the following documents for WAT/GD/PI:

Copy of MAT 2026 admit card
Rank/score card of MAT
Original and photocopy of Class 10 and 12 certificates
Original and photocopy of graduation marksheets
Passport size coloured photographs
Requisite admission fees

Commonly asked questions

Q: What is the admission process through MAT?

The admission process for MBA/PGDM courses through MAT includes group discussion and Personal Interview . Some of the MBA colleges also conduct written ability test as part of the personality assessment test. In MAT candidates get the option to select 5 B-schools of their choice in the MAT application form, where AIMA will send their scores for shortlisting for MBA Admission. Candidates can choose from up to 600 MBA colleges which accept MAT score for admission. Once the MAT result for an exam phase is announced, the scorecards are sent to selected colleges. The colleges then contact the candidates for shortlisting process if they qualify on the basis of minimum MAT cut off. In case a candidate wishes to seek admission to any B-school other than the chosen five, they need to apply at their respective websites separately. MBA seat is offered to candidates only if they clear the group discussion and Personal Interview.

Q: Does AIMA conduct a counselling process for MBA Admission through MAT?

No. AIMA does not hold common counselling process for MBA Admission through MAT. The role of AIMA is to only conduct the MAT exam and prepare the results. There role in MBA process is only sharing the result/scorecard of candidates with the MAT participating institutes that they have selected in the MAT application form. The participating institutes prepare their own merit list and select candidates for admission basis the result shared by AIMA. The minimum eligibility criteria for shortlisting is passing marks in MAT. However, the selection is based on cut offs fixed by the institutes. The MBA institutes accepting MAT scores inform students about their shortlist status via e-mail when the admission window opens. Candidates who are expecting a call from the institutes they had selected in the MAT application form must keep a check on their email (spam section too) for the interview invitation.

Q: Can I make another attempt at MAT exam, if I score low in first attempt?

Yes, you can attempt MAT exam as many times as you want. MAT is conducted multiple times in a year, in February, May, September and December. If a candidate is not satisfied with their score of first attempt, they can choose any upcoming session to appear for it again.

MBA Colleges Accepting MAT Score

Given below is the list of some of the popular colleges accepting MAT score for admission to their MBA programmes:

Top Colleges Accepting MAT Score for MBA Admission
1. ABBS School of Management
2. Dr. D.Y. Patil B School, Pune
3. Unitedworld School of Business
4. GL Bajaj Institute of Management & Research
5. SRM University
6. Alliance University
7. GITAM Institute of Management
8. JIMS Rohini
9. Amity University
10. EIILM, Kolkata
11. ITM University
12. IILM University
113. Christ University
14. Jain University
15. Taxila Business School, Jaipur
16. OP Jindal Global University

Also Read: List of MBA colleges accepting MAT

Check cut offs of top MBA entrance exams and predict calls from IIMs and other Top MBA Colleges. Check Fees, Placement Reviews, Admission, Shortlist Criteria and eligibility of all MBA Colleges by clicking the link below:

Predict IIM & Non IIM Calls

Commonly asked questions

Q: What is the minimum academic criteria for MBA admission to colleges accepting MAT score?

Most of the MBA colleges that accept MAT score for admission have academic eligibility criteria in line with AICTE guidelines for PG courses. Candidate must have a minimum score of 50 % marks in graduation or equivalent from UGC recognised university. For SC/ST/PwD candidates the minimum score requirement is 45% marks or equivalent.

Q: What are documents required for MAT counselling?

For MAT counselling or selection process, candidates will require MAT scorecard, Class 10 marksheet, Class 12 marksheet, Graduation marksheet/certificate, work experience certificate, birth certificate, valid photo ID, category certificate.

Q: Which is the best session for appearing in MAT?

MAT is conducted in February, May, September and December. You can appear for it whenever ready and confident of scoring high. However, it is seen that maximum applications are done for December and February sessions as that's the main season of all other national level MBA entrance exams and admission.

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FAQs on MAT 2026 Counselling

Check here Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) related to MAT selection and admission process:

Commonly asked questions

Q: For how long is MAT score valid?

MAT score is valid for admission for the same academic year in which the candidate has taken the exam. For example, MAT 2025 score will be valid for admission for 2025-2026 MBA batch only. If a candidate wishes to drop a year after taking the MAT exam, then they will have to appear for the exam once again next year. They should however check the eligibility or selection criteria to have a clarity of MAT score of which session/phase is valid for admission in which academic year. For example, for 2025 academic session MAT September and MAT December scores will be valid for admission to some MBA colleges who have the admission cycle of January-February. Whereas, colleges who conduct admission in March-May accept MAT February exam scores for admission. To simplify, MAT test takers must not try to use their score for admission more than one year after appearing for it. They should appear for it again and use the latest score for admission.

Q: Which are the top colleges for MAT score 50-60 percentile?

MAT score is accepted by a lot of private MBA colleges in Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Some of the popular MBA colleges which accept MAT score in the range of 50-60 percentile are listed below. Admission process of these colleges include group discussion and Personal Interview . School of Management Sciences Varanasi Greater Noida Institute of Management Deviprasad Goenka Management College of Media Studies Mumbai International Institute of Business Studies Kolkata St Josephs Institute of Management Trichy Development Management Institute Patna Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management Harihar Rajalakshmi School of Business Chennai Gurunanak Institute of Management Studies Mumbai Madhya Pradesh Birla Institute of Management Bangalore MITCON Institute of Management Pune Vyasa Business School Bangalore GRG School of Management Studies Coimbatore Jagan Institute of Management Studies Jaipur Vanguard Business School Bangalore.

Q: Who decides MAT cut off percentiles for admission?

The participating colleges decide MAT cut off for admission to their MBA/PGDM programmes. Generally, the top MBA colleges' cut off range is around 90-95 percentile. Cut offs of Tier 2 colleges is usually between the range of 80-90 percentile and for Tier 3 it is 50-70 percentile. These cut offs are determined by the colleges on the basis of certain parameters and may change year on year. The three main factors that determine MAT cut off are listed below: 1. Difficulty level of MAT exam 2. Total number of students applying 3. Seat intake capacity of any institute 4. Previous year's cut offs Admission to MBA/PGDM courses through MAT is based on the cut offs. This is the standard procedure for MBA Admission in private B-schools and top government institutes as well. MAT being a national level MBA entrance exam follows the same process.

Q: Which are the top colleges for MAT score 60-70 percentile?

MAT score is valid for admission to a number of private MBA colleges in Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Candidates can appear for a MAT session as per the admission cycle of their preferred college. Some of the popular MBA colleges which accept MAT score in the range of 60-70 percentile are listed below. Adarsh Institute of Management and Information Technology Bangalore Fortune Institute of International Business, Delhi EMPI Business School, Delhi MIT School of Business Pune Apeejay School of Management (ASM), Delhi Institute of Engineering and Management, Kolkata IMS Ghaziabad Calcutta Business School, Kolkata SCMS Cochin School of Business Cochin IES Management College and Research Centre, Mumbai ITM Business School, Navi Mumbai International Institute of Management Studies, Pune Birla Global University, Bhubaneswar ITM Business School, Chennai International School of Business and Media Bangalore Accurate Institute of Management and Technology, Noida.

Q: Is appearing for GD/PI mandatory for admission through MAT?

Yes, it is mandatory to appear for GD/PI or the selection round for MBA admission through MAT. The entrance exam score is only one of the criteria of candidate selection. It doesn't ensure admission. The candidates are selected on the basis of their MAT score, academic record, and performance in the GD/PI round.