MBA/PGDM

No, NMAT is not compulsory for admission to the MBA/PGPM programme at Athena School of Management (Mumbai).

Athena follows a profile-based admission process, which means your overall profile — academics, communication skills, achievements, and interview performance — carries more weight than just test scores.

You can apply with scores from NMAT, CAT, XAT, GMAT, or GRE, but if you haven't taken any of these, you can appear for ASAT (Athena Scholastic Aptitude Test), which is the institute's own entrance exam.

This gives flexibility to students who don't have NMAT or CAT scores but still want to pursue a management degree.

In short, NMAT helps strengthen your application, but it's not mandatory — Athena's selection is holistic and focuses more on potential and personality fit than just numbers.

The general eligibility criteria for MBA/PGDM programmes of many NMAT-accepting colleges are:

• A bachelor's degree (10+2+3 years minimum) in any discipline from a recognised university. 

• Minimum 50% aggregate marks (or equivalent CGPA) in the qualifying bachelor's degree.

• Final year students may often apply provisionally, provided they submit their degree certificate/marksheet before the deadline. 

• Some colleges prefer or require 2+ years of work experience, especially for specialised programmes (e.g., analytics, digital transformation). 

• Generally no upper age limit for appearing in NMAT.

Important tip: Always check the specific eligibility requirements of each college you apply to — specialisations, streams, or campuses may have additional criteria (for example, maths/statistics background, domain experience in healthcare/pharma, etc.).

If you want to build your career in finance or analytics, Chandigarh University offers some excellent specializations that align perfectly with your goals. You can choose options like MBA in Finance, MBA in Business Intelligence & Data Analytics or MBA in Applied Finance & Analytics (with PwC). These programs are designed to give you strong analytical, numerical and problem-solving skills. The curriculum focuses on modern financial tools, data interpretation, and real-time business decision-making. You'll also learn how analytics and financial strategies work together to support business growth. Since the courses are industry collaborated and NBA accredited, you'll be learning through practical exposure, case studies and simulations that prepare you for real-world financial challenges. All the MBA programs at Chandigarh University are ranked among the best and the management department holds the 32nd position in NIRF 2025 which reflects its academic quality and focus on skill based education.