Admission Process

The admission process for management programs in India is a multi-stage selection procedure that is meant to pick up the best candidates. It is for the aspirants who want to build their careers in the field of management and move up to leadership roles. The process begins with the students choosing the institutes they wish to apply to and submitting their applications through the institute's respective admission portals.

Table of Content

Most of the top management institutes in India including IIMs, IITs and other private colleges ask the aspirants to sit for national-level entrance exams such as CAT, XAT, GMAT, NMAT, SNAP or CMAT. These exams are meant to assess the candidate's analytical and problem-solving skills.

After clearing the entrance exam institutes shortlist candidates on the basis of their exam scores and invite them for further selection rounds such as Written Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI). The WAT tests the writing and analytical abilities of candidates while the GD round tests their teamwork, leadership and communication skills. The PI round is a very critical stage where candidates are tested on various parameters such as their personality, career goals, academic background and industry awareness. Some institutes also conduct case discussions or extempore sessions to check the spontaneity and decision-making skills.

The admission cycle usually starts a year in advance and the application forms are released in the months of August-September. The entrance exams are usually held between November and January followed by selection rounds in February-April and finally admissions take place by May-June.

Highlights of the MBA Admission Process

The MBA admission process in India is designed to enable students and professionals to move on to higher management positions. This two-year program is offered in full-time, Part-time and Online formats. It is based on entrance exams such as CAT, XAT, GMAT, NMAT and SNAP along with GD, WAT and PI.

The selection process also considers past academic records, work experience and diversity. Top institutes like IIMs, IITs, XLRI and ISB offer MBA programs with fees varying from ₹2.00 lakhs to ₹45.00 lakhs and salaries ranging from ₹3.00 Lakhs to ₹35.00 Lakhs a year. After graduation, students occupy leadership positions in various industries and hence an MBA is a good career option. The highlights of the MBA admission process are given below:

Particulars	Details
MBA Full Form	Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Duration of the MBA Program	2 Years
Entrance Exams Conducted	CAT, XAT, CMAT, MAT, NMAT, SNAP, CUET-PG GMAT, state-conducted exams etc.
MBA Admission Process	MBA Entrance Exam, Group Discussion, Written Ability test and Personal Interview
Other Considerations during the selection process	10th, 12th, graduation marks, Gender and educational diversity
Courses Offered	MBA/PGDM, Part-time MBA, Online/Distance, MBA Executive MBA and Integrated MBA
MBA Popular Specialisation	Finance, Marketing, Human Resources, Operations Management, Information Technology, International Business, Healthcare Management, Business Analytics, Entrepreneurship, Retail Management, Supply Chain Management, Agribusiness Management etc.
Top MBA Colleges in India	IIMs, IITs, XLRI, FMS Delhi, NMIMS, Symbiosis, ISB, SPJIMR, JBIMS etc.
Master of Business Administration (MBA) Full Course Fees	₹2.00 Lakhs to ₹49.50 Lakhs
Master of Business Administration (MBA) Average Salary Range	₹3.00 Lakhs to ₹35.00 Lakhs per annum
Job Profiles for MBA Graduates	Marketing Manager, Finance Manager, HR Manager, Product Manager, Business Analyst etc
MBA Target Audience	Recent pass-outs and candidates who want to move into leadership roles or younger professionals with minimum work experience.

MBA Program Application Process

The process of applying for an MBA program in India begins with the selection of the right business schools and understanding and fulfilling their eligibility criteria.
Candidates must first get themselves registered and appear for entrance exams like CAT, XAT, GMAT, NMAT or SNAP depending on the institute's requirement.
Once the results are declared, shortlisted candidates are called for further selection rounds which may include a WAT, GD and PI. These rounds test communication skills, problem-solving ability and leadership potential.
Some institutes also consider academic performance, work experience and diversity factors in their final selection process.
After clearing all stages of the admission process the students are offered admission. Their admission is considered final when the fee payment is done. Effective preparation and on time application and strong interview performance get the students admitted to one of India’s leading MBA programs.

Eligibility Criteria for Admission

The eligibility criteria for MBA/PGDM colleges in India differ from one college to another. Still, the general MBA requirements for the colleges in India remain the same. Some of these requirements such as educational qualification, entrance exam, work experience, academic diversity and selection process are given below:

MBA Eligibility Criteria	Details
Educational Qualification	Graduation mark of a minimum of 50% (45% for reserved applicants). IIMs & IITs need 60% marks.
Work Experience	No prior work experience is required for admission to MBA programs. The Executive MBA programs require prior work experience for admission.
Entrance Exam	National-level exams like CAT, XAT, CMAT, MAT, GMAT, ATMA and Institute-specific exams like SNAP for symbiosis and NMAT for NMIMS etc. Candidates can also take state-level entrance exams like MAH MBA CET for admission.
Academic Diversity	Candidates from diverse educational backgrounds such as engineering, arts or science can apply as well.
Selection Process	After the entrance test, the admissions process includes GD, WAT and PI rounds.
Additional Requirements	Candidate's performance in 10th and 12th grade, passing marks of graduation and diversity criteria such as gender, professional or geographical diversity.

MBA Entrance Exams

In India, admission to top management colleges is provided through the popular MBA entrance exams. The exams are a way of checking the aptitude, analytical abilities and suitability of the candidate for management education. The MBA entrance exam in India is mainly conducted under three categories which are national-level exams, university-specific entrance exams and state-specific entrance exams. The details of these entrance exams are given below:

National-Level MBA Entrance Exam

CAT Exam - The Common Admission Test is one of the most important entrance exams for admission into MBA programs especially at leading business schools in India including the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) as well as other popular institutions such as FMS, SPJIMR, MDI etc. Every year on the rotational basis MBA entrance exams are conducted by the IIMs. The CAT exam has DILR, QA and VARC sections.It is a test of a candidate's reasoning analytical skills and writing abilities all of which are highly pertinent to the management role. Therefore the CAT exam is designed to assess which of the candidate's skills are relevant to business management.

XAT Exam - The Xavier Aptitude Test is a key determinant for admission into MBA programs especially at leading institutions such as XLRI Delhi and over 150 affiliated colleges. It is being carried out yearly by XLRI for XAMI (Xavier Association of Management Institutes). Verbal and logical ability, decision-making, quantitative ability and data interpretation and general knowledge are all sections that are present in the XAT entrance exam which focuses its attention on decision-making ability which is of relevance to future managers of businesses. The XAT test is prepared in such a way that it evaluates the candidate's aptitude and skill set in areas of business management.

GMAT Exam - It is an international exam accepted by top global and Indian business schools like ISB and SPJIMR. The GMAT exam scores are valid till five years. Now the exam is known as GMAT Focus Edition. The units have been prepared to evaluate the skills needed to succeed in a workplace environment and to problem-solve, analyse and effectively communicate.

Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) - The institution organising the CMAT exam is NTA. The AICTE-approved institutions accept the CMAT test. Here it tests the student's level in quantitative techniques, logical reasoning, language skills, general awareness and innovation and entrepreneurship. The exam is three hours long. The top institutes that accept the CMAT scores are IMI, K.J Somaiya Institute of Management, Christ University etc.

Management Aptitude Test (MAT)- For the mid-tier management colleges in India AIMA MAT organises the MAT exam. The sections include Language Comprehension, Mathematical Skills, Data Analysis, Reasoning and General Knowledge. The sections include Language Comprehension, Mathematical Skills, Data Analysis, Reasoning and General Knowledge.

MBA National-Level Entrance Exam
CAT	XAT
CMAT	GMAT
MAT

State-Level MBA Entrance Exam

Some of the most popular state-level MBA admission tests are given below:

Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (MAH CET): The entrance exam for the state's top MBA colleges like JBIMS and SIMSREE in Maharashtra is known as MAH CET. It evaluates Logical Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning, QA and Verbal Ability.
Karnataka PGCET: For MBA admissions in Karnataka-based colleges. It covers sections on QA, Logical Reasoning, General Knowledge and English.
AP ICET/Telangana ICET: This Entrance exam is conducted for MBA admissions in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana respectively. It evaluates Analytical Ability, Mathematical Skills and Communication Skills.
TANCET Exam: Anna University organises the TANCET a state-level entrance test for admission to MBA programs in Tamil Nadu. This test is conducted every year for candidates who seek to gain entry into the management course that universities and affiliated colleges conduct. TANCET MBA exam contains three sections: Quantitative Ability, Analytical Reasoning, English and General Awareness.

Institution-specific MBA Entrance Exam

IIFT (Indian Institute of Foreign Trade): The IIFT entrance exam is organised for admission into its MBA in International Business. The test measures Quantitative Aptitude, Logical Reasoning, Verbal Ability and General Knowledge.
SNAP (Symbiosis National Aptitude Test): It is a popular entrance exam organised for admission into the MBA programs of Symbiosis International University (SIU). This MBA admission test in India examines the candidate's General English, Quantitative Skills, Analytical Ability and General Awareness.
NMAT (Narsee Monjee Aptitude Test): Conducted by GMAC for entry to NMIMS and other selected colleges. It can be taken a maximum of three times with the consideration of highest scores.

University-Specific MBA Entrance Exam
SNAP	NMAT
IIFT

Cut-Off

CAT Exam Cut-Off

CAT is one of the most competitive entrance exams for admission into some of the best management programs such as the MBA in India especially at the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and other top business schools. The CAT exam cutoff is the minimum score or percentile a candidate must achieve to become eligible for the next stage of the admission process.

The next step includes group discussions, written ability tests and personal interviews. Institutes set their own cutoffs based on factors such as the number of applicants, seat availability and overall performance of candidates. The cutoffs may differ for different categories such as General, OBC, SC and ST so that everyone gets a fair chance.

IIMs CAT Cut-Off

The list of 21 IIMs along with their cut-offs is given below and the colleges are arranged according to the NIRF ranking 2024 with IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Kozhikode at the top:

List of IIMs	CAT Cut-Off	List of IIMs	CAT Cut-Off
IIM Ahmedabad	99	IIM Kashipur	95
IIM Bangalore	99	IIM Shillong	92
IIM Kozhikode	97	IIM Visakhapatnam	92
IIM Calcutta	99	IIM Tiruchirappalli	94
IIM Mumbai	97	IIM Nagpur	94
IIM Lucknow	97	IIM Bodh Gaya	94
IIM Indore	97	IIM Jammu	91
IIM Rohtak	96	IIM Amritsar	90
IIM Raipur	94	IIM Sambalpur	92
IIM Raipur	94	IIM Sirmaur	92
IIM Udaipur	96

IITs CAT Cut-Off

The list of IITs along with their cut-offs is given below and the colleges are arranged according to the NIRF Ranking 2024:

College Name	CAT Cut-Off
IIT Kanpur	95
IIT Delhi	96
IIT Madras	92
IIT Kharagpur	90
IIT Roorkee	95
IIT Bombay	95
IIT Dhanbad	88
IIT Jodhpur	85

Other Institutes CAT Cut-Off

Most of the leading MBA schools accept CAT scores. FMS, IIFT and MDI have cut-offs of over 95 percentile whereas IMI, SPJIMR and Great Lakes are between 85-92 percentile. Institutions such as Chandigarh University and Amity have lower cut-offs at 75-88 percentile. A list of other institutes that accept CAT exam scores is given below along with their cut-offs:

List of Institutes	CAT Cut-Off	List of Institutes	CAT Cut-Off
FMS Delhi	98	Chandigarh University, Mohali	88
Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, New Delhi	98	Goa Institute of Management, Goa	85
Management Development Institute (MDI)	96	Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham	80
S. P. Jain Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai	92	Amity University, Gautam Budh Nagar	80
IMI, New Delhi	90	Lovely Professional University	80
Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai	88	Jamia Millia Islamia	75

XAT Exam Cut-Off

List of the top management institutes that accept the XAT cut-off is given below:

List of Institutes	XAT Cut-off
XLRI-BM	96-99
XLRI-HRM	92-96
XIM, Odisha	91-92
MICA Ahmedabad, Shela, Gujarat	90-91
(IMT)-Institute of Management Technology, UP	90-91
(IMI)- International Management Institute, New Delhi	90-91

MBA Selection Process

The IIMs will put their entrance requirements on their official website. Non-IIMs also make their requirements public. Candidates can see these requirements and then they can apply online for admission to their desired IIM or any other B-School. On the basis of their selection criteria, the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) selects candidates for their interview rounds.

However, the entrance exam scores still remain an important criterion for selection at IIMs and other colleges. The past academic records, diversity of qualifications, gender etc. of the candidate are also used in the selection process. The composite scores of the candidate in all rounds are used to determine their admission into IIMs. Every IIM has a different admission process. Candidates can check the official website of the IIMs & other B-schools to learn more about their selection and admission process in 2024.

The Selection Process of the IIMs through the CAT Exam

After the CAT exam is over the students' selection process for admission into the MBA program will have three rounds. These are as follows:

Round 1: CAT Exam Results and the shortlisting of the candidates by IIMs.

Round 2: Rounds of Writing Ability Test (WAT) & Personal Interview Round (PI). Some colleges may also take the Group Discussion round.

Round 3: Verification and the Final Selection of the candidate.

Round 1: CAT Exam Results and the shortlisting of the candidates by IIMs

The IIMs will first announce the CAT Exam results. IIM Calcutta which is conducting the CAT Exam 2024 will release exam results. After CAT exam results are announced, the Indian Institute of Management (IIMs) will select the candidates for their PI and WAT rounds. The invitation will be sent to their registered email address.

The invitation letter will contain the following information:

Link for registering for the further selection process.
The deadline for finishing the CAP registration for the nine IIMs.
The location, date and time of WAT-GD and PI will also be mentioned in the invitation letter.

Round 2: Personal Interview Round and Writing Ability Test Round (WAT-PI-GD)

The next round of the IIMs & other B-schools is the selection process. Rounds of the Writing Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI) will be included in this stage. Some institutes also take the Group Discussion round for selecting the candidates. Candidates are checked for their general knowledge, communication skills, performance in previous rounds and ability to think critically.

Given below are certain parameters for the GD-WAT-PI rounds that the IIMs consider:

Parameters and Details for the GD-WAT-PI
Scores of the CAT Exam	Varying from 70-95 (Sectional and Total Cut Offs) for every IIM
Gender Diversity Parameter	At the IIMs, gender diversity points are given to the female candidates to promote gender diversity.
Work Experience Parameter	Five - ten points are awarded to the candidates whose work experience is of two to three years.
Diversity of the Educational Qualification	Based on their academic performance, candidates will receive diversity points with backgrounds other than engineering.

Round 3: Verification and the candidate's final selection.

The person is accepted based on various criteria once it has been established that they meet all the criteria. The following are the criteria upon which the final IIMs do selection:

Class 10	Personal Interview - (PI)
Class 12	Writing Ability Test - (WAT)
Graduation	Gender Diversity
CAT Score	Work Experience

Note: These parameters may vary based on different IIM selection criteria.

Given below is a sample of the admission process at IIM Calcutta. It is given for the aspirant's better understanding of the admission process at IIMs.
Note: The selection criteria of different IIMs may vary.

An Example of IIM Calcutta MBA Selection Criteria

A. Shortlisting candidate for Personal Interview (PI) and Writing Ability Test (WAT)

A shortlist of candidates will be selected based on the CAT score as well as additional factors like academic standing and gender diversity.

Stage I: Candidate’s Minimum CAT percentile cut-offs for PI and WAT-

The candidates will be shortlisted for sectional and overall percentiles in stage 2 if they meet the minimum eligibility criteria in stage 1 of the CAT score as shown in the table below.

Table 1: For Stage 1 - Min. CAT percentile needed

Category	Overall Percentile	QA	VARC	DILR
Economically Weaker Section - (EWS)	≥75	≥65	≥70	≥65
Persons with Disabilities - (PwD)	≥55	≥45	≥45	≥45
NC-OBC	≥75	≥65	≥70	≥65
SC	≥70	≥60	≥65	≥60
Open	≥85	≥75	≥80	≥80
ST	≥65	≥55	≥55	≥55