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Master of Business Administration (MBA) is one of the most prestigious postgraduate programs across the world. The course duration is for 2 years, and students from any background who pass the minimum eligibility criteria can apply for MBA admissions. The primary MBA entrance exams held in India for MBA admissions are CAT, XAT, SNAP, CMAT, and IIFT. Around 1164 colleges in India accept CAT scores; among them, 1026 colleges are private, and 138 colleges are public. The average fees range from Rs. 0.20 lakh to Rs. 23.00 lakhs. The list of MBA colleges in India in the major cities features colleges that are divided into three tiers based on the CAT cut-off percentile.
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CAT is a national-level MBA entrance exam held by IIM, Indore. This exam is conducted online once a year, and the test duration would be 2 hours. The general topics covered in the test are verbal ability and reading comprehension, data interpretation, logical reasoning, and quantitative ability. The questions would mostly be in multiple-choice question (MCQ) format. Students are required to gain scores between 80-95 to achieve admission in any of the top MBA colleges in India accepting CAT. However, those who have scored lower ranks can also seek MBA admissions in either colleges accepting low CAT scores or the colleges with a direct admission process.
The primary MBA entrance exams held in India for MBA admissions are CAT, XAT, SNAP, CMAT, and IIFT. The following is a list of the most common MBA admission examinations that students must take:
Although the top MBA colleges in India prefer students with a high CAT score, sometimes students fail to meet these criteria, and this often lets them down. A lower CAT score would not determine someone’s ability and skills; hence students can surely find B-schools in India that offer admissions to students with a low CAT score. Students should be aware of the fact that admission procedures at the best MBA colleges in India involve several other eligibility factors and is not solely based on CAT cut off scores. Some of them are as given below: -
The aggregate percentage scored in 10+2 education.
The aggregate marks scored in a four-year undergraduate degree program or a 10+2+3 equivalent education program.
A student’s performance in Group discussion, written test conducted by the college, and personal interview are evaluated.
Candidates with work experience are given preference in some of the MBA colleges in India.
The eligibility cut-off marks can vary based on the reserved and unreserved categories in India.
Here is a list of MBA colleges in India accepting students with low CAT scores along with critical information required for making a final decision: -
Name of the College | CAT cut-off (percentile) | Fees Avg (INR) |
70 | Rs. 0.66 lakhs | |
70 | Rs. 8.00 Lakhs | |
70 | Rs. 7.20 Lakhs | |
70 | Rs. 3.80 Lakhs | |
70 | Rs. 6.97 Lakhs | |
70 | Rs. 10.25 Lakhs | |
70 | Rs. 5.32 Lakhs | |
60-70 | Rs. 4.99 Lakhs | |
60-70 | Rs. 8 Lakhs | |
50 + | Rs. 8.71 Lakhs |
Many Indian universities consider CAT scores as a factor for admission to many MBA programmes. You might want to consider the following top destinations in India for some of the best MBA colleges:
Students who wish to apply to top MBA colleges in India should attempt CAT exams, without bothering about the test results. The MBA application can proceed further with a valid CAT score. An overview of the admission procedures for the best MBA colleges in India accepting CAT scores are as given below: -
Register for CAT exams on the official CAT website and give the best efforts for scoring a good cut-off percentile
Once the CAT scores are out, candidates should login to the official college website for attaining the login credentials
Students need to submit mandatory documents, and reservation proofs, if any along with the college options preferred in a higher to lower order
Students are required to make payments via an online or offline mode
After the verification process, students would start receiving call letters from the colleges of their choice, considering the order of CAT scores as well
Students need to attend counselling process and proceed with the payment of the fee at a time allocated to them, without any delay
Apart from IIMs, which give good job placement after graduation, students attend a variety of management colleges that also provide admission with low CAT scores. We've listed MBA colleges in India that accept the CAT score, as well as their placement details, in the table below.
Name of the College | Average salary package (INR) |
Rs. 3.00 Lakhs | |
Rs. 4.60 Lakhs | |
GITAM, Visakhapatnam | Rs. 7.80 Lakhs |
Rs. 6.80 Lakhs | |
Rs. 4.00 Lakhs | |
Rs. 6.30 Lakhs | |
Rs. 4.66 Lakhs | |
Rs. 5.33 Lakhs | |
International School of Business and Media, Kolkata | Rs. 5.00 Lakhs |
Rs. 6.00 Lakhs |
The variety of specialisations offered in the MBA programme is one of the reasons for its popularity. Marketing management, finance, human resource management, rural management, and a variety of other fields are also available. In the table below, you'll find a list of other specialisations.
MBA programmes are amongst the most preferred options for students interested in advancing their careers. It's not a big deal if you didn't perform well in CAT; many institutions will accept you despite the score. Some of the lowest-ranking top MBA colleges are mentioned in table below.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Hi!
Common Admission Test (CAT) is the most popular management aptitude test among candidates seeking admission to elite management colleges in India. The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) only accepts the percentile obtained by candidates in the CAT for their MBA programme. Apart from the IIMs, some other top business schools such as FMS Delhi , MDI Gurgaon, IIFT Delhi , SPJIMR, etc. accept only the scores of the CAT.
However, there are some MBA colleges in India that offers admission to their MBA programme without accepting the CAT scores. To get admission to these colleges, candidates are required to appear for the entrance examinations conducted by these institutions. Candidates must appear for the XAT to get admission to XLRI, SNAP to get admission to Symbiosis Colleges, NMAT to get admission to NMIMS campuses, and SRCC GBO exam to get admission to Shri Ram College of Commerce.
There are many colleges in the country which accept the scores of various other entrance examination along with the CAT, such as, IMI Delhi , FORE School of Management, TAPMI , Goa Institute of Management, etc. Appearing for the entrance examination is a pre-requisite condition to get admission to any good MBA college.
Check these various college predictors to predict the MBA college based on the score and percentile obtained in various entrance examinations.
CAT percentile is calculated using the formula (1 - All India Rank (Total Candidates in the Exam) * 100%).
Yes, those who wish to take a break from studies can do that prior to joining MBA and attempting CAT exam for the same. Moreover, CAT exams are conducted for students with 10+2+3 or a four-year equivalent bachelor’s degree and there is no age bar for students who wish to take CAT tests.
MBA colleges/ Universities should be affiliated by AICTE, NAAC, or UGC in order to be ranked as a recognized institute for higher studies.
Yes, Students from the reserved category can qualify for MBA admissions with a comparatively low cut-off percentile than those from the General category. However, the selection criteria are based on several other factors as well, and this could vary every year.
On Question asked by student community
Hello Amgothu
With 305 marks in ICAR PG and being from ST category, your chances of getting an AIEEA (CAT) seat is good, especially in plant sciences and less competitive subjects
Hello
As you said you by mistakenly done that, you don't need to get worry regarding that ,
Just inform the help desk and carry the correct certifications , the state certificate will not disqualify you .
The steps you can follow is -
1. You can check if the correction window is available or not
2. Contact the CAT desk immediately.
Hope this helps
In CAT registration, you cannot create a new user ID with the same mobile number, even if you use a different email ID. Each mobile number and email can be linked to only one account. If you already registered once, the system will not accept a duplicate with that number. To register again, you must use a new mobile number and new email ID. If you lost your old login, you can recover it through the forgot password/user ID option on the CAT portal.
Yes, you can fill the CAT form even if you currently have a backlog. CAT eligibility requires you to be in your final year of graduation or already graduated backlogs don’t stop you from applying.
While filling the form:
Enter the aggregate percentage/CGPA of marks you have obtained up to the latest semester for which results are declared (in your case till 4th semester).
There will be an option to mention that you have a backlog.
If you clear the backlog later, you’ll just need to show the updated marks during admission.
Hello Aspirant,
Yes, you can apply for the CAT exam as a final-year student. You must declare your backlog on the online application form. You do not write about it on the final-year student certificate; that document is to certify your enrollment status. You must clear all backlogs before the final admission process to any MBA college.
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