Careers360 Logo
ask-icon
share
    Didn’t Score Well in CAT 2025? Check out Other MBA Entrance Exams For JBIMS, SIMSREE, KJ Somiya, PUMBA

    Didn’t Score Well in CAT 2025? Check out Other MBA Entrance Exams For JBIMS, SIMSREE, KJ Somiya, PUMBA

    Malvika ChawlaUpdated on 29 Dec 2025, 03:33 PM IST

    Your aspirations for an MBA do not have to cease if you score poorly on the CAT 2025. Through various national and state-level entrance tests, thousands of applicants are admitted to prestigious MBA schools in India each year without taking the CAT. Excellent placement chances are provided by prestigious institutions, including JBIMS Mumbai, SIMSREE, and Welingkar, which accept results from tests other than the CAT.

    Didn’t Score Well in CAT 2025? Check out Other MBA Entrance Exams For  JBIMS, SIMSREE, KJ Somiya, PUMBA
    Low Score in CAT 2025

    This is the ideal moment to concentrate on alternative MBA entrance tests and apply strategically for MBA admission in 2026–2028 if your CAT 2025 percentile is lower than anticipated. Keep reading to find the complete list of MBA entrance exams to get admission to top B-schools in India.

    Low CAT 2025 Score? Other MBA Entrance Exams to Check Out

    Check out the following list of MBA entrance exams, to which candidates can participate other than the CAT 2025 exam or if they scored lower marks in the same.

    MAH MBA CET 2026

    MAH MBA CET 2026 (Maharashtra MBA Common Entrance Test) is the state-level MBA entrance exam for admission to MBA/MMS programs in Maharashtra. It’s conducted by the Maharashtra State Common Entrance Test Cell and, from 2026 onwards, will be held twice a year (April & May), giving candidates an extra chance to improve scores.

    MHA MBA CET 2026 Exam Date: April 6-8, 2026 (Session 1), May 8, 2026 (Session 2)

    MBA Colleges Accepting MAH MBA CET Exam: JBIMS, SIMSREE, PUMBA, Welingkar, KJ Somaiya and NL Dalmia, among others.

    XAT 2026

    XAT 2026 (Xavier Aptitude Test) is a national-level MBA entrance exam, which is used for admission to MBA/PGDM programmes, especially at XLRI Jamshedpur and several other top B-schools such as SPJIMR, XIMB, IMT, TAPMI, GIM and several others.

    XAT 2026 Exam Date: January 4, 2026 (Sunday)

    MBA Colleges Accepting XAT Exam: XLRI Jamshedpur, XIMB Bhubaneswar, MICA Ahmedabad, IMI Delhi, IMT Ghaziabad, GIM Goa, TAPMI Manipal and KJ Somaiya, Mumbai.

    CMAT 2026

    The Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) is a national-level MA entrance exam conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission into AICTE-approved MBA/PGDM programmes across India. CMAT scores are accepted by hundreds of management institutes.

    CMAT 2026 Exam Date: January 25, 2026

    MBA Colleges Accepting CMAT Exam: JBIMS (Mumbai), SIMSREE (Mumbai), PUMBA (Pune) and private leaders such as KJ Smaiya (Mumbai), Great Lakes (Chennai), Welingkar (Mumbai/Bangalore), IMT (Hyderabad/Nagpur) and BIMTECH (Greater Noida) and over 1000 AICTE-approved colleges accepting CMAT scores.

    ATMA 2026

    ATMA 2026 stands for the AIMS Test for Management Admission. It’s a national-level nine MBA entrance exam, which is conducted by the Association of Indian Management Schools (AIMS) for admission to MBA, PGDM, MMS, MCA and other postgraduate management programmes across India.

    ATMA 2026 Exam Date: February 22, 2026

    MBA Colleges Accepting ATMA Exam: PUMBA (Pune), Prin. L.N. Welingkar (Mumbai/Bangalore), JMS (Delhi), Jaipuria Institutes (Noida/Lucknow), IMS Ghaziabad, Christ University (Bangalore) and NDIM Delhi, to name a few.

    MAT 2025–26

    MAT (Management Aptitude Test) is a national-level MBA entrance exam conducted by the All India Management Association (AIMA). MAT exam score is used for admission to MBA/PGDM programmes that are offered by 600+ B-schools across India.

    MAT Exam Date: The MAT exam is conducted four times a year. Interested candidates can appear in either of the sessions: February, May, September and December.

    MBA Colleges Accepting MAT Exam: XIME Bangalore, BIMTECH Noida, Jaipuria Institutes, Amity University, NDIM, Christ University, IBA Bangalore and IPE Hyderabad.

    NMAT 2025

    NMAT (NMIMS Management Aptitude Test) is a national-level MBA/PGDM entrance exam, which is conducted by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC). The NMAT exam is widely accepted by NMIMS (SVKM’s Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies) and many other top B-schools across India.

    NMAT Exam Date: The NMAT 2025 exam was recently conducted from November 5 to December 19, 2025. All 2026 MBA aspirants will be able to appear for the next cycle in 2026.

    MBA Colleges Accepting NMAT Exam: NMIMS (Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad), KJ Somaiya, Great Lakes Institute of Management, SDA Bocconi Asia Centre, TAPMI (Manipal), XIM University and ISB (for AMPBA), alongside several other reputable institutes such as ICFAI (IBS), SOIL, Amity, Woxsen, Alliance University, and Jindal Global Business School.

    Smart Strategy to Follow After CAT 2025 Result

    The declaration of the CAT 2025 result marks the beginning of the most crucial phase of the MBA admission journey. Whether you have scored exceptionally well or below expectations, a well-planned strategy can significantly improve your chances of converting top B-school calls.

    The PI shortlist determines which candidates are eligible for the next stage of selection at IIMs. One must understand, even if a candidate scores exceptionally high in CAT, failing to meet the overall or sectional cutoffs may result in no PI call.

    Articles
    |
    Upcoming Bschool Exams
    Ongoing Dates
    TANCET Counselling Date

    16 Jul'26 - 20 Jul'26 (Online)

    Certifications By Top Providers
    Online MBA
    Via Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar
    Corporate Tax Planning
    Via Netaji Subhash Open University, Kolkata
    Strategic Management
    Via Indian Institute of Management Bangalore
    Online MBA Business Analytics
    Via Centre for Distance and Online Education, Anna University, Chennai
    Digital Marketing
    Via Panjab University, Chandigarh
    Online MBA
    Via Centre for Distance and Online Education, Anna University, Chennai
    Explore Top Universities Across Globe

    Questions related to CAT

    On Question asked by student community

    Have a question related to CAT ?

    Hello Dear Student,
    An SC rank of 82 in a Common Entrance Test (CET) is highly competitive and typically guarantees admission into top-tier state universities, central universities, or highly-ranked private institutions. Whether a specific seat is currently available depends directly on the exact university's counselling schedule. Many institutes require you

    Hello Dear Student,
    With a score of 265, securing a B-Category (Management) MBBS seat is highly competitive, but not entirely impossible. Closing scores for these seats typically fall between 225 and 350, depending on the state and college. Waiting for the mop-up round can sometimes lower the cutoff as unallocated

    If by OC you mean Open Category/General category in India, and you have 95%+ throughout your academics (Class 10, Class 12, and graduation) , then your CAT percentile target depends on the B-schools you're aiming for.

    Here's a general guideline:

    Target B-school Safe CAT Percentile (General Category)
    Indian Institute of

    Hello,

    Getting an MBBS seat in Karnataka with 460 marks is quite difficult, even if you belong to Category 1, Ex-serviceman, and HK category in government colleges. However, you have a good chance of getting a seat in the private medical colleges through the government-quota seats in private medical colleges.

    Hello Dear Student,
    Yes, you have a very strong chance of securing a 'Category-A' (convenor quota) BDS seat at the Panineeya Institute of Dental Sciences in Hyderabad with 377 marks.

    You can check, find and access more information here: https://medicine.careers360.com/articles/re-neet-2026-safe-score-for-bds
    Hope it helps!