MAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria Released: Qualification, Age Limit, Reservation & Key Dates

MAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria Released: Qualification, Age Limit, Reservation & Key Dates

Updated on 17 Feb 2026, 11:46 AM IST

MAT 2026 eligibility criteria have been released by the All India Management Association (AIMA) to apply for the MAT exam for the February session. The good part about the MAT exam is that there is no minimum score requirement in graduation. Candidates who meet the MAT eligibility criteria can apply for the PBT and CBT modes before the last date of February 23, 2026, and March 02, 2026. Candidates with 50% marks in any relevant field (45% for SC/ ST/ PwD) from an approved university are the minimum MAT eligibility needed to appear for the MAT exam will be held on March 01 and 08, 2026 for PBT and CBT modes. Apart from this, the candidates in the final year of any degree programme can also apply for the MAT exam 2026.

This Story also Contains

  1. MAT Eligibility Criteria 2026: Overview
  2. MAT Reservation Criteria 2026
  3. Eligibility Criteria of Participating Institutes through MAT 2026
  4. MAT Application Form 2026
  5. MAT Eligibility Criteria 2026 vs MBA College Admission Criteria 2026
MAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria Released: Qualification, Age Limit, Reservation & Key Dates
MAT Exam Eligibility Criteria

MAT Eligibility Criteria 2026: Overview

A final-year student in any undergraduate course (i.e. BA, BSc, B.Com, B.Tech, etc.) can also appear provisionally. It must be noted that there is no upper age limit to appear for MAT 2026. The Management Aptitude Test is conducted four times a year in PBT and CBT modes. MAT exam eligibility criteria consist of academic qualification, upper age limit, category reservation, relaxation, etc. The detailed MAT exam eligibility criteria in terms of academic qualification, age limit, and work experience are given below:

Academic Qualification

  • Candidates must have completed a bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognised institute or university.
  • Candidates appearing in the final year examination or awaiting results for a Bachelor's degree are also eligible to appear for MAT exam qualification.
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Minimum Marks in Qualifying Exam

  • Candidates need to have at least 50 per cent aggregate or equivalent CGPA in a bachelor's degree.
  • Candidates belonging to reserved categories, i.e. SC, ST, and PwD, need to have a minimum of 45 per cent aggregate or equivalent CGPA in the bachelor's degree final result.
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Age Limit

  • There is no upper MAT age limit to apply for the exam, as per the MAT exam eligibility age. However, the lower age limit is not less than 20 years old, which is equivalent to a graduate.
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Work Experience

  • Having work experience is not mandatory for MAT; however, it carries extra weightage in the selection process of all top MBA colleges.

Attempt Limit

  • There is no limit on the number of attempts for taking the exam; candidates are eligible to take the exam irrespective of their attempts in previous sessions. The score of the latest attempt will be taken into consideration for admission.

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MAT Reservation Criteria 2026

The candidate should note that the All India Management Association (AIMA) has fixed the track for reservation, which is equivalent to last year’s examination. Candidates should get a minimum cut-off score based on which they will be listed and eventually go on to the next round of interviews.

CategoryMinimum Percentage
Scheduled Caste (SC)15%
Scheduled Tribe (ST)7.5%
Other Backward Classes, Non-Creamy layer (NC-OBC)27%
Economically Weaker Sections (EWS)10%

Top MBA Colleges accepting MAT scores - State-wise

Eligibility Criteria of Participating Institutes through MAT 2026

MAT conducting body, AIMA, does not specify any reservation or different criteria as per colleges. However, various participating institutes have set up their own rules of MAT exam eligibility percentage for admission in the respective institutes. Some of these criteria implied by some colleges are:

  • Minimum 50% to 60% marks in graduation required
  • Some relaxation may be given to professional degree holders
  • Weightage to work experience may be awarded in the admission criteria
  • Weightage can be given to women candidates in the admission criteria to promote gender diversity
  • Good weightage can be given for excellent academic performance in classes 10 and 12

Top MBA Colleges accepting MAT scores: City-Wise

MAT Application Form 2026

The application process for MAT 2026 registration, PBT and CBT for the February session has commenced in online mode. In the application form for MAT 2026, candidates have to fill in all personal and academic details. In addition to this, they have to upload scanned copies of photographs and signatures during the application process. The last step will be to pay the application form fee, which will ensure the chance of appearing in the MAT 2026 exam.

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MAT Eligibility Criteria 2026 vs MBA College Admission Criteria 2026

Take a look at the following table, which enlists the differences in eligibility criteria between the MAT exam and other college exams.

Eligibility Criteria

MAT Eligibility Criteria 2026

MBA College Admission Criteria 2026

Minimum Percentage of Marks in Graduation

No minimum percentage of marks required in graduation, only passing marks required

Minimum 50% to 60% marks required in graduation

Professional Degree

No concessions given to professional degree holders, such as CA/CS

Some relaxations might be given to professional degree holders

Work Experience

No weightage to work experience

Weightage might be awarded in the admission criteria

Minimum Percentage of Marks in 10th and 12th Class

No weightage for Class 10 and Class 12

Good weightage can be given for excellent academic performance

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: When will MAT 2026 application form be available?
A:

The application form of MAT for PBT and CBT mode is available in online mode at mat.aima.in.

Q: What is MAT exam and eligibility?
A:

The basic MAT exam eligibility criteria are that a candidate must possess a bachelor's degree in any discipline with a minimum of 50 percent marks (45 percent for SC/ ST/ PwD) from any recognized institute or university.

Q: Is there an additional weightage for work experience?
A:

Yes depending on the college, a candidate is aspiring to take admission into, the work experience has a weightage.

Q: How many times can one take the MAT exam?
A:

There is no attempt limit.

Q: MAT how many times in a year?
A:

MAT is conducted four times in a year.

Q: What is the qualifying marks for MAT exam?
A:

There is no official minimum passing mark for the MAT exam. Although, most institutes consider a score above 600 or 85+ percentile for shortlisting candidates. 

Q: What is the validity of MAT score?
A:

MAT scorecard is valid for one year.

Q: Is there any age limit to appear for MAT 2026?
A:

There is no upper age bar set by the AIMA to appear for Management Aptitude Test (MAT).

Q: In how many B-schools or MBA colleges can I apply through MAT scorecard?
A:

There are more than 600 B-schools in India accepting MAT scorecards to offer admission into MBA/ PGDM program.

Q: Who is eligible for MAT exam 2026?
A:

Candidates who completed a bachelor's degree from an approved university or are in the final year of the UG programme are eligible to appear for the MAT 2026 exam.

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Questions related to MAT

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You can get. VIT even considers a 450+ score in MAT
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Click on NMMS Result 2025-26 (State-wise) to check more

NMMS MAT refers to National Means cum Merit Scholarship Mental Ability Test. You can find the NMMS MAT sample papers and previous year question papers from the link given here.

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