Great Lakes - PGDM & PGPM Admissions 2026
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MBA Admission 2026-28 for 21 IIMs is open with the CAT 2025 registration link still active. CAT 2025 admit card is all set to be released on November 12, 2025, as confirmed by the CAT 2025 conducting body, IIM Kozhikode. Furthermore, MBA admissions 2026 for other non-IIM institutes, such as XLRI Jamshedpur admission, are open through the XAT 2026 and NMIMS Mumbai through NMAT 2025.
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In a latest update, IIM Ahmedabad raised the bar for all CAT 2025 aspirants by revising the shortlisting criteria for the flagship PGP 2026-28 batch. The overall IIM A CAT cutoff is now 95 percentile, in addition to a minimum of 85 percentile for sectional cutoff. The MBA admission process for 2026 just started with registrations for national-level MBA entrance exams. Continue reading to find out the accepted MBA entrance exams for top B-schools and IIMs in India, and what are the factors that one must consider while choosing an MBA college in India.
Have a look at the following latest updates about the upcoming MBA entrance exams for admission to top B-schools in India.
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Check out the following list of top MBA colleges in India (non-IIMs) and top IIMs, which accept the following entrance exams along with the application form, if it is open or not. In the table, we have also included the MBA application form link 2026-28.
Name of the College | Exams Accepted for MBA | MBA Forms Apply Link |
NMAT (best of three attempts score will be considered) | ||
CAT | ||
CAT | ||
SP Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR) | CAT, GMAT | |
CAT | ||
CAT, CMAT, XAT, GMAT, NMAT, CUET-PG | ||
GRE, GMAT | Link To Be Available Soon | |
XAT, GMAT, CAT | ||
TANCET, MAT, CAT, XAT and CMAT | Link To Be Available Soon | |
SNAP | Link To Be Available Soon | |
XAT, NMAT, CAT, CMAT | ||
XAT | Link To Be Available Soon | |
CAT | ||
BAAT (Business Analytics Aptitude Test) | ||
NMAT, XAT, CAT | ||
XAT, CAT, GMAT | ||
CAT | Link To Be Available Soon | |
CAT, GMAT, XAT, XGMT | Link To Be Available Soon | |
GMAT, XAT | Link To Be Available Soon | |
CUET-PG, CAT | Link To Be Available Soon |
IIM Institute | Accepted Entrance Exam | Application Form |
CAT (domestic candidates ), GMAT/GRE (international applicants) | Apply via CAT | |
CAT for flagship PGP, GMAT/GRE for one-year/global programs (EPGP, PGPEM, PGPX) | Apply via CAT | |
CAT for PGP, GMAT for MBA-Ex PGPEX | Apply via CAT | |
CAT for PGP, GMAT for Executive programs | Apply via CAT | |
CAT for PGP, GMAT for Executive programs | Apply via CAT | |
CAT for PGP, GMAT/GRE entrance exams are also accepted | Apply via CAT | |
CAT for PGP, GMAT for MBA-Ex PGPEX | Apply via CAT | |
Newer IIMs (IIM Bodh Gaya, IIM Amritsar, IIM Ranchi, IIM Kashipur, IIM Rohtak, IIM Sambalpur, IIM Sirmaur, IIM Jammu, IIM Trichy, IIM Raipur, IIM Udaipur, IIM Vizag and IIM Nagpur) | CAT for PGP | Apply via CAT |
IIM Mumbai (formerly NITIE) | CAT for MBA; GMAT possible for Executive/one-year programs | Apply via CAT |
Prior to getting admission to a top B-school in India, the candidate needs to understand the MBA admission process as well as the selection process, which will help them secure a seat in a good B-school. Take a look at the following admission process involved, in general, candidates must meet the following requirements:
To pursue an MBA in 2026 without taking any entrance exam, the candidate will need to explore direct admission routes, which could be through merit-based applications, management quota seats or by applying to colleges which will accept scores from alternative entrance exams, such as MAT, NMAT, SNAP or XAT.
As for the eligibility criteria, one must have a strong undergraduate academic record (around 50-65% marks). If shortlisted for further rounds, then the selection process will include a Personal Interview (PI) or even a Group Discussion (GD).
The following list mentions the top MBA colleges which offer MBA without any entrance exam, along with the approximate fee:
Name of College | Average Fees (Subject to revision) |
Rs. 8 Lakhs to 10.5 Lakhs | |
Rs. 54 K to 2.6 Lakhs | |
Rs. 4.5 Lakhs to 21.8 Lakhs | |
Rs. 2.6 Lakhs | |
Rs. 8.7 Lakhs to Rs. 9.3 Lakhs | |
Andhra Loyola College | Rs. 70,000 |
The following are the key steps involved to get admission to an MBA program for the 2026-28 batch.
For MBA admission, one will typically need the following documents, which will include
Make sure all your documents are available as scanned copies for online applications and original documents for verification.
If you are considering to pursue an MBA degree after 12th in 2026, one will need to appear for the Integrated Programme in Management (IPM) Aptitude Test (IPMAT) or the Joint Integrated Programme in Management Admission Test (JIPMAT) for pursuing management programs at top IIMs in India.
To be eligible for the same, one must be 12th grade pass with at least 60% marks, clear the chosen entrance exam and a subsequent interview round to secure admission in 2026.
All those candidates who are shortlisted and meet the exam cutoffs will be called in for a Written Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussion (GD) or Personal Interview (PI) rounds.
MBA admission fees can vary significantly, ranging from a few thousands to over Rs. 30 lakhs. All this will depend on the type of institution, program type, if it’s a government, private or top-tier B-school. Public colleges are known for having lower fees, while IIMs and other elite private colleges are said to charge the highest amounts. Online or distance education programs are significantly cheaper, sometimes even less than Rs. 1 Lakh.
Let us go through the following MBA admission fees for the following colleges.
Name of Government College | MBA Fees (Approx.) (Subject to revision) |
FMS Delhi | In the range of Rs. 2 Lakhs to Rs 28 Lakhs |
Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies (JBIMS), Mumbai | Rs. 6 Lakhs |
Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), Delhi | Rs. 17.17 Lakhs to Rs. 21.77 Lakhs |
Rs. 26,000 per year or Rs. 52,000 for two years | |
Rs. 50,000 | |
Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai | Rs. 1.2 Lakhs |
Name of Private College | MBA Fees (Approx.) (Subject to revision) |
Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurgaon | In the range from Rs. 9.96 Lakh to Rs. 29. 58 Lakhs |
ICFAI Business School (ISB), Gurgaon | Rs. 8.29 Lakh |
Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM), Pune | Rs. 22.20 Lakh |
Institute of Management Technology, (IMT) Ghaziabad | Rs. 21 Lakh |
FORE School of Management | Rs. 20.80 Lakhs |
Galgotias University | Rs. 1.3 Lakh |
Name of top IIMs & other top B-schools | MBA Fees (Approx.) (Subject to revision) |
IIM Ahmedabad | Rs. 26.50 Lakhs |
IIM Bangalore | Rs. 25 Lakhs |
IIM Calcutta | Rs. 27 Lakhs |
IIM Kozhikode | Rs. 22.50 Lakhs |
IIM Indore | Rs. 21.17 Lakhs |
IIM Mumbai | Rs. 21 Lakh |
IIM Lucknow | Rs. 20.30 Lakh |
XLRI Jamshedpur | Rs. 20.30 Lakh |
SPJIMR Mumbai | Rs. 24 Lakhs |
MDI Gurgaon | Rs. 24 Lakhs |
Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management (SJMSoM), IIT Bombay | Rs. 8.22 Lakh |
Name of Private College | MBA Fees (Approx.) (Subject to revision) |
Lovely Professional University (LPU) | Rs. 1.6 Lakhs |
Amity University Online | Rs. 1,99,000 |
Chandigarh University | Rs. 1,50,000 |
BITS Pilani (Work Integrated Learning Programmes) | Rs. 2,70,000 |
MBA fees are influenced by various factors, which are as follows:
For admission to top IItTs for MBA admission, one will first need to score well on the CAT 2025 exam. With the online application process, most likely to begin in January 2026, candidates will be required to apply separately to individual IITs and complete the selection process which will include PI and WAT.
Some of the top IITs that offer MBA admission to students are as follows:
Students interested in pursuing MBA for further education must ensure that they must choose the right B-schools. Their decision should mainly be based on the choice of Management course as that will help in paving way for the desired career. Additionally, they must also carry out extensive research for each MBA college and the course, which will help them in deciding which MBA college would be the right fit for them.
Other key factors which one must keep in mind are government recognition, admission process, eligibility criteria, tuition fees, hostel facilities that are offered, infrastructure, placements etc. One must shortlist MBA colleges based on the above-mentioned aspects.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
There is no set age limit for MBA admission, however, the majority of the programs welcome applications between the ages 22 and 30.
If you are planning to pursue MBA in 2026, you can opt for CAT , XAT, NMAT, CMAT entrance exams which will give you admission to top B-schools in India.
MBA admissions in India are done in a phase-wise manner but majority of the colleges conduct admissions between May-June and the classes commence in July-August.
To get admission in IIM for the 2026-28 AY, one must have a bachelor's degree in any discipline with a minimum of 50% marks or equivalent.
The duration of the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in India is typically 1-2 years.
MBA fees in India for 2025 typically start in the range of Rs. 50,000 and can go over Rs. 35 Lakhs. The costs can significantly vary based on the type of institution.
The best MBA course depends on your career goals, but in-demand specialisations in 2025 include Finance, Marketing, Business Analytics, Human Resources (HR) and Technology-focused areas like IT and Artificial Intelligence.
MBA admission in India are done phase wise, most of the colleges conduct MBA admissions by May-June, and the classes commence in July-August.
On Question asked by student community
It's definitely possible to find CUSAT CAT Chapter-wise Previous Year Questions (PYQs), though they might not be consolidated into one single official book.
Here's the best approach, based on the question paper information:
Online Repositories: The official CUSAT website often provides PDF dumps of the full question papers (like the one linked in the Careers360 article). You'll need to manually sort the questions chapter-wise or subject-wise (Physics, Chemistry, Maths).
Publisher Guides: Specialized coaching institutes or publishers create comprehensive guides that have already performed the chapter-wise sorting for you.
Focus Subjects: Since the exam covers your Class 11 and 12 PCM syllabus, using JEE Main chapter-wise books for practice is often a highly effective substitute for the CUSAT paper format.
Consistent practice with these organized questions is the key to cracking the exam! Check the resource page for question paper updates. https://engineering.careers360.com/articles/cusat-cat-question-paper
Hello,
Since the CAT application form correction window is closed, you must contact the CAT help desk immediately to explain the situation, as you can't edit a wrong date of birth after submission. If it's a major error like date of birth, you may need to go to the exam center with proof and the correct admit card, although getting it corrected before the exam date is the most important first step.
I hope it will clear your query!!
Hi there,
You have to apply separately for each symbiosis college, like SIBM Pune, as they as not automatically included. The CAT form automatically includes many IIMs, but the SNAP exam is a separate test that is given for admission to Symbiosis Institute, which requires its own separate application and fee.
Hope it helps!!!
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Hello,
To get admitted to the Institute of Management Studies (IMS), BHU, for an MBA in 2026, you must clear the CAT entrance exam. For that you need to fill out the application form of the CAT in August 2026, which you can get on the Official CAT website
I hope it will clear your query!!
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