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Best MBA colleges in India without CAT exam: Many MBA aspirants face this dilemma, if CAT exam the only way to gain admission to the top MBA colleges in India,? The CAT exam is not the ultimate way of getting into top MBA colleges in India. Some of the best MBA colleges in India without CAT scores include XLRI, SIBM, KIIT School of Management, JBIMS, ISB Hyderabad and many others. Many top B-schools in India have their own MBA entrance exams and a selection process that doesn't involve having a CAT score. Many top MBA colleges in India offer direct admission to MBA programmes without an entrance exam. MBA aspirants can check out the list of MBA colleges without CAT exam in India.
The best MBA colleges without CAT are XLRI Jamshedpur, Symbiosis International University (SIU), ISB Hyderabad, NMIMS, etc. Some top MBA colleges in India offer direct admission without CAT exam. Some of them conduct their management entrance exams.
The first name on this list of top MBA colleges without CAT exams is XLRI. Every year, XLRI conducts the Xavier Aptitude Test or XAT, a national-level entrance exam to offer admissions to PGDM and MBA programmes. This top MBA college is known for its excellence and has several alumni working in significant positions in not only the Indian industries but also abroad. Students who are exclusively looking for the best MBA college without CAT 2025 can opt for this MBA college and shape their bright future.
Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) can be considered a good option to pursue a PG programme. TISS discontinued TISSNET MBA exam for admission to its PG programmes and has started accepting the score of CUET PG MBA for the academic year 2025-2027. TISS offers good placement packages in top companies in various public and private sectors. All interested and eligible candidates must first apply to CUET PG MBA for admission to the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, one of the Top MBA colleges in India without CAT exam.
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The two-year full-time MBA is SIBM Pune's flagship programme, spread across four semesters and offering specialisations in marketing, human resource management, finance, operations and supply chain management and data analytics. Interested candidates must appear for SNAP exam to gain admission in this MBA college without CAT.
KIIT School of Management (KSOM) is one of the top B Schools in India without CAT with a ranking of 32 as per NIRF, MHRD, Government of India, 2020. It offers a two-year full-time MBA programme. For admission to KSOM MBA and super MBA programmes candidates must take KIITEE management exam which is a national-level entrance exam. Candidates who meet the minimum KIITEE cutoff are called for the GD/PI round for final selection.
JBIMS offers a two-year management programme in Master in Management Studies equivalent to an MBA programme offering specialisation in Finance, Marketing, Operations, System and Human resource. Candidates wishing for admission to JBIMS must appear for MAH MBA CET exam. JBIMS cutoff for MMS admission ranges from 98 to 99+ percentile. This top MBA college without CAT exam offers excellent placement packages up to Rs. 35.75 LPA in top companies like KPMG, Deloitte, McKinsey and Company, etc.
ISB, Hyderabad offers a one-year postgraduate programme to all eligible candidates. The eligibility criteria for admission to ISB, Hyderabad includes minimum 24 months of full-time work experience, a valid GMAT/GRE score and a bachelor's degree. The final selection criteria for ISB admissions will include shortlisting candidates based on their academics, work experience, awards and activities, GMAT/GRE scores, essay and recommendations if any.
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Symbiosis International University offers vibrant and dynamic learning opportunities to MBA aspirants across 4 states and 6 cities in India. Candidates shall appear for the Symbiosis National Aptitude Test (SNAP Test) for admission to MBA programmes offered in information technology, business analytics, banking and finance, and many more instead of the CAT exam. SNAP test takers also have to appear for the Personal Interaction (PI), Written Ability Test (WAT), and Group Exercise (GE) to be selected for admission.
Candidates who are looking for an MBA college without CAT exam in India can go with ICFAI Business School, Hyderabad. IBS Hyderabad enrolls candidates on the basis of the IBSAT exam. It is an online aptitude exam conducted by the ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education for admission to the MBA programmes of IBS Bengaluru and IBS Hyderabad. This MBA college also considers CAT scores. However, candidates who have not scored well or have not appeared in the CAT exam can go for this exam smoothly.
NMIMS can be your dream MBA school. This MBA college has a legacy of over 41 years where it has shown credibility in the corporate world, with several alumni establishing themselves as successful entrepreneurs. Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies has been offering MBA programmes in several disciplines, such as HR and healthcare management. NMAT is the required MBA entrance exam to get into NMIMS. With NMAT, candidates can attempt the entrance test three times to crack this MBA exam, too, with no negative marking scheme.
Check out: Best MBA Colleges in Delhi Without CAT Exam
Check out the basic eligibility criteria of the best MBA colleges without CAT in India.
At the time of MBA admission to the colleges, candidates need to produce the following documents.
MBA aspirants who wish to apply for MBA admission without the CAT exam may have doubts regarding the MBA placements and salary packages offered on these campuses. Check out the table below to get insights on the top MBA colleges in India without CAT scores that offer MBA placements.
MBA colleges without CAT in India | Average Salary Package |
| XLRI Jamshedpur | Rs. 29.89 LPA |
| Tata Institute of Social Sciences | Rs. 27 LPA |
| SIBM Pune | Rs. 28 LPA |
| KIIT School of Management (KSOM) | Rs. 9 LPA |
| JBIMS Mumbai | Rs. 26.4 LPA |
| ISB Hyderabad | Rs. 34 LPA |
| SIU | - |
| NMIMS | Rs. 25.13 LPA |
| IBS Hyderabad | Rs. 14.75 LPA |
Also Read: MBA Salary in India: Specialization-wise Salary, Freshers Salary, Average & Highest Package
CAT exam is one of the most demanding and competitive entrance exams in India, taken by lakhs of MBA aspirants every year. Through this exam, it opens doors to the elite institutions like IIMs. However, not all students prefer CAT as the scope of admission to top B-schools. Many prefer admission without CAT, following are the factors:
Interestingly, with the competition rising, an increasingly large number of MBA courses in India either accept alternative test scores or offer direct admission based on one's academic performance and interviews.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
SIBM, XLRI, Taxila Business School, ISB, MICA, TAPMI, and IMT are some of the renowned colleges offering MBA admission without a CAT exam.
Yes, you can get an MBA degree without taking the CAT exam. There are several top business schools which accept admission based on other entrance exams, such as XAT, MAT or even direct admission based on one's academic record and work experience.
Yes, 70% is acceptable for pursuing an MBA degree for admission to top private institutions. It shows that you are academically competent and ready to pursue management training.
Yes, there are many more MBA entrance exams apart from CAT such as XAT, SNAP, MAT, and so on.
No, candidates need to appear in the CAT exam in order to join IIM.
Yes, there are some institutions that take students directly into MBA programmes without any entrance exams.
On Question asked by student community
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!!
Hello
You can get all the papers on the Careers360 website. To access the paper and download it for practice, just visit here:
https://design.careers360.com/articles/nift-cat-2024-question-paper-with-solutions
Hope it will help you!!
Hello dear candidate,
Yes, you have a very good chance of getting a BPT seat with 488 out of 600 and TS EAMCET rank of 14,000 under the ST category.
As the cut off of BPT for ST category students are generally between 25,000 to 45,000 ranks, depending upon the college and you have TS EAMCET rank of 14,000.
Thank you.
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