BIMTECH PGDM Admissions 2026
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Top MBA entrance exams 2025, like CAT, XAT, MAT, SNAP, IBSAT, CMAT, etc are conducted between November 2025 to April 2026. CAT registration ended on September 20, 2025, while the NMAT registration 2025 ended on October 18, 2025. Earlier, XAT registration 2026 started on July 10 and will close on December 5, 2025, and IBSAT application 2025 registrations will close on December 19, 2025. Other top state-level MBA entrance exams like MAH-CET, AP ICET, TS ICET, OJEE, KMAT and GMAT, MAT, ATMA, etc. exams will be conducted from February to June 2025. One of the most famous MBA entrance exams, CAT 2025, will be conducted on November 30, 2025. MBA aspirants who want to do an MBA after the 12th can take the JIPMAT or IPMAT exam. The MBA entrance exam 2025-26 syllabus for different tests is similar. MBA aspirants can select various management entrance exams as per their convenience and the MBA college they want to get into for MBA admission.
IIM Kozhikode will retain its three-stage admission process for the MBA (PGP) 2026–28 batch, with CAT 2025 scores carrying a final weightage of 35 percent. The minimum overall CAT cut-off for general category candidates remains at 85 percentile, with sectional qualifying scores required in VARC, DILR, and QA. Shortlisting of candidates will be based on CAT performance, academic record, and personal interview rounds.
Before gearing up for any MBA entrance test and starting the MBA 2025 preparation, candidates must be aware of important MBA exam dates and the MBA admission criteria of various colleges accepting those exams. Scroll down to know the types of MBA entrance exams, MBA entrance exam dates, admission test for MBA, colleges accepting different MBA entrance exams, MBA entrance exam for government colleges, MBA entrance application last date, start date, MBA entrance application fees, etc.
Candidates interested in pursuing the MBA/PGDM course can keep track of the latest updates here on the top MBA entrance exam 2025.
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Question- How can I register for CAT 2025?
Answer- Eligible candidates can register for CAT 2025 by visiting the official website- iimcat.ac.in.
Question- What is the eligibility criteria for XAT 2025?
Answer- Candidates should have completed their Bachelor's degree from a recognized university/ institution.
Question- When does NMAT 2025 registration begin?
Answer- NMAT 2025 registration began on August 1, 2025 and NMAT registration window is available till October 10, 2025.
Question- What is the syllabus for MAT 2025?
Answer- The MAT syllabus covers Mathematical Skills, Language Comprehension, Data Analysis & Sufficiency, Intelligence & Critical Reasoning, and Economic & Business Environment.
The top MBA entrance exams conducted in India are mentioned below. Check out the full form of MBA entrance exams in India.
| MBA exams 2025 | MBA exam full form |
| CAT full form | Common Admission Test |
| XAT full form | Xavier Aptitude Test |
| MAT full form | Management Aptitude Test |
| NMAT full form | Narsee Monjee Aptitude Test |
| ATMA full form | AIMS Test for Management Admissions |
| CMAT full form | Common Management Admission Test |
| TS ICET full form | Telangana State Integrated Common Entrance Test |
| AP ICET full form | Andhra Pradesh Integrated Common Entrance Test |
| TANCET full form | Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test |
| IBSAT full form | ICFAI Business Studies Aptitude Test |
| MAH CET full form | Maharashtra Common Entrance Exam |
| SNAP full form | Symbiosis National Aptitude Test |
| Karnataka PGCET full form | Karnataka Post-Graduate Common Entrance Test |
| KMAT Kerala full form | Kerala Management Admission Test |
| KMAT full form | Karnataka Management Aptitude Test |

MBA aspirants can check the top MBA entrance exam list 2025 given below, mentioning the MBA exam application deadline and all MBA entrance exam dates. They can check the MBA entrance exam date they wish to take from the table given below:
MBA Exam | MBA Exam Date 2025 | MBA Exam Description |
November 30, 2025 | CAT exam is conducted by one of the old IIMs every year. CAT score is accepted by the majority of MBA colleges in India. | |
To be announced | CMAT is conducted by NTA once a year. | |
December 27-28, 2025 | IBS Hyderabad (ICFAI Business School) conducts the national-level MBA entrance exam called the IBS Aptitude Test. | |
January 4, 2026 | Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur, conducts the Xavier Aptitude Test once a year to provide MBA/PGDM admission. | |
December 6, 14, 20, 2025 | Symbiosis National Aptitude Test is conducted by Symbiosis University to offer PGDM/MBA admission to the 17 Symbiosis-affiliated colleges. | |
| MAH MBA CET | April 1, 2, and 3, 2025 | CET Cell Maharashtra conduct the state-level MBA exam once a year. |
| NMAT | November 5 - December 19, 2025. | GMAC conducts the national-level MBA entrance exam NMAT. It is the only MBA exam that allows students to attempt the exam three times. |
| MAT (February Session) |
| All India Management Association (AIMA) conducts the MAT exam four times a year for MBA admission to around 600 B-schools across India. |
| TS ICET | June 8 and 9, 2025 | MGU on behalf of the Telangana State Council for Higher Education (TSCHE) conducts the TG ICET exam. |
| AP ICET | May 7, 2025 | Andhra University, on behalf of the APSCHE, conducts the AP ICET exam for MBA admission at Andhra Pradesh MBA colleges. |
| MICAT |
| MICA exam is conducted by MICA Ahmedabad for MBA admission. |
| Karnataka PGCET | August 2025 | Karnataka Post Graduate Common Entrance Test (PGCET) exam is conducted by KEA to get PG admission to top colleges. |
| KIITEE MBA | January 11, 12, and 13, 2025 (Concluded) | Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology Entrance Examination (KIITEE) is conducted for UG and PG admission at KIIT University. |
| KMAT | October 25, 2025 | Karnataka Management Aptitude Test (KMAT) is an MBA exam conducted to offer admission in MBA/PGDM or MVCA courses. |
| KMAT Kerala | Phase 1: February 23, 2025 | KMAT Kerala exam is conducted by CEE Kerala to get MBA admission to top colleges of Kerala. |
| ATMA | August 30, 2025 | AIMS Test for Management Admissions is a national-level MBA entrance exam conducted by the Association of Indian Management Schools (AIMS) 4 to 5 times a year. |
| OJEE | May 2 to 6, 10, and 11, 2025 | Odisha Joint Entrance Examination (OJEE) is a state-level MBA entrance exam to get admission to top MBA colleges of Odisha. |
| TANCET | March 22, 2025 | Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test (TANCET) is a state-level entrance exam conducted by Anna University for admission into postgraduate courses in Tamil Nadu. |
| CUET PG MBA | March 13 to 31, 2025 | The CUET PG MBA exam is conducted by NTA for postgraduate admission to top state and central universities. |
Common Admission Test (CAT) is the most popular MBA entrance test with 2.95 Lakhs entries. CAT offers an opportunity to join prestigious institutes like IIMs, SPJIMR, FMS Delhi, etc. Apart from the CAT exam, CMAT, and MAT, a national-level admission test for MBA and some state-level MBA entrance exams (KMAT, TS ICET, AP ICET, TANCET, etc) are also there to get admission in top MBA colleges. Some B schools conduct their own entrance test for MBA admission, such as SNAP, XAT, etc.
Given below are a few top MBA entrance exam registration dates and schedules. Additionally, MBA entrance exam fees for these top examinations are also listed below:
MBA Exam | MBA entrance exam 2025 registration start date | MBA entrance exam 2025 application last date | MBA entrance exam fees |
CAT 2025 | August 01, 2025 | September 20, 2025 | Rs. 2600/- for General Rs. 1300/- for SC/ST |
CMAT 2026 | October 17, 2025 | November 17, 2025 | Rs. 2500/- |
IBSAT 2025 | July 01, 2025 | 3rd week of December, 2025 | Rs. 1800/- |
XAT 2026 | July 10, 2025 | December 5, 2025 | Rs. 2200/- for General |
SNAP 2025 | To be announced | To be announced | Rs. 2250/- |
| MAH CET MBA 2025 | December 25, 2025 (expected) | February 10, 2026 | Rs. .1200/- for General Rs 1000/- for SC/ST. |
| NMAT 2025 | August 01, 2025 | October 10, 2025 | Rs. 3000/ - |
| MAT 2025 | NA | PBT: March 2, 2025 CBT: March 9, 2025 | Rs. 2200/- |
| KMAT Kerala 2025 | February 2, 2026 (Phase 1) (expected) | February 14, 2026 (Phase 1) (expected) | Rs. 1000/- |
| ATMA 2025 | To be announced | To be announced | Male: Rs 2000/- , Female: Rs. 1500/- |
| TS ICET 2025 | March 10, 2026 (expected) | May 3, 2026 (expected) | Rs.650 + service charge |
| AP ICET 2025 | March 13, 2026 | April 9, 2026 | Rs.650/- + Rs 29.50/- |
There are many MBA entrance exams for government colleges, state-level and national-level MBA entrance exams in India, like CAT, GMAT, NMAT, MAT, ATMA, XAT, CMAT, and IBSAT. While GMAT is accepted by a larger range of B-Schools across India and abroad. By taking the GMAT exam, the candidate has the advantage of applying to top MBA colleges across the globe.
There are some top state-level MBA entrance exams such as MAH MBA CET, AP ICET, TS ICET, KMAT Kerala, etc, which an MBA aspirant can consider to pursue an MBA. In addition to these national and state-level MBA entrance exams, there is an individual institute-level MBA test that can also help candidates get admission to institutes not associated with the national MBA entrance exams.
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Check out the list of national-level MBA entrance exams along with MBA colleges accepting various entrance exams, which a candidate can consider taking to pursue an MBA course in India.
| National-level MBA entrance exam | Top Institutes Accepting Exam Score |
| CAT | 21 IIMs, FMS, IMI, IMT, MDI, SPJIMR, IITs, TAPMI + 500 Others |
| CMAT | K J Somaiya, BIMTECH, GIM, VIT, Great Lakes, and all the Institutes and Universities offering AICTE-approved MBA/PGDM programmes |
| XAT | XLRI, XIME, GIM, Great Lakes, IMT, XIMB, TAPMI, FORE, LIBA + 140 Others |
| SNAP | SIBM, SIIB, SCMHRD, SIBM, SICSR, SIOM, SIMS, SIMC, SIDTM, and SCIT. |
| NMAT | NMIMS Mumbai, K J Somaiya, SPJIMR, SDA Bocconi Asia Centre, XIM, ICFAI Business School, etc |
| IBSAT | IBS Hyderabad & all the other 8 campuses of ICFAI B-Schools |
| MAT | Amity University Noida, Amrita School of Business, LPU- Lovely Professional University, New Delhi Institute of Management, Jaipuria Noida- Jaipuria Institute of Management, Christ University, Birla Institute of Management, etc |
| ATMA | Master School of Management, Xavier Business School (XBS), Prin L N Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research, The ICFAI University, International Institute of Management Studies (IIMS), Dr D Y Patil Global Business School & Research Centre, SPJIMR, etc |
In addition to the national-level MBA entrance exam 2025, there are some state-level MBA entrances too, which are comparatively less competitive as compared to the national-level management entrance test. Check out the table below to know the list of entrance exams for MBA in India and the MBA exam-accepting colleges.
| State-level MBA entrance exam name | Top Institutes Accepting Exam Score |
| MAH MBA CET | KJ Somaiya, Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research, FLAME University, ITM Business School, Navi Mumbai, MIT School of Management, Pune, Balaji Institute of International Business, Tathawad, etc |
| OJEE MBA | Utkal University, KIIT School of Rural Management, United School of Business Management, GIET University, Gandhi Engineering College, etc |
| AP ICET | Sri Balaji PG college, Abhinav Institute of mngt and Technology, Andhra Loyola College, Sri Venkateswara University, Andhra University, Acharya Nagarjuna University, etc |
| TS ICET | Dr B R Ambedkar Institute of Management & Technology, Malla Reddy Engineering College, Kakatiya Institute of Technology and Science, Vivekvardhini College School of Business Management, Guru Nanak Institute of Technology, St Xavier's PG College, etc |
| KMAT Kerala | Saintgits Institute of Management, SCMS School of Technology and Management, Albertian Institute of Management, Rajagiri Centre for Business Studies, TKM Institute of Management, Union Christian College, ITM Group of Institutions, etc |
| KMAT Karnataka | MCC Bangalore, Alliance University, Bangalore; Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bangalore; JNC Bangalore, Bangalore; Siddaganga Institute of Technology, Tumkur; St George College of Management Science and Nursing, Bangalore; NHCE, Bangalore, etc |
| TANCET MBA | College of Engineering, Guindy, PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, University of Madras, SSN College of Engineering, Thiagarajar School of Management, Kumaraguru College of Technology, etc |
Apart from national or state-level MBA entrance tests, there are some institute-level MBA entrance exams in which a candidate can consider pursuing an MBA in various specialisations.
| Institute-level MBA entrance exam name | Institute Accepting Exam Score |
| PUCAT | VBS Purvanchal University |
| UPESMET | School of Business, UPES Dehradun |
| B-MAT | Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University, Pune |
| HPU MAT | HPU Business School, Himachal Pradesh University |
| SPSAT | Sir Padampat Singhania University |
There are few national-level and state exams yet to be conducted. If we talk about upcoming national-level MBA entrance exams that are yet to be conducted, these are ATMA, NMAT, SNAP, and MAT. Students can check out the detailed overview of top MBA entrance exams given below.
Common Admission Test or CAT is a national-level MBA entrance exam that is conducted once a year by IIMs on a rotational basis. IIM will conduct the CAT 2025 on November 30. CAT admit card will be available to download on the official website- iimcat.ac.in. As per the exam pattern of CAT, the exam duration was 2 hours during which candidates answered three sections, namely- verbal ability & reading comprehension (VARC), data interpretation & logical reasoning (DILR), and quantitative aptitude (QA). The CAT entrance exam has sectional time limit criteria. IIMs do not provide any official CAT syllabus; hence, candidates have to make their CAT preparation strategy keeping in mind the previous year's exams.
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Common Management Admission Test, CMAT, is another national-level entrance exam for MBA. For the year 2026 admissions, the MBA entrance exam was conducted by NTA in online mode. As per the CMAT exam pattern, the question paper had four sections that are to be answered within three hours. Candidates who are planning to appear in the CMAT 2025 entrance exam could prepare through CMAT question papers.
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Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur, conducts the Xavier Aptitude Test every year to provide admission to candidates in MBA/ PGDM programs. The MBA entrance exam 2026 will be a computer-based test. As per the exam pattern of XAT, the paper will have a total of four sections, which are to be solved in three hours, keeping in mind the negative marking scheme as well. The XAT 2026 exam will be held on January 4, 2026.
One of the National MBA Entrance Exams 2025 in India is the Symbiosis National Aptitude Test, which is conducted by Symbiosis International (Deemed University). Candidates who will appear for the SNAP 2025 exam will be able to take admission to 16 Symbiosis institutes offering MBA / PGDM programs. Before registration, candidates should check the SNAP eligibility criteria. The SNAP 2025 exam will be held in December 2025.
All about SNAP 2025 | |
| SNAP syllabus | |
| SNAP exam pattern | SNAP admit card |
Graduate Management Admission Council i.e. GMAC, conducts NMAT, which is a national-level MBA entrance exam. NMAT is the only exam that allows students to attempt the exam three times. As per the previous year's exam pattern of NMAT, the number of questions has decreased to 108. Earlier a total of 120 questions were asked, including all three sections. NMAT participating institutes are those institutes that accept the scores of the NMAT entrance exam. Apart from 29 institutes in India, 7 in South Africa, and 5 in the Philippines accept NMAT scores for admissions. The NMAT exam is being held from November 5 to December 20.
IBS Hyderabad (ICFAI Business School) conducts the IBS Aptitude Test, which is one of the national-level MBA entrance exams 2025 in India. Candidates who will take IBSAT 2025 will be able to take admission to any of the nine IBS campuses: Hyderabad, Dehradun, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Jaipur, Kolkata, and Pune. A total of 140 questions will be asked in the computer-based test as per the IBSAT exam pattern. For preparation purposes, the IBSAT syllabus can be checked by candidates.
All about IBSAT 2025 | |
| IBSAT syllabus | |
| IBS selection process | IBSAT cutoff |
MGU on behalf of the Telangana State Council for Higher Education (TSCHE) has released the TS ICET 2025 notification and exam dates in online mode. The exam is commonly known as TS ICET. For the year 2025, the TS ICET entrance exam dates are June 8 and 9.
All about TS ICET 2025 | |
| TS ICET cut Off | |
| TS ICET syllabus | TS ICET registration |
On behalf of the Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE), Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Ananthapuramu, conducts the Andhra Pradesh Integrated Common Entrance Test i.e. AP ICET on May 7, 2025. Amongst the entrance exam for MBA 2025 in India, AP ICET 2025 holds an important position, and candidates clearing the exam will be able to take admission to colleges in Andhra Pradesh state. To give this state-level MBA entrance exam, candidates must be aware of the AP ICET Exam Pattern.
All about AP ICET 2025 | |
| AP ICET application form | |
| AP ICET cutoff | AP ICET exam pattern |
The state-level MBA entrance exam, MAH MBA CET, is conducted to provide admission to candidates in colleges of Maharashtra State. For the year 2025, MAH CET was held on April 1, 2 and 3, 2025 as per the exam dates of MAH MBA CET.
Bhartiya Vidyapeeth Deemed University conducts the university-level MBA entrance test B-MAT for providing admissions to MBA and MBA (HR) across all campuses.
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad, conducts NIPER JEE MBA, which is a University-level MBA entrance exam once a year. The total duration of NIPER JEE MBA 2025 is 120 minutes. Candidates who qualify for this university-level exam will be offered admission to the MBA in Pharmaceutical Management.
Cochin University of Science and Technology Common Admission Test, commonly known as CUSAT CAT is also one of the university-level MBA entrance exams 2025 in India. The exam is conducted by the Cochin University of Science and Technology once a year.
All India Management Association (AIMA) conducts the Management Aptitude Test, or popularly known as the MAT exam, four times a year for admission to around 600 B-schools across India. MAT 2025 exam is a national-level MBA entrance test conducted in the months of February, May, September, and December. MAT 2025 important dates are out on its official website.
The Association of Indian Management Schools (AIMS) conducts the ATMA exam four to five times a year to offer admission into the MBA programme in an online mode. ATMA scores are accepted by more than 740 B-Schools in India to provide admission to candidates in management courses.
IIM offers an Integrated Program in Management for all the students who want to pursue an MBA after 12th. It is a 5-year management course (BBA+MBA). Candidates can pursue an MBA after 12th by appearing for the following MBA entrance exams:
As per the MBA exam analysis, MAT, CMAT and IBSAT are considered the easiest MBA entrance exams as compared to other MBA entrances. MAT exam is accepted by more than 600 B-schools, and CMAT is accepted by 300+ MBA colleges for admission to PGDM/MBA programmes. The IBSAT exam is conducted by ICFAI Business School for admission to its 9 branches.
From the list of MBA entrance exams mentioned below, IBSAT and NMAT are MBA entrance exams without negative marking and have an easy and moderate difficulty level. Candidates can check out all the major, difficult-to-easy MBA entrance exams given below.
| Difficulty Level | MBA Entrance Exams |
| Highly Difficult | CAT |
| Moderately to high | SNAP NMAT |
| Easy | MAT CMAT |
Students wishing to pursue an MBA must shortlist the MBA colleges and appear for the respective MBA entrance exams accepted by those colleges. They can check the MBA entrance exam cut-offs accepted by various colleges mentioned below.
| MBA entrance exam | MBA entrance exam cut-off |
| CAT | CAT cutoff |
| CMAT | CMAT cutoff |
| MAT | MAT cutoff |
| NMAT | NMAT cutoff |
| SNAP | SNAP cutoff |
| ATMA | ATMA cutoff |
| MAH MBA CET | MAN MBA CET cutoff |
Candidates who spend at least 4 to 5 hours a day preparing for the preparation of any of the national/state-level MBA entrance exams can crack the test easily. Follow the MBA entrance exam preparation tips and tricks mentioned below to achieve a good score. The chance of getting an MBA admission with a good score in the accepted MBA exam of the institute will be higher.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
For every MBA aspirant, Common Admission Test (CAT) is the goal. However, apart from CAT some of the other management entrance examinations which the candidate should give are XAT, MAT, CMAT, SNAP, ATMA, TS ICET, AP ICET etc.
Some of the entrance examination which are conducted by the state universities are TS ICET, AP ICET, MAH MBA CET, JEMAT. For details regarding other management entrance examination, you can read the given article.
Common Admission Test(CAT) score is accepted by more than 1000 B-Schools in India. However, there are top colleges in India which conduct their own examination or accepts other entrance examination score. Hence candidates should have knowledge about other exams as well.
When it comes to MBA entrance exam, the foremost choice of aspirants is CAT exam. Apart from that CMAT, XAT, SNAP are also best MBA entrance exam which a candidate look to crack.
Usually, MBA colleges start their academic session after the conclusion of the selection process. IIM's are generally start their academic session from June onwards.
Those candidates who want to apply for MBA entrance exam, they can do so by visiting the official website of the exam conducting body and apply for the same.
No, there are no MBA entrance exam without maths but there are few MBA exams that have low weightage for the maths section like CMAT, SNAP and NMAT.
The top MBA entrance exams in India are CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, SNAP and NMAT. All these top MBA entrance exams are the gateway to popular B-schools in India.
For MBA 2025 admission, you should ideally begin the application process in September-October for Round 1 and November-January for Round 2.
On Question asked by student community
Hello
Scoring 94.3 percentile in CAT is really good, so you should feel proud of yourself. With this percentile, the top old IIMs are tough, but you still have a realistic chance in new and baby IIMs like Raipur, Trichy, Kashipur, Nagpur, Bodh Gaya, Vizag, etc. Your chances will also depend on sectional percentiles, category, academics, and work experience. Do apply widely and prepare well for WAT–PI, because a strong interview can really help.
You can click on the link I am attaching below for more details.
With a CAT 2025 percentile of 86.5, BBA graduation score of 67%, and 10th marks of 76%, you meet most of the basic academic requirements for MBA admission at Nirma University. However, Class 12 marks are an important factor to consider in your case.
Nirma University’s Institute of Management usually specifies a minimum eligibility of 50% aggregate in Class 10, Class 12, and graduation for general category candidates (45% for reserved categories). Since you have scored 48% in Class 12, you are slightly below the usual minimum requirement. This means that, strictly speaking, you may face eligibility issues at the application or shortlisting stage.
That said, Nirma University follows a composite score–based shortlisting process. CAT score, academic profile, work experience (if any), diversity factors, and performance in PI are all considered together. In some admission cycles, candidates marginally below the Class 12 cutoff have still been allowed to participate in the selection process, especially if their CAT percentile and interview performance were strong.
However, you should be realistic. A low Class 12 score does weaken your profile and cannot be fully “compensated” by CAT score alone. The PI performance can help improve your chances only if you clear the basic eligibility criteria set by the institute for that particular year. Final admission depends on institute-level scrutiny of documents.
What you should do:
Carefully check the latest Nirma MBA admission brochure for the exact Class 12 eligibility clause.
Apply if you meet the minimum eligibility or if the institute allows provisional consideration.
Prepare very well for the PI to justify academic improvement from Class 12 to graduation.
Keep backup MBA colleges that accept 85–90 percentile and have more flexible academic criteria.
In summary, admission to Nirma University is possible but uncertain due to your Class 12 marks. Your CAT score and PI can strengthen your case, but they may not completely override the minimum eligibility requirement.
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Yes, with an 89 percentile in CAT, your daughter has a good chance of securing admission in several reputed MBA colleges in India, though top IIMs may be difficult unless she has strong academic diversity, category reservation, or exceptional profile factors. At this percentile range, many well-known Tier-2 and upper Tier-3 management institutes consider candidates for their flagship MBA/PGDM programs.
Institutes such as IMI New Delhi, IMT Hyderabad, XIMB HRM, GIM Goa (certain programs), FORE School of Management, LBSIM Delhi, TAPMI Manipal (borderline), IFMR GSB, Great Lakes (PGDM) and several reputed university MBA programs actively shortlist candidates around the 85–90 percentile range. Final selection does not depend on CAT score alone; academic background, work experience, diversity, performance in GD/PI/WAT also play a significant role.
To maximise chances, she should apply to a balanced mix of colleges, prepare well for interviews, and highlight strengths such as internships, certifications, leadership roles, or work experience. If her profile is average and she aims for higher-ranked institutes, she may also consider repeating CAT with focused preparation to push her percentile above 95.
With an overall CAT percentile of around 80 and belonging to the NC-OBC category, you do have a reasonable set of MBA college options in India, including some IITs, though the older IIMs and top IIT MBA programs will be difficult at this score.
Among the IITs, you can realistically look at newer and mid-tier MBA programs. IIT Jodhpur (MBA), IIT Bhilai, IIT Jammu, and IIT Dharwad have historically considered candidates in the 75–85 percentile range under reserved categories like NC-OBC. These institutes usually evaluate candidates on a composite score that includes CAT performance, academic background, work experience (if any), and interview performance. However, IIT Bombay, Delhi, Madras, Kharagpur, Kanpur, and Roorkee typically require much higher CAT percentiles even for reserved categories, so the chances there are quite low at 80 percentile.
Apart from IITs, several good government and semi-government institutions can be strong options. NIT Trichy (DOMS), NIT Warangal (SOM), NIT Calicut (SOM), and NIT Durgapur are worth applying to, as NITs often have relatively lower cutoffs for NC-OBC candidates compared to IIMs. Central universities such as Jamia Millia Islamia, Aligarh Muslim University, University of Hyderabad, and Delhi School of Management (DTU) can also be considered, subject to their sectional cutoffs and your academic profile.
In the private B-school space, there are multiple reputed institutes where an 80 percentile with NC-OBC reservation offers a fair chance. These include IMT Nagpur and IMT Hyderabad, GIM Goa (for some programs), TAPMI Manipal, FORE School of Management, K J Somaiya Mumbai, BIMTECH Greater Noida, IRMA Anand (profile dependent), and IFMR GSB at Krea University. At these institutes, interview performance, SOP quality, and overall profile play a major role in final selection.
Overall, it is advisable to apply broadly and not rely on a single institute. Focus on newer IITs, NITs, and well-established private B-schools, and prepare thoroughly for the personal interview and group discussion rounds, as at this percentile level, strong performance beyond CAT can significantly improve your final admission chances.
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