Many B-schools across India are currently accepting MBA admissions for the 2023-2025 academic session. Prospective candidates can choose from a variety of government and private institutes in all Indian states, including popular MBA institutes such as IMI, KIIT SOM, Christ University, Jaipuria Institute of Management, EMPI Business School, FLAME University, and IPE Hyderabad.
The MBA admission process is mainly based on an entrance exam, Group Discussion (GD), and Personal Interview (PI). Aspiring MBA students should consider their desired management course and extensively research each MBA college and course offerings, including government recognition, eligibility criteria, admission process, tuition fee, hostel facility, pedagogy, infrastructure, and placements. Once the shortlist of institutes is ready, candidates should find out their MBA admission process and selection criteria. Some MBA colleges accept candidates based on a common entrance exam score, while others select candidates based on their Graduation score.
The GD/PI process evaluates a candidate’s personality traits, such as business aptitude, managerial skills, leadership qualities, communication ability, confidence, and attitude, which are crucial for success as a business manager. The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) is the most popular and top-ranked group of B-schools in India, and prospective candidates planning to seek admission to IIMs must apply for CAT 2022 exam, as it is the only gateway to IIMs for PGP/MBA courses.
MBA Admissions 2023: Entrance Exams
If you’re aspiring to pursue an MBA in 2023-25, now is the time to apply as admissions are underway in some B-schools. To gain entry, you’ll need to take an MBA entrance exam. You can take these exams in the current session or the next session. Here are some options for you to consider.
- CAT
- XAT
- IIFT
- CMAT
- SNAP
- MAT
- ATMA
- KMAT
- IRMASAT
- TISSNET
- IBSAT
- NMAT
MBA Admissions 2023: Application Deadline
The deadline for MBA admissions in 2023 is approaching soon. In addition to the IIMs, there are several other highly-regarded MBA colleges that students can apply to. These colleges accept online applications based on the scores obtained in MBA entrance exams. Therefore, students need to choose their preferred college and begin preparing for the admission process. This involves filling out the entrance exam form, submitting the college application form, clearing the entrance exam, and participating in a group discussion and personal interview.
MBA College | Exam Score Accepted | Application status MBA/PGDM 2022 batch |
IMT Ghaziabad | CAT, XAT, GMAT, CMAT | Closed |
FMS Delhi University | CAT, XAT | Closed |
UPES Dehradun | UPESMET | Open |
SPJIMR Mumbai | CAT, GMAT | Open |
IIFT Delhi | IIFT Entrance Exam | Closed |
XLRI, Jamshedpur | XAT, GMAT | Closed |
Great Lakes Institute of Management | CAT, XAT, CMAT | Open |
Symbiosis International University (Deemed) | SNAP | Closed |
MDI Gurgaon | CAT, GMAT | Open |
SOIL Institute of Management, Gurgaon | CAT, NMAT, GMAT, XAT | Open |
Vijay Patil School of Management | CAT, XAT, GMAT, GRE | Open |
Dr DY Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune | CAT, MAT, XAT, CMAT, ATMA, AIET | Open |
International Management Institute, Kolkata | CAT, XAT, GMAT | Open |
International Management Institute, Bhubaneswar | CAT, XAT, GMAT | Open |
KIIT SOM | CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, ATMA, GMAT, KIITEE MBA | Open |
Christ University | CUET | Open (Last date April 9, 2023) |
Alliance School of Business, Alliance University | CAT, XAT, GMAT, NMAT, SNAP, KMAT, MAT, CMAT, IBSAT, ALLIANCE-AMAT | Open |
Crescent School of Business | CAT, XAT, CMAT, ATMA, MAT, GMAT, TANCET and CSBAT | Open |
Woxsen University | CAT, XAT, NMAT, GRE, GMAT or Woxsen Aptitude Test (WAT) | Open |
Asia-Pacific Institute of Management | CAT, MAT, XAT, CMAT, GMAT | Open |
Birla Institute of Management Technology, Noida | CAT, GMAT | Open |
JK Business School | CAT, MAT, CMAT | Open |
ITM Business School | CAT, MAT, XAT, CMAT, GMAT, MAH-CET | Open |
Prin. L. N. Welingkar Institute Of Management | CAT, XAT, CMAT, GMAT, ATMA | Open |
Thiagarajar School of Management | CAT, XAT, CMAT, MAT, GMAT, ATMA | Open |
Jaipuria Institute of Management | CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, ATMA | Open |
Fortune Institute of International Business (FIIB) | CAT, XAT, CMAT, GMAT, MAT | Open |
EMPI Business School | CAT, XAT, CMAT, MAT, ATMA | Open |
Lloyd Business School Noida | CAT, XAT, CMAT, MAT, GMAT | Open |
FLAME University | CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, MAH-CET, GMAT | Open |
IPE Hyderabad | CAT, XAT, CMAT, GMAT, ATMA, MAT | Open |
Indian School of Business (ISB) | GMAT, GRE | Open |
IFMR – Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR GSB), Sri City | CAT, XAT, CMAT, GMAT, GRE | Open |
Admission to MBA Colleges in India: Criteria and Process
If you’re considering pursuing an MBA in India, the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) are probably the first institutions that come to mind. With 20 campuses across the country, the IIMs are highly regarded, with the top five – IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, and IIM Kozhikode – being the most sought after. Each year, more than 200,000 MBA aspirants take the Common Admission Test (CAT) conducted by the IIMs to gain admission to their MBA/PGDM/PGP programs.
The admission process for the IIMs entails taking the CAT exam, followed by a group discussion and personal interview.
IIM Admission Process
Getting into an Indian Institute of Management (IIM) involves taking the CAT exam, which is held in November at over 400 centers in 156 cities across India (for example, CAT 2023 will be held on November 26). The results of this exam are announced in January of the following year. After that, the 20 IIMs evaluate candidates based on their CAT scores and academic record. They use a category-specific CAT percentile cutoff to shortlist applicants.
Factors determining the selection of candidates for IIM WAT/GD-PI are listed below:
- CAT score
- Class 10 score
- Class 12 score
- Graduation score
After the WAT/GD-PI is completed, a Composite Score of each candidate is arrived at by calculating marks obtained by them on various parameters.
Parameters of Final Selection for IIM Admission
- CAT score
- WAT/GD-PI score
- Class 10 score
- Class 12 score
- Graduation score
- Gender diversity
- Academic diversity
- Work experience
The weight allotted to each of the abovementioned parameters varies for each IIM.
MBA Admission & Selection Criteria of Top MBA Colleges
When applying for an MBA program, you typically need to take an entrance exam and participate in a group discussion and personal interview. However, it’s important to note that different MBA colleges have varying requirements when it comes to exam scores. The chart below lists some of the top MBA colleges and the exam scores they accept for admission. It also indicates whether or not these schools conduct group discussions and personal interviews.
MBA College Name | MBA Entrance Exam | Group Discussion/Personal Interview (GD/PI) |
Management Development Institute, Gurgaon | CAT/GMAT | Yes |
Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi | CAT | Yes |
Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Delhi | IIFT Exam/GMAT | Yes |
Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai | MAH-CET | Yes |
Narsee Monji Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai | NMAT by GMAC | Yes |
SP Jain Institute of Management & Research, Mumbai | CAT/XAT/GMAT | Yes |
XLRI-Xavier School of Management | XAT/GMAT | Yes |
Institute of Management Technology | CAT/XAT/CMAT/GMAT | Yes |
Symbiosis Institute of Business Management | SNAP | Yes |
Prin. L. N. Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research | CAT/XAT/ATMA/CMAT/GMAT | Yes |
IRMA, Anand | CAT/XAT and IRMASAT | Yes |
MICA, Ahmedabad | CAT/XAT/CMAT and MICAT | Yes |
List of MBA colleges in India by entrance exam
Here is a list of MBA colleges in India that accept different entrance exam scores. It’s important to review this list before making a decision on where to pursue your MBA degree.
MBA colleges in India accepting CAT | MBA colleges in India accepting IBSAT |
MBA colleges in India accepting MAT | MBA colleges in India accepting ATMA |
MBA colleges in India accepting XAT | MBA colleges in India accepting IIFT |
MBA colleges in India accepting CMAT | MBA colleges in India accepting SNAP |
MBA colleges in India accepting NMAT | MBA colleges in India accepting TSICET |
MBA colleges in India accepting MAH CET | MBA colleges in India accepting TANCET |