MBA Admission 2024: Exam Dates, Registration, Fees, Result

Latest Update: Nov 20, 2024

Top B schools have announced the top MBA entrance exam and released application forms, marking the commencement of MBA Admission 2024. Most colleges in India conduct admissions by May-June, with the application process starting from October onwards. Candidates can select from a variety of government and private MBA institutes across all states of India. MBA admission is majorly based on an entrance exam, Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI). MBA aspirants can start filling out the admission forms of their target B-School so that after clearing the MBA entrance exam they can offer their candidature for admission. There are over 50 MBA entrance exams in India out of which some are national-level, some are state-level and some are university/institute-level exams. The most popular national-level MBA entrance exams are CAT, MAT, XAT, CMAT, XAT, ATMA, NMAT and GMAT.

MBA Admission 2024 Exam Dates

The MBA admission season in India typically starts in September and concludes in May or June. Most colleges initiate their application process in October. Top MBA entrance exams such as CAT, XAT, MAT, SNAP, and NMAT take place between November 2023 and January 2024. Following these, CMAT, ATMA, MAH CET, TANCET, TSICET, TANCET, TISSNET, and other exams are scheduled for the 2024 academic year. Below is the exam date schedule for top MBA exams:
Exam Name Exam Date
CAT November 26, 2023
SNAP December 10, 17 & 22, 2023
MAT February 2024
CMAT May 2024
IIFT Cancelled
MAH CET March 23 – 24, 2024
TANCET April 2024
XAT January 07, 2024
NMAT October 10 – December 19, 2023
ATMA February 2024
IBSAT December 23 – 24, 2023
TISS NET Cancelled
KIITEE January 19 – 21, 2024
MICAT December 02, 2023 (Phase I) January 27, 2024 (Phase II)

MBA Admission 2024 Registration

Various MBA exams take place in India at different times annually. Candidates can submit XAT forms by November 30, 2023. MAT registrations for the December 2023 phase are open. The next major exam, CMAT 2024, will be held in April-May, with registration starting in February 2024.The registration dates for top MBA exams in India are provided in the table below:
Exam Name Registration Date (Tentative)
CAT August 02 – September 13, 2023
SNAP August 23 – November 23, 2023
MAT January 2024
CMAT February - March 2024
IIFT Cancelled
MAH CET February - March 2024
TANCET February - March 2024
XAT July 15 – December 10, 2023
NMAT August 01- October 12, 2023 October 11 – December 16, 2023 (Retake)
ATMA December 2023
IBSAT July 01 – December 16, 2023
TISS NET Cancelled
KIITEE September 01 – January 15, 2023
MICAT September 11 – November 20, 2023 (Phase I) November 26 – January 16, 2024 (Phase II)

MBA Admission 2024: How to Apply?

Some of the popular MBA colleges to target for admission apart from the IIMs are listed below. These colleges invite applications online on the basis of MBA entrance exam scores. So, the aspirants must select their preferred college and start preparing for the MBA admission process, which includes filling out the entrance exam form, filling out the college application form, clearing the entrance exam and participating in GD/PI. The MBA Admission 2024 process in all the B-schools requires you to follow the under-noted steps Step-1: Shortlist the preferred MBA Entrance Exams and Take the Test All the top MBA colleges accept scores of one or other MBA entrance exams like CAT, XAT, NMAT, and SNAP. You need to choose the right MBA entrance exam based on the following parameters-
  • Leading MBA colleges accepting the respective exam score
  • Difficulty level of the exam
  • Your preference for MBA College and programs offered
  • Also, check & match the MBA Admission Eligibility 2023 for the exam as well as for the college
Step 2: Shortlist the Best Colleges and Apply Separately to the Right B-schools For IIMs and IIFT, separate applications are not required. However, other B-schools require separate applications.Details are given below:
  • For admission to SPJIMR, FMS, IMT, MDI and other top B-schools accepting CAT, you need to apply separately. But for the 20 IIMs or IIFT, you need not apply separately.
  • If you apply for NMAT, SNAP, XAT, CMAT, you need to apply separately through the exam registration form for MBA admission 2024 in all the MBA colleges including NMIMS, SIBM, XLRI which exclusively accept only their own exam score.
Step-3: Appear in GD-PI-WAT process
  • MBA Admission & Selection Criteria after shortlisting consists of GD-PI-WAT in some B-schools, PI-WAT in some B-schools and only GD-PI in few others. Read More: GD Topics
Step-4: Secure MBA Admission and Pay Your Fees
  • The B-school will prepare a merit list for final admission based on your performance in the MBA entrance test, academics, GD-PI-WAT, and work experience. If students are on the merit list, the B-school will send them an admission offer. Students must accept the admission offer and pay the admission fee by the stipulated date.

MBA Admission 2024 Fees

The registration fee for MBA admission in 2024 varies from INR 1,000 to INR 2,500 depending on the college's location and ranking. The average MBA fee for top MBA colleges ranges from INR 10 to INR 15 lakhs. The highest MBA fee in Tier-1 business schools is around INR 15,00,000 – INR 30,00,000. The registration fee for different MBA Exams is provided below
Entrance Exam
 Application Fee
Unreserved Reserved
CAT Application Fee INR 2400 INR 1200
XAT Application Fee NR 2100 iNR 2100
SNAP Application Fee INR 2250 INR 2250
MAH CET Application Fee INR 1000 INR 800
IBSAT Application Fee INR 1800 INR 1800

MBA Admission 2024 Pattern

Even though all MBA entrance exams differ in terms of question pattern, weightage, and marking scheme, the basic syllabus for the MBA Entrance Exams remains more or less the same. Candidates must prepare thoroughly for the exams to secure their chances at the MBA Admission 2024.
  • The CAT 2024 exam pattern is expected to mirror CAT 2023. It will consist of 66 questions to be tackled within 120 minutes. The VARC section will contain 24 questions, DILR will encompass 20 questions, and QA will feature 22 questions.
  • The paper pattern more or less consists of these 5 sections: Language Comprehension, Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning, General Awareness, Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

MBA Admission 2024 Preparation Tips:

The MBA preparation journey starts from the final year of graduation. A maximum percentage of management aspirants start the preparation as soon as they step into the third year of their bachelor’s degree program as one needs a good number of months to prepare for MBA entrance exams. In 2024, MBA preparation demands subject-wise detailed study and practice of sample questions. The preparation strategy should align with the chosen entrance exams. Overall, all candidates need a flexible strategy that adapts to each exam's pattern. The common preparation strategy that can be applied to all MBA entrance exams, is given below-
  1. Know the exam syllabus
  2. Collect books and study materials
  3. Study topics and solve questions
  4. Practice mock tests and sample papers.

MBA Admission 2024 Results

The MBA results can be checked by candidates on the NTA website. And the candidates can also download their results by entering their Registered ID and Roll Number. Here are some MBA exam results dates:
  • ATMA: Results for the May 28, 2023 exam were announced on June 2, 2023. Results for the July 23, 2023 exam will be announced on July 28, 2023.
  • MAH MBA CET: The 2023 results were released on June 3, 2023. The 2024 results are expected to be released in April 2024.
  • CAT: The 2022 results were released on December 21, 2022.
After the CMAT result is released, participating colleges invite students for the GD-PI-WAT round. For admission to an MBA, the CMAT score should be at least 98 percentiles for some of the leading institutes like SIMREES, Great LakesChennai and JBIMS. Students should aim for a score of 320 or more marks on the CMAT test in order to achieve percentiles higher than 98.

MBA Admission Scores and Cut-Offs

Most colleges consider a candidate's score for all semester/annual exams. To secure admission in one of the top 50 B-Schools in India, you should have a minimum of 60% in 10th, a minimum of 60% in 10+2 and a minimum of 50% (45% in case of SC/ST) in Graduation.
  • The GMAT score range is 200–800, with a maximum score of 800. Two-thirds of test takers score between 400 and 600. Each business school has a different policy for considering the GMAT in MBA applications.
  • The minimum CAT 2022 cut-off was 90 percentile to get admission to any IIM or top MBA colleges in India. Top IIMs have high CAT cutoffs (99+ percentile). The CAT cut-offs for top MBA colleges such as FMS, MDI, and SPJIMR among others, range from 90 to 99 percentile.
B School CAT Cut-Off
BIMTECH Greater Noida 75-80
K J Somaiya Mumbai 75-85
TAPMI Manipal 82-85
Great Lakes Chennai 80-90
IMT Ghaziabad 89-91
IMI New Delhi 90-91
MICA Ahmedabad 90-92
XIM Bhubaneswar 92-94
IIM Ahmedabad 97-99
IIM Bangalore 96-98
IIM Kozhikode 94-96
IIM Calcutta 96-98
IIM Lucknow 95-97

FAQs

  1. When will MBA Admission begin for the academic year 2024?

Candidates aspiring to pursue an MBA degree can register for MBA entrance exams and several MBA Colleges as per the dates mentioned in the article above.

  1. Is it difficult to get an MBA Admission in top management colleges?

To seek admission to the MBA course, candidates must qualify for the MBA Entrance exams followed by a GD, PI/WAT round. They must have also completed an undergraduate degree to be eligible for MBA Admission 2024.

  1. Is 710 a good GMAT score for MBA Admission 2024?

Candidates scoring between 700-710 in the GMAT is considered fairly good for MBA Admission 2024 in the top 5 business schools. Aspiring candidates for admission to the top 15 to 20 business schools should aim for scores between 660-680.

  1. Can I get an MBA Admission to IIMs without CAT?

No, to seek MBA Admission 2024 into the IIMs of India, candidates must crack the CAT exam. The IIMs only accept the CAT scores to offer MBA Admissions.