All About MBA Entrance Examinations
The Indian Institute of Management (IIMs), and every other elite business school in the country offering the MBA/ PGDM accept entrance examination scores and percentile for admission. The most popular management entrance examination among the aspirants is the Common Admission Test (CAT) which is conducted by the IIMs on the rotational basis. Top 6 IIMs of the country i.e., IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, IIM Indore, and IIM Kozhikode conduct the CAT on rotational basis. Admission to some of the elite management colleges such as IIMs, FMS Delhi, IIFT Delhi, MDI Gurgaon, TISS Mumbai, SPJIMR, etc. is made on the basis of percentile obtained by candidates in the CAT. However, there are some colleges in the country which conduct their own entrance examination, and their scores are accepted by some of the associate institutes. These entrance examinations include Xavier’s Aptitude Test (XAT), Symbiosis National Aptitude Test (SNAP), and Narsee Manjee Aptitude Test (NMAT). Apart from these, some of the other popular management aptitude test which are famous among aspirants are Common Management Admission Test (CMAT), Management Aptitude Test (MAT), AIMS Test for Management Admission (ATMA), Shri Ram College of Commerce Global Business Operations, and Mudra Institute of Communications Admission Test (MICAT).
Most Popular Management Entrance Examinations
Common Admission Test (CAT)
The examination is conducted by IIMs once in a year. The test consists of three sections, namely Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation (LRDI), and Quantitative Ability (QA). The test comprises of 66 questions which are to be solved in 120 minutes with a sectional timing of 40 minutes each. Candidates get +3 for every correct answer while -1 is deducted for every wrong answer. Type in the Answer (TITA) questions have no negative marking.
Xavier’s Aptitude Test (XAT)
The examination is conducted by XLRI Jamshedpur once in a year. The test consists of MCQ type questions from Verbal and Logical Ability, Decision Making, Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation, and General Knowledge. The duration of the test is 180 minutes. 1 mark is awarded for each right answer. 0.25 mark is deducted for each wrong answer. 0.10 mark is deducted for more than 8 unanswered consecutive questions, and there is no negative marking for the general knowledge section.
Symbiosis National Aptitude Test (SNAP)
This common admission test is conducted by the Symbiosis International (Deemed) University. It is a speed based test which consists of 60 questions which are to be answered in 60 minutes, and there is no sectional time limit. Candidates get 3 chances to appear for this exam. The test consists of three sections, namely General English, Quantitative-Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency, and Analytical and Logical Reasoning. Candidates get +1 for every correct answer while -0.25 is deducted for every wrong answer.
Narsee Manjee Aptitude Test (NMAT)
NMAT by GMAC is designed to keep candidates convenience in mind. Candidates appearing for the entrance test can choose the exam date, and venue preference during the exam window. The test is conducted annually during the test window on specified days. The exam consists of 3 sections namely, Language Skills, Quantitative Skills, and Logical Reasoning.