CAT, XAT, SNAP: Which entrance exam should you take? Check top options here

As the MBA admission season gets underway, registration windows for several major management entrance exams are opening, giving aspiring candidates a range of pathways to business schools across India. With thousands of graduates preparing to compete for seats at some of the country’s leading management institutes, choosing the right entrance exam can be as important as preparing for it.

From the Common Admission Test (CAT) and Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) to SNAP, NMAT, MAT, CMAT and other institute- or state-level examinations, MBA aspirants have multiple options depending on the B-school they wish to target, their preferred specialisation and eligibility requirements.

This year, the CAT will be conducted by the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Indore in November 2026. As the registration process for the exam has started, candidates who want to apply for the CAT 2026 can visit the official website – iimcat.ac.in to fill the application form by paying the prescribed examination fee.

Rs 1,350 for SC/ST/PwBD Age limit No maximum age limit Scorecard validity December 2027 Check CAT 2026 schedule Candidates can check the exam schedule below: To know more about the eligibility, exam pattern and syllabus, candidates can download the information bulletin available on the above-mentioned portal.

Read More | CAT 2026 registration begins, check important dates The Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) is conducted by the Xavier School of Management (XLRI) Jamshedpur. It is a national-level entrance exam carried out in over 100 test cities across India for admission to MBA or PGDM programs.

The exam is currently accepted by more than 250+ premier business schools. The registration for the XAT 2027 has started on its official website – xatonline.in. Candidates can refer to the table given below to know the exam schedule: The exam will be conducted offline in Computer-based testing (CBT) mode.

Candidates will be required to attempt a maximum of 95 questions in 180 minutes or 3 hours. The institute will conduct an XAT 2027 mock test on August 31, 2o26 for those candidates who register by August 27. The Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) is a national-level entrance examination conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on behalf of the Ministry of Education for admission to courses offered by management institutes in the country.

The CMAT score is accepted by all the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) affiliated colleges, universities, and approved institutes across India. The notification for the forthcoming CMAT 2027 exam cycle has not been released yet.

NTA conducted the previous exam cycle, CMAT 2026, on January 25 in a single shift in 110 cities at 259 test centers across the country in computer-based test (CBT) mode. As per the official data, a total of 53,453 candidates registered for the exam, out of which as many as 41,872 candidates appeared in the examination.

Candidates preparing for the exam can check the exam pattern for CMAT below: The registration process for the CMAT 2027 is expected to begin in the month of October 2026. Candidates are required to keep a close check on the official website, cmat.nta.nic.in, for more updates regarding the 2027 exam cycle.

The Symbiosis National Aptitude Test (SNAP) 2026 is a national-level MBA entrance examination conducted by the Symbiosis International (Deemed University) for admission to various postgraduate management courses offered by its 17 institutes located across six cities, including Pune, Nashik, Nagpur, Hyderabad, Noida and Bengaluru.

This year, the SNAP 2026 exam will be conducted offline in computer-based mode. Candidates have an option to appear for up to three attempts, with the best score considered for percentile calculation. The test will consist of 60 questions carrying 60 marks, to be attempted in 60 minutes.

The exam will have 25% negative marking for every incorrect answer. Candidates can visit snaptest.org to submit the registration form. The SNAP test fee is Rs 2,550 per attempt, while a separate programme registration fee of Rs 1,000 is applicable for each selected programme.

Read More | SNAP 2026 registrations open, check application fee and exam dates The NMIMS Management Aptitude Test (NMAT) is conducted by Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) for admission to MBA and other postgraduate management programmes.

The examination will comprise 108 questions, which candidates will have to attempt within 120 minutes. All three sections carry equal weightage. The NMAT by GMAC exam is accepted by more than 58 institutions in India