MBA Admission 2024 (Open): Application Dates, Entrance Exams, Admission Process & Top Colleges

MBA admission 2024-26 in India is ongoing. If you are seeking admission to top MBA colleges in India, you need to appear for entrance exams like CAT, XAT, CMAT, MAT, etc. Upon meeting the required cutoff, you will be called for counselling that includes group discussion, personal interview, or written ability test. Candidates are allotted seats in the colleges based on their academic qualifications, entrance exam scores, and performance in the selection rounds. The MBA admission season generally starts from September to November and lasts until May to June. Not all the business schools in India follow the same process and different components determine the eligibility for MBA admission. Know the detailed process below!

MBA Admission Process 2024-26

Candidates who wish to pursue MBA courses at some of the top B-schools in India must be thoroughly familiar with the MBA selection process used by the top-ranked MBA colleges in the country. This will help them prepare for the various stages they need to clear to secure admission to their preferred MBA colleges. Take a look at the MBA selection process factors mentioned below:

• Entrance Exam Scores: A majority of B-schools in India only consider applications for MBA through certain MBA entrance exams like CAT, XAT, SNAP, MAT, CMAT, etc. Candidates must appear and qualify for these exams and meet the required cutoffs set by their preferred institutes to participate in the MBA selection process for the same.
• Personal Interview/Group Discussion/Written Ability Test: Typically, the MBA selection process conducted by B-schools consists of personal interviews and group discussions and for some institutes written ability tests as well. These assessments are conducted to test candidates in various areas like their communication skills, interpersonal skills, and expertise in certain topics. 
• Previous Academic Records: Apart from a candidate’s performance in entrance exams and MBA selection rounds, a candidate’s performance in their past academic courses is also considered for MBA admission. Scores from a candidate’s Class 10, Class 12, and Graduation courses are used to determine the quality of their MBA application.
• Weighted Work Experience: Although not a mandatory requirement, work experience also helps enhance a candidate’s MBA application. Individuals with genuine work experience are given extra consideration during the MBA selection process; this aspect of a candidate’s profile has a relatively smaller weightage in the final MBA candidate selection process via different entrance exams.

Direct Admission/ Merit-Based Admission 2024

If you don't want to appear for MBA entrance exams or have missed to deadline, there is an option for direct admission. Many MBA colleges in India offer admission based on a candidate's academic background and overall personality. The eligibility criteria include a bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks from a recognized university. Direct MBA admission without entrance exam in 2024 is a great option for candidates who don't want to get a management education from a decent college and start their professional journey.

MBA Admission 2024: Eligibility Criteria

Academic qualifications, minimum marks obtained, minimum and maximum age limit, nationality, and scores from recognized entrance exams, such as the CAT, etc. are the factors that determine the eligibility for MBA admission 2024. Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements to be considered for MBA admission process 2024.

• Bachelor's Degree: Candidates interested in an MBA program must hold a Bachelor's degree in any discipline that has been earned over at least three years.

• Final Year Graduation: Applicants who are in their final year of Graduation can also apply for MBA admission 2024. However, the admission will be confirmed only if they can provide the necessary documentation when it is time for the MBA admission process.

• Graduation Scores: For applicants in the General category, a graduation score of at least 50% is mandatory. Students with backgrounds in SC, ST, or PWD can take advantage of a 5% exemption and must achieve an overall score of at least 45%.

• Entrance Exam Scores: Candidates must pass any national admission examinations, such as the CAT, XAT, GMAT, SNAP, NMAT, or CMAT, and meet the cut-off marks required to fill out the MBA admission application form of the institution they desire to enrol in.

• Institute-level Exam: Students who want to study MBA must apply and take the MBA admission exams conducted by the institutes. IIMs accept the CAT, XLRI the XAT, and SCMHRD the SNAP for their MBA admission process 2024.

MBA Entrance Exams 2024

Given below is the list of MBA entrance exams in India including both institute-level and national-level exams:

Also Read: CAT vs CMAT, NMAT, XAT, SNAP, IIFT & Other MBA Entrance Exams

MBA Admission 2024: Last Date to Apply & Entrance Exams Accepted

Some of the leading MBA colleges in India along with their MBA admission 2024 last date have been mentioned below. Candidates seeking admission to an MBA course in B-Schools must ensure that they appear for the required MBA entrance exam 2024 and apply to the institute before the given deadline for the MBA admission process 2024.

IIM MBA Admission 2024

Check out the MBA admission deadline for top IIMs mentioned in the table below:

Also Read: List of Top IIMs in India 2024

IIT MBA Admission 2024

The IIT MBA Admission application dates have been mentioned in the table below:

Top Private Colleges MBA Admission 2024

Apart from IIMs and IITs, there are several other top-ranked MBA colleges that candidates must consider for MBA admission. Take a look at the top private colleges MBA Admission 2024 dates below:

​​​​​Also Read: Distance MBA vs Online MBA vs Regular MBA

How to Apply for MBA Course?

The points mentioned below give a detailed analysis of the application process for MBA 2024 before moving on to the MBA admission 2024 process. Candidates aspiring for MBA admission 2024 must go through all the factors regarding the application process listed here:

• 98% of MBA colleges in India accept online applications for their MBA admission process 2024. The online application process is very easy and all that students will have to do is visit the official website of the respective B-School.

• The online application link will be active on the homepage of the respective B-School website with headings such as ‘Admissions 2024’, ‘Apply Now,' ‘Register Now,’ ‘Online Application Form,’ ‘Click Here to Register,’ etc. Make sure you apply before the MBA admission 2024 last date.

• Students will have to fill in all the personal, educational, and work experience details asked in the application form.

• Most B-schools consider the score of any of the national or state-level management entrance exams for admissions. Therefore, students need to submit the score of the entrance exam and roll number along with the online application form.

• A valid e-mail ID and mobile number are mandatory to fill out the online application.

• Applicants can pay the prescribed application fee through the official website of the institute. The application fee payment can be done by using a Credit/ Debit Card or Net Banking.

• Certain B-Schools offer direct admission to eligible candidates. These candidates can submit the online application form and wait for a call from the respective institute. The MBA admission process 2024 may be based on merit/ GD/ WAT/ PI.

Documents Required for MBA Admission 2024

Here is the list of all the mandatory documents required to submit/ upload during the MBA admission process 2024:

• Entrance Test Score Card and Admit Card

• Bachelor’s Degree Certificate/ Marks Sheet

• Higher Secondary Certificate (Class 10) and Senior Secondary School Certificate (Class 12)

• Category Certificate (If Required)

• Identify Proof (most probably Aadhar – Xerox copy)

• Work Experience Certificate (Only for those who have work experience)

Also Read: Documents Required for MBA Admissions

MBA Admission 2024 for IIMs

CAT score is mandatory to get admission into IIMs (Indian Institutes of Management). You can use the CAT 2023 Percentile Predictor to estimate whether or not you will be able to meet the IIM CAT cutoff 2023 criteria basis last year's trends. More details about the IIM admission process are elaborated below.

The preliminary shortlisting/ selection process of candidates in all the IIMs is similar, but the subsequent stages of the MBA admission process 2024 at IIMs are different. The preliminary stage of the selection process at IIMs is to ensure and determine a candidate’s eligibility for MBA admission in an IIM. The MBA 2024 admission process at IIMs involves the following four stages:

• Stage I – Determining Eligibility for Admission: A graduate from any discipline with a minimum of 50% marks at the UG level is eligible to apply for the IIM CAT entrance exam.

• Stage II – Apply and Appear for CAT: All eligible candidates must apply for the CAT exam.

• Stage III – Shortlisting by IIMs for Admissions: After the announcement of the CAT result, IIMs will release the first shortlist for admission. In the process of shortlisting eligible candidates, IIMs will independently award weightage to CAT exam score, academic diversity, gender, work experience, academic profile, etc., Some IIMs shortlist the candidates only based on CAT score. This is also based on the CAT exam analysis 2023.

• Stage IV – Final Round of IIMs Admission Process: The shortlisted candidates will be called for the final stage of the selection process which involves WAT (Written Ability Test)/ Group Discussion/ Personal Interview. Popular IIMs give higher weightage to GD/ PI than the CAT score.

If your final score after the above round is higher, you will get admission to IIMs. Make sure you secure your allotted seat before the MBA admission 2024 last date.

Note: The shortlisting/ selection criteria, weightage, etc., are announced independently by the respective IIMs after the announcement of the CAT result.

MBA Admission 2024 in India for Other Top Colleges

Almost all the other business schools follow a similar pattern of the selection process for MBA courses that involves entrance test scores, GD/ PI/ WAT. Here is a list of some of the business schools and their selection process.

Also Read: List of Non-IIM MBA Colleges to Apply to Before and After CAT Exam

MBA Colleges in India Accepting Scores of Top Entrance Exams

The table below has a list of all the top MBA colleges in India that accept MBA entrance exams 2024 like CAT, CMAT, XAT, NMAT by GMAC, etc. Click on the links to know the colleges and the exams they accept.

Getting admission into a good business school is not as hard as it is often made out to be. If you keep a steady head, plan, be practical while shortlisting the colleges and courses that will be the most beneficial to you, apply before the MBA admission 2024 last date, and follow the proper process, you are sure to find yourself enrolled in one of India’s top B-schools. Remember that doing proper research will help you avoid any roadblocks that may arise in the admission process for MBA.

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You can fill out the Common Application Form (CAF) and apply to the popular MBA colleges in India. For all admission-related inquiries, you can contact our student helpline at 1800-572-9877. We wish good luck to all those aspiring to get MBA admission into their dream colleges!