MBA Admission Process 2021 - Last Date to Apply, Eligibility, Selection Criteria, Top B-Schools

Are you planning to pursue MBA from one of the best MBA colleges in India? If yes, you must have a complete awareness of the MBA admission process, a list of good MBA colleges, management entrance exams, and others.

Not all the business schools in India follow a similar pattern of the MBA admission process and there are different components that determine the eligibility of candidates for admission to an MBA course. In general, the top B-Schools follow a four-step process for giving admission to MBA courses.

The MBA admission season generally starts from September - November and lasts until May - June in the subsequent year. However, COVID-19 severely impacted the MBA admission process of 2020 due to which some exams were delayed. Now, the 2nd wave of COVID-19 has also disrupted the admission process and exams are being postponed.

MBA Admission Process 2021

The major difference between various B-Schools with regard to the MBA admission process is the acceptability of entrance test scores. The subsequent stages of the admission process such as Group Discussion/ Written Ability Test/ Personal Interview are almost similar in all the top B-Schools across the country. Let us start with the MBA application process to get more insight into MBA admissions 2021.

How to Apply for MBA Course 2021

The points mentioned below give a detailed analysis of the application process for MBA 2021. Candidates aspiring to enrol in an MBA programme in the upcoming academic session must go through all the factors regarding the application process listed here.

• 98% of MBA colleges in India accept online applications for admission to MBA courses. 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 heading such as ‘Admissions 2021’, ‘Apply Now’, ‘Register Now’, ‘Online Application Form’, ‘Click Here to Register’ etc.
• 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 top 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 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.
• There are certain B-Schools that offer direct admission to eligible candidates. These candidates can submit the online application form and wait for a call from the respective institute. The admission may be based on merit/ GD/ WAT/ PI.

Also Read: Job Opportunities after MBA in India – Career, Scope and Salary

MBA 2021 Eligibility Criteria

The basic qualification required to join an MBA course in India is as follows:

• Indian citizens as wells as international students are eligible to pursue an MBA course in India.
• Students who wish to join MBA course must note that a Bachelor’s degree in any stream from a recognized university is mandatory to be eligible for the admission process.
• The minimum percentage required in the Bachelor’s degree to take up MBA course varies from 45% - 60%.
• A valid score in any of the management entrance exams such as CAT/ XAT/ CMAT/ GMAT/ MAT/ ATMA/ NMAT etc.,

Entrance Exams for MBA Admissions 2021

Here is the list of popular MBA entrance exams for MBA admission along with important dates:

For a list of more MBA entrance exams and dates, check out the Schedule of Upcoming MBA Entrance Exams in India.

How to Get Admission in IIMs

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

At present, there are 20 IIM colleges in India and almost all the institutes open and close the PG management admission process simultaneously. Usually, the admission process at IIMs begins after the announcement of CAT results. The admission process will go on for months, as the selection process involves different stages.

Apart from IIMs, FMS of Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University will also accept CAT score for admission to MBA course, and the admission process is similar to IIMs. In India, almost 3,000 business schools consider CAT score for admission to management courses at the postgraduate level.

Before understanding the admission process of IIMs, let us take a look at the list of IIMs, which are divided into three categories: -

Old IIMs

The following are the oldest Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) in India which are popular for academic excellence.

• IIM Ahmedabad
• IIM Shillong
• IIM Kozhikode
• IIM Lucknow
• IIM Calcutta
• IIM Bangalore
• IIM Indore

New IIMs

These institutes are set up in the last five to seven years.

• IIM Udaipur
• IIM Tiruchirapalli
• IIM Rohtak
• IIM Ranchi
• IIM Raipur
• IIM Kashipur

Baby IIMs or Newest IIMs:

These institutes are set up in recent years (3-4 years ago).

• IIM Visakhapatnam
• IIM Sirmaur
• IIM Sambalpur
• IIM Nagpur
• IIM Jammu
• IIM Bodhgaya
• IIM Amritsar

The preliminary shortlisting/ selection process of candidates in all the IIMs is similar, but the subsequent stages of the admission process 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 admission process 2021 at IIMs involves the following four stages:

Stage I – Determining Eligibility for MBA 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 the eligible candidates must apply for the CAT exam.

Stage III – Shortlisting by IIMs for MBA Admissions: After the announcement of CAT results, IIMs will release the first shortlist for MBA admission 2019. In the process of shortlisting eligible candidates, IIMs will independently award weightage to CAT 2019 exam score, academic diversity, gender, work experience and academic profile etc., Some IIMs shortlist the candidates only on the basis of CAT score. This is also based on the CAT exam analysis.

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

If your final score after the above round is higher, you will get admission to IIMs.

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

Also Read: How to Initiate, Lead and Conclude a Group Discussion (GD)?

MBA Admission Process in India for Other Top Colleges 2021

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

Documents Required for MBA Admission 2021

Here is the list of all the mandatory documents required to submit/ upload while taking MBA admission:

• 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)

Important Tips for MBA Admission 2021

Candidates can follow some of the important tips mentioned below to increase their chances of getting an MBA admission.

• The candidates need to aim for getting a good score in the management entrance exam.
• Apart from appearing for a single entrance exam, it is advisable to take multiple entrance exams to increase admission chances and enhance knowledge.
• Do not aspire for only one top institute, you will have to make a list of top B-Schools to increase the chances of admission.
• If you want to achieve an MBA seat in top B-School, be ready to migrate to large cities such as Bangalore, Delhi etc.,
• Participate in Group Discussion and Personal Interview with utmost confidence. Always try to grab the opportunity to express your ideas in GD. Try to give logical explanations and answers in GD and PI.
• Before taking admission in any institute, visit the campus to have more clarity and a better understanding of the respective institute.
• Explore the placement record of the institute over the last three to four years.

Also Read: CAT Score vs Percentile

MBA Admission 2021: Application Deadline of Top MBA Colleges

The table given below provides a list of some of the leading MBA colleges in India along with their application deadline for the upcoming academic session. Candidates who seek admission to any of these colleges for the academic cycle of 2021-22 must ensure that they apply to the institute before the given deadline.

MBA Colleges in India Accepting Top Entrance Exams

The table given below gives the list of all the top MBA colleges in India that accept the top management entrance exams like CAT, CMAT, etc. for their admission process. Click on the links to know the colleges and the exams they accept.

COVID-19 Effect on MBA 2020 Admissions in India

Since the Coronavirus outbreak occurred during the MBA admission season 2020, the admission process suffered a major delay. However, things are getting back on track now.

Colleges accepting CAT and CMAT adopted alternate measures to conduct the admission process. For eg., IIMs conducted online interviews for the remaining shortlisted candidates.

Will COVID-19 Have Any Impact on MBA 2021 Admissions in India

It is yet to be seen whether MBA colleges will specify alternate admission pathways for students who are currently waiting to get admission in 2021. While the basic admission criteria will remain the same, we will see colleges taking advantage of the online processes that were set up this year. Some colleges may also waive some requirements for MBA admissions.

In order to know about the MBA admission process 2021 during the Coronavirus outbreak, you should be aware of the application process for admission to the MBA course, MBA eligibility criteria, MBA entrance exams and MBA admission requirements. In this article, CollegeDekho has detailed the MBA admission process 2021 along with the list of some good B-Schools, entrance exams and admission requirements.

How to Take Admissions during Coronavirus Outbreak

It is natural in this scenario for students to be concerned about how to take college admissions during the coronavirus outbreak. Students can fill the Common Application Form (CAF) of CollegeDekho and apply to 500+ partner colleges through the form. Students can also take advantage of the FREE student counselling provided by CollegeDekho to ask any queries or doubts regarding the changes in the MBA admission process.

Getting admission into a good MBA college is not as hard as it is often made out to be. If you keep a steady head, plan ahead, be practical while shortlisting the colleges and courses that will be the most beneficial to you 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 MBA admission process.

You can fill 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. CollegeDekho wishes Good Luck to all those aspiring to get MBA admission.