Reservation in MBA Entrance Exams: Criteria and Guidelines

Abhinav Chamoli

Updated On: November 21, 2023 03:57 pm IST

Many MBA entrance exams in India offer seat reservation for candidates belonging to various categories. This article contains detailed information about reservation in MBA entrance exams. Find out the eligibility criteria, percentage reservation and application for reserved category candidates in MBA exams.

Reservation in MBA Entrance Exams

Reservation in MBA Entrance Exams: Each MBA entrance exam has a different set of requirements and an admission process. Certain MBA exams charge an application fee, have different qualifying requirements, and have a different number of seats reserved for specific categories (General, SC, ST, etc.). However, not all exams adhere to the quota system. XAT and SNAP exam fees are the same for all students, but the exam fees for CAT, CMAT, and IIFT are 50% less for students in the Reserved category than for students in the General category. In the same way, as per the Government of India's Reservation guidelines, seats in the CAT and MAH CET are reserved for candidates from respective categories. On the contrary, there is no reservation of seats in private MBA exams such as SNAP and MICAT.

Depending upon the exam, various relaxations are provided for reserved category candidates in MBA entrance exams. These relaxations may be in the form of a lower application fee or a reduced minimum percentage criterion or reserving a certain percentage of seats for reserved category candidates. In this article, we explore the various criteria and guidelines of MBA entrance exams meant for reserved category candidates.

Also Read:

CAT 2023 Reservation Policy for OBC, SC, ST, EWS, PwD at IIMsCAT 2023 Cutoff for Top Private MBA Colleges for General, SC/ST, OBC
How to Shortlist a B-School Basis CAT Percentile?CAT Cutoff 2023 for IITs/IISc

Reserved Categories for MBA Entrance Exams

The exact categories of candidates that may be given reservation in MBA entrance exams are different for each exam. It usually depends on the exam-conducting authority and the government regulations put in place by the central as or state government. Some MBA entrance exams conducted by private institutes do not have any criteria for reservation.

Some of the categories of candidates that are commonly given reservation in MBA entrance exams include the following.

  • Scheduled Caste (SC)
  • Scheduled Tribe (ST)
  • Other Backward Classes (OBC)
  • OBC-NCL (Non-Creamy Layer)
  • Person with Disability (PwD) / Physically Disabled (PD) / Physically Handicapped (PH)
  • Economically Weaker Sections (EWS)
  • Dependants / Wards of Defence Personnel
  • Migrants from Jammu & Kashmir
  • Residents of the state conducting the exam (State-Quota) etc.

How to Apply for Reserved Category Seats in MBA Entrance Exams

Candidates who wish to apply for reserved seats in MBA entrance exams must note the following details.

  • Candidates are provided with the option to select their category while filling up the form for the MBA entrance exams.
  • Various options of categories are provided, depending upon the exam.
    Entrance exams that do not have any reservation may also ask for the category of the candidate. Candidates must confirm the availability of reservation from the examination brochure.

  • Candidates must be careful while choosing the category as the exam may not have the provision of changing it in the future.

  • Candidates will be required to upload a scanned copy or send a photocopy of the valid certificate for their selected category with the application form. The certificate must be issued and attested by the authority concerned.

  • The original certificate proof for the category will be required during counselling and/or admission.

  • Candidates who fail to produce the required documentation will be considered only for General / Unreserved (UR) seats.

Candidates applying for CAT may check the article provided below to know the process to apply for Category Certificates

How to Apply for Category Certificates (SC / ST / NC-OBC / PWD / EWS) for CAT 2023

MBA Eligibility Criteria For Reserved Categories

Reserved category candidates may be provided relaxations in the eligibility criteria in certain MBA entrance exams. Given below is the eligibility criteria for reserved category candidates as specified by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

  • Candidate must have a bachelor's degree course of at least 3 years duration in any stream.

  • Candidate must have received at least 45% aggregate marks in the qualifying bachelor's degree. This is the minimum specified requirement. Some colleges may specify a higher percentage requirement.

  • Candidates from all streams are eligible to apply.

Reservation Criteria for MBA Entrance Exams

The table below contains the reservation criteria for various MBA entrance exams.

Exam

Reserved Categories

Percentage of Seats Reserved

Certificates Required

CAT 2023

Schedule Caste (SC)

15%

  • NC-OBC Certificates
  • SC/ST certificates
  • Certificate for Persons with Disabilities
Schedule Tribe (ST)

7.5%

Other Backward Classes: Non- Creamy layer (NC-OBC)

27%

Person with disability (PwD)/ Differently Abled (DA) are divided into three categories:

a) Low vision blindness

b) Hearing impairment

c) Loco-motor disability/cerebral palsy

5%

EWS

10%

CMAT 2024

SC

15%

  • Caste Certificate   
  • Physical Disabled Scribe Form

ST

7.5%

OBC - Non-Creamy Layer

27%

PwD (in each of the above categories)

5% in each category

MAH MBA CET 2024

Maharashtra State Candidates

85%

  • “Caste Validity Certificate” issued by Scrutiny Committee of Social Welfare Department for candidates belonging to SC, VJ/DT (NT(A)), NT(B), NT(C), NT(D), OBC and SBC categories
  • “Tribe Validity Certificate” issued by Scrutiny Committee of Tribal Department for candidates belonging to ST categories
  • “Non Creamy layer Certificate” issued by Sub Divisional Officer / Deputy Collector of the district in addition to the caste certificate for candidates belonging to VJ/DT (NT(A)), NT(B), NT(C), NT(D), OBC and SBC categories
All India Seats (for MS and OMS candidates)15%

Backward Classes (only under Maharashtra State Seats)

SC: 13%

ST: 7%

VJ/DT (NT-A): 3%
(Vimukta Jati / Denotified Tribes Nomadic Tribes)

NT-B: 2.5%

NT-C: 3.5%

NT-D: 2%

OBC: 19%

TOTAL: 50%

Foreign Nationals / PIO (Persons of Indian Origin)

15%

Ward of NRIs

5%

Institute-Level Seats

20%

EWS

10%

Orphan Candidates

1%

Minority Seats

66% reservation in minority institutes

Jammu & Kashmir Migrant Seats

1 seat above sanctioned intake per institute

SNAP 2023

SC

15%

NA

ST

7.5%

DAC (Differently-Abled Candidates)

3%

Wards of Defence Personnel

5% (in select courses only)

Kashmiri Migrants

2 seats per course

International Candidates

15% above the sanctioned intake

IRMASAT 2024

SC

15%

 Self-attested latest proof of “Below Poverty Line (BPL)” status that has been issued by the appropriate authority

ST

7.5%

NC-OBC

27%

DA

3%

MAT 2023SC15%NA
ST7.5%
OBC27%
PH Category3%
IIFT Exam
Replaced by CAT exam

Additionally, there are a number of exams which do not offer any reservation based on the category of candidates. Some of these MBA exams are mentioned below.

MBA Entrance Exam Application Fee For Reserved Category Candidates

Given below is the MBA entrance exam fee for the reserved category candidates

Exam

Application Fee for Reserved Categories

CAT

  • INR 1,100 for SC/ST /PwD candidates
  • INR 2,200 for General & NC-OBC candidates

CMAT

  • INR 1000 for reserved category students
  • INR 2000 for General category students

MAH MBA CET

  • INR 1,000 for General Category Maharashtra State, outside Maharashtra State and J&K Migrant candidates
  • INR 800 for Reserved Category & Physically Handicapped candidates belonging to Maharashtra State

SNAP

INR 1,950 for all candidates 

IRMASAT

  • INR 1,000 for Reserved Category students
  • INR 2,000 for General Category students

MAT

 INR 1,850 for all candidates

ATMA

  • INR 1600 for all candidates
  • 25% concession is provided to women candidates
  • 50% concession is provided to candidates belonging to the seven north-eastern states

XAT

INR 2,000 for all candidates

MICAT

INR 2,100 for all candidates

IBSAT

INR 1,800 for all candidates

NMAT by GMAC

INR 2,300 for all candidates

Popular MBA Colleges in India

The table below contains some of the colleges in India that are popular for their MBA courses.

CollegeLocationCourse Fee
(in Rs.)
Poddar Group of Institutions (PGI)Jaipur1,80,000 - 5,50,000
Faculty of Management Studies (FMS)Delhi2,00,000
GITAM Deemed UniversityBangalore4,97,000 (1st year fee) and 5,21,800 (2nd year fee)
Management Development Institute (MDI)Gurgaon8,70,000 - 24,70,000
KIIT School of Management (KSOM)Bhubaneswar16,90,000
SRM University Delhi NCRSonepat1,75,000 per year
Lovely Professional University (LPU)Jalandhar2,00,000 per semester
Bangalore Institute of Management Studies (BIMS)Bangalore5,40,000
Amity University ManesarGurgaon8,64,000
The ICFAI UniversityRanchi2,64,000

Candidates aspiring for admission to the MBA colleges in India can take advantage of the student counselling services offered by CollegeDekho absolutely free of cost. Just fill our Common Application Form (CAF) or reach out to us on 1800-572-9877. 

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FAQs

Does IRMA offer admission on management-quota seats for its PGD in Rural Management (PGDRM) course?

No. There are no management-quota seats available for PGDM at IRMA, Anand.

How many seats are available for All India candidates in MAH MBA CET?

A. 15% of the seats in MAH MBA CET are open for All-India candidates from outside Maharashtra state.

Do all MBA entrance exams have reservations?

No. There are many MBA entrance exams such as MAT, ATMA, NMAT, XAT etc. that do not have any reservations.

What is the CAT Application Fee for SC / ST / PwD Candidates?

SC / ST/ PwD candidates have to pay Rs. 900 application fee for filling the CAT application form.

How much reservation is offered to EWS candidates in MBA Entrance Exams?

EWS candidates are generally offered 10% reservation in MBA Entrance Exams

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