Eligibility for MBA in India - Check MBA Course Eligibility Instantly

  • By Kirti Yadav
  • 19 June 2020
MBA course eligibility

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Have you completed your bachelors? Are you interested in pursuing a management program? 

Yes?

Then you have come to the right place! In this article, we are going to delve into what is the MBA eligibility in India, MBA selection criteria, what qualifications are required for the MBA and how to get admission in MBA. 

MBA stands for Master’s in Business Administration and anyone with a good graduation and MBA entrance exam score is MBA eligible. An MBA can be pursued after any stream of graduation as it is a highly versatile field with many specialisations you can choose from. The difference between MBA vs PGDM has to also be clear with reference to your interests. An MBA qualification will help you enter the corporate field armed with the right skills to take on the responsibilities of a manager.

In today’s corporate world, one needs to be on top of their game 24*7 and an MBA qualification can help you do just that. It requires one to be a quick thinker, problem solver and showman. But what is the MBA eligibility criteria to get into a management program? The minimum qualification for an MBA is that you have to be a graduate. Read on to know what other MBA qualifications are needed for admission into a management program. 

What's The Qualification For An MBA?

mba eligibility qualification

The MBA eligibility is basically the requirements a candidate would need to fulfil just to apply for the program they are interested in. The MBA eligibility in no way promises admission into an MBA program. In other words, it is an essential qualification for MBA  admission into any institute.

Eligibility Criteria for Different Types of MBA

  1. Graduates with minimum 50% marks (45% for SC/ST category) or an equivalent CGPA in any discipline from a recognized university.

OR

A graduate degree under 10+2+3 or 10+2+4 pattern under any discipline, securing at least 50% marks in aggregate, from a recognized university.

OR

An honours degree under 10+2+4 pattern from a recognized university under UGC Act with at least 50% marks in aggregate including languages

  1. Students currently in their final year of graduation can also apply. In that case, the admission offered will be provisional.
  2. Students must have appeared in any one of the following entrance exams - CAT, MAT, CMAT, ATMA, XAT, GMAT and some prominent State Entrances.

Note: The MBA eligibility required to take admission in the program is different from the eligibility criteria for MBA entrance exams. 

Entrance Exams for MBA

exams mba eligbility

An essential qualification for admission into an MBA is the MBA entrance exams. Generally, MBA exams in India are conducted at three levels:  

National:

  • CAT- The Common Admission Test is a computer-based test for admission in graduate management programs. The test is administered by IIM's.
  • MAT- Management Aptitude Test (MAT) is a standardised test being administered since 1988 to facilitate B-Schools to screen candidates for admission to MBA and allied programmes.
  • CMAT- The Common Management Admission Test or CMAT Exam, is a national-level management entrance exam given by the National Testing Agency (NTA) every year for admissions to AICTE-approved management institutes. This Test facilitates AICTE affiliated participating Institutions to select suitable graduate candidates for admission to the Management Courses in such Institutions. Till 2018, the Test was conducted by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). NTA is conducting this Test since 2019.

State: MAH CET, TSICET, UPSEE, TANCET etc.

University/College Own Exams: IIFT, SNAP, XAT, IGNOU OPENMAT

Apart from the MBA entrance exams stated above, there are many more exams like ATMA, NMAT IIFT etc. that are accepted by some institutes as MBA qualification criteria. 

Eligibility for MBA Entrance Exams

MBA admissions in India are mostly determined by entrance tests such as the CAT, CMAT, and XAT. All of these entrance tests grant admission to various MBA programmes. They all have their own set of eligibility requirements that a candidate must meet in order to be considered for these MBA admission tests.

The following are the eligibility requirements for several MBA admission exams:

CAT

The Common Admission Test, or CAT, is administered by IIMs on a rotating basis every year in November.
The following are the eligibility requirements:

  • A bachelor's degree or equivalent from a recognised university/board is required.
  • Students in their final year of college can also take the CAT exam.
  • Candidates must have a graduation grade point average of at least 50 per cent or an equivalent CGPA. Students in the reserved categories (SC/ST/PwD) receive a 5% reduction in their tuition.
  • Candidates with CA, CS, or ICMA degrees are also eligible to take the exam.
  • The CAT exam is open to people of all ages.

XAT

XLRI Jamshedpur administers the Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) for admission to MBA/PGDM programmes at XLRI and other major MBA colleges such as XIMB Bhubaneswar, IMT Ghaziabad, and others.

The following are the eligibility requirements:

  • Students must have earned a three-year bachelor's degree from a recognised university in any discipline.
  • Students in their final year of high school can apply if they do not have any outstanding grades on their transcript.
  • Students with Indian citizenship are eligible to take the XAT. XAT is also available to foreign students in Dubai and Kathmandu, as both cities have XAT centres.
  • There is no age restriction for taking the XAT exam.

CMAT

The Common Management Admission Test, or CMAT, is a national-level management entrance exam given by the National Testing Agency (NTA) every year for admissions to AICTE-approved management institutes.
The following are the CMAT eligibility requirements:

  • CMAT is open to candidates with a bachelor's degree (10+2+3) in any discipline.
  • Those in their final year of studies are also eligible to apply.
  • Only Indian citizens are eligible to apply.
  • The CMAT exam is open to people of all ages.

GMAT

The GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) is a management test used to gain admission to management and business institutions around the world.

The following are the GMAT eligibility requirements:

  • A basic education qualification from any recognised university is required of the candidate.
  • A valid passport is required of the candidate.
  • When applying for the GMAT exam, the applicant must be at least 18 years old. A candidate under the age of 18 must have a guardian's no-objection certificate.
  • Applicants can only take the GMAT five times each year and eight times in their lifetime.

MAT

Management Aptitude Test (MAT) is an acronym for Management Aptitude Test. MAT is a four-times-a-year national-level management entrance exam administered by AIMA to give admission to MBA/PGDM programmes provided by India's top 750+ universities.

The following are the MAT eligibility requirements:

  • Candidates must have graduated from a recognised university with a bachelor's degree in any field.
  • The MAT exam is open to people of all ages.
  • Candidates may take the MAT as many times as they like in order to improve their scores.
  • Only Indian citizens are eligible to apply.

What is The MBA Selection Criteria?

The selection criteria and the admission process for any program basically mean the same thing. The MBA selection criteria are subject to change as it depends on the other students enrolling on the program.

MBA Admission Process

mba eligibility admission

  1. Submit the Application Form

Visit our website and fill out the application form. Submit the required details along with supporting documents.

  1. Appear for Admission Test

After filling out the application form, you are required to appear for the Admissions Test. The test is online and is designed to assess your general aptitude.

  1. Application Review

After filling out the application form, you are required to appear for the admissions test. The test is online and is designed to assess your general aptitude.

4. Personal Interview

Based on the acceptance of your application, a personal interview shall be arranged. During the interview, your aptitude will be assessed, along with your motivation to pursue a management degree.

  1. Admission Status

The decision regarding your admission status will be communicated. Successful candidates will be required to accept the admission offer and confirm their seat within the given timeline.

Important: The admission process or MBA selection criteria for any B school can be different. The institute holds utmost power in providing admission to interested students. 

MBA Eligibility Conclusion

Also keep in mind that first, the admission provided is provisional, only after the MBA criteria is met does the admission becomes final. In other words, that is the B school can choose to cancel your admission if in any case, you fail to meet the MBA eligibility criteria. 

The MBA eligibility in India for most B schools is the same. However, as I have said above also, the MBA course eligibility depends on the institute and can be subject to change. So, you have to make sure that you have thoroughly researched the MBA eligibility and selection criteria for the college you are applying to. 

Also Read...

Benefits of MBA for jobs in the banking sector
MBA after B.Com
Dual specialization in MBA
MBA eligibility in India?
Criteria for placement after MBA
Frequently asked MBA interview questions

Here Are Some FAQ’s related to the MBA Eligibility criteria in India

1. To be eligible for an MBA program, is work experience necessary?

No, work experience is not necessary if you are going for a management program in an Indian Institute. However, if you are applying to an MBA institute abroad, a minimum of 2 years of work experience is asked for.

2. What are the basic skills which are assessed during an MBA induction interview?

The first basic skills that the interview panel looks into is the communication skills of the candidate. The interviewers check to see if the candidate can communicate in a concise and proper manner. Whatever specialisation or field you are interested in, communicating effectively on a day to day basis is a vital part of any successful business. 

3. As a CAT or CMAT aspirant, being a final year student with some Back papers, am I eligible for an MBA program?

Yes, any final year student is eligible to sit for the CAT or CMAT exam irrespective of their previous semester's results with backlogs. On successfully giving these exams you can apply to the management programs of Indian B schools that accept these exam scores. 

4. Is there a minimum score % in graduation to be eligible for MAT and ATMA? 

There is no minimum score needed to be eligible for MAT or ATMA exam, any graduate can apply.

5. What minimum score is required in CAT to get into IIMs?

It depends on the candidate’s profile. However, the minimum percentile range for getting a GDPI call from IIMs is 85-90 percentile.

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