MBA Admission Guide 2027

MBA Admission 2027: Exams, Colleges, Fees and Process

MBA admission for the 2027–29 batch starts with an entrance exam — CAT for the 21 IIMs and most top B-schools, or XAT, SNAP, NMAT, CMAT and MAH-CET for the institutes that use them. CAT 2026 is on Sunday, 29 Nov 2026. Clearing an institute’s minimum percentile gets you considered; a composite score, written test and interview decide the offer.

By ProCounsel Editorial TeamReviewed by ProCounsel counselling teamLast updated 12 Nov 2026

Official sources only · last verified 12 Nov 2026

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How does MBA admission work in India?

1
Take an entrance exam
CAT for the IIMs and most top B-schools; XAT, SNAP, NMAT, CMAT or MAH-CET for the institutes that use them. CAT 2026 is Sunday, 29 Nov 2026.
2
Apply to each institute
The IIMs use your CAT registration; most other schools need their own application, often with a deadline close to the exam date. Check each one.
3
Clear the minimums and get shortlisted
Each institute sets minimum percentiles, then ranks eligible applicants on a composite of the score, Class X/XII and graduation marks, work experience and diversity.
4
Write, discuss, interview
Shortlisted candidates face a written ability test, group discussion and/or personal interview. The final offer list re-weights everything; the exam score alone never decides.

The MBA admission process, step by step

Which entrance exams lead to an MBA in 2027?

Who runs each exam and which institutes use it. Dates and fees are on each exam’s own page as official notices are verified.

MBA entrance exams
Exam	Conducted by	Used for
CATCommon Admission Test	The Indian Institutes of Management, with a different IIM convening it each year	Admission to the IIMs' two-year MBA programmes and to many other B-schools, including FMS Delhi, MDI Gurgaon and SPJIMR
XATXavier Aptitude Test	XLRI Jamshedpur, on behalf of the Xavier Association of Management Institutions (XAMI)	XLRI's programmes and the other institutes that accept XAT scores
SNAPSymbiosis National Aptitude Test	Symbiosis International (Deemed University)	MBA admission to the Symbiosis institutes, such as SIBM Pune and SCMHRD
NMATNMAT by GMAC	The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC)	NMIMS and the other schools that take part in NMAT
CMATCommon Management Admission Test	The National Testing Agency (NTA)	AICTE-approved MBA and PGDM programmes that accept it
MAH-MBA/MMS CETMaharashtra MBA/MMS Common Entrance Test	The State Common Entrance Test Cell, Maharashtra	MBA/MMS seats in Maharashtra filled through the state's Centralised Admission Process (CAP)
MATManagement Aptitude Test	The All India Management Association (AIMA)	Admission to many private B-schools that accept it
GMATGraduate Management Admission Test	The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC)	Business schools worldwide, and some Indian programmes, including SPJIMR's PGDM and several one-year programmes

Compare all MBA entrance exams

What are the key CAT 2026 dates?

CAT 2026 key dates
Registration closed	22 Sep 2026, 5 PM (extended from 15 Sep 2026)Source: CAT 2026 Media Release (22 Sep 2026)· last verified 11 Nov 2026
Admit card download	4 Nov to 29 Nov 2026Source: CAT 2026 Information Bulletin (26 Jul 2026)· last verified 11 Nov 2026
Exam date	Sunday, 29 Nov 2026, in three sessionsSource: CAT 2026 Press Release, IIM Indore (26 Jul 2026)· last verified 11 Nov 2026
Result	“likely to be declared by the First week of January, 2027” (no exact date published)TentativeSource: CAT 2026 Information Bulletin (26 Jul 2026)· last verified 11 Nov 2026
Score valid until	31 Dec 2027Source: CAT 2026 Information Bulletin (26 Jul 2026)· last verified 11 Nov 2026

CAT 2026 pattern, marking scheme and colleges that accept it

Free CAT mock tests · CAT score calculator

Which are the top MBA colleges, and what do they cost?

In the NIRF 2025 Management ranking, the top five are Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi and Indian Institute of Management Lucknow. Source: India Rankings 2025: Management (NIRF, Ministry of Education)· last verified 11 Nov 2026 Below are the institutes whose fees, cut-offs and placements we have verified from their own documents.

MBA colleges with verified fees and placements
Institute	City	NIRF 2025	Total fee	Median salary
IIM AhmedabadMBA-PGP	Ahmedabad	#1	₹27,50,000source	₹37,00,000 (2026)source
IIM AmritsarMBA	Amritsar	#64	₹19,50,000source	₹12,29,000 (2025)source
IIM BangalorePGP	Bengaluru	#2	₹26,00,000source	₹34,75,000 (2026)source
IIM Bodh GayaMBA	Bodh Gaya	#31	₹17,96,000source	₹12,12,000 (2025)source
IIM CalcuttaMBA	Kolkata	#7	₹27,00,000source	₹35,00,000 (2026)source
IIM IndorePGP	Indore	#8	₹24,00,000source	₹25,00,000 (2026)source
IIM JammuMBA	Jammu	#35	₹22,80,756source	₹15,80,000 (2025)source
IIM KashipurMBA	Kashipur	#23	₹20,80,000source	₹14,46,950 (2025)source
IIM KozhikodePGP	Kozhikode	#3	₹23,50,000source	₹27,50,000 (2025)source
IIM LucknowMBA	Lucknow	#5	₹20,50,000source	₹32,90,000 (2026)source
IIM MumbaiMBA	Mumbai	#6	₹21,00,000source	₹34,00,000 (2025)source
IIM NagpurMBA	Nagpur	#25	₹21,00,000source	₹16,31,600 (2026)source
IIM RaipurMBA	Raipur	#15	₹20,08,000source	₹18,40,000 (2025)source
IIM RanchiMBA	Ranchi	#18	₹19,20,000source	₹18,00,000 (2026)source
IIM RohtakPGP	Rohtak	#19	₹17,90,000source	₹18,00,000 (2026)source
IIM SambalpurMBA	Sambalpur	#34	₹19,55,000source	₹15,02,692 (2025)source
IIM ShillongPGP	Shillong	#38	Not published	₹26,00,000 (2026)source
IIM SirmaurMBA	Paonta Sahib (Sirmaur)	#51	₹21,00,000source	₹14,20,000 (2025)source
IIM TiruchirappalliPGPM	Tiruchirappalli	#16	₹19,50,000source	₹18,10,000 (2024)source
IIM UdaipurMBA	Udaipur	#21	Not published	₹18,01,861 (2026)source
IIM VisakhapatnamPGP	Visakhapatnam	#29	₹23,58,590source	₹14,00,000 (2026)source
AMSOM (Ahmedabad University)P1	Ahmedabad	Not in top 100	₹14,00,000source	Not published
B.K. School (BKSPMS)P1	Ahmedabad	Not in top 100	₹13,000source	Not published
CBS KolkataPGDM	Kolkata	Not in top 100	₹7,70,000source	Not published
DMS IIT DelhiP1	New Delhi	#4	₹12,00,000source	₹22,50,782 (2025)source
EDIIPGDM-E	Gandhinagar	Not in top 100	₹13,95,000source	Not published
FMS DelhiMBA	New Delhi	Not in top 100	₹2,60,300source	₹29,59,000 (2026)source
Globsyn (GBS) KolkataPGDM	Kolkata	Not in top 100	₹8,95,000source	Not published
Great Lakes ChennaiP1	Chennai	#37	₹22,50,000source	Not published
IBS HyderabadMBA	Hyderabad	#46	₹17,01,000source	Not published
IIEST Shibpur SOMSP1	Howrah	Not in top 100	₹4,77,700source	Not published
IIFT DelhiInternational-Business	New Delhi	#17	₹19,73,000source	Not published
IIPS DAVVMBA	Indore	Not in top 100	₹1,36,400source	Not published
IISWBMP1	Kolkata	Not in top 100	₹8,30,000source	₹9,00,000 (2025)source
IMI KolkataPGDM	Kolkata	#42	Not published	₹12,54,000source
IMI New DelhiPGDM	New Delhi	#40	₹23,54,000source	₹17,38,000 (2026)source
IMNU (Nirma)MBA	Ahmedabad	#53	₹13,17,000source	Not published
IMS DAVVMarketing-Management	Indore	Not in top 100	₹1,62,008source	Not published
IMT GhaziabadP1	Ghaziabad	#30	₹23,00,000source	₹16,50,000 (2026)source
IMT HyderabadPGDM	Hyderabad	#72	₹16,00,000source	Not published
IPE HyderabadPGDM	Hyderabad	Not in top 100	₹9,00,000source	Not published
IPS Academy IBMRMBA-Core	Indore	Not in top 100	₹2,76,000source	₹4,05,000 (2024)source
ISB HyderabadPGP	Hyderabad	Not in top 100	₹34,48,000source	Not published
Jaipuria IndorePGDM	Indore	Not in top 100	₹13,50,000source	₹9,00,000 (2025)source
JBIMSP1	Mumbai	Not in top 100	Not published	₹26,15,000 (2026)source
KJSIMMBA	Mumbai	#65	₹23,87,500source	₹12,00,000 (2026)source
MANAGE HyderabadPGDM-ABM	Hyderabad	#95	₹9,75,000source	Not published
MDI GurgaonPGDM	Gurugram	#9	₹26,55,310source	₹29,00,000 (2026)source
MICAPGDM-C	Ahmedabad	#33	₹29,50,000source	₹19,57,000 (2026)source
NMIMS SBM MumbaiP1	Mumbai	#24	₹27,00,000source	Not published
PIMR IndoreMBA	Indore	Not in top 100	₹3,80,000source	₹4,74,000 (2025)source
Praxis KolkataPGDM	Kolkata	Not in top 100	₹11,00,000source	₹9,00,000 (2026)source
SCMHRDMBA	Pune	Not in top 100	₹25,82,000source	₹20,00,000 (2026)source
SIBM HyderabadMBA	Hyderabad	Not in top 100	₹17,52,000source	₹8,20,000 (2025)source
SIBM PuneMBA	Pune	#11	₹26,20,000source	₹27,00,000 (2026)source
SJMSOM IIT BombayMBA	Mumbai	#14	₹15,55,800source	₹26,00,000 (2026)source
SMS, University of HyderabadMBA	Hyderabad	Not in top 100	₹2,19,220source	Not published
SoM-PDEUMBA	Gandhinagar	#89	₹14,20,000source	Not published
SPJIMRPGDM	Mumbai	#20	₹24,86,000source	₹32,85,000 (2026)source
SVIMS IndoreMBA	Indore	Not in top 100	₹1,72,000source	₹4,50,000 (2025)source
TISS MumbaiMA-HRM&LR	Mumbai	Not in top 100	₹2,03,500source	₹28,00,000 (2026)source
WeSchoolPGDM	Mumbai	#75	₹14,00,000source	₹11,78,000 (2025)source
XLRIPGDM-BM	Jamshedpur	#10	₹30,60,000source	Not published

Best MBA colleges in India (NIRF top 100)MBA fees compared MBA placements compared Compare colleges side by side MBA fees & ROI calculator

What CAT percentile do you need?

For General, non-PwD candidates the IIMs’ published overall minimums run from 82 to 97. See which colleges each band reaches, or every category in the IIM CAT cut-offs.

These are minimum eligibility thresholds, not cut-offs. An IIM publishes them for its first, CAT-based shortlisting stage. The percentiles actually needed for an interview call are usually much higher, and meeting a minimum never guarantees a call or admission.

What else should you read before applying?

All MBA resources

How can you prepare for CAT for free on ProCounsel?

Practice questions are ProCounsel originals written to the CAT pattern and reviewed by faculty. The IIMs do not publish past CAT papers, so none of these are presented as official questions.

Section-wise practice

VARC, DILR and QA questions by topic; the answer and solution open only after you attempt one.

Mocks with real section timers

40-minute locked sections, the way the CAT runs, with a full score breakdown.

Mistakes notebook

Every wrong answer is saved, tagged by why it went wrong and brought back for spaced review.

Daily challenge

A short set every day to keep the streak going between mocks.

Step-by-step hints

Ask for a nudge, an approach or a full explanation after you attempt a question.

IIM shortlist tracker

Check your percentile against IIM minimums and track each application's status and deadline.

Frequently asked questions

When is CAT 2026, and when will the result come out?

CAT 2026 is on Sunday, 29 Nov 2026, in three sessions. The bulletin says the result is “likely to be declared by the First week of January, 2027” (no exact date published). The score is used for admission to the 2027–29 MBA batch.

Which entrance exam should I take for MBA admission in 2027?

Take CAT if you want an IIM or most top B-schools. Add XAT for XLRI, SNAP for Symbiosis, NMAT for NMIMS, MAH-CET for MBA/MMS seats in Maharashtra, and CMAT or MAT as back-ups for colleges that accept them. Pick by the colleges you want, not by which test feels easier.

What CAT percentile do the IIMs require?

For a General, non-PwD candidate, the IIMs' published overall minimums range from 82 (IIM Visakhapatnam) to 97 (IIM Rohtak). These are eligibility thresholds; interview calls usually need more, and sectional minimums apply too.

Can I get an MBA admission without CAT?

Yes. Many good institutes admit through XAT, SNAP, NMAT, CMAT, MAH-CET, MAT or GMAT, and some private colleges have institute-level seats with their own process. Our guide to MBA without CAT explains the routes and what to check before paying anyone.

Does ProCounsel guarantee MBA admission?

No, and no honest counsellor can. We help you choose exams and colleges, build a shortlist, prepare applications and interviews, and understand direct-admission options at private colleges. Admission decisions are always the institute's.

Sources

Official documents used on this page, last checked on 12 Nov 2026.

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