Six exams, six websites, six sets of rules. CAT has three timed sections. XAT punishes you for skipping. SNAP lets you take it three times. NMAT has no negative marking but won't let you go back. CMAT has a section on startups. MBA CET gives you 45 seconds a question. Keeping it all straight is a project in itself.
This page puts all six side by side so you can see the differences at a glance, then explains what each one means for how you prepare. If you're deciding which exams to take, the companion guide on which MBA entrance exams to take goes through that choice by target college and profile.
Quick answer: The six major MBA entrance exams for 2026–27 are CAT (IIMs, late November), XAT (XLRI, early January), SNAP (Symbiosis, December, three tests), NMAT (NMIMS and others, November to December window), CMAT (NTA, late January or early February) and MAH MBA CET (Maharashtra colleges, March to May, two attempts). They differ in length, marking, attempts and the colleges that accept them.
All six exams at a glance
| CAT | XAT | SNAP | NMAT | CMAT | MBA CET | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Run by | The IIMs | XLRI | Symbiosis | GMAC | NTA | State CET Cell, Maharashtra |
| Usually held | Late November | Early January | December | Nov to Dec window | Late Jan or early Feb | March to May |
| Questions | 68 | About 95 | 60 | 108 | 100 | 200 |
| Time | 120 min | 3 hours | 60 min | 120 min | 180 min | 150 min |
| Sectional timers | Yes, 40 min each | No (Part 1) | No | Yes | No | No |
| Wrong answer | −1 (MCQ), 0 (TITA) | −0.25 | −0.25 | 0 | −1 (of +4) | 0 |
| Skip penalty | No | −0.10 after 8 blanks | No | No | No | No |
| Attempts | 1 | 1 | Up to 3, best counts | Up to 3, school rules vary | 1 | 2, better score counts |
| Calculator | Basic | Scientific | No | No | No | No |
| Official site | iimcat.ac.in | xatonline.in | snaptest.org | mba.com | cmat.nta.nic.in | cetcell.mahacet.org |
Sources: the official sites listed; Crack … in 60 Days playbooks by The 99 Percentiler. Exact dates change every year; check each official site.
What it takes to reach 99 percentile in each exam
| Exam | Score for about 99 percentile | Out of | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAT | About 83 to 91 (by slot) | 204 | 2025 |
| XAT | About 37 to 41 (Part 1) | 75 | 2026 |
| SNAP | About 45 to 50 | 60 | 2025 |
| NMAT | About 236 to 244 | 360 | 2025 |
| CMAT | About 262 | 400 | 2026 |
| MBA CET | About 124 to 131 | 200 | 2026 |
Sources: IMS India and Crack CAT in 60 Days (CAT); Crack XAT/SNAP/NMAT/CMAT/MBA CET in 60 Days. All figures are estimates from coaching institutes and change with each year's paper.
The pattern across exams: you rarely need even two-thirds of the maximum marks for a 99. Accuracy and question selection matter more than attempting everything, except in NMAT and MBA CET, where you should answer every question because wrong answers cost nothing.
How marking changes your strategy
| Marking type | Exams | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No negative marking | NMAT, MBA CET | Answer every question. A guess can only help. |
| Light negative (−0.25 of +1) | XAT, SNAP | Guess after cutting at least one option |
| Negative of −1 against +4 | CMAT | A guess after cutting one option has a clearly positive expected value |
| Negative of −1 against +3, none on TITA | CAT | Attempt every TITA you can solve; be careful with MCQ guesses |
| Skip penalty | XAT | Leave at most 8 questions blank in Part 1 |
The six exams, one by one
CAT
The most competitive MBA exam in India and the gateway to the IIMs, FMS, MDI, IIFT, SPJIMR and the IIT business schools. Three sections (VARC, DILR, QA) of 40 minutes each, in a fixed order. DILR set selection and reading comprehension decide most scores. Read next: CAT in 60 days · CAT score vs percentile
XAT
Run by XLRI and required for XLRI's programmes. Its Decision Making section and skip penalty make it unique. Quant is usually tougher and longer than CAT's. Many schools also accept XAT, including XIM, IMT, MICA and SPJIMR. Read next: XAT Decision Making · CAT vs XAT
SNAP
Used only by Symbiosis institutes such as SIBM Pune and SCMHRD. Sixty questions in sixty minutes, so speed decides it. New for 2026: an Ethics, Morality and Values section. You can take up to three tests and your best score counts. Read next: SNAP three attempts · How to score 45+ in SNAP
NMAT
Run by GMAC, used by NMIMS, K J Somaiya, XIM, TAPMI, Great Lakes and others. Three separately timed sections, an adaptive format and no negative marking. You choose your section order. Up to three attempts, but NMIMS uses only your first valid score. Read next: NMAT retake strategy · NMAT section order
CMAT
Run by the National Testing Agency and accepted by many AICTE-approved institutes. Five sections of 20 questions, including General Awareness and Innovation & Entrepreneurship. Also used for all-India seats at JBIMS, SIMSREE and PUMBA through Maharashtra's CAP. Read next: CMAT in 60 days
MAH MBA/MMS CET
Maharashtra's state exam for 300-plus MBA and MMS colleges, including JBIMS, SIMSREE and PUMBA. Two hundred questions in 150 minutes with no negative marking. Admission runs through the CAP process on your score alone. Two attempts from the 2026 cycle, better score counts. Read next: MBA CET time strategy · CAP process explained
Which exams overlap the most?
Quant, reasoning and English appear in all six. The differences:
- Only CAT has a full DILR section with set-based questions.
- Only XAT has Decision Making and a skip penalty.
- Only SNAP has the new Ethics section.
- Only CMAT has Innovation & Entrepreneurship. CMAT and XAT are the two with General Knowledge, and XAT's GK doesn't count toward its percentile.
- Only MBA CET has Abstract Reasoning, and it has the most reasoning questions by far.
That overlap is why most students take three or four of these exams in one season. The guide on preparing for all MBA exams together shows how to build one plan around them.
Frequently asked questions
Which are the main MBA entrance exams in India?
The six most widely used are CAT, XAT, SNAP, NMAT, CMAT and MAH MBA/MMS CET. Others include MAT, ATMA, IBSAT, MICAT and state exams such as Karnataka PGCET and TANCET.
Which MBA entrance exam is the toughest?
CAT is usually considered the most competitive because of its candidate pool and strict sectional timing. XAT's Quant and Decision Making are often tougher question by question. Difficulty also depends on your strengths.
Which MBA entrance exams have no negative marking?
NMAT and MAH MBA CET have no negative marking. In both, you should answer every question.
Which MBA exams can I take more than once in a season?
SNAP allows up to three tests, with the best score counting. NMAT allows up to three attempts, but each school decides which score it uses, and NMIMS uses only your first. MBA CET has two attempts from the 2026 cycle, with the better score counting.
When are the MBA entrance exams held?
Usually NMAT from November to December, CAT in late November, SNAP in December, XAT in early January, CMAT in late January or early February, and MBA CET between March and May. Exact dates change every year, so check each official site.
Sources
- Official exam sites: iimcat.ac.in, xatonline.in, snaptest.org, mba.com/exams/nmat, cmat.nta.nic.in, cetcell.mahacet.org
- NMIMS first-attempt rule: GMAC help centre, as reported by Careers360
- MBA CET two attempts: The Top Percentile, reporting the CET Cell's 2026 format
- SNAP 2026 Ethics section: Careers360 and Cracku
- Score estimates: IMS India; Crack CAT/XAT/SNAP/NMAT/CMAT/MBA CET in 60 Days by The 99 Percentiler
Related reading: Which MBA exams should you take? · Prepare for all MBA exams together · CAT vs XAT · SNAP vs NMAT · How to crack 99+ percentile in MBA entrance exams · Which MBA entrance exam is the easiest?
For one calendar that tracks all six exams, download the free MBA entrance exam calendar 2026–27.
