Top 5 MBA Exams in India (2023) Complete Details of All MBA Exams

Summary

This video offers a comprehensive guide to top MBA entrance exams, including CAT, XAT, NMAT, SNAP, and IIFT. It covers exam dates, registration fees, syllabus, question patterns, and scoring systems. CAT, held in November, is highly competitive with a moderate to difficult level. XAT in January is slightly easier and has no graduation marks criteria. NMAT, from October to December, is adaptive with no negative marking. SNAP in December is speed-based with three attempt options. Lastly, IIFT in December has a unique scoring system and moderate difficulty. The video also suggests resources for exam preparation and coaching.

Takeaways

• 📅 **CAT Exam Timings**: Held annually in November on the last Sunday, with forms released in August.
• 💼 **CAT Exam Structure**: 66 questions divided into three sections: VARC (24), DILR (20), and Quants (22), with 40 minutes per section.
• 💰 **CAT Exam Fees**: Rs. 2300/- for general students and Rs. 1150/- for category students.
• 🏆 **CAT Exam Scoring**: 3 marks for correct answers and -1 for incorrect, with no penalty for unattempted questions.
• 🔑 **CAT Exam Importance**: Accepted by all IIMs, FMS, and over 1200 B-Schools, with approximately 2.5 lac students registering annually.
• 📅 **XAT Exam Timings**: Conducted in January, with forms available from August to December.
• 💼 **XAT Exam Structure**: 5 sections with a total of 101 questions, including Essay Writing.
• 💰 **XAT Exam Fees**: Rs. 2000/- plus Rs. 200/- for each additional program applied for.
• 📚 **XAT Exam Eligibility**: No minimum percentage requirement in graduation, open to final year students as well.
• 📅 **NMAT Exam Timings**: Conducted between October to December, with a flexible test date scheduling window.
• 💼 **NMAT Exam Structure**: Adaptive test with 3 sections (Language Skills, Quantitative Skills, Logical Reasoning) totaling 108 questions.
• 💰 **NMAT Exam Fees**: Rs. 2800/-, with an additional fee for retakes.
• 📅 **SNAP Exam Timings**: Conducted in December on 3 dates, with registration starting in August and closing in November.
• 💼 **SNAP Exam Structure**: 60 questions divided into 3 sections, known for requiring speed.
• 💰 **SNAP Exam Fees**: Rs. 1950/- for general students and Rs. 1000/- for category students.
• 📅 **IIFT Exam Timings**: Conducted in December, with registration starting in September and closing in October or November.
• 💼 **IIFT Exam Structure**: 4 sections with a total of 110 questions, including General Awareness.
• 💰 **IIFT Exam Fees**: Rs. 2500/- for general category students and Rs. 1250/- for category students.

Q & A

When is the CAT exam held and what is its registration fee?

The CAT exam is held every year in November on the last Sunday. The registration fee is Rs. 2300/- for general students and Rs. 1150/- for category students.

How many questions are there in the CAT exam and what is the total time allotted?

There are 66 questions in the CAT exam, with 24 questions in VARC, 20 in DILR, and 22 in Quants. The total time allotted for the exam is 2 hours.

What is the scoring system for the CAT exam?

In the CAT exam, you get 3 marks for each correct answer and lose 1 mark for each wrong answer. Unattempted questions do not impact the score.

Which institutions accept the CAT exam scores?

The CAT exam is accepted by all the IIMs, FMS, and over 1200 other B-Schools as an entrance test.

What is the eligibility criterion for the CAT exam?

To be eligible for the CAT exam, you should have a minimum of 50% marks in your graduation. Final year students are also eligible to take the exam.

When is the XAT exam conducted and what is its registration fee?

The XAT exam is conducted every year in January. The registration fee for this exam is Rs. 2000/-, plus Rs. 200/- for every program that you apply for.

How many sections are there in the XAT exam and what is the total time limit?

The XAT exam consists of 5 sections: Verbal and Logical Ability, Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation, Decision Making, GK, and Essay Writing. The total time limit is 3 hours and 30 minutes.

What is unique about the NMAT exam registration process?

NMAT is conducted between October to December, and candidates have a window of 75 to 90 days to schedule their test date. Registration starts in August and ends in November, but it may close before the CAT exam.

How many attempts are allowed in the NMAT exam?

In the NMAT exam, you are allowed 3 attempts - one main attempt and two retake attempts.

What is the marking scheme for the SNAP exam?

In the SNAP exam, you get +1 mark for every correct answer and -0.25 marks for a wrong answer.

When is the IIFT exam conducted and what is its registration fee?

The IIFT exam is conducted in the month of December every year. The fee for this exam is Rs. 2500/- for general category students and Rs. 1250/- for category students.

What is the difficulty level of the IIFT exam?

The difficulty level of the IIFT exam ranges from moderate to difficult.

Outlines

00:00

📅 CAT Exam Details

The paragraph discusses the CAT exam, held annually in November on the last Sunday. The exam form is typically released in August. It is conducted once a year with a registration fee of 2300 INR for general students and 1150 INR for category students. The exam consists of three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) with 24 questions, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) with 20 questions, and Quantitative Aptitude with 22 questions, totaling 66 questions. Each section has a time limit of 40 minutes, making the exam duration 2 hours. The scoring system awards 3 marks for each correct answer and deducts 1 mark for each incorrect answer, with no penalty for unattempted questions. However, for 'Type in Type Answer' (TITA) questions, no marks are deducted for incorrect answers. CAT is significant for MBA admissions as it is accepted by IIMs, FMS, and over 1200 other B-schools. Approximately 2.5 lakh students register annually, and the difficulty level varies from moderate to difficult. Eligibility requires a minimum of 50% marks in graduation, and final year students are also eligible.

05:03

📚 XAT, NMAT, SNAP, and IIFT Exam Overview

This paragraph covers four MBA entrance exams: XAT, NMAT, SNAP, and IIFT. The XAT exam is conducted in January, with forms available from August to December. It has a registration fee of 2000 INR, plus an additional 200 INR for each program applied for. The exam consists of five sections with a total of 175 questions and a duration of 3 hours and 30 minutes. The scoring is 1 mark for each correct answer and a 0.25 mark deduction for each incorrect answer, with no penalty for unattempted questions. XAT is accepted by XLRI and over 160 other institutions, with 95k to 98k students registering annually. The difficulty level is moderate to difficult, and there's no minimum percentage requirement in graduation. The NMAT is held between October and December, with registration from August to November and a fee of 2800 INR. It allows three attempts and has no negative marking. The exam is adaptive, with 108 questions divided into three sections and a total time of 2 hours. NMAT is used for admission to NMIMS, with around 50k test-takers annually and a difficulty level ranging from easy to moderate. The SNAP exam is conducted in December on three dates, with registration from August to November and a fee of 1950 INR for general students and 1000 INR for category students. It consists of 60 questions across three sections with a time limit of 60 minutes, known for its speed-based nature. The scoring is +1 mark for correct answers and -0.25 for incorrect ones. SNAP is for admission to Symbiosis colleges, with 50k to 60k registrations. The IIFT exam is conducted in December with registration from September to October/November and a fee of 2500 INR for general and 1250 INR for category students. It has four sections with 110 questions and a time limit of 2 hours. The scoring is +3 marks for correct answers in the first three sections and -1 for wrong answers, and +1.5 and -0.5 for the General Awareness section. IIFT is for admission to IIFT campuses, with 35k to 40k registrations and a difficulty level between moderate to difficult.

10:05

🎓 General MBA Exam Information

The final paragraph provides a general overview of the top MBA exams and invites viewers to comment if they need information on other exams. It encourages simultaneous preparation for all the discussed exams and links to another video for guidance on when and how to prepare. The speaker expresses hope that the video is helpful and thanks the viewers for watching.

Keywords

💡CAT exam

The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a computer-based entrance examination in India. It is a key component for admission into prestigious management institutes like the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). The script mentions that the CAT exam is held annually in November and is significant for MBA aspirants as it is accepted by over 1200 B-Schools.

💡XAT exam

The Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) is another important MBA entrance exam conducted by XLRI Jamshedpur. As highlighted in the script, it is usually held in January, and the registration form is available between August to December, making it a crucial exam for those preparing for MBA admissions.

💡NMAT

The NMAT (Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Admissions Test) is an entrance exam for admission into management programs at Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies and other B-schools. The script specifies that NMAT is conducted between October to December and allows candidates to schedule their test date within a given window.

💡SNAP

The Symbiosis National Aptitude Test (SNAP) is an entrance exam for admission into various postgraduate institutes of Symbiosis International University. The script mentions that SNAP is conducted in December and allows candidates to take the test on three different dates, with the highest score being considered.

💡IIFT

The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) conducts its own entrance exam for admission into its management programs. The script indicates that the IIFT exam is conducted in December and has a unique marking scheme that differentiates between the first three sections and the General Awareness section.

💡Registration fee

The registration fee refers to the amount candidates must pay to apply for an exam. The script provides specific fees for each exam, such as Rs. 2300/- for general students and Rs. 1150/- for category students for the CAT exam, which is essential for budgeting and planning for MBA aspirants.

💡Sectional time limit

A sectional time limit is a constraint where each section of an exam must be completed within a specified time. The script explains that the CAT exam has a sectional time limit of 40 minutes for each section, emphasizing the importance of time management during the test.

💡Adaptive test

An adaptive test adjusts the difficulty level of questions based on the test-taker's performance. The script mentions that the NMAT exam is adaptive, with increasing difficulty if the candidate answers correctly, similar to the GMAT exam, which adds a layer of complexity to test preparation.

💡Eligibility criteria

Eligibility criteria are the minimum qualifications required to apply for an exam. The script notes that most MBA exams, including the CAT, require a minimum of 50% marks in graduation or being in the final year, which is a critical piece of information for potential test-takers.

💡Mock keyboard test

A mock keyboard test is a practice session to familiarize考生 with the computer-based test environment. The script mentions a 5-minute mock keyboard test in the XAT exam, indicating the importance of being comfortable with the testing platform for successful performance.

💡Difficulty level

The difficulty level of an exam refers to how challenging the questions are. The script provides a range of difficulty levels for different exams, from moderate to difficult, helping candidates gauge their preparation strategy and manage their expectations.

Highlights

The video provides a complete overview of various MBA entrance exams and their details, saving preparation time for students.

The CAT exam is held every year on the last Sunday of November, with a registration fee of Rs. 2300 for general students and Rs. 1150 for category students.

The CAT exam has 3 sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (Quants), with 66 total questions and a 2-hour time limit.

CAT includes 'Type in the Answer' (TITA) questions where no negative marking is applied for incorrect answers.

CAT is accepted by over 1200 B-Schools, including IIMs and FMS, with around 2.5 lakh students registering each year.

XAT is conducted every year in January, with a registration fee of Rs. 2000 and an additional Rs. 200 for each program applied for.

XAT has 5 sections, including Verbal and Logical Ability, Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation, Decision Making, GK, and Essay Writing, with a total exam time of 3 hours 30 minutes.

XAT penalizes students for more than 8 unattempted questions by deducting 0.1 mark for each additional unattempted question.

NMAT allows 3 attempts, including retakes, with a registration fee of Rs. 2800 and no negative marking.

NMAT is an adaptive test, meaning the difficulty level of questions increases with correct answers.

The SNAP exam is conducted over 3 dates in December, allowing students to take the exam multiple times, with the best score considered.

SNAP has 3 sections and is a speed-based test with a 60-minute time limit and 60 total questions.

The IIFT exam is held annually in December, with a registration fee of Rs. 2500 for general students and Rs. 1250 for category students.

IIFT features 4 sections, including General Awareness, and has a unique marking scheme where different sections have varying positive and negative marking schemes.

The video promotes Studybuzz as a reliable resource for MBA exam preparation, offering live demo classes and coaching sessions starting on July 16th.

Transcripts

Hi guys and welcome back to the channel.

I truly hope your MBA preparation is going very well.

I don't want you to spend your preparation time on

finding which types of MBA exams are held

when are they held, and when their forms are out.

I thought I'll present all these complete details in a small video

and that is why this video is here.

So without wasting any time let's start with the first exam, which is

CAT exam.

The CAT exam is held every year in November on the last Sunday.

Its form generally gets released in the month of August

Whenever the form comes, keep track on the official website

This exam is conducted once a year,

its registration fee is 2300/- for general students

and for category students, it is 1150/-

There are 3 sections in this exam.

Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension

Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning

and Quantative Aptitude

24 questions in VARC

20 in DILR

and 22 in Quants.

So the total number of questions is 66.

You are allotted 40 minutes for each section.

This means the total time of the exam is 2 hours.

The important thing is that the sectional time limit is defined, which is 40 minutes.

You attempt sections in a certain order,

VARC, DILR and Quant.

You can't skip them because they change after the completion of 40 minutes.

You get 3 marks for each correct answer in the CAT exam.

and -1 for the wrong answer

And if you don't attempt a question, it will not have any impact.

But there are some questions which we call TITA questions,

"Type in Type Answer" questions

in which if you type the answer

even if it is wrong, no marks are deducted.

The CAT exam is the most significant MBA exam because all the IIMs

FMS and 1200 other B-Schools

accept it as an entrance test.

Every year almost 2.5 lac students register for this exam.

The difficulty level of the CAT exam ranges from moderate to difficult.

and you should have a minimum of 50% marks in your graduation for its eligibility

And even if you are in your final year you can take this exam.

The next exam is the XAT exam.

The XAT exam is conducted every year in January.

One important thing to note is that if you are a CAT 2023 aspirant,

then you will be a XAT 2024 aspirant.

because XAT will be conducted next year, in January.

Its form is available between August to December.

Pay special attention to it so that you don't miss it because it is a very important exam.

For this, I'll recommend you an important resource

which is the most reliable resource in the entire MBA community,

and they have also partnered with me for this video, which is Studybuzz.

Studybuzz's YT channel shares crisp info is when any exam form is out

They also share such videos in which they guide you how to fill the form.

First of all, subscribe to their channel so that you can stay updated.

Apart from that if you are thinking of taking coaching at this time,

then I will like to inform you,

Studybuzz's last batch of this session is starting on 16th July.

This is only for serious aspirants

because in this the number of classes will increase

and all the concepts from basic levels to advanced levels will be cleared.

If you also want to take a demo of Studybuzz's live classes

Their demo classes on the 16,17,18 & 19th of July, are open for the subscribers of this channel

Orientation will be held on the 16th of July

Individual classes of each section will be taken on July 17, 18 and 19.

I will add their Zoom links in the description.

You can see their teaching style by attending those.

And if you are satisfied you can take their coaching too.

I will add a number and e-mail ID in the description.

If you have any queries, you can ask them.

Going forward,

The XAT exam is conducted only once a year, which is in January.

The registration fee for this exam is Rs. 2000/-

plus 200/- for every program that you apply for.

E.g. in XLRI, BM and HRM are two major programs

so 200/- extra fee for every program.

Now understand the pattern of this exam, it consists of 5 sections.

The first is, Verbal and Logical Ability,

The second is Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation

the third is Decision Making, then GK and Essay Writing.

26 questions in Verbal and Logical Ability

28 questions in Quant and Data Interpretation

22 questions in Decision Making,

25 questions in GK and 1 Essay Writing.

For this, generally, you used to get 3 hours 10 minutes earlier.

but last year, it was 3 hours 30 minutes.

175 minutes for the first 3 sections,

After that, there is a mock keyboard test for that 5 minutes,

and finally, you get 30 minutes for GK and essay writing.

There is no sectional time limit in XAT,

1 mark for every correct answer

0.25 mark is deducted for every wrong answer.

If your unattempted questions are more than 8,

then 0.1 mark is deducted for each question.

You can get admission in XLRI & 160 other institutions through the XAT exam.

Every year 95k to 98k students register for this exam,

and almost 80k students attempt it.

The difficulty level of the XAT exam also ranges from moderate to difficult.

But it is a little easier than the CAT exam.

The most interesting thing is that there are no criteria for 50% marks in graduation.

If you are a graduate or in the last year

you can take this exam.

The next exam is NMAT,

NMAT is conducted between October to December.

Generally, there is a window of 75 days to 90 days,

in which you have to schedule your test date.

Its registration starts in August and ends in November.

But be alert, sometimes its registration date closes before the CAT exam.

Suppose, the CAT exam is being conducted on the last Sunday of November.

then registration for the NMAT exam may get closed before that.

This exam is also conducted only once a year for that certain window.

In this, you are allowed 3 attempts, one is the main attempt

and 2 times you can also retake it.

The fee for this exam is Rs. 2800/-

if you retake then this fee has to be paid again.

In this exam, there are also 3 sections,

Language Skills, Quantitative Skills and Logical Reasoning

The number of questions from all three sections is the same, which is 36 questions

The total number of questions is 108.

The time limit for Language Skills is 28 minutes,

52 minutes for Quantitative Skills,

and 40 minutes for Logical Reasoning.

total 2 hours for a full exam.

The good thing is there is no negative marking in the NMAT exam,

and this is an adaptive test, which means

if you gave the correct answer,

the difficulty level of the next question would increase.

Basically, just like the GMAT exam.

That's why the total number of marks for this exam is 360.

Can't say so but generally it is said that there are 3 marks for every correct answer.

but that is not entirely true because this is adaptive.

Through NMAT, the best college you can get admitted to is NMIMS.

The total number of students taking the NMAT every year is 50k.

The difficulty level for NMAT is between Easy to Moderate.

The eligibility is similar to CAT, i.e. min 50% in grad or in the final year.

The next exam is SNAP,

The SNAP exam is generally conducted in December,

and on 3 dates,

its registration starts in August and

generally closed in November.

Initially, its last date is before the CAT exam.

but a lot of times it gets extended.

Last year it was extended, those who couldn't do well in CAT could register.

This exam is also conducted once a year.

but in 3 sessions,

there are 3 dates, you can take all three times,

and the higher score is considered.

The registration fee for this exam is Rs. 1950/- for general students

and Rs 1000/- for category students.

Its format is such that it consists of 3 sections

General English, Analytical and Logical Reasoning

Quant, Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency.

The number of questions in these 3 sections is

15 questions in General English,

25 questions in Analytical and Logical Reasoning

and 20 questions in the last section.

so the total number of questions is 60.

and the time limit is also 60 minutes.

So this is one of those exam in which you need a lot of speed.

SNAP is known to be a speed-based exam.

Because in this the total minutes are 60, there is no sectional time limit

The marking scheme of the SNAP exam is such that +1 mark for every correct answer.

and - 0.25 for a wrong answer.

You can apply to 16 colleges through the SNAP exam i.e. Symbiosis.

50k to 60k students register for this exam.

In general difficulty for this exam is easy to medium

and eligibility is similar to the CAT exam which is

minimum 50% in graduation or you must be in your final year.

Now let's talk about the last exam which is IIFT.

IIFT exam is conducted in the month of December every year.

Its registration generally starts in the month of September,

and closed in October or November.

The fee for this exam is 2500/- for general category students,

and 1250/- for category students

Its frequency is also only once i.e. it is conducted only once in a year.

There are 4 sections in this exam,

The first is Quantitative Analysis,

The second is Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation,

The third is Reading Comprehension and Verbal Ability

and fourth is General Awareness.

The number of questions is 25 in Quant Analysis

30 questions in Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation,

35 questions in Reading Comprehension and Verbal Ability

and 20 questions in General Awareness

so the total number of questions is 110.

There is a time limit of 2 hours and there is no sectional time limit.

The marking scheme of this exam is very interesting

If you answer correctly for the first 3 sections, then you get +3 marks.

and -1 for a wrong answer.

But in the General Awareness section,

+1.5 mark for a correct answer

and - 0.5 marks for a wrong answer.

You can get selected for the IIFT campuses through the IIFT exam.

35k to 40k students register for this exam.

The difficulty level for this exam is between moderate to difficult.

and eligibility is similar to the CAT exam which is

minimum 50% in graduation or you must be in your final year.

So this was majorly about the top MBA exams

Apart from this, if you want to know the details of any other exam

comment the name of that exam so that I can cover it in the next video.

I hope that you can parallelly prepare for all the exams.

And to help, I will link a video here.

So that you can see when you should start preparing for these exams

and how to prepare?

I hope this video helps you. Thank you so much for watching this video guys! :)