MBA Entrance Exams After CAT: XAT, SNAP, NMAT, CMAT, MAT and MICAT Dates for 2027

Introduction

CAT is the biggest MBA entrance exam in India, but it is not the only one. Several other exams take place between December and February, and together they open doors to hundreds of B-schools. Whether you want a backup or simply more choice, planning these exams now matters, because some registrations close within weeks.

Quick answer: After CAT on 29 November 2026, the main MBA entrance exams are MICAT I (5 December), SNAP (13, 19 and 26 December), MAT (20 and 27 December), XAT (3 January 2027), CMAT (7 February 2027) and MICAT II (12 February 2027). The NMAT testing window runs until 20 December 2026. Most candidates take two or three of these alongside CAT, chosen to match the colleges they want.

This guide gives the dates, pattern, fees and accepting colleges for each exam, and helps you decide which ones to take.

Table of Contents

1. MBA Entrance Exam Calendar After CAT 2026
2. Why Take Another MBA Exam After CAT?
3. XAT 2027
4. SNAP 2026
5. NMAT 2026
6. CMAT 2027
7. MAT, MICAT and IBSAT
8. How the Exams Compare
9. How to Choose Which Exams to Take
10. MBA Without an Entrance Exam
11. Key Takeaways
12. FAQs
13. Sources

MBA Entrance Exam Calendar After CAT 2026

Exam	Conducted by	Exam date	Registration (as reported)
NMAT 2026	GMAC	Testing window 2 November to 20 December 2026	Closed on 10 October 2026
CAT 2026	IIM Indore	29 November 2026	Closed
MICAT I 2027	MICA	5 December 2026	Until 22 November 2026
SNAP 2026	Symbiosis International University	13, 19 and 26 December 2026	Check snaptest.org
MAT December 2026	AIMA	20 December (paper-based), 27 December (computer-based)	Until 14 December (paper-based) and 21 December (computer-based)
XAT 2027	XLRI Jamshedpur	3 January 2027, 2 pm to 5 pm	Until 6 December 2026
CMAT 2027	National Testing Agency (NTA)	7 February 2027	Not open as of late October 2026
MICAT II 2027	MICA	12 February 2027	Opens after MICAT I

Dates are taken from official announcements as reported by the sources listed at the end. Confirm on each exam's official website before you pay or book travel.

Why Take Another MBA Exam After CAT?

• Insurance against one bad day: a single paper decides your CAT percentile. Another exam gives you a second chance in the same admission cycle.
• Access to specific colleges: XLRI uses XAT, Symbiosis institutes use SNAP, NMIMS uses NMAT and MICA uses MICAT. If one of these is your goal, CAT alone is not enough.
• Different strengths: some exams reward speed, others reward decision making or general knowledge. One may suit you better than CAT.
• Shared preparation: quantitative aptitude, reasoning and reading skills overlap heavily, so your CAT preparation carries over.

Waiting for your CAT result? Our guide to CAT 2026 percentile vs score explains what your marks are likely to mean.

XAT 2027

• Exam date: 3 January 2027, 2 pm to 5 pm, in more than 100 cities.
• Registration: on xatonline.in until 6 December 2026.
• Fee: Rs 2,300 (the XAT 2026 fee), plus Rs 200 for each XLRI programme you apply to.
• Sections: Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation, and General Knowledge.
• Marking: +1 for a correct answer and -0.25 for a wrong one; a small deduction applies for leaving more than eight questions in a row unanswered. General Knowledge has no negative marking.
• Accepted by: XLRI Jamshedpur and more than 250 other B-schools.
• Eligibility: a bachelor's degree of at least three years; final-year students can apply.

The Decision Making section, built around business and ethical dilemmas, is what sets XAT apart. Practise it separately, because CAT preparation does not cover it.

SNAP 2026

• Exam dates: 13, 19 and 26 December 2026, in 79 cities. Admit cards come out about a week before each date.
• Fee: Rs 2,550 per attempt, plus Rs 1,000 for each Symbiosis programme you register for.
• Pattern: a 60-minute computer-based test with 60 questions and 60 marks. SNAP 2026 adds a new 10-mark section on ethics, morality and values.
• Best-score rule: if you take more than one session, your best score is used. Symbiosis says there is no normalisation across sessions.
• Result: 12 January 2027.
• Accepted by: around 30 MBA programmes across Symbiosis institutes.

SNAP is a speed test: 60 questions in 60 minutes. Mock tests under strict timing are the best way to prepare.

NMAT 2026

• Testing window: 2 November to 20 December 2026. Registration closed on 10 October 2026.
• Attempts: up to three in one cycle, one main attempt and two retakes.
• Fee: Rs 3,000 plus taxes for the first test, and the same for each retake.
• Pattern: 108 questions in 2 hours across Language Skills (28 minutes), Quantitative Skills (52 minutes) and Logical Reasoning (40 minutes). There is no negative marking.
• Result: score reports within about 48 hours of the test.
• Accepted by: more than 50 colleges, including NMIMS.

Because each section has its own time limit, practise switching pace between sections.

CMAT 2027

• Exam date: 7 February 2027, computer-based, conducted by the National Testing Agency.
• Registration: had not opened as of late October 2026. Watch the official CMAT website.
• Fee (based on last year): about Rs 2,500 for general male candidates and about Rs 1,250 for female, transgender and reserved-category candidates.
• Pattern: 100 questions and 400 marks in 3 hours, across five sections: Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning, Language Comprehension, General Awareness, and Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Each correct answer earns 4 marks and each wrong answer loses 1.
• Eligibility: graduation in any discipline; final-year students can apply.

CMAT is used widely by AICTE-approved institutes and is a useful late option if your CAT result falls short of your plans.

MAT, MICAT and IBSAT

MAT December 2026

Conducted by the All India Management Association (AIMA), MAT is held several times a year. The December 2026 paper-based test is on 20 December and the computer-based test on 27 December. The fee is Rs 2,300 for one mode or Rs 4,000 for both.

MICAT 2027

MICAT is the entrance test for MICA's marketing and communications programmes. MICAT I is on 5 December 2026 (registration until 22 November) and MICAT II on 12 February 2027. It is a 135-minute computer-based test with a qualifying psychometric test, a descriptive test and an aptitude test. The fee is Rs 2,500 per programme.

IBSAT 2026

IBSAT, used by ICFAI Business Schools, is scheduled across several dates between 5 and 27 December 2026.

How the Exams Compare

Exam	Duration	Negative marking	Retakes	Best for
XAT	3 hours	Yes (-0.25)	No	XLRI and 250+ B-schools; strong decision makers
SNAP	60 minutes	Yes	Up to three sessions; best score counts	Symbiosis institutes; fast test-takers
NMAT	2 hours	No	Up to three attempts	NMIMS and 50+ colleges
CMAT	3 hours	Yes (-1 for +4)	No	AICTE-approved institutes
MAT	See the official bulletin	See the official bulletin	Several sessions a year	Many private B-schools
MICAT	135 minutes	See the official bulletin	Two rounds	MICA

How to Choose Which Exams to Take

• Start from your college list: pick exams by the colleges you want, not the other way round.
• Check your strengths: fast and accurate test-takers often do well in SNAP; good readers and decision makers in XAT; those who like sectional timing in NMAT.
• Mind the calendar: December is crowded. Leave a few days between exams so you can rest and review.
• Budget for fees: most exams cost Rs 2,300 to Rs 3,000, plus programme fees for some colleges.
• Keep CAT preparation going: the core skills overlap, so a steady routine serves every exam.

Comparing colleges as well as exams? Read our guides to the top MBA colleges in India, MBA vs PGDM and the skills every MBA graduate needs.

MBA Without an Entrance Exam

An entrance exam is not the only route into an MBA. Some universities admit graduates on their academic record. At SGT University, Gurugram, the MBA (General), MBA in Business Analytics and MBA in Fintech list a merit-based admission process for graduates with at least 55% marks. Working professionals can also look at an Executive MBA. Our guide to MBA admissions in India explains the full process, and our look at whether an MBA is worth it helps you weigh the cost against the return.

Key Takeaways

• Between December 2026 and February 2027, you can still take MICAT, SNAP, MAT, XAT, CMAT and NMAT.
• XAT registration closes on 6 December 2026; the exam is on 3 January 2027.
• SNAP and NMAT allow more than one attempt, and your best score counts.
• CMAT 2027 is on 7 February 2027; registration had not opened as of late October 2026.
• Choose two or three exams based on the colleges you want and your strengths.
• Merit-based MBA programmes offer a route without an entrance exam.

FAQs

Q1. Which MBA entrance exams are held after CAT 2026?
After CAT on 29 November 2026, the main exams are MICAT I on 5 December, SNAP on 13, 19 and 26 December, MAT on 20 and 27 December, XAT on 3 January 2027, CMAT on 7 February 2027 and MICAT II on 12 February 2027. The NMAT testing window runs until 20 December 2026.

Q2. What is the difference between XAT and CAT?
XAT is conducted by XLRI and has a Decision Making section and a General Knowledge section, which CAT does not. XAT marks +1 for a correct answer and -0.25 for a wrong one, while CAT gives +3 and -1 for multiple-choice questions. More than 250 B-schools accept XAT scores.

Q3. Can I take SNAP more than once?
Yes. SNAP 2026 is held on 13, 19 and 26 December. If you take it more than once, your best score is used, and Symbiosis says there is no normalisation across the sessions.

Q4. How many times can I take NMAT?
You can take NMAT up to three times in one testing cycle: one main attempt and two retakes.

Q5. When is CMAT 2027?
The National Testing Agency has scheduled CMAT 2027 for 7 February 2027 as a computer-based test. Registration had not opened as of late October 2026, so check the official CMAT website for the application dates.

Q6. Which MBA entrance exam has no negative marking?
NMAT has no negative marking. CAT does not deduct marks for wrong type-in-the-answer questions, but it does for wrong multiple-choice answers. XAT, CMAT and SNAP all have some negative marking.

Q7. How many MBA entrance exams should I take?
Most candidates take CAT plus two or three other exams, chosen to match the colleges they want. Taking too many spreads your preparation thin and adds fees of roughly Rs 2,300 to Rs 3,000 per exam.

Q8. Which colleges accept XAT scores?
XAT is used by XLRI Jamshedpur and more than 250 other B-schools in India. Check each college's admission page for its XAT cut-off and selection process.

Q9. When is MAT December 2026?
The paper-based MAT is on 20 December 2026 and the computer-based MAT is on 27 December 2026. Registration closes on 14 December for the paper-based test and 21 December for the computer-based test.

Q10. Can I get an MBA without an entrance exam?
Yes. Some universities admit graduates to their MBA programmes on merit. For example, SGT University's MBA programmes list a merit-based admission process for graduates with at least 55% marks.

Sources

The facts and figures in this article come from the sources below.

1. Careers360, MBA entrance exam calendar 2026-27 (6 October 2026). Used for: the overall calendar, including IBSAT dates.
2. Careers360, XAT 2027 registration begins; exam on January 3 (15 July 2026). Used for: XAT date, registration deadline, fee, pattern, marking and accepting B-schools.
3. Careers360, Symbiosis University announces SNAP 2026 dates (19 August 2026). Used for: SNAP dates, fee, best-score rule, result date and programmes.
4. Careers360, SNAP 2026 adds a new ethics and values section (21 August 2026). Used for: the SNAP 2026 pattern.
5. Careers360, NMAT 2026 registration, exam date and pattern (20 August 2026). Used for: the NMAT window, attempts, fee, pattern and accepting colleges.
6. Careers360, CMAT 2027 exam date announced (21 September 2026). Used for: the CMAT date, expected fee and eligibility.
7. Times of College, CMAT 2027 notification and registration updates (27 October 2026). Used for: the status of CMAT 2027 registration.
8. Physics Wallah, CMAT exam pattern (accessed November 2026). Used for: the CMAT sections, marks, duration and marking scheme.
9. SelfStudys, MAT December 2026 exam dates released (28 September 2026). Used for: MAT dates, registration deadlines and fees.
10. Find My College, MICAT 2027 phase 1 registration ongoing (16 October 2026). Used for: MICAT dates, deadline, fee and pattern.

SGT University programme details (eligibility and admission process) are taken from the programme pages linked in this article, as they appeared in November 2026.