Tests for MBA aspirants

Sumit Singh Gandhi

Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) degree is the most soughtafter degree currently not just in India but all over the world. Approximately 35,000 to 40,000 aspirants every year apply for an MBA. The competition is tough and to do an MBA from a reputed and prestigious institute one needs to score well in the entrance exam.

 There are a lot of entrance exams when it comes to MBA. Every aspirant must know about all these exams and must be sure from the beginning of which exam/exams he/she is going to appear for.

 The most popular entrance exams when it comes to MBA are CAT, MAT, and XAT.

 Who should prepare for which exam?

It is observed that aspirants appear for more than one exam every year. The more exams you appear for, the higher is the probability of getting into a good MBA institute. All exams have almost the same syllabus and thus it isn’t that tough to prepare for more than one exam.

 Here are some key characteristics of the CAT, XAT and MAT:

CAT 

Conducted by: Indian Institute of Management

Eligibility: 

●      Should have completed a Bachelor’s Degree with a minimum score of 50%.

●      Candidates studying in the final year/semester can also apply.

●      The degree must have been awarded by a government recognized institute/university.

 Number of times exam conducted in a year: Once a year

Exam mode: Computer based

Duration; 120 minutes

Number of sections: 3 sections

Maximum marks: 300

Marks gained per right : 3 marks

Negative marking for every incorrect answer: -1 mark (no negative marking for Non-MCQ questions)

Total number of questions: 100

Exam to be conducted on: November 28, 2021

 Syllabus

1.      Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)

2.    Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)

3.    Quantitative Aptitude (Quants)

Official website: https://iimcat.ac.in/

XAT

Conducted by: XLRI Jamshedpur

Eligibility: 

●      Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree from a recognized university or board.

●      Candidates can apply for this exam if he/she is in the final year of graduation

●      There is no age limit.

 Number of times exam conducted in a year: Once a year

Exam mode: Computer based

Duration: 180 mins

Number of sections:  4 sections

Maximum marks: 100

Marks gained per right : 1 mark

Negative marking for every incorrect answer: -0.25 mark

Total number of questions: 100

Exam to be conducted on: January 2, 2021

Syllabus

1.      Decision Making

2.    Verbal and Logical Ability

3.     Data Interpretation and Quantitative Ability

4.    General Knowledge

Official website: https://xatonline.in/

MAT

Conducted by: All India Management Association

Eligibility: 

●      Should have completed a Bachelor’s Degree with a minimum score of 50%.

●      Candidates studying in the final year/semester can also apply.

●      The degree should be awarded by a recognised university/institute.

 Number of times exam conducted in a year: Four times a year

Exam mode: Computer based

Duration of the exam: 150 minutes

Number of sections: 5 sections

Maximum marks: 200

Marks gained per right : 1 mark

Negative marking for every incorrect answer: -0.25 mark

Total number of questions: 200

Exam to be conducted in: February, August, September and December

 Syllabus

1.      Language Comprehension

2.    Data Analysis and Sufficiency

3.    Mathematical skills

4.    Indian and Global environment,

5.     Intelligence, and critical reasoning

Official website: https://mat.aima.in/

 The writer is CEO, CATKing Educare