Indian MBA Admission Tests

Many top business schools also accept GMAT scores as entry points. The advantage of a GMAT score is that it can be 'banked' as it is valid for five years.  A standardized test delivered in English, the GMAT is globally accepted.

"Most Indian business schools including the IIMs, ISB and MDI also approve GMAT scores as entry criteria [as well as the] CAT. But the GMAT is still not very popular with Indian students seeking admission into Indian business schools mainly because of the high cost of the test," says Dr Sharma.

Usually conducted every quarter by the All India Management Association (AIMA), the Management Aptitude Test (MAT) invites more than 200,000 students annually offering them an opportunity for admission into some 450 management institutes spread across the country.

All institutes participating in MAT are either approved by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), a national level apex advisory body, or they are affiliated to a university. Unlike other aptitude tests, which are conducted annually, the repeated periodicity of MAT is its selling point. The test is split into five sections: language comprehension, mathematical skills, data analysis and sufficiency, intelligence and critical reasoning and Indian and global environment. Examinees have to tackle about 200 objective-based questions in two-and-a-half hours, and MAT scores are valid for a year.

"In India MAT is considered the second best format for prospective MBA students and selected students are placed in business schools belonging to the middle category," explains R K Verma, dean at the School of Business Studies, Sharda University.

A national level admission test called the Xavier Admission Test (XAT) is conducted by the Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI), Jamshedpur. There are 35 management institutes that select students on the basis of XAT for postgraduate degree programs in management. Eligibility is a three-year Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in any discipline recognized by the Association of Indian Universities. The exam is conducted in about 31 cities across the country.

"XAT identifies worthy students for Xavier's institute but these days some other institutes also recognize XAT scores. However, the exam has restricted scope as preference is given to students that show extraordinary aptitude in the fields of human resources and industrial relations," says Verma.

The Narsee Monjee Management Admission Test (NMAT), a test for entry to one of the foremost management institutes in India, The Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS), sees thousands of applicants trying their luck every year.

NMAT gives candidates a maximum of three attempts to clear the test which means that a student's best performance can be assessed. There is also no negative marking - hopefully encouraging candidates not to drop a question for fear of deduction in marks. The test's content is designed on a multiple choice question format that includes language skills; quantitative skills, data interpretation and data sufficiency; as well as logical reasoning.

Apart from these, some institutes conduct their own tests. The FMS test for example is a multiple choice two-hour admission examination. Entry to the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai (JBIMS) is via a test in which aspirants are tested on their inclination towards a career in management. The Symbiosis Institute of Business Management conducts the Symbiosis National Aptitute Test (SNAP) --- an objective test with each question having four responses from which the candidate has to choose an appropriate response.

Finally, there is the Joint Management Entrance Test (JMET) for students seeking admission to the two-year full time Postgraduate Degree Program in Management offered by the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore.

"JMET is another qualifying examination that is considered the first step in the admission process to Postgraduate Degree Programs in Management offered by the IITs. But it is still to enter the league of examinations like CAT, GMAT," says Verma.

There is wide difference between these various tests. "First the difference lies in the quality of the institution one gains entry into and hence the prospective job opportunities. The IIMs would be first choice for most aspirants but the CAT is the only gateway one has.

"The second difference lies in the scope of the test. For instance, XAT/JMET have limited institutes on their lists and are looking for specific profiles. And finally, the cost and the frequency is a distinguisher as the GMAT is very expensive as compared to the rest of the tests and MAT happens four times a year," says Sharma.

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