The CAT vs CMAT, NMAT, XAT, SNAP & Other MBA Entrance Exams analysis is an analysis that is used by management aspirants across the country. This analysis helps aspirants decide to choose the best MBA entrance tests. Find out more in the article below!
CAT vs CMAT, NMAT, XAT, SNAP & Other MBA Entrance Exams is an analysis that is done by nearly all management aspirants before the MBA entrance exam season. Candidates looking forward to MBA admission 2025 may have started preparing for the numerous entrance exams being conducted in 2025. The notifications of several entrance exams such as CAT, MAT, XAT, etc. will be released on their respective websites.
In this article, a detailed comparison has been made between the CAT 2025 exam and other MBA entrance exams such as CMAT, NMAT by GMAC, XAT, SNAP, ATMA, and MAT. The comparison will help the candidates to choose the best exam depending on their time and preparation.
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Comparison between CAT, CMAT, NMAT, XAT, SNAP, ATMA, and MAT
The detailed comparison between CAT and other popular MBA entrance exams such as CMAT, NMAT, XAT, SNAP, ATMA, and MAT can be checked below.
Exam Name | CAT | CMAT | NMAT by GMAC | XAT | SNAP | ATMA | MAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conducting Body | IIMs | National Testing Agency (NTA) | GMAC | XLRI Jamshedpur | Symbiosis International Deemed University | Association of Indian Management Schools | All India Management Association |
Exam Mode | Computer-Based Test | Computer-Based Test | Computer-Based Test | Computer-Based Test | Online Test | Online & Offline Test | Computer-Based and Paper-Based test |
Frequency of Exam | Once a Year | Twice a Year | Candidates can re-take the exam within the stipulated exam dates | Once a Year | Once a Year | Five Times a Year | Four Times a Year |
Duration | 2 Hours (120 Minutes) | 3 Hours (180 Minutes) | 2 Hours (120 Minutes) | 210 Minutes (3 Hours 30 Minutes) | 60 Minutes (1 Hour) | 3 Hours (180 Minutes) | 2 ½ Hours (150 Minutes) |
Number of Sections | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 5 |
Sectional Time Limit |
| No Time Limit |
|
| No Time Limit | 30 Minutes for Each Section |
|
Types of Question Format | 48 MCQs, 18 Non-MCQs. | Objective Type MCQs | Objective Type MCQs | Objective Type MCQs | Objective Type MCQs | Objective Type MCQs | Objective Type MCQs |
Total Marks | 198 | 400 | 120 | 100 | 60 | 180 | 200 |
Marking for Correct Answer | 03 | 04 | 01 | 01 | 01 | 01 | 01 |
Marking for Incorrect Answer | -1 | -1 | No Negative Marking | -0.25 (MCQs in XAT. GK section are free from Negative Marking) | Each wrong answer attracts 25% negative marks | No Negative Marking | ¼ of the total marks or 0.25 mark |
Difficulty Level | Difficult | Moderate to Difficult | Moderate to Difficult | Moderate to Difficult | Easy to Difficult | Easy to Difficult | Moderate to Difficult |
Syllabus Difference |
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Top Colleges Accepting Exam Score |
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Exam Date | November 30, 2025 (Tentative) | January 24, 2026 (Tentative) | November 5 to December 20, 2025 | January 4, 2026 | December 8, 15 and 21, 2025 (tentative) | July 27, 2025 |
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Note
: The IIFT entrance exam has been replaced by CAT. From 2023, IIFT has been accepting CAT scores for MBA admissions.
CAT Vs XAT
Here is the comparison between the CAT and XAT exam .
Component | CAT Exam | XAT Exam |
|---|---|---|
Date of Exam | November 30, 2025 (Tentative) | January 4, 2026 |
When to Apply | First week of August 2025 - Third week of September 2025 | July 10 - December 5, 2025 |
Exam Conducting Body | Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) | Xavier School of Management (XLRI) Jamshedpur |
Mode of the Exam | Computer Based Test | Computer Based Test |
Total Number of Questions | 66 (Since 2021, Earlier 100) | 100 |
Overall Time Limit | 2 hours | 3 hours & 30 Minutes |
Type of Questions | 48-50 questions are MCQs, rest Non-MCQs | 100 MCQs + 1 subjective on Essay Writing |
Number of Answer Options for MCQs | 4 | 5 |
Marks Awarded for each Correct Answer | 3 |
|
Negative Marking |
|
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Difficulty Level | Moderately Difficult | More difficult than CAT |
Total Number of Sections | 3 | 3 (Main sections) 2 (GK & Essay Test scores are not taken into consideration for percentile calculation) |
Option to Select Order of Sections | No, candidates have to adhere to the pre-defined sectional order. | Yes, candidates can attempt any question from any section within the overall time limit. |
Sectional Time Limit | 40 Minute time limit for each section | No Restriction |
Top MBA Colleges Accepting Exam Score | 21 IIMs, XIMB, TAPMI, IMI, IMT, FMS, MDI, SPJIMR, IITs, etc. | XLRI, SPJIMR, TAPMI, IMT, XIMB, etc. |
CAT Vs SNAP
Check the comparison between CAT and SNAP test provided below.
Component | CAT Exam | SNAP Exam |
|---|---|---|
Date of Exam | November 30, 2025 (Tentative) | December 8, 15 and 21, 2025 (tentative) |
When to Apply | First week of August 2025 - Third week of September 2025 | First week of August 2025 - Last week of November 2025 |
Total Number of Questions | 66 | 60 |
Overall Time Limit | 2 hours | 1 hour |
Type of Questions | 48-50 questions are MCQs. Others are Non-MCQs. | All questions are in MCQ format. |
Number of Answer Options for MCQs | 4 | 4 |
Marks Awarded for each Correct Answer | 3 | 1 |
Negative Marking |
| -0.25 mark |
Difficulty Level | Difficult | Easy to Moderate |
Total Number of Sections | 3 | 3 |
Option to Select Order of Sections | No, candidates have to adhere to the pre-defined sectional order | Yes, candidates can attempt any question from any section within the overall time limit. |
Individual Sectional Time Limit | Each section has a time limit of 40 minutes. | No individual sectional time limit |
CAT vs CMAT
Check the comparison between the CAT and CMAT exam provided in the table below.
Component | CAT Exam | CMAT Exam |
|---|---|---|
Date of Exam | November 30, 2025 (Tentative) | January 2026 |
When to Apply | First week of August 2025 - Third week of September 2025 | Second week of November 2025 - Last week of December 2025 |
Exam Conducting Body | Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
Mode of the Exam | Computer Based Test | Computer Based Test |
Total Number of Questions | 66 | 100 |
Overall Time Limit | 2 hours | 3 hours |
Type of Questions | 48-50 questions are MCQs. All other questions are Non-MCQs | 100 MCQs |
Number of Answer Options for MCQs | 4 | 4 |
Marks Awarded for each Correct Answer | +3 | +4 |
Negative Marking |
| -1/4 negative marking |
Difficulty Level | Moderately Difficult | Easy to Moderate |
Total Number of Sections | 3 | 5 |
Option to Select Order of Sections | No, candidates have to adhere to the pre-defined sectional order | Yes, candidates can attempt any question from any section within the overall time limit. |
Sectional Time Limit | Each section with 40 minute time limit | No Restriction |
CAT vs MAT
Here are the differences between CAT and MAT.
Component | CAT Exam | MAT Exam |
|---|---|---|
Date of Exam | November 30, 2025 (Tentative) |
|
When to Apply | First week of August 2025 - Third week of September 2025 | Check MAT 2025 Registration |
Exam Conducting Body | Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) | All India Management Association (AIMA) |
Mode of the Exam | Computer Based Test | CBT, PBT, IBT |
Total Number of Questions | 66 | 200 |
Overall Time Limit | 2 hours | 2 hours and 30 minutes |
Type of Questions | 48-50 questions are MCQs. All other questions are Non-MCQs | 200 MCQs (40 in each section) |
Marks Awarded for each Correct Answer | +3 | +1 |
Negative Marking |
| -0.25 negative marking for each wrong answer. |
Difficulty Level | Moderately Difficult | Easy to Moderate |
Total Number of Sections | 3 | 5 |
Sectional Time Limit | Each section with 40 minute time limit | No Restriction |
CAT vs NMAT
Find the comparison between CAT and NMAT in the table below:Components | CAT | NMAT |
|---|---|---|
Date of Exam | November 30, 2025 (Tentative) | November 5 to December 20, 2025 |
When to Apply | First week of August 2025 - Third week of September 2025 | August 2025 - October 2025 |
Exam Conducting Body | Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) | GMAC or Graduate Management Aptitude Council (GMAC) |
Mode of the Exam | Computer Based Test | Online mode |
Total Number of Questions | 66 Questions | 108 Questions |
Number of Sections | 3 Sections
| 3 Sections
|
| Overall Time Limit | 2 hours | 2 hours |
Sectional Timing | 40 Minutes for each section |
|
Total Marks | 198 | 360 |
Type of Questions |
| 108 MCQs (36 in each of the 3 sections) |
Marks Awarded for each Correct Answer | +3 | +1 |
Negative Marking |
| No negative marking |
Popular MBA Colleges in India
Check the table below for some other popular colleges in India known for their MBA courses. All of these colleges accept the entrance exams mentioned in this article which include CMAT, NMAT by GMAC, XAT, SNAP, ATMA, and MAT.
College | Location | Course Fees (in INR lakhs) |
|---|---|---|
Gurgaon | 8.64 | |
Jalandhar | 5.80 | |
Hyderabad | -- | |
Bangalore | 7.46 | |
Jaipur | 2.06 | |
New Delhi | 5.34 | |
Hyderabad | 10.50 | |
Visakhapatnam | 8.50 | |
Gurgaon | 10.50 | |
Mumbai | 8.40 |
Candidates must also check out the articles mentioned below to learn more about MBA admissions!
Related Articles:
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FAQs
The exams required for pursuing MBA in India are National-level exams, State-level exams, and Institute-specific exams. The national-level MBA exams are CAT (Common Admission Test) conducted by IIMs, XAT (Xavier Aptitude Test) conducted by XLRI Jamshedpur, CMAT (Common Management Admission Test) conducted by NTA (National Testing Agency), MAT (Management Aptitude Test) conducted by AIMA (All India Management Association), GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) and NMAT (NMIMS Management Aptitude Test) conducted by GMAC, SNAP (Symbiosis National Aptitude Test) conducted by Symbiosis International (Deemed University), and ATMA (AIMS Test for Management Admissions) conducted by AIMS.
The state-level exams are MAH MBA CET, TANCET MBA, Karnataka PGCET MBA, TS ICET, AP ICET, KMAT Kerala, UPCET MBA, and WB JEMAT. Apart from these, TISS (Tata Institute of Social Sciences) conducts TISSNET and Christ University accepts candidates on the basis of CUET + Micro Presentation + PI.
Conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) on a rotational basis, the CAT exam aims to shortlist candidates for admission to MBA/PGDM programmes in IIMs (e.g., IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, etc.) and other top B-schools in India. There will be 3 sections in the CAT exam – Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Ability. A total of 66 questions will be asked including MCQs + Non-MCQs (TITA). The total marks of the exam is 198 and the duration is 2 hours or 120 minutes. 3 marks will be awarded for each correct answer and 1 mark will be deducted for every incorrect answer (MCQ only).
The CAT exam is conducted for assessing the aptitude of students in areas like Quantitative Ability (QA), Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), and Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR). By qualifying CAT, you can pursue MBA (Master of Business Administration), PGP (Post Graduate Programme in Management), PGDM (Post Graduate Diploma in Management), Executive MBA (for experienced professionals), and Fellow Programme in Management (FPM). CAT is also conducted for providing MBA/ PGDM admission to IIMs like IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Indore, IIM Shillong, IIM Rohtak, IIM Ranchi, IIM Jammu, IIM Trichy, and other prestigious B-Schools like FMS Delhi, MDI Gurgaon, IMI Delhi, FORE School of Management, SPJIMR Mumbai, TAPMI Manipal, XIME Bangalore, etc.
Yes, SNAP is easier than CAT, despite the fact that both MBA entrance exams use the same syllabus and selection criteria. SNAP is easier to use than CAT because it is designed with students in mind. But SNAP will only be accepted by SIU institutions. The CAT is accepted by more than 1200 MBA programs in India, in contrast.
The CAT and MAT exams have very different levels of difficulty. The difficulty level for CAT is always moderate to high, whereas MAT is typically easy to moderate, despite the fact that there are only 66 questions in the CAT question paper as opposed to 200 on the MAT question paper.
The exam pattern for CMAT is broken down into five sections: Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning, Language Comprehension, General Awareness, and Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Each of the four sections on the test is worth 100 points, with a maximum possible score of 400. There are 20 questions in each section, for a total of 100 questions.
It is difficult to say which is more difficult CAT or XAT because the XAT and CAT have different test formats and scoring procedures. The various subjects and parts are one of the primary differences between the CAT and XAT syllabuses. Overall, many candidates and experts agree that the XAT is a little more difficult than the CAT.
The CAT exam has the highest acceptance for a management entrance test. Apart from the 21 IIMs that accept CAT for MBA admission, there are thousands of Non-IIM institutes in India that accept CAT scores for MBA, PGDM, and other postgraduate management courses.
Yes, CAT preparation takes more time than other management entrance exams. CAT is arguably the toughest management entrance exam in India, however, there are candidates who have a strong background in Mathematics and need comparatively less time to prepare for the Quantitative section of CAT which is the most challenging part of the exam.
CAT is conducted for admission to the IIMs and other top B-Schools of India while IIFT is conducted for admission to IIFT. The exam pattern and eligibility criteria of both exams are different. Recently the IIFT exam was replaced with CAT.
The syllabus for IIFT is divided into Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension, General Knowledge, Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation, and Quantitative Analysis. The Verbal Ability section evaluates a candidate's knowledge of English. The general knowledge (GK) exam measures the candidate's knowledge of current affairs, etc. The Quantitative Analysis exam gauges a candidate's understanding of Maths. Analytical and logical reasoning skills are tested in the logical reasoning section.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) administers the Common Management Admission Test, or CMAT. Every year, about 70,000 candidates apply to for admission to PUMBA, Great Lakes Institute of Management, JBIMS, SIMSREE, KJ Somaiya Mumbai, and Welingkar Mumbai. The Symbiosis International (Deemed) University administers the Symbiosis National Aptitude Test, also known as the SNAP Test, to all applicants for admission to the MBA/PGDM programs offered by its 15 constituent institutes.
The duration for the CAT exam is 120 minutes or 2 hours. The XAT exam on the other hand has a duration of 3.5 hours or 210 minutes. As opposed to the CAT question paper, there are 5 sections on the XAT question paper.
Aspirants can check the exam pattern for their preferred MBA entrance exam like CAT or XAT through various sources. One of the most common ways to check the exam pattern for the MBA entrance exam is to download the information brochure of the exam. The exam conducting bodies of management entrance exams release an information brochure or notification that consists of various details related to the exam.
CMAT Previous Year Question Paper
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