MBA Entrance Criteria- MBA has become an extremely popular course in the country in recent times. This then also makes it an immensely competitive course. It is not easy for everyone to crack MBA entrance exams. MBA entrance criteria vary from one institute to another. Despite the standard tests of CAT, MAT, XAT, CMAT, SNAP etc, each individual university or institute maintains distinct MBA entrance eligibility criteria. Most of the B-schools in the country entertain reserved category students, but there are some that do not follow the reservation system at all.
MBA Entrance Criteria:-
MBA entrance criteria for the reserved categories differ from MBA admission eligibility criteria for the general students. This difference is seen in almost all the MBA entrance exams, including the standard exams. The MBA entrance guidelines for general students in most B-schools are the same in terms of minimum required percentage or graduation degree/ stream/ college. However, MBA entrance criteria for reserved category students are slightly more lenient in comparison with the general category students.
MBA Entrance Guidelines for Reserved Category Students:-
In general, MBA entrance criteria consider these following common categories for reservation –
- Schedule Caste (SC)
- Schedule Tribe (ST)
- Physically Disabled or Handicapped (PD or PH)/ Person with Disability (PWD)/ Differently Abled (DA)
- Other Backward Classes (OBC)
- Jammu & Kashmir Migrants (J&K)
- State specific reservation
- Wards of defense/army
MBA entrance guidelines for reserved category candidates are generally the same in all the institutes where they are applied with slight differences in percentage requirement. However, of all the guidelines for MBA entrance, there are two principle points that all candidates applying under the reserved category must keep in mind. These are –
- MBA entrance criteria for reserved candidates demand a valid attested certificate as proof of the applicant belonging to the reserved category. The absence of this certificate will deem the candidate to be considered under the general category and he/she will be expected to follow the guidelines accordingly. Producing a fake certificate or forgery of this document is an offence punishable by law.
- All the applicants under the reserved category are expected to verify the eligibility criteria for the respective exam and individual institutes under the exams, as all institutes do not follow the same guidelines and MBA entrance criteria for one institute cannot be expected to be followed in any other given institute.
Here, we have complied for you a list of some of the standard MBA entrance exams and their criteria for the reserved category candidates. This will help explain how most MBA entrance criteria work.
| Exam | Reserved Category and Percentage of Seats Reserved | Eligibility Criteria |
| CAT | SC – 15%ST – 7.5%OBC – 27%PWD/DA – 3% | Minimum percentage required in bachelors degree is 45% |
| XAT | No Reservations | — |
| MAT | No Reservations | — |
| CMAT | SCSTPD | Minimum percentage required in bachelors degree is 45% |
| SNAP | SC – 15%ST – 7.5%DA – 3%Kashmiri Migrants – 2 seats per programmeInternational Candidates – 15% | Graduate in any degree with minimum percentage of 45% for SC and ST, and 50% for others |
| MICAT | No Reservations | — |
| IIFT | SC –ST –PH –OBC –Seats for these categories are reserved as per Govt. of India norms. | Bachelors degree with at least 3 years duration |
| IRMA | SC –ST –DA –Below Poverty Line (BPL) –IRMA follows the statutory reservation policy of Govt. of India | A minimum of 45% required in graduation |
Below, we have prepared a list of some of the top MBA institutes of the country and their set MBA admission eligibility criteria for reserved category students –
| Name of the Institute | Location | Eligibility Criteria |
| Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad | Ahmedabad | For ST, SC and DA, a minimum of 45 % required in bachelors degree |
| Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management (SJSOM), Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IITB) | Mumbai | For ST and SC applicants, a minimum of 55% is required in bachelors degree |
| Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM) | Pune | 45% marks required for SC and ST candidates |
| Symbiosis Centre for Management and Human Resource Development (SCMHRD) | Pune | 45% marks required for SC and ST candidates |
| Department of Management Studies (DOMS), Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee | Roorkee | Bachelors Degree in any discipline of engineering/technology or a Master’s degree in any discipline with at least 60% for OBC and general category, and 55% for SC and ST |
