Why Are Top MBA Colleges Dropping CMAT?

The history of rise and fall of Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) which is now conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA) can be very well understood by the fact that many top B-schools have announced not to accept the CMAT 2024 exam score for admission to their AICTE approved MBA/PGDM programmes.

The irony is that this MBA entrance exam was launched and conducted by AICTE specifically for admission to the AICTE approved PGDM programs. Till 2018, AICTE conducted this exam twice a year and number of CMAT aspirants soared well beyond one lakh and continued rising. Came 2019, when NTA took over the reins of CMAT and its downfall started. The exam gradually lost its credibility, was changed to annual event, had no timelines as the events like conduct of exam and release of result were consistently delayed. All this put a question mark on the competency of NTA to conduct the reputed exam as the B-schools who are particular in commencing their academic session on time, could not inordinately wait for CMAT score nor could keep open their admission process for an indefinite period. This has created disenchantment among the CMAT score accepting MBA colleges.

Top MBA Colleges Who have Dropped CMAT Score
Some of the top MBA colleges have dropped or have changed their CMAT score accepting criteria as below:

Top PGDM Colleges who do not Accept CMAT Score
Many top MBA colleges offering reputed PGDM programs do not accept CMAT score despite the fact that CMAT exam is meant for admission to AICTE approved PGDM Programs. Some of these highly ranked B-schools are:

MBA Colleges who May Also Drop CMAT
Apart from the above MBA colleges who are shying away from accepting CMAT score, it is possible that following management institutes may also drop accepting CMAT score in future to avoid any delay in their session commencement, in case NTA continues with such delay in conduct of exam and release of result:

So, why these MBA colleges are gradually shying away from accepting CMAT score any more, let us know a few alarming reasons:

How Long to Keep Open Application Process? B-schools wish to know..
B-schools need to adhere to application time lines in accordance with result dates of CAT, XAT, SNAP, NMAT and other important exams are declared. After the close of application process, merit list has to be prepared and GD-PI is conducted. Unless the CMAT exam is conducted by February/March, it is difficult to get the CMAT exam result and candidates’ score in time to avoid delay in admission process. But it appears that NTA is totally oblivious to this fact.

Top PGDM Colleges Fear Delay in Admission Process/Session Commencement
Most of the top PGDM colleges accepting CMAT score close their admission process in April to get time for final selection process and releasing admission offer so that the academic session commences in June/July. With CMAT exam and result date not available, how these institutes accepting CMAT score will accommodate the candidates as they have announced to commence their academic session in June/July 2024.

There are more than 600 MBA/PGDM colleges that accept and offer admission to the candidates based on CMAT and other exam scores. While the lists for final admission based on CAT, XAT, MAT, NMAT are ready in almost all the top B-schools, the non-availability of CMAT score is delaying the announcement of merit list. Top B-schools like Great Lakes, GIM Goa, IMT Nagpur and Hyderabad, K J Somaiya, IFMR GSB at Krea University and many others who accept CMAT exam score for admission are worried about the delay in session commencement and are forced to keep their admission process open on account of delay in conduct of CMAT 2024 exam and release of result. Besides, these B-schools have to follow AICTE guidelines for admissions and session commencement but are unable to decide when to conduct PI round based on CMAT score and how much delay will be caused in their academic session commencement for 2024-26 batch.

NTA Delaying CMAT: Not Following Best Practices
While the dates for IIM CAT exam, XLRI-XAT and other exams are announced along with the release of their notification many months before the exam, NTA, however, remains shy of announcing the CMAT exam date and the result date in its notification, even after its registration process is open. Surprisingly, no other national level MBA entrance exam, except CMAT changes its dates of exam and result release, and mostly the exam result of all other exams is released much before the pre-announced date. During the last few years, CMAT exam has consistently been delayed after the reins of conducting the exam were taken over by National Testing Agency (NTA) from AICTE. 

Delay in CMAT exam and release of results is delaying new batch commencement at B-schools, which is generally scheduled between June 15 to July 10, as B-schools are not able to finalize there admissions.  

Top MBA Colleges Bear the Burnt!
The Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) is conducted for admission to management institutes offering AICTE approved PGDM programs as well as UGC recognized MBA programs.

Due to the delay in CMAT exam, CMAT aspirants who wish to apply and explore MBA/PGDM admission 2024 in AICTE approved B-schools are also unable to figure out their admission chances.

Some of the top B-schools, accepting CMAT and scores of other exams and out of them some may drop CMAT score from their admission eligibility criteria due to delay in their session commencement are:

B-schools are likely to take this matter to higher officials at Education Ministry. The delay in CMAT 2024 has not only created panic and anxiety among the test takers but also is a cause of worry for the PGDM colleges, and has also put a big question mark on the ability of NTA to conduct the exam and release the result on time.

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Also Read: NTA delays CMAT 2024 Exam Date Announcement; Ministry of Education & AICTE Should Step In