Nobody budgets for this part. You plan for coaching, for mock test subscriptions, maybe even for a new calculator — and then application season hits, and suddenly you’re paying ₹2,700 here, ₹2,300 there, another ₹3,540 somewhere else, and the total catches you off guard. If you’re appearing for more than two MBA entrance exams this cycle, the honest number is that fees alone can add up to ₹12,000–₹15,000 or more before you’ve even bought a single prep book.
This guide puts all six major MBA entrance exam fees for the 2027 admission cycle — CAT, XAT, NMAT, SNAP, CMAT, and MAT — side by side, so you know exactly what you’re paying, where, and why some of these numbers aren’t final yet.
MBA Entrance Exam Fees 2027: Quick Comparison
Here’s the short version, pulled straight from each exam’s official notification:
| Exam | Conducting Body | Fee (General/Unreserved) | Fee (Reserved Categories) | Official Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAT 2026 | IIM Indore | ₹2,700 | ₹1,350 (SC/ST/PwD) | iimcat.ac.in |
| XAT 2027 | XLRI Jamshedpur | ₹2,300 (same for all) | ₹2,300 (no concession) | xatonline.in |
| NMAT 2026 | GMAC | ₹3,000 + 18% GST (~₹3,540) | Same for all categories | mba.com/exams/nmat |
| SNAP 2026 | Symbiosis International | ₹2,550 per attempt | Same for all categories | snaptest.org |
| CMAT 2026 | NTA | ₹2,500 (General, male) | ₹1,250 (female/EWS/SC/ST/PwD) | exams.nta.ac.in/CMAT |
| MAT (Sept 2026 session) | AIMA | ₹2,300 (single mode) / ₹4,000 (PBT+CBT) | No category concession | mat.aima.in |
One naming point to remember: CAT calls its 2027 MBA admission exam “CAT 2026,” while XAT calls it “XAT 2027.” NMAT and SNAP use “2026” for the same cycle.
Why MBA Entrance Exam Fees Actually Matter
A single exam fee doesn’t look like much on its own. The problem is that most serious MBA aspirants don’t appear for just one exam — they hedge their bets across three, four, sometimes five, because different exams open doors to different colleges. CAT alone won’t get you into XLRI, and XAT alone won’t get you into the IIMs. Add in the extra charges most people forget about — an additional city, an extra programme choice, a dual-mode MAT attempt — and the “small” fee stacks up fast.
Here’s a realistic example: a candidate appearing for CAT, XAT, SNAP, and CMAT this cycle, with no extras, is already looking at roughly ₹2,700 + ₹2,300 + ₹2,550 + ₹2,500 = ₹10,050, and that’s before a single programme-specific add-on fee.
CAT Exam Fee 2027 (CAT 2026)
CAT, conducted this year by IIM Indore, has its registration fee confirmed at ₹2,700 for General, EWS, and NC-OBC candidates, and ₹1,350 for SC, ST, and PwBD candidates — a ₹100 and ₹50 hike respectively over last year. This single fee covers your application to every IIM and CAT-accepting institute you select during registration; there’s no extra per-institute charge, so there’s no real reason to hold back on listing every programme you’re genuinely considering. The fee is strictly non-refundable, and CAT registration for this cycle has already closed as of this writing. Our CAT 2027 exam date and registration guide covers the full timeline if you’re planning ahead for next cycle.
XAT Exam Fee 2027
XAT takes a flat-fee approach — ₹2,300 for every candidate, regardless of category, which is unusual in a landscape where most exams offer some relaxation for reserved categories. On top of the base fee, XLRI charges ₹200 extra for each individual XLRI programme you opt into (BM, HRM, or GMP), ₹2,600 for Indian candidates applying to the PGDM-GM route via GMAT/GRE, and ₹5,000 for NRI, foreign, PIO, or OCI candidates applying through GMAT. The full registration process, correction window, and city-selection details are covered in our XAT 2027 application form, fees & cutoff guide — this section is just the headline fee number for comparison purposes.
NMAT Exam Fee 2026
NMAT by GMAC charges ₹3,000 plus 18% GST, which works out to roughly ₹3,540 per attempt — making it the costliest single-attempt fee on this list. Unlike CAT or XAT, NMAT does not charge a one-time fee. Candidates can take up to three attempts in a testing window, but they must pay the full fee for each retake without any discount. The fee does, however, include free score reporting to up to five B-schools, so it’s doing a bit more work than it first appears to.
SNAP Exam Fee 2026
SNAP, run by Symbiosis International (Deemed University), currently charges ₹2,550 per test attempt, with candidates allowed to register for up to three sessions in December. On top of the test fee, there’s a separate ₹1,000 programme registration fee for each Symbiosis MBA programme you want to be considered for — and this is the part a lot of applicants miss. Paying the SNAP test fee alone doesn’t apply you to any specific programme; you need to add and pay for each institute/programme combination separately.
CMAT Exam Fee (2026 Confirmed, 2027 Pending)
Here’s where it gets a little tricky: as of this writing, NTA has announced the CMAT 2027 exam date (February 7, 2027) but has not yet released the official fee notification. Based on the most recently confirmed cycle — CMAT 2026 — the fee structure was ₹2,500 for general-category male candidates and ₹1,250 for female candidates, Gen-EWS, SC, ST, PwD, and third-gender candidates. CMAT fees have stayed largely stable year-on-year, so this is a reasonable reference point, but treat it as indicative rather than confirmed until NTA’s CMAT 2027 information bulletin is out.
MAT Exam Fee 2026-27
MAT, run by AIMA, is a little different from the rest because it’s conducted four times a year — February, May, September, and December — rather than once per admission cycle. For the most recent confirmed session, AIMA set the fee at ₹2,300 for a single test mode (either PBT or CBT) and ₹4,000 if you choose to appear in both modes within the same session. AIMA does not offer any category-based fee relaxation, so this amount is flat across General, OBC, SC, ST, and EWS candidates.
Category-Wise Fee Relaxation: Who Actually Gets a Discount?
Not every exam treats reserved categories the same way, and this table makes the difference obvious:
| Exam | Offers Category-Based Fee Relaxation? | Reserved Category Fee |
|---|---|---|
| CAT | Yes | ₹1,350 (50% of General fee) |
| XAT | No | Same ₹2,300 for everyone |
| NMAT | No | Same fee for everyone |
| SNAP | No | Same fee for everyone |
| CMAT | Yes (for female candidates and reserved categories) | ₹1,250 |
| MAT | No | Same fee for everyone |
CAT and CMAT are the only two exams on this list offering a genuine category-based reduction — worth factoring in if budget is a real constraint while shortlisting which exams to appear for.
Refund & Payment Policy: What You Need to Know
Every exam on this list follows the same basic rule, and it’s worth saying plainly so there’s no confusion later: MBA entrance exam fees in India are non-refundable once paid, regardless of whether you miss the exam, change your mind, or make a payment error. A few practical points that apply across the board:
- You can pay the fee using a debit card, credit card, or net banking.
- If the payment fails after deducting money and the confirmation does not load, wait 24–48 hours for the transaction to resolve. Avoid paying again immediately, as duplicate payments may not receive an automatic refund.
- No exam on this list permits switching the paid fee to a different exam, programme, or attempt.
How to Budget Smartly for Multiple MBA Entrance Exams
If you’re planning to appear for several of these exams, a little planning goes further than you’d think:
- Shortlist exams by target college, not by habit. If your target colleges only accept CAT and XAT, there’s no reason to also pay for NMAT and SNAP out of sheer anxiety.
- Register early wherever early-bird benefits exist. XAT’s Day-1 registration benefit, for instance, confirms your test city months ahead of everyone else, at no extra cost.
- Avoid unnecessary retakes. NMAT’s full-fee-per-retake structure means a casual “I’ll just try again” decision costs another ₹3,540 — make sure your first attempt is a genuinely prepared one.
- Add only the programmes you’re serious about. Both XAT and SNAP charge per-programme fees on top of the base exam fee — padding your list “just in case” adds real cost.
- Keep every payment receipt. With fees this non-negotiable, a saved confirmation page is the only proof you have if a dispute comes up later.
For the full exam calendar across all these tests — so you can plan registration windows without overlap — our MBA exam dates 2026-27 guide lays out every date in one place.
Summary
- Across CAT, XAT, NMAT, SNAP, CMAT, and MAT, the base registration fee for the 2027 admission cycle ranges from roughly ₹2,300 to ₹3,540 per exam.
- CAT (₹1,350) and CMAT (₹1,250) are the only two exams offering a genuine fee concession for reserved categories; XAT, NMAT, SNAP, and MAT charge a flat fee for everyone.
- CMAT 2027’s official fee hasn’t been announced yet — the ₹2,500/₹1,250 figures above are from the last confirmed cycle (CMAT 2026) and should be treated as indicative.
- All six exams are strictly non-refundable, with no exceptions for missed exams or payment errors.
- Appearing for three or four exams with a few programme add-ons can realistically push your total MBA entrance exam spend past ₹12,000 — worth planning for, not just discovering mid-season.
FAQs: MBA Entrance Exam Fees 2027
Q1. Which MBA entrance exam has the lowest fee for 2027?
XAT and MAT (single mode) are both priced at ₹2,300, among the lowest flat fees across the six major exams. CAT’s reserved-category fee of ₹1,350 is the lowest fee overall, but it only applies to SC/ST/PwBD candidates.
Q2. Which MBA entrance exam is the most expensive?
NMAT by GMAC is currently the costliest single-attempt exam, at roughly ₹3,540 including GST, and this amount is charged again in full for every retake.
Q3. Do any MBA entrance exams offer a fee concession for reserved categories?
Yes — CAT and CMAT both offer reduced fees for SC/ST/PwBD/EWS/female candidates. XAT, NMAT, SNAP, and MAT charge the same fee to every candidate regardless of category.
Q4. Is the CMAT 2027 fee confirmed?
Not yet. NTA has announced the CMAT 2027 exam date but hasn’t released the official fee notification. The figures in this guide reflect the last confirmed cycle (CMAT 2026) as a reference point.
Q5. Can I get a refund if I miss an MBA entrance exam after paying the fee?
No. CAT, XAT, NMAT, SNAP, CMAT, and MAT all operate a strict no-refund policy, regardless of the reason for missing the exam.
Q6. Do I need to pay extra fees beyond the base registration amount?
Often, yes. XAT charges ₹200 per additional XLRI programme, SNAP charges ₹1,000 per Symbiosis programme, and MAT charges extra for appearing in both PBT and CBT modes in the same session.
Conclusion
Exam fees aren’t the biggest cost of your MBA prep journey, but they’re one of the few costs you can actually plan for down to the rupee — so there’s no good reason to let them sneak up on you in the middle of application season. Shortlist the exams your target colleges actually accept, register early where it helps, and keep this comparison handy when you’re deciding which forms are genuinely worth filling out. Once your exam list is locked in, you can put the budget you’ve saved toward actual prep — our free CAT previous year question papers and free CAT mock tests on CATMOCK are a good place to start without spending anything extra.
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