Last updated: July 2026
If you’re aiming for a BBA seat at one of Symbiosis International University’s institutes, the Symbiosis Entrance Test (SET) is the door you need to walk through. This guide breaks down everything a candidate needs to know about SET 2027 — registration, fees, important dates, syllabus, eligibility, exam pattern, test cities, and the selection process.
Quick note on dates: Symbiosis International University typically announces its official SET dates only a few months in advance. The dates given below for SET 2027 are projected based on the timeline followed for SET 2026 and previous cycles. Candidates should keep checking the official website (set-test.org) as the season approaches and treat these as planning estimates rather than confirmed dates.
What SET 2027 covers
SET is the common entrance test that Symbiosis International University uses to shortlist candidates for undergraduate seats across its constituent institutes. For the 2027 cycle, it’s expected to remain the gateway for:
- BBA (Honours / Honours with Research)
- BCA and BBA in Information Technology
- BA in Mass Communication and Liberal Arts
- B.Sc in Economics and in Applied Statistics & Data Science
- Sport & Exercise Science
Candidates aiming for engineering seats at Symbiosis will need to appear for SITEEE 2027 instead, which is usually scheduled around the same time as SET but is a distinct exam.
Registration process and fees
- How to Register for SET 2027
The application process for SET is conducted entirely online, and the same is expected to hold true for SET 2027. Based on past cycles, here is how the process is likely to unfold:
- Create your profile: Go to the official SET website and choose “New Registration.” Enter basic personal details such as name, date of birth, gender, email address, and phone number.
- Verify your details: Save your entry, after which an OTP will be sent to your registered mobile number and email address for verification.
- Receive login credentials: Once verified, you’ll be issued a unique SET ID and password to access your application dashboard.
- Complete the application: Log back in to add your academic history, pick your preferred test cities, and select the institutes/programs you wish to apply to.
- Upload documents: Submit a recent passport-size photo and your signature in the specified format.
- Pay the fees: Clear both the base registration fee and the fee for each program/institute you’re applying to, via card or net banking.
- Review and submit: Double-check every entry before final submission, and save or print the confirmation page for your records.
Important: Paying only the base registration fee does not make you eligible for shortlisting anywhere—you must also pay the separate fee for each specific institute/program you want to be considered for. Skipping a program’s fee means your application for that program simply won’t be evaluated. This single step is the most common reason applications get rejected.
- Expected SET 2027 Fee Structure
Fee amounts have stayed consistent across recent SET cycles, so candidates should budget for similar figures in 2027:
- Base registration fee: ₹2,250 per test attempt
- Fee per additional programme/institute: ₹1,000 for each program applied to
Both fees are non-refundable and cannot be transferred to another candidate or cycle.
An incomplete payment means an incomplete application—such forms are typically rejected outright, so it’s worth double-checking every payment before hitting submit.
Expected timeline
| Milestone | Expected window (2027) |
| Registration opens | December 2026 |
| Last date to apply | Mid-April 2027 |
| Admit card — Slot 1 | Late April 2027 |
| Admit card — Slot 2 | End of April 2027 |
| SET 2027 – Slot 1 exam | Early May 2027 |
| SET 2027 – Slot 2 exam | Second week of May 2027 |
| Result announcement | Third week of May 2027 |
Candidates may attempt both slots and have their higher score counted, provided they pay the additional fee for the second attempt at the time of registration.
SET 2027 Syllabus
The syllabus structure has remained stable across SET cycles, and the same four broad areas are expected to be tested in SET 2027:
1. General English
- Grammar and vocabulary usage
- Reading comprehension passages
- Sentence correction and error spotting
2. Quantitative Aptitude
- Numbers and percentages
- Ratio, proportion, and averages
- Basic algebra and arithmetic
3. General Awareness
- Current affairs
- General knowledge
- Static GK relevant to the Class XII level
4. Analytical & Logical Reasoning
- Number and letter series
- Puzzles and logical deduction
- Analytical reasoning-based questions
Who Can Apply: SET 2027 Eligibility
The eligibility criteria are expected to remain unchanged for SET 2027:
- Candidates must have completed (or be appearing for) Class XII or an equivalent qualification in a relevant stream from a recognized board, with a minimum aggregate of 50%.
- The qualifying percentage is relaxed to 45% for candidates from SC/ST categories, depending on the specific institute’s policy.
- Students awaiting their Class XII results may still apply but will need to produce their final mark sheet/certificate at the time of admission.
- Candidates who completed schooling through a foreign board must obtain an equivalence certificate from the Association of Indian Universities.
- For students opting into the Honours with Research track, a minimum CGPA of 7.5 at the end of Semester 6 is required.
Reservation Policy for SET 2027
| Category | Reservation |
| Scheduled Caste (SC) | 15% |
| Scheduled Tribe (ST) | 7.5% |
| Differently Abled | 3% |
| Armed Forces Dependents | 5% for SICSR |
| Kashmiri Migrants / Kashmiri Pandits / Kashmiri Hindus (Non-Migrants) | 2 seats over & above sanctioned intake |
| International Candidates | Up to 20% over & above sanctioned intake |
| Nagpur Domicile | 25% (at SCMS Nagpur) |
SET Exam Pattern
SET is a computer-based test conducted online, and its structure is expected to stay the same for the 2027 cycle:
| Detail | Description |
| Sections | General English (16 Qs), Quantitative Aptitude (16 Qs), General Awareness (16 Qs), Analytical & Logical Reasoning (12 Qs) |
| Total questions | 60 |
| Marking scheme | +1 mark per correct answer; no negative marking |
| Total marks | 60 |
| Duration | 60 minutes |
| Difficulty level | Moderate |
| Question format | Objective, multiple-choice |
Selection process
Admission is a two-stage process—your SET score gets you shortlisted, and a personal interview decides the rest.
Both stages are mandatory — clearing only the written test isn’t enough to secure a seat. The final merit list is expected to be prepared using the following weightage:
- SET score: 70%
- Personal Interview performance: 30%
A month-by-month prep plan
Since SET rewards speed as much as accuracy, here’s a rough runway assuming registrations open in December and the test falls in early May:
December–January (foundation):
- Get comfortable with basic grammar rules, vocabulary building, and arithmetic fundamentals (percentages, ratios, averages).
- Start a daily 15-minute current-affairs habit — this compounds over months and is hard to cram later.
February (build speed):
- Move to timed section-wise practice sets, 20 minutes each, one section per day.
- Start solving logical reasoning puzzles daily—series, coding-decoding, and analytical sets.
March (full mocks):
- Take at least one full-length mock per week under strict 60-minute conditions.
- Review every mock for why you got questions wrong, not just which ones.
April (sharpen and revise):
- Increase mock frequency to twice a week.
- Focus revision on your two weakest sections rather than spreading effort evenly.
- Revise current affairs from the last 6 months specifically.
Final week before the exam:
- Stop learning new content. Focus on revision, sleep, and timing drills.
- Do a final full mock 2–3 days before test day, and then taper off.
Mistakes applicants make—and how to avoid them
- Paying only the base fee and forgetting the program-specific fee. This alone disqualifies otherwise strong applications. Double-check your payment confirmation lists for every program you intended to apply for.
- Treating all four sections as equal priority. Since there’s no sectional cutoff disclosed publicly in most years, many candidates over-invest in their strongest section and under-prepare their weakest—hurting their overall score more than it helps.
- Ignoring the interview round. SET’s final merit list weighs the interview at 30% — candidates who ace the written test but don’t prepare for the PI often lose their edge here.
- Leaving current affairs prep to the last week. GK sections reward months of steady reading, not last-minute cramming.
- Missing the admit card window. Admit cards are typically released on a tight schedule before each slot—set a calendar reminder rather than relying on memory.
Institutes Accepting SET 2027 Scores & Expected Cutoffs
SET scores are expected to remain valid across all 13 constituent institutes of Symbiosis International University for the 2027 cycle. The table below covers the BBA-focused institutes, along with an expected general-category cutoff band (out of 60) based on trends from recent cycles — treat these as planning estimates, since official cutoffs are released only after results are declared.
| College | Program(s) Offered | Expected General Cutoff (Out of 60) |
| Symbiosis Centre for Management Studies (SCMS), Pune | BBA (Honours / Honours with Research) | 44-48 |
| Symbiosis Centre for Management Studies (SCMS), Noida | BBA (Honours / Honours with Research) | 30-34 |
| Symbiosis Centre for Management Studies (SCMS), Nagpur | BBA (Honours / Honours with Research) | 35-40 |
| Symbiosis Centre for Management Studies (SCMS), Bengaluru | BBA (Honours / Honours with Research); BBA (Dual Degree, Honours/Honours with Research) | 35-40 |
| Symbiosis Centre for Media & Communication (SCMC), Pune | BBA (Media Management) — Honours/Honours with Research; BA (Mass Communication) — Honours/Honours with Research | 35-40 |
| Symbiosis Centre for Management Studies (SCMS), Hyderabad | BBA (Honours / Honours with Research) | 30-35 |
| Symbiosis Institute of Computer Studies and Research (SICSR), Pune | BCA (Honours/Honours with Research); BBA (Information Technology) — Honours/Honours with Research | 40-45 |
*Note: Registration fees for each institute/programme must be paid separately, and every institute runs its admission process — including the Personal Interview — independently. Reserved-category cutoffs typically run 5-10 marks lower than the General-category figures above.
hough the entrance score comes from the common SET.
Exit Options Under the Four-Year Programme Structure
In line with NEP 2020, Symbiosis International University offers a flexible four-year undergraduate structure with multiple entry and exit points. This structure is expected to continue for the SET 2027 admission cycle:
| Year Completed | Qualification Awarded | Credits Required |
| 1st year | Certificate | 44 |
| 2nd year | Diploma | 84 |
| 3rd year | UG Degree | 120 |
| 4th year | UG Degree with Honours/Research | 160 |
Students who exit early can re-enter the program within three years, with a total window of up to seven years to complete the full course.
FAQs
When will SET 2027 registration open, and what’s the last date to apply?
Registration is expected to open in December 2026, with the application window likely closing around mid-April 2027. Exact dates will be confirmed on the official SET website closer to the season.
When will the SET 2027 exam be held?
Based on past patterns, the exam is expected to be conducted in two slots—one in the early part of May 2027 and the second about a week later.
Is there any relaxation in eligibility marks for reserved category candidates?
Yes, candidates from SC/ST/PwD categories typically receive a relaxation of about 5% on the qualifying percentage, subject to the specific institute’s policy.
Can a candidate apply for more than one program?
Yes. Candidates can apply to multiple programs, but each requires a separate application form and a separate programme fee payment.
How often is SET conducted?
Once a year, across two test dates typically about a week apart.
Is SET an online or offline exam?
SET is conducted entirely online as a computer-based test.
Is there negative marking in SET?
No. You get +1 for every correct answer and lose nothing for a wrong one, so attempt every question.
Can I apply to more than one program?
Yes, but each requires its own separate fee payment—the base fee alone doesn’t cover any specific program.
Disclaimer: Dates for SET 2027 are projected estimates based on prior years’ patterns, since the official notification hadn’t been released at the time of writing. Please verify all dates, fees, and eligibility details on the official SET website before applying.
