{"id":5366,"date":"2026-10-05T14:58:23","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T09:28:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.catmock.com\/blog\/?p=5366"},"modified":"2026-10-05T17:44:07","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T12:14:07","slug":"mba-entrance-exam-fees-2027","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.catmock.com\/blog\/mba-entrance-exam-fees-2027\/","title":{"rendered":"MBA Entrance Exam Fees 2027: CAT, XAT, NMAT, SNAP, CMAT & MAT Fees Compared"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Nobody budgets for this part. You plan for coaching, for mock test subscriptions, maybe even for a new calculator \u2014 and then application season hits, and suddenly you’re paying \u20b92,700 here, \u20b92,300 there, another \u20b93,540 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 \u20b912,000\u2013\u20b915,000 or more<\/strong> before you’ve even bought a single prep book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This guide puts all six major MBA entrance exam fees for the 2027 admission cycle \u2014 CAT, XAT, NMAT, SNAP, CMAT, and MAT \u2014 side by side, so you know exactly what you’re paying, where, and why some of these numbers aren’t final yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MBA Entrance Exam Fees 2027: Quick Comparison<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here’s the short version, pulled straight from each exam’s official notification:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exam<\/th>Conducting Body<\/th>Fee (General\/Unreserved)<\/th>Fee (Reserved Categories)<\/th>Official Website<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
CAT 2026<\/td>IIM Indore<\/td>\u20b92,700<\/td>\u20b91,350 (SC\/ST\/PwD)<\/td>iimcat.ac.in<\/td><\/tr>
XAT 2027<\/td>XLRI Jamshedpur<\/td>\u20b92,300 (same for all)<\/td>\u20b92,300 (no concession)<\/td>xatonline.in<\/td><\/tr>
NMAT 2026<\/td>GMAC<\/td>\u20b93,000 + 18% GST (~\u20b93,540)<\/td>Same for all categories<\/td>mba.com\/exams\/nmat<\/td><\/tr>
SNAP 2026<\/td>Symbiosis International<\/td>\u20b92,550 per attempt<\/td>Same for all categories<\/td>snaptest.org<\/td><\/tr>
CMAT 2026<\/td>NTA<\/td>\u20b92,500 (General, male)<\/td>\u20b91,250 (female\/EWS\/SC\/ST\/PwD)<\/td>exams.nta.ac.in\/CMAT<\/td><\/tr>
MAT (Sept 2026 session)<\/td>AIMA<\/td>\u20b92,300 (single mode) \/ \u20b94,000 (PBT+CBT)<\/td>No category concession<\/td>mat.aima.in<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

One naming point to remember: CAT calls its 2027 MBA admission exam \u201cCAT 2026,\u201d while XAT calls it \u201cXAT 2027.\u201d NMAT and SNAP use \u201c2026\u201d for the same cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why MBA Entrance Exam Fees Actually Matter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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 \u2014 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 \u2014 an additional city, an extra programme choice, a dual-mode MAT attempt \u2014 and the “small” fee stacks up fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s a realistic example: a candidate appearing for CAT, XAT, SNAP, and CMAT this cycle, with no extras, is already looking at roughly \u20b92,700 + \u20b92,300 + \u20b92,550 + \u20b92,500 = \u20b910,050<\/strong>, and that’s before a single programme-specific add-on fee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CAT Exam Fee 2027 (CAT 2026)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

CAT, conducted this year by IIM Indore, has its registration fee confirmed at \u20b92,700 for General, EWS, and NC-OBC candidates<\/strong>, and \u20b91,350 for SC, ST, and PwBD candidates<\/strong> \u2014 a \u20b9100 and \u20b950 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<\/strong><\/em><\/mark><\/a> covers the full timeline if you’re planning ahead for next cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

XAT Exam Fee 2027<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

XAT takes a flat-fee approach \u2014 \u20b92,300 for every candidate, regardless of category<\/strong>, which is unusual in a landscape where most exams offer some relaxation for reserved categories. On top of the base fee, XLRI charges \u20b9200 extra for each individual XLRI programme<\/strong> you opt into (BM, HRM, or GMP), \u20b92,600<\/strong> for Indian candidates applying to the PGDM-GM route via GMAT\/GRE, and \u20b95,000<\/strong> 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<\/em><\/strong><\/mark><\/a> \u2014 this section is just the headline fee number for comparison purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NMAT Exam Fee 2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

NMAT by GMAC charges \u20b93,000 plus 18% GST<\/strong>, which works out to roughly \u20b93,540<\/strong> per attempt \u2014 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SNAP Exam Fee 2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

SNAP, run by Symbiosis International (Deemed University), currently charges \u20b92,550 per test attempt<\/strong>, with candidates allowed to register for up to three sessions in December. On top of the test fee, there’s a separate \u20b91,000 programme registration fee for each Symbiosis MBA programme<\/strong> you want to be considered for \u2014 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CMAT Exam Fee (2026 Confirmed, 2027 Pending)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/strong> Based on the most recently confirmed cycle \u2014 CMAT 2026 \u2014 the fee structure was \u20b92,500 for general-category male candidates<\/strong> and \u20b91,250 for female candidates, Gen-EWS, SC, ST, PwD, and third-gender candidates<\/strong>. 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MAT Exam Fee 2026-27<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

MAT, run by AIMA, is a little different from the rest because it’s conducted four times a year \u2014 February, May, September, and December \u2014 rather than once per admission cycle. For the most recent confirmed session, AIMA set the fee at \u20b92,300 for a single test mode<\/strong> (either PBT or CBT) and \u20b94,000 if you choose to appear in both modes within the same session<\/strong>. AIMA does not offer any category-based fee relaxation, so this amount is flat across General, OBC, SC, ST, and EWS candidates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Category-Wise Fee Relaxation: Who Actually Gets a Discount?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Not every exam treats reserved categories the same way, and this table makes the difference obvious:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exam<\/th>Offers Category-Based Fee Relaxation?<\/th>Reserved Category Fee<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
CAT<\/td>Yes<\/td>\u20b91,350 (50% of General fee)<\/td><\/tr>
XAT<\/td>No<\/td>Same \u20b92,300 for everyone<\/td><\/tr>
NMAT<\/td>No<\/td>Same fee for everyone<\/td><\/tr>
SNAP<\/td>No<\/td>Same fee for everyone<\/td><\/tr>
CMAT<\/td>Yes (for female candidates and reserved categories)<\/td>\u20b91,250<\/td><\/tr>
MAT<\/td>No<\/td>Same fee for everyone<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

CAT and CMAT are the only two exams on this list offering a genuine category-based reduction \u2014 worth factoring in if budget is a real constraint while shortlisting which exams to appear for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Refund & Payment Policy: What You Need to Know<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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<\/strong>, regardless of whether you miss the exam, change your mind, or make a payment error. A few practical points that apply across the board:<\/p>\n\n\n\n