- In GMAT Focus vs CAT, the college decides. The two-year IIM programmes run on CAT, ISB takes GMAT or GRE, and other schools set their own rules.
- GMAT Focus has 64 questions in 135 minutes, adaptive scoring from 205 to 805, and sections you can take in any order. CAT has three fixed 40-minute sections.
- A GMAT score is valid for 5 years and you can attempt up to 5 times in 12 months, but each Indian school sets its own score-age limit.
- ISB needs at least 24 months of full-time work experience plus a GMAT or GRE score, with no minimum score stated.
- GMAC publishes its fee in US dollars: US$275 at a test centre and US$300 online. The rupee total is not confirmed here.
In GMAT Focus vs CAT, your target colleges decide the answer. The two-year programmes of the IIMs use CAT, ISB admits on a GMAT or GRE score, and other Indian schools set their own rules. On the pages we checked, the GMAT is not a way around CAT for the two-year IIM programmes, and CAT does not open ISB.
Facts here were checked on 6 November 2026. CAT 2026 is on 29 November 2026 and its registration is closed. The GMAT can be booked year-round, so it follows a different calendar.
GMAT Focus vs CAT: what changed with the Focus Edition
GMAT Focus Edition is the current version and replaced the classic GMAT. Pages that describe a writing assessment or an 8-attempt lifetime cap refer to the older test.
| GMAT Focus Edition | CAT 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 135 minutes, 64 questions | 120 minutes; question count not published |
| Sections | Quantitative 21 questions, Verbal 23, Data Insights 20; 45 minutes each, any order | VARC, DILR, QA; exactly 40 minutes each, no switching |
| Scoring | Adaptive, total 205 to 805 | +3 right, -1 wrong MCQ, no negative for non-MCQ |
| When | Year-round appointments, bookable up to 6 months ahead | Sunday, 29 November 2026, three sessions |
The GMAT Focus guide covers the sections and pacing in detail.
Where GMAT works: ISB, other schools and executive programmes
ISB's one-year PGP accepts GMAT (10th Edition or Focus) or GRE, with no preference between them and no minimum score stated. Some other schools in our data list GMAT among accepted scores, including XIM Bhubaneswar, MICA (alongside its own MICAT), FORE School of Management and TAPMI. Each has its own process.
Some executive and weekend programmes for working professionals accept a valid GMAT or GRE score as an alternative to CAT. Check each programme's page, or use the MBA without CAT tool.
Where only CAT works: two-year IIM programmes
The CAT 2026 bulletin calls the score a prerequisite for admission to the programmes of the 22 IIMs it lists. We hold no two-year IIM programme page that offers GMAT as an alternative, so for these programmes plan on CAT, and check the IIM's own page for any exception.
Colleges outside the IIMs vary. MDI Gurgaon requires CAT 2026 for its 2027-29 PGDM and accepts GMAT only for the PGDM-IB. XLRI's BM programme takes GMAT only from NRI, PIO, OCI and foreign candidates.
Score validity and attempts compared
| GMAT Focus | CAT 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Attempts | Up to 5 in a rolling 12 months | One sitting per registered candidate |
| Validity | 5 years, per GMAC | Valid until 31 December 2027 |
| Who uses it | GMAC says 7,700+ programmes at 2,400+ schools worldwide (a 2023 figure). You get 5 free score sends after you see your score. Indian schools set their own policies | The 22 IIMs, plus listed non-IIM institutions |
Cost and logistics: test centre or online
GMAC publishes US$275 for a test-centre sitting and US$300 online. We could not confirm a rupee price or the tax treatment, so confirm the total at checkout. CAT 2026 costs Rs 2,700, or Rs 1,350 for SC, ST and PwBD candidates.
- Online: 2 x 300 = US$600.
- Test centre: 2 x 275 = US$550.
- Difference = US$50.
Answer: The online route costs US$50 more for two attempts. Choose by where you will perform best.
The comparison is not like for like. CAT is one sitting per cycle, while a GMAT can be retaken within the attempt limit.
Work-experience expectations on the GMAT route
GMAC sets no eligibility rule itself. Each school decides. ISB's PGP page asks for a bachelor's degree in any discipline with no minimum percentage, and at least 24 months of full-time work experience. Applicants with less go to a separate programme for early-career applicants.
The ISB Class of 2026 profile reports an average age of 26 and a GMAT mean of 683, with the middle 80% between 635 and 730. That describes the class, not a cutoff. A fresher should check which schools on their list accept GMAT for freshers before paying.
Who should take both
Taking both makes sense if you have two or more years of full-time experience and want both two-year IIM programmes and ISB. The tests train different things, so preparing for both costs real time. Our guide to the GMAT suggests a 10-week plan for a first full attempt.
Timing helps here. CAT 2026 is 29 November and its registration is closed, while ISB's PGP Class of 2028 lists a round 2 deadline of 6 December 2026 and a round 3 deadline of 17 January 2027.
A decision tree
- Targeting a two-year IIM programme? CAT is the route. Registration for CAT 2026 is closed, so plan for the next cycle.
- Targeting ISB and have at least 24 months of full-time work experience? Take the GMAT or GRE. Check the round deadlines.
- Targeting XLRI, XIMB or MICA? Check each page. XLRI BM needs XAT unless you are NRI, PIO, OCI or foreign. XIMB and MICA accept GMAT.
- Working professional looking at an executive or weekend programme? Check that programme's page for accepted tests.
- A fresher with no plan for ISB? Check the list of schools accepting GMAT for freshers before you pay for it.
For an overview of the CAT exam itself, see the CAT exam page.