- MAT is a reasonable backup only if your target colleges accept it. No IIM in our data does, and neither do XLRI, Symbiosis, NMIMS or JBIMS.
- December 2026 sittings are on Sunday 20 December (paper-based) and Sunday 27 December (computer-based). The fee is Rs 2,300 for one mode and Rs 4,000 for both.
- A MAT score is valid for one year, and you can use your best score across the four sittings a year.
- Colleges that accept MAT in our data sit mostly in the mid-tier, with estimated CAT percentiles from 70 to 80, so it suits a CAT result in that band.
A MAT exam backup is worth it when your target colleges accept MAT and your CAT result may fall short of them. It adds nothing if your targets are IIMs, XLRI, Symbiosis, NMIMS or JBIMS, because those colleges use other exams.
This post uses our programme data to show which listed colleges take MAT, sets out the December 2026 fee and dates as of 6 November 2026, and explains what the one-year validity means if you plan to repeat CAT.
What MAT is: four sittings, paper or computer
MAT is the Management Aptitude Test of the All India Management Association (AIMA). It is held four times a year, in February, May, September and December. You can take it on paper (PBT), on a computer (CBT), or both.
The paper has 150 questions in 120 minutes, in five sections of 30: Language Comprehension, Intelligence and Critical Reasoning, Mathematical Skills, Data Analysis and Sufficiency, and Economic and Business Environment. A wrong answer costs 0.25. AIMA's pages do not state the marks per right answer. Any graduate can apply, final-year students included, with no work-experience rule and no age limit.
Which colleges in our data accept MAT
AIMA says MAT is a gateway to 600+ B-schools. That is AIMA's claim, and a long list is not the same as a list of colleges you would want. In our programme data, six programmes name MAT. Fees are total programme fees and the CAT figures are our estimates for about a 50 percent chance of an interview call, General category.
| College | Total fee (Rs lakh) | Average package (Rs LPA) | Estimated CAT percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alliance School of Business, Bengaluru | 16 | 7.8 (2024-25) | 70 |
| IPE Hyderabad | 9.15 | 7.41 (2026) | 70 |
| JIMS Rohini, Delhi | 10.75 | 10.67 (2024-26) | 75 |
| KIIT School of Management, Bhubaneswar | 12.9 | 9.5 (2025-26) | 80 |
| IFIM Business School, Bengaluru | 16 | not verified | none |
| PSG Institute of Management, Coimbatore | not verified | 7.71 (2025-26) | none |
A few more colleges take MAT among several exams. Christ University lists a minimum MAT score of 600 for eligibility. Amity Business School lists MAT 650 for its non-sponsored category in 2026-28. Jaipuria and BIT Mesra count it in their selection weights. Use the MBA Predictor to see where your own scores land.
One-year score validity and the best-score rule
AIMA states that a MAT score is valid for one year, and that you may use your best score. AIMA's pages do not say whether the year counts from the exam date or the result date, so check on AIMA's site.
For a CAT repeater, the effect is plain. A December 2026 score helps with 2027 admissions. It will not serve a 2028 intake. With four sittings a year you can sit again, but each sitting needs its own fee.
Fee and dates for December 2026
| Paper-based (PBT) | Computer-based (CBT) | |
|---|---|---|
| Registration closes | 14 December 2026 | 21 December 2026 |
| Admit card | 17 December 2026 | 24 December 2026 |
| Exam date | Sunday 20 December 2026 | Sunday 27 December 2026 |
The result is due by the first week of January 2027. The fee is Rs 2,300 for PBT or CBT and Rs 4,000 for both. An extra institute choice costs Rs 118. You pick up to 5 institutes, or 7 if you take both. Some pages list other December dates. These come from AIMA's exam site, so confirm them when you register.
Check the neighbours on your calendar. SNAP's third test is on 26 December and XAT is on 3 January 2027, so the CBT date sits between them.
MAT for a 60 to 80 percentile CAT outcome
If CAT lands between 60 and 80 percentile, the colleges above are in range. Our CAT estimates for the four that also list CAT run from 70 to 80. MAT then helps in two ways. It can lift you over a college's score floor when CAT falls short. And it opens colleges such as IFIM and PSG, which do not list CAT in our data.
If your CAT percentile is already above those estimates, MAT adds little. The extra exam only matters near or below a college's floor.
When MAT adds nothing: IIMs, XLRI, Symbiosis
- All 21 IIM programmes in our data list CAT only.
- XLRI lists XAT, with GMAT for NRI and foreign candidates.
- Symbiosis colleges such as SIBM Pune use SNAP.
- NMIMS uses NMAT, and JBIMS uses MAH-CET.
A high MAT score does not open any of these. If your list is mostly here, spend the Rs 2,300 and the Sunday on the exam they actually take.
How MAT fits next to CMAT
CMAT 2027 is tentatively on 7 February 2027, and NTA had not announced its registration or fee as of 6 November 2026. Five of the six MAT-listing programmes in our data also list CMAT, so one of the two can often serve the same colleges.
The difference is timing and pattern. MAT results arrive in January, ahead of a February CMAT. KIIT, for example, lists 20 January 2027 as the last date of application for other national tests, so a February score may arrive after its form closes. Ask the college how it treats a later score. For the pattern, see the CMAT exam page.
Is a MAT exam backup worth it? A cost-benefit table
| Your situation | Is MAT sensible? |
|---|---|
| Targets are IIMs, XLRI, Symbiosis, NMIMS or JBIMS | No. These colleges do not use MAT. |
| Expected CAT percentile 60 to 80 and targets include the colleges above | Yes, as a backup, if the date fits |
| CAT went well and is above the college estimates | Little gain |
| You already booked NMAT, SNAP and XAT in December and January | Check the load first. Each exam needs its own preparation. |