MBA Colleges in Hyderabad Without CAT 2027: XAT, TG ICET and the Tests That Still Work

Published 20 October 2026 · 8 Hyderabad and Secunderabad colleges from our directory (data verified 4 September 2026) · Exam dates checked 20 October 2026 · Prepared by the bestmbacollegeswithlowcatscore.com editorial team

The Hyderabad list, cheapest first

Seven of our eight colleges sit inside Hyderabad city; the table below shows them. The eighth, Siva Sivani Institute of Management (SSIM), is in Secunderabad, at ₹6.9 lakh with a 55–70 percentile band and an average package of 7.4 LPA. It accepts XAT, CMAT, MAT and ATMA, and it is the cheapest non-CAT option in the twin cities.

Which test covers the most of Hyderabad

The pattern is simple. One XAT score keeps every non-CAT college on this list open, from SSIM at ₹6.9 lakh to IMT Hyderabad at ₹16 lakh. CMAT is the cheaper second test and covers four, including all three of the lower-fee colleges. MAT and ATMA only add SSIM, IPE and VJIM, which CMAT already covers. If you want one fallback test for Hyderabad, make it XAT; if you want two, add CMAT. Our state-by-state XAT college list shows how far the same score travels outside Telangana.

Deadlines that matter for a Hyderabad seat

NMAT is the one to act on this week: the extended deadline is 25 October, and it is the only route besides XAT and GMAT into Woxsen. IBSAT matters only for IBS Hyderabad, but its December windows make it a cheap extra attempt; the IBSAT 2026 registration guide has the slot-by-slot dates. MAT dates are as listed by MBAUniverse (16 October 2026); our MAT 2026 dates page tracks changes.

CMAT is the unresolved one. Careers360 (updated 21 September) and KollegeApply (updated 6 October) both report 7 February 2027 as the exam date, while some older pages still show late-January dates. KollegeApply says NTA had not opened registration as of 6 October. Watch our CMAT 2027 registration tracker rather than any single date.

TG ICET: the state route, and why it is closed for now

TG ICET (the renamed TS ICET) fills MBA seats at Telangana’s state universities and their affiliated colleges. For 2026 it was conducted by Mahatma Gandhi University, Nalgonda, on behalf of the Telangana Council of Higher Education (TGCHE). The exam was held on 13 and 14 May 2026 and results came out on 12 June 2026, as reported by both Sakshi Post and MBAUniverse.

Counselling then ran from 31 July, with final-phase seat allotment on 22 August 2026, as reported by Careers360. So the 2026 cycle is over. None of the eight colleges in our directory names TG ICET as an accepted test; their seats go through national tests instead. Universities whose MBA seats use TG ICET scores include Osmania University, JNTU Hyderabad and Kakatiya University, as listed by Sakshi Post.

Three rules from the 2026 cycle are worth knowing before 2027. The qualifying mark was 25% (50 out of 200), with no minimum for SC and ST candidates, as reported by Sakshi Post. Degree eligibility was 50% aggregate (45% for reserved categories), and 85% of seats were reserved for local candidates, both as reported by Careers360. That last rule is why TG ICET is mainly a route for Telangana residents. No TG ICET 2027 dates have been announced. If the 2026 pattern repeats, expect a notification around February, but treat that as an estimate. Our TG ICET vs TS ICET explainer covers the rename.

A reality check on percentile and cost

Hyderabad has no very-low-band option in our directory. The lowest admitted bands start at 55 percentile (SSIM) and 60 percentile (IPE, VJIM). Woxsen and IBS Hyderabad sit at 70 and above, and IMT Hyderabad at 85–92 percentile, so an XAT score accepted there still has to be competitive. If your CAT mock scores are below 55 percentile, keep Hyderabad on the list through SSIM, but look at the colleges admitting at 40–50 percentile as well.

On value, SSIM has the best placement-to-fee ratio among the non-CAT colleges: 7.4 LPA on ₹6.9 lakh, or 1.07. IMT Hyderabad (0.78) and IPE (0.76) come next. IBS Hyderabad has the weakest ratio here, at 0.58 on a ₹17 lakh fee. MANAGE scores best of all at 1.27, but it is CAT-only. The Hyderabad fee ranking sets all eight side by side, and the main Hyderabad college guide adds NIRF ranks.

What to do this month

1. If Woxsen or IBS Hyderabad is on your list, register for NMAT before 25 October.
2. Sit CAT on 29 November as planned; it is still accepted by all eight.
3. Register for XAT by 6 December. It covers all six non-CAT colleges.
4. Add CMAT when NTA opens registration, for a second shot at SSIM, IPE, VJIM and IMT Hyderabad.
5. If you live in Telangana, put TG ICET 2027 in your calendar for spring.

Questions people ask

Before you pay anything: check that the college is AICTE-approved and know the refund rules.

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