State MBA Entrance Tests 2026: What Ran, When, and What to Do Now

Updated 5 October 2026 · Eight states · 2026 dates as reported for each test

The calendar at a glance

State	Test	Run by	What happened in 2026	Colleges in our directory naming it
Maharashtra	MAH-CET (MBA/MMS)	State CET Cell	Tests on 6–8 April and 9 May; results 30 May and 12 June; CAP counselling from August, round 4 acceptance 4–7 September	20
Andhra Pradesh	AP ICET	Andhra University, for APSCHE	Apply by 23 March (5 April with late fee); test on 2 May; counselling 24 August to 5 September	3
Telangana	TG ICET	Telangana higher-education council	Test on 13–14 May; result 12 June; counselling in July. TG ICET is the renamed TS ICET.	—
Tamil Nadu	TANCET	Anna University	Apply 16 March to 16 April; test on 9 May; result 22 May; counselling registration 4–30 June	8
Karnataka	K-PGCET	Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA)	Applications closed 30 April; exam date was revised by KEA; counselling from August	7
Karnataka	KMAT	Karnataka Private PG Colleges’ Association	Session 1 in September; session 2 reported for October–November; fee ₹850	9
Kerala	KMAT	CEE Kerala	Session 1 on 25 January (apply by 15 January); session 2 on 31 May (register by 14 May)	8
Gujarat	ACPC counselling	Admission Committee for Professional Courses	Registration 25 May to 30 June, using a CMAT, MAT or CAT score; merit list 9 July; round 1 allotment 17 July	—
West Bengal	JEMAT	MAKAUT	Applications 10 May to 1 June (extended). University of Calcutta takes its own offline applications, which closed 19 June	3

Dates are as reported on the pages listed under the table. Where sources disagreed (Karnataka’s exam dates were revised more than once) we’ve said so rather than pick one.

Two different tests are both called KMAT

This trips people up. Kerala’s KMAT is run by the state’s Commissioner for Entrance Examinations and has two sessions a year. Karnataka’s KMAT is a separate test run by the Karnataka Private Post Graduate Colleges’ Association for its member colleges: 120 questions in two hours across language comprehension, mathematical skills and basic aptitude, taken from home with remote proctoring. It is open to candidates from anywhere in India, and the registration fee was reported at ₹850.

Around 160 member institutes in Bangalore and the rest of Karnataka take its scores. The 2026 dates are inconsistent across sources (session 1 appears as 13 or 20 September, and session 2 is only reported as expected in October or November), so check kmatindia.com before you plan around a specific day. Karnataka’s government-quota seats are a different route altogether: they go through KEA’s K-PGCET counselling, which more than 280 colleges take part in.

State by state, briefly

Maharashtra. The MAH MBA CET ran in two sessions, and seats are filled through the CET Cell’s centralised admission process in four CAP rounds. Round 1 allotment came on 2 August; the fourth round’s acceptance window was 4–7 September. If you want Maharashtra for 2027, the shape to expect is spring tests, summer results, August counselling. Our Maharashtra page lists the 20 colleges in our directory that name MAH-CET.

Tamil Nadu. Anna University runs TANCET for its university departments, Annamalai University, government and aided colleges, and the government quota in self-financing colleges, all through one single-window counselling. The 2026 consolidated MBA rank list was due on 16 July. See MBA colleges in Tamil Nadu.

Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. AP ICET covers more than 290 colleges in Andhra Pradesh. Telangana’s TG ICET is the same test as the older TS ICET under the state’s new abbreviation. In Andhra Pradesh the first-phase seat allotment came on 9 September; Telangana’s counselling ran in July.

Gujarat. There is no separate Gujarat MBA test to sit: ACPC’s centralised counselling asked for a valid CMAT, MAT or CAT score in 2026, with registration from 25 May to 30 June. If the same rule applies next year, your CMAT or MAT attempt this season does double duty. See MBA colleges in Gujarat.

West Bengal. JEMAT, run by MAKAUT, is the state route. The University of Calcutta runs its own MBA admission with an offline form (downloaded from its website and submitted in person or by post) and, as reported, accepts CAT, MAT, XAT or JEMAT scores. Its 2026 form closed on 19 June. See MBA colleges in West Bengal.

Kerala. KMAT’s January session opened for applications on 22 December 2025 and the exam was on 25 January. If that pattern repeats, applications for the next cycle open around late December, which makes Kerala the one state route with a window that’s only about twelve weeks away.

What to do in October

1. Decide whether a state seat is realistic for you. Many state counselling systems are built around the state’s own test, and some reserve seats for state domicile. Check this before you spend a fee.
2. If it is, work backwards from March. The 2026 tests ran between early April and mid-June, with applications closing a month or two earlier. Put those dates in your calendar for 2027 now.
3. Use the national tests that are open meanwhile. NMAT, SNAP, XAT and IBSAT are still open, and CMAT and MAT scores also count towards Gujarat’s ACPC.
4. If you’re in Karnataka, look at KMAT now, because it’s the one regional test with a session reported for this autumn.

Questions people ask