GMAT vs CAT: Which Exam Should Indian Applicants Take?
The real difference is where each exam gets you: CAT for the IIM two-year PGP, GMAT for ISB, the one-year IIM MBAs and global programs. Current fees, format and acceptance compared.
By Mark Khoury, Founder
Updated October 3, 2026
The two exams side by side
GMAT
The global route: ISB, one-year IIM MBAs, and programs abroad
- When
- Year-round, book up to 6 months ahead, 5 attempts per rolling 12 months
- Format
- 2 hours 15 minutes, 64 questions, three sections you can order yourself
- Fee
- US$275 at a test center, US$300 online (about ₹26,500 and ₹28,900)
- Scoring
- Total 205 to 805, sections 60 to 90, adaptive question by question
- Marking
- No fixed marks per question; difficulty and completeness drive the score
- Validity
- 5 years
- ID in India
- Passport only; Aadhaar not accepted since June 2025
CAT
The IIM route: the two-year PGP and most Indian B-school seats
- When
- Once a year. CAT 2026 is on Sunday, November 29, 2026, in three sessions
- Format
- 120 minutes, three sections in a fixed order, 40 minutes each, no switching between sections
- Fee
- ₹2,700 (₹1,350 for SC, ST and PwBD), no refunds
- Scoring
- 3 marks per correct MCQ, minus 1 per wrong MCQ, no negative marking on non-MCQs; scores are then scaled and normalized
- Calculator
- An on-screen calculator is available throughout
- Validity
- CAT 2026 scores are valid until December 31, 2027
- Conductor
- IIM Indore conducts CAT 2026; results are expected in the first week of January 2027
Which exam you actually need
For the two-year Post Graduate Programme at the IIMs, the CAT is the primary entrance exam and carries most of the seats. For the one-year, full-time management programs that experienced Indian applicants target, the GMAT is the standard: ISB's PGP takes a GMAT or GRE score (test-center only), IIM Ahmedabad's MBA-PGPX takes GMAT or GRE (test-center only), IIM Bangalore's EPGP requires a valid GMAT or GRE, and IIM Calcutta's MBAEx takes the GMAT. Global MBA programs outside India take the GMAT (and usually the GRE).
Plenty of Indian applicants take both: CAT in November for the IIM PGP, GMAT on a separate schedule for ISB and one-year programs. If you only have one exam in you, pick by your target list: IIM PGP means CAT, everything else in this paragraph means GMAT.
What the top Indian programs accept
| Program | GMAT | GRE | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISB, Post Graduate Programme in Management | Accepted | Accepted | Test-center scores only |
| IIM Ahmedabad, MBA-PGPX (one year) | Accepted | Accepted | Test-center only; score within the last 5 years |
| IIM Bangalore, EPGP (one year) | Accepted | Accepted | A valid GMAT or GRE is mandatory; CAT is not considered |
| IIM Calcutta, MBAEx (one year) | Accepted | Not listed | GMAT within 36 months of August 1, 2026, at or above the 50th percentile, test-center only |
| IIM two-year PGP (A, B, C and the rest) | Not the primary route | Not the primary route | Seats go through CAT |
CAT 2026 specifics
IIM Indore conducts CAT 2026. Registration ran from August 3 to September 22, 2026, with the fee at ₹2,700 for general candidates and ₹1,350 for SC, ST and PwBD candidates, and the exam lands on Sunday, November 29, 2026 in three sessions across about 170 cities. The paper is 120 minutes with exactly 40 minutes per section in a fixed order: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, then Quantitative Ability. IIMs do not disclose the question count in advance. Results are expected in the first week of January 2027, and the score is valid until December 31, 2027.
Both exams test Quant differently
GMAT Quant is 21 Problem Solving questions with no calculator, arithmetic and algebra only, and no geometry. CAT Quant is broader (including geometry), with an on-screen calculator available. If your math is school-fresh and broad, CAT Quant suits you; if your strength is careful arithmetic and algebra under time pressure, the GMAT plays to it.
GMAT vs CAT questions
Is the GMAT accepted by the IIMs?
For the one-year MBA programs, yes: IIM Ahmedabad PGPX, IIM Bangalore EPGP and IIM Calcutta MBAEx all take it, and ISB's PGP takes it too. For the two-year PGP, the CAT remains the primary entrance exam.
Is the GMAT harder than the CAT?
They reward different things. The GMAT adapts question by question and gives no calculator in Quant but tests only arithmetic and algebra. The CAT is a one-shot annual exam with fixed sections, negative marking on MCQs and a broader Quant syllabus that includes geometry. Neither publisher recognizes a difficulty comparison.
Can I take both the CAT and the GMAT?
Yes, and many Indian applicants do. The CAT is once a year in late November; the GMAT runs year-round with up to five attempts in a rolling 12 months, so the two schedules coexist without conflict.
How much does each exam cost?
CAT 2026 is ₹2,700, or ₹1,350 for SC, ST and PwBD candidates. The GMAT is US$275 at a test center in India, about ₹26,500 at October 2026 exchange rates, with your bank's conversion charges on top.
- 1IIM CAT, CAT 2026 FAQ (exam date, fee, format, marking, calculator) (checked October 2, 2026)
- 2IIM Indore, CAT 2026 press release (sessions, 40 minutes per section, cities) (checked October 2, 2026)
- 3IIM Indore, CAT 2026 information bulletin (score validity) (checked October 2, 2026)
- 4ISB, PGP in Management admissions (GMAT or GRE, test-center only) (checked October 2, 2026)
- 5IIM Ahmedabad, MBA-PGPX admissions (checked October 2, 2026)
- 6IIM Bangalore, EPGP admissions (GMAT or GRE mandatory) (checked October 2, 2026)
- 7IIM Calcutta, MBAEx admissions policy (GMAT only) (checked October 2, 2026)
- 8GMAC, mba.com, GMAT exam payment and policies (checked October 2, 2026)
Keep reading
Preparing for the GMAT?
Practice with unlimited adaptive GMAT-style questions, exact feedback, and full-length exams at peak difficulty.
