57 days left!!! Yes, that’s the door to the CAT Exam 2025, which will take place on 30th November 2025 and will consist of 68 questions. If you’re an aspirant, you must be undergoing severe anxiety, experiencing nightmares or might be coming across palpitations often. The exam fear might be giving you a mixed set of emotions, including stress and excitement. However, if you have been preparing so far with 100% commitment and dedication, then cracking the CAT exam will not be a ruckus for you. While maintaining the 85-90% accuracy rate, you can easily score between 100-120 marks, which is an impressive scorecard for this top-level entrance exam.
To ensure that you give your best work, utilise the remaining timeline to revise throughout while keeping the other options open for admission into an MBA programme. Even if you’re 100% sure that you will crack the CAT exam, don’t neglect other OMETs in 2025. In this article, we will be sharing the NMAT, SNAP, XAT, CMAT preparation strategy, which will make you a master in managing preparation simultaneously for all these OMETs together under a single roof. Adhere to this information and crack the top MBA entrance exams in the first go.
How To Prepare For CAT 2025 and OMETs Together?
Once you start your CAT 2025 Preparation, you will be simultaneously preparing for the NMAT, SNAP, XAT, CMAT. The majority of the students often misinterpret that preparing for the CAT 2025 and OMETs together is a time-consuming and cumbersome process. Unfortunately, it’s not true at all. All these top MBA entrance exams are connected with each other. Those who start their preparation for the CAT 2025 will automatically prepare for NMAT, SNAP, XAT, CMAT, MHA CET, GMAT etc. Though there are a few areas where you need to pull up your socks for each of these OMETs while preparing for the CAT exam.
In the upcoming sections of this article, we will be sharing the highly valuable insights by Shabana Ma’am – iQuanta Expert Faculty for your reference. As per her profound knowledge and experience, the difference lies in the time limit, number of questions, and marking scheme of the CAT 2025 and OMETs. Subsequently, aspirants will also have to dive deep into the preparation strategy for the vocabulary and grammar section of the OMETs. Take a look at the prominent features of the CAT 2025 and Other Management Entrance Tests.
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Key Differences Between CAT 2025 & OMETs
| Top MBA Entrance Exam | Full Form | Exam Frequency | Quick Takeaway |
| CAT | Common Admission Test | Once a Year | CAT is the golden door to secure admission into IIMs and top non-IIM B-schools. It’s the toughest MBA entrance exam, and the cut-off goes above 95%ile+ in the CAT exam. QA and LRDI are the most challenging sections. VARC is the easiest section. |
| XAT | Xavier Aptitude Test | Once in 12 months | XLRI Jamshedpur will conduct this challenging MBA entrance exam, which primarily tests the decision-making and essay-writing ability of the students. Verbal Ability is the toughest section in the XAT. It is considered very critical for the XLRI aspirants. |
| NMAT | NMIMS Management Aptitude Test | 3 times in a Year | A student-friendly entrance exam that happens in a long testing window, which allows students to appear for one original attempt and two retakes. GMAC (Graduate Management Admission Council) will conduct NMAT in a 15-day window. There is no negative marking for wrong attempts. In NMAT, you can skip to the previous question once you move to the next one. It’s the getaway to NMIMS Mumbai, SPJIMR, XIMB and a few global MBA institutes. |
| SNAP | Symbiosis National Aptitude Test | 3 slots in 12 months | An ideal entrance exam for admission into the SIUs. It’s a fast-paced and shortest entrance exam, which is conducted in three different test slots. There will be 60 questions in SNAP 2025 from Quantitative Skills, Logical Reasoning and Language Skills. |
| CMAT | Common Management Admission Test | Once in 12 months | Applicable to secure a seat in Tier 2/Tier 3 MBA colleges in India, or a few notable Maharashtra business institutes. Amongst all the OMETs, CMAT is the easiest and witnesses less competition apart from the other management exams. |
CAT, NMAT, SNAP, XAT, CMAT: Total No. Of Ques, Time Limit & Sections
| MBA Entrance Exam | CAT | NMAT | SNAP | XAT | CMAT |
| Number of Questions (Approximately) | 68 | 108 | 60 | 100 Questions + Essays | 100 |
| Total Duration of the Exam | 120 Minutes | 120 Minutes | 60 Minutes | 180 Minutes | 180 Minutes |
| Number of Sections | Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning Quantitative Aptitude | Quantitative Skills Logical Reasoning Language Skills | General English Analytical & Logical Reasoning Quantitative Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency | Verbal and Logical Ability Decision MakingQuantitative Ability & Data InterpretationGeneral Knowledge | Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation Logical Reasoning Language Comprehension General Awareness Innovation & Entrepreneurship (Optional) |
Additional Pointers for NMAT, SNAP, XAT, CMAT Preparation Strategy 2025
The critical reasoning questions from the Verbal Ability section will appear in the Logical Reasoning section of NMAT 2025. Every year, a huge population of students appear for the NMAT along with the CAT. It’s because the NMAT syllabus is quite easy, and while preparing for the CAT exam, students already develop a strong foundation in the reading comprehension, critical reasoning skills and the Quants topics, which helps them to clear the NMAT exam hassle-free. Now, once the CAT exam is over, you only need to focus on “English Grammar and Vocabulary” to upgrade your basics on the common root words, identification of errors, etc, for qualifying the Verbal Ability section in these OMETs, which are designed at a higher level in comparison to the CAT.
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Similarly, the critical reasoning questions don’t appear in the General English section of the SNAP 2025. You will find questions from this category in the Analytical and Logical Reasoning section under the Verbal Ability category. In XAT 2026, there will be 4 brilliant sections. Out of all, the passages in the XAT exam are of high-level density, grammar and vocabulary. Lastly, we have CMAT with 5 different sections. Our Pro Tip: If you’re aiming to prepare for the XAT 2026, then your focus should be on extracting knowledge and technique in all parameters for an impressive essay writing. Solve the XAT PYQs for better understanding.
CAT 2025 & Other OMETs Section-Wise Differences: VARC, LRDI, QA, GK, CR, Grammar
| MBA Entrance Exam | CAT | NMAT | SNAP | XAT | CMAT |
| Most Unique Characteristics | Mainly, you need to attain a 95%ile+ in the CAT to get admission into reputed IIMs and top-tier B-schools. | Candidates mostly prefer NMAT over other CAT exams because it allows a maximum of three attempts in a year. The best of the three scores is taken for the final evaluation. | It’s the shortest MBA exam. You will have to solve 60 questions in 60 minutes. If you don’t qualify in the first attempt or don’t obtain a suitable score, you can appear for the remaining two attempts. SNAP is the game of speed, intelligence and strategy. | Whenever you start your XAT preparation, focus on improving your decision-making skills and essay-writing abilities. The Verbal Ability section is tougher than the CAT. Pay more attention to the VA, but don’t neglect the remaining two sections. The XAT Exam Pattern is more conventional and remains the same for the last 25 years. | It faces less competition. Although you still need to prepare vigorously, because it covers a wide range of topics. Additionally, General Knowledge is a special section in this exam. |
| Top Colleges for MBA Admission | 21 IIMs, IITs, FMS Delhi, MDI Gurgaon, SPJIMR Mumbai, etc | NMIMS Mumbai and all its other associated campuses, XUB, ISB (Advanced Management Programme) | All 17 Symbiosis Institutes Students mainly target SIBM Pune, SCHMRD when appearing for the SNAP. | XLRI Bhubhneshwar (Business Management & Human Resource Management), Xavier Institute of Management, Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship in Bangalore, IMT-G, TAPMI Manipal, etc. | JBIMSSIMSREEKJ SomariyaGreat Lakes and many more. |
| Actual Difficulty Level | The most severe and complex entrance exam for admission into top MBA colleges in India.The complexity level is mostly high for the CAT in comparison to other OMETs | Medium | Basic To Intermediate | Tough ( Critical-Decision Making) | Moderate |
How iQuanta Can Help You With NMAT, SNAP, XAT, CMAT Preparation Strategy?
By reading this article so far, you must have understood that it’s essential to put extra effort in the grammar and vocabulary sections of other OMETs. For detailed guidance, you can register for iQuanta’s NMAT, SNAP courses, which are designed from scratch for students coming from diverse backgrounds. We aim to add an extra punch of knowledge and resources in our preparation courses. Read below to know how iQuanta can be your best supporter, guide and mentor to prepare for CAT 2025 and OMETs together.
- Specialised courses for NMAT, SNAP, XAT preparation and bonus preparation for CAT 2025 through a crash course.
- Basic QA modules for non-engineering students to prepare students for the QA section of the NMAT and SNAP. You will be taught via a dual-pedagogy approach where iQuanta teaching professionals will brief you about the mathematical topics starting from the 10th grade.
- As part of this course, you will get access to live online sessions, pre-recorded lectures and conceptual classes.
- Solve daily assignments into two different components,i.e, LOD 1 and LOD 2. Basically, LOD 1 is applicable for beginners, and LOD 2 is designed for students with enhanced conceptual knowledge.
- A huge variety of conceptual videos on the entire syllabus, which will brush up your foundational understanding from the basic level. These videos will be a mix of basic and extra basic videos to strengthen your proficiency in the topics from every section.
- E-books to prepare for CAT 2025 and OMETs together. We will share online resources with you once you enrol for preparation courses with us. These study materials will be available 24*7 and are accessible anywhere.
- A comprehensive grammar course (150 golden concepts) in the 2nd fortnight of October 2025. This material is a solid compilation of common and repetitive grammar questions from all these exams in a single resource.
- Most of the Grammar questions in the NMAT and SNAP have come from this resource in the last few years. Our students vouch for this compilation to develop familiarity with the questions that frequently appear in the entrance exam.
- In December 2025, you will get access to an informative and specialised course for the Verbal Ability and Decision-Making section of the XAT 2026.
Final Words
In case you still haven’t decided yet which test you will appear for apart from the CAT 2025, then here’s the ultimate backup plan for you. Think wisely and choose an OMET that suits your career goals, dream B-school, etc. This will save you from a career mishap. If by chance, you don’t make it to the CAT 2025, then there are other options waiting for you. Comparatively, NMAT and SNAP are easier to crack. Hereby, it’s best to keep the door to multiple opportunities open. Prioritise taking this important decision for a progressive career now and get admission into prestigious B-schools that accept test scores of NMAT, SNAP, XAT, CMAT, etc. Good Luck, and we hope to see you soon in our preparation courses for other OMETs.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can my NMAT, SNAP, XAT, and CMAT preparation strategy be similar to the CAT preparation?
You can keep your CAT, NMAT, SNAP, XAT, and CMAT preparation strategy the same. Before beginning your preparation journey for CAT 2025 & OMETs together you will have to take a complete overview of the exam syllabus. Note that, your preparation will be completed more than halfway for other OMETs once you finish your preparation for CAT 2025.
What are the other top MBA entrance exams?
CAT, XAT, NMAT, SNAP, and CMAT are the most popular entrance examinations for MBA. 85-90% of the syllabus is similar in all these management examinations. In only a few of them, you will come across General Knowledge and Current Affairs. Practice PYQs of all these management examinations to obtain information about the popular topics and repetitive questions.
What is the exam date for CAT, XAT, SNAP, NMAT and OMER in 2025?
The CAT exam date will take place on the 30th November 2025. XLRI Jamshedpur will conduct the XAT exam on 5th January 2026. SNAP 2025 has three different test windows,i.e, 6th December, 14th December and 20th December 2025. The NMAT exam will have a long testing window, which will start from 5th November 2025 to 19th December 2025.
Which is the best online coaching institute to prepare for CAT and other OMETs together?
iQuanta is the No.1 online platform to prepare for CAT and other top OMETs altogether. Our experts share NMAT, SNAP, XAT, CMAT preparation strategy apart from preparing the enrolled students for the CAT exam. We have specialised modules for engineering and non-engineering students, which contain pre-recorded lectures, live sessions, practical classes, daily assignments, mocks, etc.
Can I prepare simultaneously for all OMETs, including the CAT exam?
Obviously. By now, you know the syllabus of CAT, and all the OMETs are almost the same. The CAT exam has a top-notch difficulty level. It means that once you start the preparation for the CAT, you have already mastered the grip on 85%+ syllabus of the popular management exams, which are mainly organised for admission into a 2-year full-time residential MBA programme.
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