Can I do an online MBA without CAT?
Short answer
Yes. Most online and distance MBAs admit on your graduation marks. CAT rations seats at the IIMs and a few competitive campus programmes.
CAT exists to allocate scarce seats where demand vastly exceeds supply. Online programmes do not have that constraint, so almost none require it.
Some institutions accept CAT, XAT or CMAT scores as an alternative to their own criteria, but very few require them.
What to check
- Check the institution’s own published eligibility, not a summary on an aggregator.
- If a "management quota" is being offered for a programme that has no entrance exam, ask what exactly is being sold to you.