Mumbai: The All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has decided to conduct a common admission test from 2012-13, for admission to management courses across the country. The test will cover admissions to both MBA and postgraduate diploma in management.

The decision to hold a pan-India Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) was taken at the recent executive council meeting of the AICTE, the umbrella body for professional courses. AICTE chairman S S Mantha said that almost every college was holding an entrance exam. Moreover, each state has its own entrance tests, and private associations have their own exams. In principle, CMAT will be a test for all AICTE-approved institutes and will reduce the stress and financial burden on students. Although CMAT will be held in 2012 too, from 2013 all admissions will be based on CMAT scores.

The Indian Institutes of Management, which are independent and autonomous B-schools, will continue to conduct the CAT (common admission test). Deemed universities will also hold their individual entrance tests. Admission to 4,000 colleges that offer an MBA and another 500 which run diploma programmes will take place on the basis of the Common Management Aptitude Test (CMAT) from 2013.

Mantha further added that they still have to work out the modalities of conducting the CMAT. But having so many exams, all of varied difficulty levels, also raises concerns about the quality of students who enter this course.

The Management Aptitude Test, taken by 3.85 lakh students every year, is the largest B-school entrance test. It is the first time that the AICTE has spoken about holding an entrance exam; to date, it has been an approval-seeking body for new colleges and institutes wanting to expand student intake.

Hari Krishna Maram, governing council member of AIMA which conducts MAT, said that he welcomes the idea of a single entrance exam for management courses in the interest of students.