Situated in Somajiguda, Hyderabad, Carlton Business School (CBS) is an AICTE-approved management institution offering a two-year Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) program. CBS places strong emphasis on industry readiness, managerial skills, and practical business exposure.
Admissions at CBS follow a holistic evaluation process. Rather than depending solely on a high entrance cutoff score, the institution considers national test performance, academic consistency, Group Discussions (GD), Personal Interviews (PI), and prior work experience (if any).
To qualify for admission, candidates must hold a Bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognized university with a minimum aggregate of 50% (45% for reserved categories). The final selection uses a composite scoring framework out of 100 percentage points:
National Entrance Test Score (40% Weightage): Performance in national tests such as CAT, MAT, XAT, CMAT, ATMA, or GMAT.
Academic Record (20% Weightage): Academic consistency across Class 10th, Class 12th, and undergraduate studies.
Group Discussion (GD) (20% Weightage): Evaluation of communication skills, critical thinking, teamwork, and domain knowledge.
Personal Interview (PI) & Profile (20% Weightage): Assessment of leadership traits, clarity of goals, work experience, and personal presentation.
Carlton Business School accepts multiple national management entrance exams. Since CBS conducts a profile-based admission process, candidates who meet the baseline cut-off percentiles are called for GD-PI rounds.
The table below outlines the estimated cut-offs and percentile ranges based on past admission cycles:
MAT & CMAT Applicants: The majority of applicants secure shortlisting via MAT and CMAT due to their multiple annual test cycles. Candidates scoring 50 percentile or higher are generally prioritized for direct interview slots.
CAT & XAT Applicants: Candidates attempting CAT or XAT are granted profile relaxation if they possess a baseline score of 40 percentile alongside strong undergraduate academic records.
Work Experience & Academic Profile: Candidates with relevant full-time work experience or consistent academic performance (above 60% in 10th, 12th, and graduation) can qualify forGD-PI shortlisting even with a slightly lower test percentile.
General / Open Category: Selection relies strictly on meeting the baseline score threshold (typically 50 percentile or above) alongside performance in GD-PI rounds.
Reserved Categories (SC/ST/OBC): Reserved category candidates receive a relaxation of 5% to 10% in national test percentile requirements during profile evaluation.
Submit Application: Complete the application form online or offline with past academic transcripts and valid test scorecards.
Shortlisting: Shortlisted candidates are invited for the selection process based on entrance test scores and academic eligibility.
GD & PI Assessment: Candidates participate in Group Discussion and Personal Interview rounds.
Final Offer: Admission offers are issued based on the candidate's composite performance score.
CBS accepts CAT, MAT, XAT, CMAT, ATMA, and GMAT scores for admission to its PGDM program.
Candidates must hold a Bachelor’s degree from a recognized university with at least 50% aggregate marks (45% for reserved category candidates).
Yes, candidates can present scores from alternative national management exams like CMAT, XAT, ATMA, or GMAT.
Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI) together carry a 40% weightage (20% each) in the final composite selection score.
Yes, students in their final year of graduation can apply provisionally. Admission will be confirmed upon producing proof of graduation with the required minimum aggregate marks (50%).
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