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Class 12 Students · 2 Test Sessions · No Negative Marking

SET 2027.
Symbiosis
After 12th.

SET is Symbiosis International (Deemed University)'s entrance test for BBA and related UG programmes. You get two attempts a year and your best score counts, with zero negative marking.

SET 2027 At a Glance
Conducted BySymbiosis International (SIU)
Sessions2/year — best score counts
Duration60 minutes
Questions60 (1 mark each)
Negative MarkingNone
Accepted By13 Symbiosis institutes
SET 2026 cycle already concluded. SET 2027 notification expected ~December 2026 at set-test.org.
Exam Pattern

Short, Simple, Twice a Year.

At 60 minutes for 60 questions, SET is the shortest exam on this list — and the only one with zero negative marking.

SectionQuestionsMarks per Question
General English161
Quantitative Aptitude161
General Awareness161
Analytical & Logical Reasoning121
Total6060 marks
Marking Scheme: +1 correct, no deduction for wrong, no penalty for skipping. Two attempts, one score: your higher score across Test 1 and Test 2 is used.
Syllabus

What To Actually Study.

SIU doesn't publish a fixed syllabus — everything stays at Class 12 level.

General English

Verbal Ability & Comprehension
Reading Comprehension
Short passages with inference & main-idea questions
Vocabulary
Synonyms, antonyms, one-word substitution, idioms
Grammar
Error spotting, sentence correction, tenses, prepositions
Verbal Reasoning
Para jumbles, sentence completion, cloze passages

Quantitative Aptitude

Class 12 Level Maths
Arithmetic
Percentages, profit & loss, SI/CI, ratio & proportion, averages, time-speed-distance
Algebra
Linear & quadratic equations, basic functions
Geometry & Mensuration
Lines & angles, triangles, circles, area/volume of solids
Data Interpretation
Tables, bar/line/pie charts, simple data sufficiency

General Awareness

Current Affairs & Static GK
Current Affairs
National & international news, sports, awards & honours
Business & Economy
Company & industry headlines, banking & economic terms
Static GK
Indian geography, history, polity & constitution basics

Analytical & Logical Reasoning

Reasoning & Puzzles
Verbal Reasoning
Coding-decoding, blood relations, direction sense, syllogisms
Analytical Puzzles
Seating arrangement, series completion, puzzles
Critical Reasoning
Statement-assumption, statement-conclusion, analogies
Expected Timeline

SET 2027 Calendar.

Forecast based on the concluded SET 2026 cycle.

December 2026 (Expected)
Official Notification & Registration Opens
Registration fee is ₹2,250 per test, plus ₹1,000 per institute/programme.
Early-to-Mid May 2027 (Expected)
Test 1 & Test 2 Exam Days
Both sessions run as single-shift CBTs about a week apart, across 80+ test cities.
~10 Days After Test 2
Consolidated Result
Your higher score across the two attempts is what counts.
June – July 2027
Institute-Wise Shortlisting, WAT & PI
Each of the 13 participating institutes releases its own cutoff and shortlist.
Eligibility

Can You Apply?

Same Class 12 entry point as IPMAT/JIPMAT — but for a standalone BBA.

Class 12 Pass or Appearing

Any recognized board, any stream.

Minimum 50% in Class 12

50% marks or equivalent grade (45% for SC/ST candidates) as per SIU's published eligibility criteria.

No Age Limit

Open to Science, Commerce, and Arts students alike.

International Students Welcome

Foreign nationals apply under a separate Foreign National category.
SET only covers BBA/management-track UG programmes. A SET score gets you into a 3–4 year standalone BBA — Symbiosis's MBA programmes require SNAP later as a fresh application after your degree.
After The Score

The Selection Process.

A SET score alone doesn't seal admission — each institute runs its own shortlisting, WAT & PI round on top of it.

SET Score Shortlisting

Each of the 13 participating institutes releases its own cutoff and shortlist based purely on your SET score.

Written Ability Test (WAT)

Shortlisted candidates write a short essay on a given topic, assessing structure, clarity and reasoning.

Personal Interview (PI)

A one-on-one or panel interview covering communication, motivation for BBA, and general awareness.

Final Merit List

Institutes combine SET score with WAT & PI performance to draw up the final admission offer list.
Where SET Can Take You

Participating Institutes & Cutoffs.

13 Symbiosis institutes accept SET scores; table covers seat count and 2026 estimated cutoffs for the most commonly cited programmes.

CollegeLocationProgrammeSeatsIndicative Cutoff (/60)
SCMS PunePune, MaharashtraBBA30040–42
SICSR PunePune, MaharashtraBBA (IT)12036–39
SCMC PunePune, MaharashtraBBA (Mass Communication)6032–35
SSE PunePune, MaharashtraBSc Economics38–40
SCMS NoidaNoida, Uttar PradeshBBA30032–37
SCMS NagpurNagpur, MaharashtraBBA18032–37
SCMS HyderabadHyderabad, TelanganaBBA12030–32
SCMS BangaloreBengaluru, KarnatakaBBA12037–39

* Seat counts and 2026 cutoffs are estimated/indicative, not official — a strong indicator of your calling chances, not a guarantee.

Reading The Trend

Previous Year Analysis.

What the 5-year cutoff data on this page actually tells you, beyond the raw numbers.

Cutoffs Keep Climbing

Year-on-Year Trend
Symbiosis Pune BBA's general-category cutoff has risen at every checkpoint from 2020 through the 2026 estimate — plan for the 2027 cutoff to sit at or above the recent trend rather than at older, lower marks.

No Negative Marking Rewards Attempts

Scoring Behaviour
Since wrong answers cost nothing, an unattempted question is pure lost opportunity in SET — candidates who attempt all 60 questions within the 60-minute window are structurally better placed than those who leave sections incomplete.

Institute Cutoffs Spread Out

Cross-Institute Variation
The gap between the highest-cutoff institute (Pune) and lower-cutoff options (like Hyderabad) gives candidates who fall short of a top score a genuine fallback among the 13 participating institutes, rather than an all-or-nothing outcome.
Preparation Strategy

A Plan For Where You're Starting From.

SET rewards accuracy across four short sections, not depth in any one — pick the track that matches your starting point.

Beginner

Starting in Class 11 or early Class 12 — build fundamentals across all four sections: NCERT-level maths, core grammar rules, and a daily current-affairs reading habit.

Intermediate

3–4 months out — move to section-wise timed practice, keep a running current-affairs revision notebook, and start full-length mocks under the exact 60-minute format.

Advanced

Final 4–6 weeks before Test 1 — full mock tests on repeat, speed drills since attempting every question costs nothing, and a tight error log for your weakest section.

Repeat Test-Taker

Between Test 1 and Test 2 — since your higher score counts, analyse Test 1 mistakes, concentrate revision on the single weakest section, and rebuild speed with fresh mocks before Test 2.
Last 5 Years Data

SET Cutoff — 5-Year Trend.

SET has no sectional cutoffs — a single overall score out of 60 decides your shortlist.

SET has no sectional cutoffs — one overall score out of 60 determines shortlisting.
YearCutoff Score (/60)Category
SET 2026 — Symbiosis Pune BBA (Estimated)
202640–42General
SET 2024 — SCMS Pune BBA
202440General
202432OBC-NCL
SET 2023 — SCMS Pune BBA
202338General
Symbiosis Pune BBA Trend (General, out of 60)
2020
32
2022
36
2024
40
2026 (Est.)
41
Cutoffs have risen steadily — target 45+ out of 60 for a safe margin in 2027.
Symbiosis Hyderabad runs lowest, Bengaluru and Noida/Nagpur trail Pune by a few marks — figures below are 2026 estimated cutoffs (/60).
CollegeSeats2026 Estimated Cutoff
SCMS Bangalore12037–39
SCMS Noida30032–37
SCMS Nagpur18032–37
SCMS Hyderabad12030–32
Data disclaimer: SIU does not officially publish year-wise SET cutoffs. Figures are indicative estimates from student-reported data and coaching institute analyses. Always cross-check with official SET notifications.
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FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

SIU conducts SET twice a year — Test 1 and Test 2, roughly a week apart. If you take both, the higher of the two scores is used for admission.

SET has 60 questions across four mandatory sections — General English, Quantitative Aptitude, General Awareness, and Analytical & Logical Reasoning — worth 1 mark each, in a single 60-minute computer-based test.

Each correct answer gets +1 mark. There is no negative marking and no penalty for unattempted questions — a meaningful difference from CAT, IPMAT, and JIPMAT, all of which deduct marks for wrong answers.

Candidates must have passed or be appearing in Class 12 from a recognized board with a minimum of 50% marks or equivalent (45% for SC/ST candidates), in any stream. No age limit; international students can apply.

No. SET is Symbiosis's undergraduate entrance test for BBA. SNAP is a separate exam for Symbiosis's MBA programmes, taken after a bachelor's degree. SITEEE (engineering) and SLAT (law) are also separate tests.

Within a single admission cycle you get two shots — Test 1 and Test 2 — and your higher score counts. There's no separate lifetime cap on how many yearly cycles a candidate can appear in as long as the Class 12 eligibility is met, but each cycle needs fresh registration and fees.

No — as with other SIU computer-based tests, calculators, mobile phones, and smartwatches aren't permitted in the exam hall. The Quantitative Aptitude section is built at Class 12 level specifically so it's solvable with pen-and-paper working inside the time limit.

Going by the 5-year cutoff trend on this page, 45+ out of 60 gives a comfortable safety margin for top options like SCMS Pune, while scores in the low-to-mid 30s are still enough to land you into lower-cutoff institutes such as SCMS Hyderabad.

Based on the expected timeline, registration is ₹2,250 per test attempt plus ₹1,000 per institute/programme you apply to. Since you can register for both Test 1 and Test 2, budget for both dates if you want two attempts.

Yes. A SET score alone doesn't guarantee a seat — each of the 13 participating institutes releases its own shortlist based on the score, then runs a Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI). Your final offer depends on a combination of SET score, WAT and PI performance.

13 Symbiosis institutes accept SET, including SCMS Pune, SCMS Noida, SCMS Nagpur, SCMS Hyderabad, SCMS Bangalore, SICSR Pune (BBA-IT), SCMC Pune (Mass Communication) and SSE Pune (BSc Economics) — see the Institutes section above for seats and indicative cutoffs.

For a computer-based entrance test like SET, you should expect to carry your printed admit card, a valid original photo ID, and passport-size photographs. Always check the exact list on your own admit card, since specifics can vary slightly by test city.

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Your Symbiosis Journey Starts Here.