Updated on 16th April 2025 | 12:45 pm | #CMAT2026Exam
The Common Management Admission Test, or CMAT Exam, conducted by NTA, or the National Testing Agency, is another entrance exam for securing admission to top B-schools in India. The CMAT exam 2026 is expected to take place in January 2026, as it did the previous year.
For the past few years, the CMAT exam has been conducted from April to May. For the 2025 academic session, the NTA has scheduled the exam about 4 months earlier, which is expected to be the same for this year as well.
The Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) is a government-organized, computer-based national-level MBA entrance exam for admission into various AICTE-approved management programs (MBA/PGDM) across India.
Previously conducted by AICTE, the National Testing Agency (NTA) now administers the test. NTA has made many changes to the CMAT exam syllabus and pattern over the past few years. With over 70,000 annual applicants, CMAT offers a unique opportunity as it doesn't disqualify any test-takers based on their results.
The exam is accepted by more than 1500 MBA colleges in India to select candidates for their MBA or PGDM programs. The difficulty level of the CMAT exam tends to be on the lower side compared to other exams like CAT, GMAT, and XAT. However, it is not to be underestimated.
The National Testing Agency, popularly known as NTA, is responsible for the conduction and execution of the CMAT 2026 exam. With the release of the CMAT 2026 notification, NTA will announce the complete schedule for the CMAT exam 2026.
Have a look at the tentative schedule of all the CMAT important dates released by NTA for your reference:
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CMAT 2026 Exam Date |
|
|
CMAT Exam Events |
CMAT 2026 Important Dates |
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CMAT 2026 Notification Release |
Second week of November 2025 |
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CMAT 2026 Registration Start Date |
Last week of December 2025 |
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CMAT 2026 Registration End Date |
Last week of December 2025 |
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CMAT Form Correction Window Timeline |
Last week of December 2025 |
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CMAT 2026 Exam City Slip Release Date |
Third week of January 2026 |
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CMAT Admit Card 2026 Release Date |
Third week of January 2026 |
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CMAT 2026 Exam Date |
Fourth week of January 2026 |
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CMAT Answer Key 2026 Release Date |
Fourth week of January 2026 |
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CMAT 2026 Result Declaration |
Second week of February 2026 |
To keep yourself updated with all the necessary details on CMAT 2026, consider visiting; CMAT Notification 2026.
Knowing about the exam before actually planning to take one is essential; thus all the CMAT aspirants must look into the exam details well in advance. Below mentioned are the key exam highlights and other important details for your reference:
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CMAT 2026 Exam Highlights |
|
|
CMAT 2026 |
Key Highlights |
|
CMAT Full Form |
Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) |
|
Conducting Body |
National Testing Agency |
|
CMAT Official Website |
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|
Exam Level |
National |
|
Exam Frequency |
Once a year |
|
Exam Mode |
Computer Based Test |
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Exam Duration |
180 minutes or 3 hours |
|
Exam Syllabus |
|
|
CMAT Exam Pattern |
100 MCQs (20 questions in each section) |
|
Exam Difficulty Level |
Easy to Moderate |
|
Time Allotted |
180 minutes |
|
Total Questions |
100 |
|
CMAT Marking Scheme |
+4 marks for every correct answer -1 mark for each wrong answer |
|
Language |
English |
|
CMAT Exam Fees |
INR 2,500 (General category male) INR 1,250 (General category female/reserved category students) |
|
No. of Test Cities |
124 |
Aspirants must fulfill the following CMAT eligibility criteria to be allowed to sit for the CMAT 2026 exam:
The National Testing Agency is most likely to release the official CMAT notification in the second or third week of November 2025, which will contain information regarding the CMAT registration for the academic year 2026, expected to begin in the last week of December 2025.
Below is a step-by-step guide to help you fill out your CMAT application form hassle-free.
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CMAT 2026 Registration Process |
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Step |
Action |
Details |
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1 |
Visit the official CMAT website |
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2 |
Click on the "Registration" link |
Locate it on the homepage or under the "New Candidate Registration" section. |
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3 |
Create an account |
Enter your name, email address, and phone number to create a user account |
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4 |
Verify your email address |
Click on the verification link sent to your email to activate your account |
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5 |
Fill out the online application form |
Provide personal information, academic details, contact information, and choose exam cities |
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6 |
Upload required documents |
Scanned copy of passport-sized photograph, signature, and PwD certificate (if applicable) |
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7 |
Pay the application fee |
Online payment through net banking, credit card, or debit card |
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8 |
Submit the application form |
Review all information and click on the "Submit" button |
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9 |
Download confirmation page |
Save a copy of the confirmation page for future reference |
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10 |
Download admit card |
Access the admit card from the official CMAT website a few days before the exam |
The following documents are necessary to complete the CMAT 2026 registration process, including:
There has been a revision in the CMAT application fees, and candidates considering CMAT as their alternative should look into the revised fee structure.
|
Category |
Male (INR) |
Female (INR) |
Transgender |
|
General |
2500 |
1250 |
1250 |
|
Gen-EWS/OBC (NCL)/SC/ ST/ PWD |
1250 |
1250 |
Check the validity of the debit/credit card and have it ready with you while logging on to the website to submit the application form. Enter the information very carefully to avoid any discrepancies and keep the proof of fee paid.
Fee can be paid using SBI/HDFC Bank through:
Important: Ensure that you go through the CMAT application form and verify that all the information you have filled is correct, as once the payment is made, no further changes can be made to the CMAT 2026 application form.
CMAT is a fast-paced entrance exam that assesses a candidate's skills in quantitative aptitude, data interpretation, logical reasoning, verbal ability, English language comprehension, innovation and entrepreneurship and general knowledge.
The CMAT exam syllabus is not exactly defined, but based on the past year's trends, we have listed the important topics for each section for your reference:
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CMAT 2026 Syllabus |
|
|
CMAT Sections |
Important Topics |
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Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation |
Arithmetic, Geometry, Algebra, Number System, Probability & Set theory, Permutation and Combination, Charts (Column, Bar, Pie), Tables, Graphs (Line & Area), Venn Diagram, Data Sufficiency |
|
Logical Reasoning |
Coding and decoding, Venn diagrams, Blood Relations, Series, Statement Conclusions, True/FalseStatements, Puzzles, Visual Reasoning and Calendars |
|
Language Comprehension |
Para Jumble, Fill In the Blanks, English Grammar Idioms/Phrases and clauses, Reading Comprehension, Grammar (Articles, Nouns, Pronouns, Verbs, Prepositions, Adjectives, Adverbs), Language Usage and Their Rules, Vocabulary |
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General Awareness |
Static GK (Geography, Polity, History), Recent Current Affairs, Significant National and International Events, Business & Economics, Important Personalities, Important Award Recipients for the given year, Sports, |
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Innovation & Entrepreneurship |
Government Intervention in Entrepreneurship, Business and Corporate Affairs, New Investment and schemes, Policies Related to Entrepreneurship, General Economy, Adequacy of Market |
It is important to understand the exam format in detail for a better understanding of the exam and to enhance your preparation. The table given below shows the CMAT 2026 exam pattern in detail for your reference:
|
CMAT Test Pattern 2026 |
|||
|
Section Component |
No. of Questions |
Total Marks for each section |
Total Time Duration |
|
Language Comprehension |
20 |
80 |
180 Minutes |
|
Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation |
20 |
80 |
|
|
Logical Reasoning |
20 |
80 |
|
|
General Awareness |
20 |
80 |
|
|
Innovation & Entrepreneurship |
20 |
80 |
|
|
Total |
100 |
400 |
|
Below mentioned are some important points one must keep in mind regarding the CMAT 2026 Marking Scheme to calculate your estimated scores:
Note: The total composite score will be evaluated by totalling marks earned or deducted in each section.
The CMAT 2026 admit card will be available on the CMAT-NTA website. Candidates can download their admit card using their login information. Here’s how to download the CMAT admit card 2026 from the NTA website:
CMAT 2026 will be held in more than 124 cities. When choosing test cities for your CMAT center, it's best to select your home city as your first choice or pick cities that are easy for you to reach from your home city. Below is a list of cities, along with their states and codes:
|
CMAT Exam Center 2026 |
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|
State |
CMAT 2026 Test City |
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Andaman and Nicobar |
Port Blair |
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Andhra Pradesh |
Guntur |
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Tirupathi |
Kurnool |
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Vijayawada |
Nellore |
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Visakhapatnam |
Rajahmundry |
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Arunachal Pradesh |
Itanagar/Naharlagun |
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Assam |
Dibrugarh |
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Bhilai Nagar/Durg |
Guwahati |
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Bihar |
Bhagalpur |
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Muzaffarpur |
Darbhanga |
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Patna |
Gaya |
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Chandigarh |
Mohali |
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Delhi |
Raipur |
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Goa |
Panaji |
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Gujarat |
Ahmedabad/Gandhinagar |
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Jamnagar |
Anand |
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Mehsana |
Bhavnagar |
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Rajkot |
Bhuj |
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Surat |
Himatnagar |
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Vadodara |
Faridabad |
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Valsad/Vapi |
Gurugram |
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Haryana |
Ambala |
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Hamirpur |
Hissar |
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Himachal Pradesh |
Bilaspur |
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Srinagar |
Shimla |
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Jamshedpur |
Solan |
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J&K |
Jammu |
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Jharkhand |
Dhanbad |
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Bengaluru |
Ranchi |
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Karnataka |
Belagavi (Belgaum) |
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Kottayam |
Dharwad/Hubbali |
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Kozhikode |
Gulbarga |
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Thiruvananathapuram |
Mangaluru |
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Thrissur |
Mysuru |
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Gwalior |
Udupi/Manipal |
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Kerala |
Ernakulum |
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Ladakh |
Leh |
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Lakshwadeep |
Kavaratti |
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Madhya Pradesh |
Bhopal |
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Maharashtra |
Indore |
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Amravati |
Jabalpur |
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Aurangabad |
Sagar |
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Dhule |
Ahmednagar |
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Kolhapur |
Thane |
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Nashik |
Navi Mumbai |
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Pune |
Nagpur |
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Solapur |
Nanded |
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Manipur |
Imphal |
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Meghalaya |
Shillong |
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Mizoram |
Aizawl |
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Nagaland |
Dimapur |
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Berhanpur-Ganjam |
Kohima |
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Odisha |
Balasore |
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Siliguri |
Bhawanipatna/Kalahandi |
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Bhatinda |
Bhubaneswar |
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Ludhiana |
Jeypore/Koraput |
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Patiala/Fatehgarh Sahib |
Sambalpur |
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Puducherry |
Puducherry |
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Punjab |
Amritsar |
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Rajasthan |
Jaipur |
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Sikar |
Jodhpur |
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Udaipur |
Kota |
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Tamil Nadu |
Chennai |
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Tiruchirappalli |
Coimbatore |
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Tirunelveli |
Madurai |
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Telangana |
Hyderabad |
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Aligarh |
Karimnagar |
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Allahabad/Prayagraj |
Warangal |
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Tripura |
Agartala |
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Uttar Pradesh |
Agra |
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Jhansi |
Bareilly |
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Kanpur |
Ghaziabad |
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Lucknow |
Gorakhpur |
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Noida/G Noida |
Meerut |
|
Varanasi |
Moradabad |
|
Uttarakhand |
Dehradun |
|
Roorkee |
Haldwani |
|
West Bengal |
Kolkata |
The CMAT 2026 answer key will be released by the NTA within 10 to 15 days after the exam. Candidates will be able to download the answer key and their response sheet from the NTA website using their login details. The CMAT response sheet will show the answers to each question and the options that candidates selected, which will help them calculate their raw score. Here’s how to download the CMAT answer key for 2026:
If candidates wish to challenge the official CMAT answer key, they will need to fill out an online form and provide supporting documents to back up their claims. If a challenge is found to be valid, the CMAT answer key will be updated. The final CMAT 2026 result and answer key will be prepared after reviewing the challenges received. The window for challenging the answer key will be open for 2 to 3 days, after which no objections will be accepted.
The CMAT 2026 results will be available online on the NTA-CMAT website. To download your CMAT scorecard, you will need to log in with your credentials. Here are the steps to download your CMAT 2026 scorecard and results:
The CMAT 2026 result and scorecard will include your personal information, exam scores, and percentile. Keep in mind that the scorecard can only be downloaded for a limited time, so make sure to get your results as soon as possible.
The CMAT exam cutoff is the minimum marks and rankings required for admission to the top B-schools accepting CMAT scores. After the GD-PI rounds, each B-school releases the specific CMAT cutoff based on different categories as the minimum marks criteria for gaining admission to the particular B-school. The table below shows the expected cutoff based on expert analysis of previous years.
|
CMAT 2026 Cutoffs (Expected) |
|
|
Colleges Accepting CMAT Score |
CMAT Cutoffs 2026 |
|
JBIMS, Mumbai |
99.9+ |
|
Goa Institute of Management |
95-99 |
|
KJ Somaiya Institute of Management |
95-99 |
|
SIMSREE, Mumbai |
99+ |
|
Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai |
95-99 |
|
University of Pune, Dept of Management Sciences |
95-99 |
|
Xavier Institute of Social Service, Ranchi |
95 |
|
SOIL Institute of Management |
90 |
|
Welingkar Institute of Management, Mumbai |
85 |
|
Indian Institute of Information Technology & Management |
85 |
|
IFIM, Bangalore |
85 |
|
IFMR, Chennai |
85 |
|
NIBM, Pune |
85 |
|
NL Dalmia Institute of Management |
85 |
|
NDIM, Delhi |
85 |
|
Welingkar Institute of Management, Bangalore |
80 |
|
IMT, Hyderabad |
80 |
|
IMT, Nagpur |
80 |
|
XISS, Ranchi |
80 |
|
ITM, Navi Mumbai |
80 |
|
Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida |
85 |
|
Xavier Business School, Xavier University |
85 |
|
Great Lakes Institute of Management, Gurgaon |
85 |
|
BIMTECH, Greater Noida |
80 |
|
XIME, Bangalore |
80 |
|
ISBM, Pune |
80 |
|
KIIT School of Management |
80 |
|
IPE Hyderabad |
80 |
|
IES's Management College and Research Centre |
80 |
|
SIES College of Management Studies, Navi Mumbai |
80 |
|
Woxsen University, Hyderabad |
70 |
The National Testing Agency releases the list of colleges that accept exam scores, and this list is also available on the AICTE website. Around 1500+ MBA/PGDM colleges will accept the exam score for MBA admission 2026.
Below mentioned are some of the top B-schools in India that accept CMAT scores for your reference:
|
Top MBA Colleges Accepting CMAT Scores |
|
|
PUMBA Pune |
|
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GIM Goa |
|
|
IMS Ghaziabad |
BIMTECH Greater Noida |
|
Jaipuria School of Business |
GLIM Chennai/Gurgaon |
Please note that this list is not exhaustive, and there are many other colleges accepting CMAT scores. It is advisable to check the eligibility criteria of each college individually before applying.
The CMAT admission process includes a Group Discussion (GD) and a Personal Interview (PI). Many popular government and private colleges in India consider CMAT scores, each setting its own cut-off to shortlist candidates. Business schools will conduct their own GD/PI sessions to select students for their two-year full-time MBA and PGDM programs. In some schools, you may need to write an essay instead of participating in a Group Discussion.
The main steps for getting an MBA through CMAT 2026 Admission Process include:
It’s important to note that the National Testing Agency (NTA) does not have a role in the MBA admission process through CMAT. To take part in the admission rounds, candidates must fill out the application forms for their chosen colleges on time.
National Testing Agency
For technical support, reach out to the concerned authorities on weekdays between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM.
The CMAT 2026 exam is expected to take place on the last Sunday of January 2026, as it did the previous year.
To complete the registration for CMAT 2026, candidates paid a fee of Rs 2500 for male applicants and Rs 1250 for female, third-gender, and reserved category candidates. Read this article to find out how to fill out the CMAT registration form, the documents needed to apply for the CMAT exam, and the last date to submit your registration for 2026, among other details.
Yes, CMAT is generally easier than the CAT exam. Even though both CMAT and CAT have similar syllabi, and CMAT includes two additional sections compared to CAT, CMAT is considered simpler. The CAT exam typically ranges from moderate to high difficulty, while the CMAT exam is usually at an easy to moderate difficulty level.
The CMAT exam has five sections, with each section containing 20 questions. According to the marking scheme, each correct answer earns you 4 marks. However, there is a negative marking of 1 mark for each incorrect answer. If you choose not to answer a question, you will receive zero marks for that question.
No, candidates with a CMAT score cannot apply to the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). If you want to get admission to a PGDM or Integrated Programme in Management, you need to have a valid CAT score.