CMAT Exam 2026: All You Need to Know in One Place

Are you planning to pursue an MBA in 2026? Then the year 2026 will be the one for CMAT to get you into the top B-Schools in India. CMAT is a national-level entrance exam and one of the avenues to approximately 1000 AICTE-approved MBA/PGDM colleges in India. It is conducted by the NTA. This blog will chart your way through everything there is to know about CMAT 2026, including dates, registration procedure, syllabus, cutoff, and elite colleges that take CMAT scores.

What is CMAT?

CMAT, the Common Management Admission Test, is an online test conducted by NTA. It is accepted for admission into management programs by renowned MBA/PGDM colleges in India. 

The CMAT tests Quantitative Techniques, Logical Reasoning, Language Comprehension, General Awareness & Innovation & Entrepreneurship.

CMAT 2025 Exam Dates & Schedule 

Here are the exam dates of the CMAT 2025 for a better understanding of the upcoming exam dates:

Date	Event
13 Feb 2025	CMAT 2025 Result
31 Jan – 02 Feb 2025	CMAT 2025 Answer Key Release and Objection Window
25 Jan 2025	CMAT 2025 Exam Date
20 Jan 2025	CMAT 2025 Admit Card Download Starts
26 – 27 Dec 2024	CMAT 2025 Application Form Correction Window
14 Nov – 25 Dec 2024	CMAT 2025 Registration and Application Process

CMAT 2026 Exam Highlights

Being one of the great entrances for admission into an MBA course in India, CMAT is the second most attempted exam, just behind CAT. Unlike CAT, CMAT is considered relatively easier, thanks to which many aspiring candidates opt to give CMAT instead of CAT. The CMAT score is accepted by all AICTE-approved institutes in India. More than 75,000 candidates appear for the CMAT each year to get into the premier B-schools offering MBA and PGDM Courses. Here is a syllabus overview for you to know about if you want to take the CMAT 2026:

CMAT Feature	Details
Full Form	Common Management Admission Test (CMAT)
Conducting Body	National Testing Agency (NTA)
CMAT 2026 Exam Date	Last week of January 2026 (Tentative)
Exam Level	National Level
Frequency	Once a year
Exam Mode	Computer-Based Test (CBT)
Exam Duration	180 minutes (3 hours)
Syllabus	Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation  Logical Reasoning  Language Comprehension & Verbal Ability  General Awareness  Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Exam Pattern	100 MCQs (20 questions per section)
Exam Language	English
Application Fee	INR 2,500 for General (Male)  INR 1,250 for General (Female) & Reserved Categories
Purpose of Exam	Admission to 1,300+ AICTE-approved MBA/PGDM colleges in India
Courses Offered	MBA / PGDM
No. of Test Cities	107
Total Applicants (2025)	74,012
Helpdesk Number	011-40759000 (Available 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM on working days)
Contact Address	NTA, C-20 1A/8, Sector 62, IITK Outreach Centre, NOIDA-201309
Official Website	https://exams.nta.ac.in/CMAT/

CMAT Eligibility Criteria 2026

Candidates have to be updated about eligibility criteria before applying to the exam, so that they ensure they fulfil the criteria. Otherwise, that is going to pose problems for them later on in January or March if their candidature gets terminated. Given below are the academic eligibility requirements for CMAT 2026:

• Candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree in any stream from a recognized university. 
• Students in their final year are also eligible to apply for CMAT 2026. 
• There is no minimum percentage in graduation to appear for CMAT. A passing degree is enough to apply.
• MBA colleges accepting CMAT scores require general category candidates to have a minimum of 50% marks and reserved category candidates to have a minimum of 45% marks.
• There is no upper age limit for appearing in the CMAT examination. Candidates from any age group or career stage can apply.

CMAT Registration 2026

Here are the steps needed to register for CMAT 2026:

1. Visit Official Website: cmat.nta.nic.in
2. Click on the "Apply for CMAT 226" registration link.
3. Fill the Application Form: Fill out the personal, education, and contact information for real estate.
4. Upload Documents: Upload a scanned image of your photo and signature.
5. Make Application Fee Payment:

Category	Application Fee
General (Male)	INR  2500
General (Female)/EWS/OBC	INR  1250
SC/ST/PwD	INR  1,000

6. Submit Form & Download Confirmation Page

CMAT 2026 Exam Pattern

The CMAT 2026 examination pattern is straightforward and student-friendly. The paper is divided into five (05) sections, each of which will have 20 questions worth 4 marks for a total of 100 questions and 400 marks. There is no sectional time limit as usual, so candidates can manage their time based on their strengths. For every question answered incorrectly, 1 mark will be deducted as negative marking. Therefore, students can plan their examination strategy well with the uniform structure.

Section	No. of Questions	Marks
Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation	20	80
Logical Reasoning	20	80
Language Comprehension	20	80
General Awareness	20	80
Innovation & Entrepreneurship	20	80
Total	100	400

CMAT 2026 Marking Scheme

• +4 for Correct Answer
• -1 for  Incorrect Answer
• NO MARKS for Unanswered Questions
• Each section carries a total of 100 marks
• The CMAT is a total of 400 marks

CMAT Syllabus 2026

The CMAT 2026 syllabus is divided into 5 sections, which hold equal weightage, 20 questions per section, and a total of 80 marks per section. The sections in the exam include Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation, Language Comprehension, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Logical Reasoning, and General Awareness. The syllabus for the CMAT 2026 exam is extensive and includes articulation, algebra, data interpretation, logical puzzles, grammar, vocabulary, current affairs, and notions of Entrepreneurship. 

The students should devise a Study Plan focusing on the topics to be covered, and by focusing on the topics of strengths, systematic mock tests, be aware of, and keep track of general current national and international events. Here is the list of the CMAT syllabus in detail, in each section is mentioned below:

Section	Topics Covered
Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation	Arithmetic (Profit & Loss, Time-Speed-Distance, Ratio) Algebra & Geometry  Number Systems  Data Tables, Graphs, Pie Charts
Logical Reasoning	Coding-Decoding  Series Completion  Blood Relations  Direction Sense  Puzzles
Language Comprehension	Reading Comprehension  Vocabulary  Synonyms/Antonyms  Grammar
General Awareness	Current Affairs (National & International)  Business & Economy  Static GK  Awards, Books, Important Dates
Innovation & Entrepreneurship	Startup Ecosystem  Government Initiatives (like Startup India)  Entrepreneurship Fundamentals  Case Studies and Business Scenarios

CMAT 2026 Preparation

Here are some preparation tips to score well in CMAT:

• Make a Study Plan covering all five sections
• Use Previous Year Papers for practice
• Attempt Mock Tests to improve speed and accuracy
• Read Newspapers for GK and vocabulary
• Use standard books like:
  • Quantitative Aptitude by R.S. Aggarwal
  • Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
  • Lucent’s GK for General Awareness

CMAT Admit Card 2026

The CMAT 2026 admit card will be released on the official NTA-CMAT website about 4 to 5 days before the exam date. It is a mandatory document that all candidates must carry to the exam centre; without the admit card, entry to the exam hall will not be allowed. Here are the Steps to Download the CMAT 2026 Admit Card:

1. Visit the official website: cmat.nta.nic.in
2. Click on the ‘CMAT 2026 Admit Card’ link
3. Enter your application number and date of birth
4. Click on ‘Submit’ to log in
5. Fill out the self-declaration form (COVID-related or health declaration, if applicable)
6. After submission, you will be redirected to the admit card page
7. Download the CMAT 2026 admit card and save it as a PDF

Note: Make sure to check all details on the admit card like your name, exam centre, date, and time. If there’s any mistake, contact NTA immediately.

CMAT Answer Key 2026

The CMAT 2026 answer key and response sheet include the official answers to each question as well as the options selected by the candidate during the exam. The provisional answer key is usually released 3–4 days after the exam, while the final answer key is published along with the CMAT result. Here are the Steps to Download the CMAT 2026 Answer Key

1. Visit the official CMAT website: cmat.nta.nic.in
2. Click on the ‘Login’ button
3. Enter your CMAT application number and date of birth, or password
4. Click on the ‘Answer Key’ link displayed on the dashboard
5. Download the CMAT 2026 answer key and response sheet as a PDF

Is there any Challenge to the CMAT 2026 Answer Key?

Yes, if you identify any wrong answers in the provisional key, you can raise objections for each answer in an online mode by filling out a challenge form available on the CMAT website. All the objections should be submitted with concrete evidence/documentary proof and within the specified time limits. 

Experts will evaluate your objections, and if any are found correct, the provisional answer key will be modified. The final answer key and CMAT 2026 result will be declared after evaluating all objections received.

CMAT Result 2026

The CMAT 2026 result will be declared online on the official NTA-CMAT website. No hard copies of the scorecard will be sent by post. To download their scorecard, candidates must log in to the website using their application number and either their password or date of birth. Here are the steps to download the CMAT 2026 Scorecard

1. Visit the official CMAT website.
2. Click on the ‘CMAT 2026 Scorecard’ link.
3. Enter your CMAT application number and password/date of birth.
4. Click on ‘Submit’ to view and download your CMAT result 2026.

Note: The CMAT 2025 result download link is still active on the NTA-CMAT website. If you haven’t downloaded your CMAT 2025 scorecard yet, you can still access it from the official portal.

CMAT Admission Process 2026

The CMAT admission process usually conducts GD / PI during the college admission process, and uses WAT instead of GD in some colleges. CMAT is accepted by a large number of known government and private MBA colleges in India, but each has its own cutoff marks. To participate in the admission process, candidates must apply, so candidates have to submit the application form to colleges according to the date of admission. Some colleges are accepting applications on the basis of CMAT 2025 now. The CMAT process has three sections are listed below:

1. Release its cutoff scores.
2. Conduct Group Discussion (GD), Written Ability Test (WAT), and/or Personal Interview (PI)
3. Announce the final merit list.

Note: Each college has its own admission process, so visit their official sites for more details.

CMAT Cut Offs and Top Colleges

The CMAT cut off for top MBA colleges is between 90 to 99th percentile. For Tier 2 institutes, it mostly ranges between 60 to 80 percentiles, and Tier 3 colleges usually accept anything between 50 and 70 percentiles. Below is a list of some top MBA colleges accepting CMAT scores, along with their expected cutoff percentiles. Given below is the list of expected cutoffs for CMAT for top colleges:

College Name	Expected CMAT Cutoff (Percentile)
JBIMS Mumbai (for MMS)	99.9
SIMSREE Mumbai	99+
K J Somaiya Institute of Management	92-95
Great Lakes Institute of Management	85-90
PUMBA, Pune	90+
Welingkar Institute of Management, Mumbai	85-90

CMAT Accepting Colleges

More than 1,000+ AICTE-approved institutions accept CMAT scores, including:

• Goa Institute of Management (GIM)
• Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra
• XISS Ranchi
• IMT Nagpur
• Christ University, Bangalore

CMAT Exam Centres

CMAT is conducted in 150+ cities across India. You can choose 4 preferred cities while applying. Some common centres include:

• Delhi
• Mumbai
• Bangalore
• Kolkata
• Chennai
• Hyderabad
• Patna
• Lucknow

CMAT Registration Numbers

In the year of 2025 CMAT exam had 74,012 candidates registered and 63,145 candidates appeared for the exam. The gender-wise break-up for candidates who registered for CMAT 2026 is 34,717 female, 39,293 male, and 2 transgender. In comparison, 76,745 candidates registered for CMAT 2024, and 65,127 appeared for the test. Based on recent trends, it is reasonable to conclude that registration numbers for CMAT 2026 will fall somewhere in between the figures of CMAT 2024 and CMAT 2025. Here is the list of CMAT registration and appearance of students over the years:

Year	Registered Candidates	Appeared Candidates
CMAT 2025	74,012	63,145
CMAT 2024	76,745	65,127
CMAT 2023	75,209	58,035
CMAT 2022	58,956	51,144

CMAT Website, Helpline Number, Email

• Official Website: cmat.nta.nic.in
• Helpdesk Number: 011-40759000
• Email: cmat@nta.ac.in

Use these contacts for any application, result, or admit card queries.

CMAT 2026 Contact Information

If you need help with the CMAT 2026 process:

• Conducting Body: National Testing Agency (NTA)
• Address: C-20 1A/8, Sector 62, IITK Outreach Centre, Noida, UP - 201309
• Phone: 011-40759000 
• Email: cmat@nta.ac.in

Other Options Instead of CMAT 2025

If you are exploring options outside the CMAT 2025, there are many excellent options available to continue your education and career path. One of those options includes Online MBA programs. The online MBA program offers working professionals the flexibility and accessibility needed to work and study. Online MBA programs offer rigorous courses and cover the same content that will be offered in traditional MBA programs. In the online setting, students self-pace their learning so they are able to schedule their learning in a way that fits their lives. This option also enhances management skills and broadens professional networks in a very manageable way for individuals who have competing priorities. Here is the list of the online MBA universities for better understanding:

Online MBA Course:

Here is the list of the Online universities that offer an Online MBA course along with their Specialization:

Top Online MBA Universities	Online MBA (Specialization)
MAHE Manipal Online MBA	Finance Management Marketing Management HR Management Business Analytics Data Science Operations Management Healthcare Management Pharmaceutical Management Information Systems Fashion Management
Birchwood University Online MBA	Business & Law Ethics Business Analytics Marketing Management General Management Supply Chain Management HR Management Finance Management Data Science International Business
BIMTECH Online MBA	Finance Management Marketing Management Logistics and Supply Chain Management Operations Management Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance BFSI Information Technology Management General Management Generative AI HR Management Analytics Supply Chain Management
NMIMS Online MBA	Business Management Operations Management HR Management Finance Management Marketing Management Data Science General Management
Amity University Online MBA	Digital Entrepreneurship HR Analytics Data Science Business Analytics HR Management Operations Management IT Management International Business Insurance Management Entrepreneurship & Leadership Retail Management
Jain University Online MBA	HR Management Finance Management Marketing Management General Management System and Operations Management Marketing and Finance Management Marketing and HR Management Information Logistics and Supply Chain Management International Finance Management
DY Patil University Online MBA	Marketing Management Finance Management IT Management Operations Management HR Management International Business Digital Marketing Project Management FinTech Management Business Analytics
UPES Online MBA	HR Management Finance Management Marketing Management Operations Management Oil & Gas Management International Business Power Management Business Analytics Logistic & Supply Chain Management Infrastructure Management Digital Business Supply Chain Management
LPU Online MBA	Finance Management Human Resource Management Marketing Management Data Science Operations Management International Business Management Information Technology Digital Marketing Business Analytics Data Science and Analytics Banking & Financial Services Supply Chain Management Healthcare Management
SRM University Online MBA	HR Management Marketing Management Finance Management
DY Patil Vidyapeeth, Navi Mumbai, Online MBA	Sales And Marketing HRM Finance Hospital & Health Care Management Retail Management Logistics & Supply Chain International Business Entrepreneurship Event Management Digital Marketing Data Science & Business Analytics
Amrita University Online MBA	HR Management Finance Management Marketing Management Operations Management General Management Artificial Intelligence
Chandigarh University Online MBA	Marketing Management HR Management International Business Management Entrepreneurship Retail Management Business Analytics Finance Management Logistics & Supply Chain Management Information Technology Operations Management Banking & Insurance
Parul University Online MBA	Marketing Management Finance Management HR Management IT Management Business Analytics Operation Management Retail Management Project Management Banking and Financial Services Healthcare Management & Supply Chain Management Agricultural Management Digital Marketing & Sales Management Digital Marketing
Sikkim Manipal University Online MBA	Marketing Management Finance Management HR Management Systems Operations & Supply Chain Management Supply Chain Management Marketing and HR Marketing and Finance Healthcare Management