CMAT 2026 Exam Analysis; Check Difficulty Level of Paper, No. of Good Attempts, Expected Cutoffs
Common Management Admission Test 2026 ( CMAT )
CMAT 2026 analysis is out. The question paper of CMAT exam held today was moderate. Check below detailed CMAT exam analysis.
CMAT 2026 paper analysis
CMAT 2026 analysis – NTA conducted the CMAT exam today across India from 9 am to 12 pm. According to early reviews, the CMAT 2026 question paper was of moderate difficulty level. Detailed CMAT 2026 exam analysis has been shared below. This year, there was only one RC question in English and in GK, 19 out of 20 questions were from static GK. Quant was dominated by Arithmetic as always. The question paper analysis has section wise CMAT difficulty level, topic wise weightage, number of good attempts and expected cut offs.
- CMAT 2026 Analysis: Highlights
- CMAT 2026 Analysis – Sectional Difficulty Level and Number of Good Attempts
- CMAT Exam Analysis 2026: Section Wise
- Expected CMAT 2026 Cut Offs: Top Colleges
CMAT 2026 Analysis: Highlights
This year CMAT exam has been conducted in single shift, so there will be no marks normalization. Check below key highlights of the CMAT paper analysis.
- CMAT 2026 had 100 questions in MCQ format
- Each section of CMAT 2026 question paper had 20 questions.
- Quantitative Technique and Data Interpretation section was easy.
- Language Comprehension and Logical Reasoning sections were easy.
- Innovation and Entrepreneurship section was moderate.
- General Awareness section was moderate, as usual having questions from recent events.
Commonly asked questions
CMAT RC passages are easy. Candidates need not worry about RCs in CMAT because they are short and pretty much straight forward. Questions are fact based and generally require candidates to identify the main argument/theme/idea of the passage. Sometimes, there are a few vocabulary and idiom based questions too, but mostly from familiar areas and topics. The length is about 200-500 words.
One should dedicate about 4 to 5 hour in a day for CMAT preparation. If you have started CMAT preparation six months before 4 to 5 hours daily will be good. But if you start preparation 3 months before CMAT exam, you will need to dedicate about 7 hours to exam preparation as you will have to cover a lot in less time.
Cracking Logical Reasoning section of CMAT is all about how well and how quickly you understand the puzzles and patterns. To master this section of CMAT exam, sample questions for practice and sectional mock tests for CMAT are the best resource. You should start practicing Logical Reasoning questions early on in the preparation cycle. Pay attention to the topics from which Logical Reasoning questions are asked in CMAT. Prepare for those type of questions only. For Data Interpretation section of CMAT. You should be well versed with reading tables, graphs and charts correctly. For quick calculation, you should strengthen basic mathematical calculations like multiplication, division, square, square roots, cube, cube roots, etc. This section is all about observation and ability to break down information into pieces, so you need to practice a wide range of data interpretation questions.
CMAT 2026 Analysis – Sectional Difficulty Level and Number of Good Attempts
CMAT 2026 question paper had questions from usual topics. Most of the questions were straightforward and doable. Check below CMAT difficulty level and number of good attempts.
| CMAT 2026 Sections |
Number of Questions |
Number of Good Attempts |
Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation |
20 |
16-17 |
Easy |
| Logical Reasoning |
20 |
15-16 |
Easy |
| Language Comprehension |
20 |
15-16 |
Easy |
| General Awareness |
20 |
10-11 |
Moderate |
| Innovation & Entrepreneurship |
20 |
11-12 |
Moderate |
| Total |
100 |
70-75 |
Easy |
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CMAT Exam Analysis 2026: Section Wise
CMAT 2026 Analysis: Quantitative Technique and Data Interpretation
CMAT paper analysis of Quantitative Aptitude section reveals maximum questions were asked from Arithmetic. Check below topic wise break up of the section.
| Quants topic |
Total |
Sub topics |
|---|---|---|
| Arithmetic |
7 |
Time and Work (1), Ratio-Proportion(1), Profit & Loss (2), Clock (1), Allegations and Mixtures (1), Percentages (1) |
| Geometry |
3 |
Triangles(1), Mensuration (1), Quadrilateral (1) |
| Modern Math |
1 |
Probability (1) |
| Numbers |
6 |
Surds(1), Indices (1), Fraction(1), Classification (1), HCF – LCM (1), Misc (1) |
| Data Interpretation |
3 |
1 Set of 3 questions (Table) |
CMAT 2026 Analysis: Logical Reasoning
Logical Reasoning section of today’s CMAT exam was easy. As per the CMAT 2026 paper analysis, about 15 to 16 attempts with 80% accuracy can be considered good.
| Non Verbal Reasoning |
Number of Questions |
|---|---|
| Directions |
1 |
| Cubes |
2 |
| Counting the number of squares |
1 |
| Linear Arrangement |
1 |
| Family tree |
1 |
| Clocks |
1 |
| Numerical Puzzle |
1 |
| Misc |
1 |
| Logical venn diagram |
1 |
| Set theory |
1 |
| Number Series |
1 |
| Analogy based sequence |
1 |
| Word based Analogy |
1 |
| Odd one out |
1 |
| Alpha numeric |
1 |
| Verbal Reasoning |
Number of Questions |
| Assertion Reason; Strong/Weak Argument; Assumption; Conclusion |
4 |
CMAT 2026 Analysis: Language Comprehension
There was only on RC passage of 150 words. It had 2 questions. Out of 20 questions were grammar bases. Check the table below for topic wise composition of Language Comprehension section of CMAT 2026 question paper:
| Area |
No. of Questions |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension: Scientific theories |
2 |
| Cloze Passage (3 blanks) |
3 |
| Jumbled Sentence |
1 |
| Vocabulary (1 meaning of underlined idiom, 1 meaning of a phrase) |
2 |
| Grammar (compound sentence, verb forms, active-passive voice, reported speech, prepositions, degrees of comparison, miscellaneous) |
12 |
CMAT 2026 Analysis: General Awareness
In GK section this year, there was a major change. Out of 20 questions, 19 were from Static GK and 1 was from Current Affairs. Questions belonged to fields such as science, sports, management, history, awards, art, personalities, authors and business.
CMAT 2026 Analysis: Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Innovation & Entrepreneur section had the regular concept based questions (bootstrapping, venture capital, factors impacting markets, qualities of entrepreneurs, ambidexterity theory, design thinking. Out of 20 questions, only 3 were from Business GK.
Also Read:
- What is a Good Score in CMAT 2026?
- CMAT Score vs Percentile: How to Calculate?
- What is CMAT Score Normalization Process?
- Top Colleges in India Accepting CMAT score
- Top MBA Colleges Accepting CMAT Score 80-90 Percentile
- Top MBA Colleges Accepting CMAT Score 70-80 Percentile
- Top MBA Colleges Accepting CMAT Score 60-70 Percentile
Expected CMAT 2026 Cut Offs: Top Colleges
The CMAT 2026 cut offs will be determined by the college individually. Check below expected CMAT cut offs 2026.
| Colleges Accepting CMAT score |
CMAT Expected Cut Off Percentiles |
|---|---|
| 99.9 |
|
| 95-99 |
|
| 95-99 |
|
| 99 |
|
| 95-99 |
|
| 90-95 |
|
| 95-99 |
|
| 85 |
|
| 80 |
|
| 85 |
|
| 85 |
|
| 85 |
|
| 85 |
|
| 85 |
|
| 80 |
|
| 80 |
|
| 80 |
|
| 80 |
|
| 85 |
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered a week ago
At GIBS Business School Bangalore, students are trained for interviews and corporate readiness through:
Regular mock interviews and group discussions to practice real-life scenarios.
Focus on developing soft skills, like communication and leadership.
Exposure to the corporate world through guest lectur
M
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks ago
While CMAT is the primary route, RGPV may occasionally admit based on merit in graduation if seats remain vacant after all CMAT-qualified candidates are placed through College Level Counselling.
R
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 3 weeks ago
MAT and CMAT both are moderately difficulty exam, but have their own challenges. While, CMAT has one extra section Innovation and Entrepreneurship, MAT has a separate section for Data Interpretation having 30 questions. With focused preparation, you can crack either of the two that you choose.
S
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 4 weeks ago
CMAT cutoff refers to minimum percentile required for admission to a particular college. Score accepting colleges determine the cut offs individually based on certain parameters. CMAT cut offs for top colleges like JBIMS, SIMSREE, PUMBA are generally 99 percentile and above.
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 4 weeks ago
With 82 percentile in CMAT, you stand a chance of getting colleges like Great Lakes Institute of Management Gurgaon, Jaipuria Institute of Management Noida, IPE Hyderabad, FLAME University Pune, Asia Pacific Institute of Management Delhi, Prestige Institute of Management Indore among others.
N
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 4 weeks ago
CMAT total marks is 400. It is usually considered that scoring 270 to 300 marks can convert into good percentile, about 99 percentile. Around 200 marks can get you 90 percentile which is also good if you are targeting private colleges.
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 4 weeks ago
There is no passing mark in CMAT exam, as admission is based on cut offs determined by colleges. A candidate scoring more than 0 in CMAT is eligible for admission will be selected only if they meet minimum cut off.
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 4 weeks ago
CMAT 2026 result was declared by February 17, 2026. NTA released the scorecard late night at the official website. Candidates can download their scorecard through login.
E
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a month ago
No, GIM Goa does not accept CMAT scores for its PGDM programs for admissions. It only accepts CAT or XAT exam score. CAT score of previous year is accepted and XAT score of current year is accepted.
J
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
No, CMAT scores are not compulsory for admissions into the MBA course at NSUT. Even CMAT scores are not the first priority of the admission committee to shortlist the students. Because the university considers the scores of CAT/ MAT for selecting the students. If the seats get vacant, then only CMAT
I
Contributor-Level 10
Vipra Shrivastava is MA in English Literature from Delhi University with extensive experience in content writing of over 14 years. She has been handling content for Management, Accounting and Commerce streams for 8
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