CMAT 2026 Exam Date (Jan 25), Admit Card (Soon), Question Papers, Pattern, Syllabus, Prep Tips
Common Management Admission Test 2026 ( CMAT )
Exam On - 25 Jan '26
CMAT 2026 exam will be held on January 25, 2026. Admit card for the same is expected to be released soon. Check here all about CMAT 2026, including dates, application, syllabus, pattern, question papers, preparation, cut offs, top colleges, etc.
CMAT 2026 exam
CMAT 2026 exam will be held on January 25, 2026. NTA is expected to release the CMAT 2026 admit card between January 18 to 21, 2026. The exam will be conducted in 120+ cities in computer based mode. The test duration will be 180 minutes or 3 hours. There will be 2 sessions. Exam centre and slot will be mentioned on candidate's CMAT admit card 2026.
Over 1300 MBA Colleges in India accept CMAT score for admission to MBA/PGDM courses. Some of the top CMAT score accepting colleges include JBIMS, KJ Somaiaya, Prin LN Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research, Great Lakes Institute of Management, KIIT School of Management, Amity University, BIMTECH, Goa Institute of Management, Xavier Institute of Management and Research, Gitam School of Management. Read below all about CMAT 2026 exam including dates, syllabus, pattern, registration process, application fees, cut offs and list of MBA colleges accepting CMAT exam score for admission.
- CMAT 2026 Exam Dates
- CMAT 2026 Admit Card
- CMAT Exam Pattern 2026
- CMAT 2026 Syllabus
- CMAT Preparation 2026
- CMAT Answer Key 2026
- CMAT 2026 Result
- CMAT Cut Offs for MBA Admission
- MBA Colleges Accepting CMAT Score
- CMAT Eligibility Criteria 2026
- CMAT 2026 Registration and Application Process
- CMAT Exam Fees 2026
CMAT 2026 Exam Dates
For the past few years, the CMAT has been conducted on April-May, however, in 2025, the exam was conducted in January. In 2026 too, it will be conducted in January. Check below CMAT exam date.
| CMAT 2026 Events |
CMAT 2026 Dates |
|---|---|
| CMAT 2026 registration starts |
17-Oct-2025 |
| Registration ends |
17-Nov-2025 24-Nov-2025 |
| Fee payment window closing |
18-Nov-2025 25-Nov-2025 |
| Form correction window |
20-Nov-2025 to 21-Nov-2025 26-Nov-2025 to 28-Nov-2025 |
| Announcement of city intimation |
Soon |
| CMAT admit card 2026 release |
Soon |
| CMAT 2026 exam |
25-Jan-2026 |
| CMAT 2026 answer key challenge |
To be announced |
| CMAT 2026 result declaration |
To be announced |
CMAT 2026 Admit Card
CMAT admit card 2026 will be released at the CMAT-NTA website. Candidates will have to download it and carry to the examination centre on the exam day. To download the CMAT 2026 admit card, the below given process is to be followed:
- Visit the CMAT-NTA website
- Click on 'CMAT 2025 admit card' tab
- Enter CMAT application number and date of birth
- Enter security pin and click on login
- Click on CMAT admit card and download the PDF
CMAT Exam Pattern 2026
In the last leg of exam preparation, make sure you are completely aware of the latest exam pattern. If not, then go through previous years' CMAT question papers.
CMAT exam pattern is prepared on the basis of AICTE guidelines for MBA entrance exams. It is an MCQ based test. Check the table below for the latest CMAT exam pattern:
| CMAT Exam Pattern |
Details |
|---|---|
| Number of sections |
Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation Logical Reasoning Language Comprehension General Awareness Innovation & Entrepreneurship |
| Mode of examination |
Computer based test |
| Duration of exam |
180 minutes (no sectional time limit) |
| Number of questions |
100 |
| Number of questions per section |
20 |
| Number of answer choices |
4 |
| CMAT Marking scheme |
4 marks for correct answer -1 mark for incorrect answer |
| Total Marks |
400 |
CMAT 2026 Syllabus
CMAT syllabus is prescribed by the AICTE for NTA and includes important topics from Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning, Language Comprehension, General Awareness and Innovation & Entrepreneurship. Check below section wise important topics included in the CMAT exam syllabus 2026.
| CMAT Syllabus |
Important Topics |
|---|---|
| Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation |
Algebra, Time-Speed-Distance, Alligation & Mixtures, Geometry, Graph, Quadratic and Linear Equations, etc. |
| Logical Reasoning |
Analytical Reasoning, Linear Arrangements, Number Series, Matrix Arrangements, Blood Relationship Tests, etc. |
| Language Comprehension |
Reading Comprehension, Grammar, English Usage Errors, Parajumbles, etc. |
| General Awareness |
Economy, Business, World, Politics, Sports, Culture, Society |
| Innovation & Entrepreneurship |
Questions related to innovation, entrepreneurship and start up business |
CMAT Preparation 2026
CMAT 2026 preparation will require at least 6 months. So, aspirants should start preparing from August/September onwards. The CMAT preparation plan should include syllabus coverage and practice of CMAT mock tests.
- Candidates planning to appear for CMAT 2026 must get hold of CMAT books recommended by experts to understand topics.
- It is important to break the exam preparation plan in stages and study according to CMAT six-month plan, CMAT three-month plan and CMAT one-month plan.
Check below, some useful CMAT 2026 preparation articles:
- CMAT Preparation Tips: Innovation and Entrepreneurship
- CMAT Preparation Tips: Cracking Logical Reasoning
- CMAT Preparation Tips: Cracking QA-DI
- CMAT Preparation Tips: Cracking Language Comprehension
CMAT Answer Key 2026
CMAT answer key 2026 will be released 3-5 days after the exam. It will be released along with the candidate response sheet Check below steps to download CMAT 2026 answer key and response sheet.
- Visit CMAT 2026 website
- Click on 'CMAT 2026 answer key ' option
- Enter application number and password
- Click on 'answer key' to download it
NTA will give candidates the option to challenge the provisional CMAT answer key 2026, if they feel any answer given by the authority is incorrect. They will be able to raise objection against the CMAT answer key by filling an online form and paying INR 200 per question as fees. The objections will be analysed and if any of them are found to be valid, the provisional CMAT answer key will be revised.
Also Read:
- CMAT 2025 exam analysis, check difficulty level, good attempts
- CMAT 2025 answer key, question paper (shift 1 and 2) PDF download
- CMAT Response Sheet 2025 PDF Free Download
- CMAT 2025 Student Reactions and Reviews
CMAT 2026 Result
CMAT result 2026 will be declared about 10 days after the release of provisional answer key. Test takers will be able to download their CMAT 2026 result cum scorecard from the official website by using their login credentials. Given below are the steps to download the CMAT result 2026:
- Go to CMAT-NTA website
- Click on CMAT 2026 scorecard tab
- Enter CMAT application number and date of birth
- Click on CMAT scorecard and download the PDF
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CMAT Cut Offs for MBA Admission
MBA admission through CMAT is based on cut offs. Top Tier colleges for CMAT have high cut offs, usually in the range of 95 to 99 + percentile. Here is a list of CMAT cut off score accepting colleges in the range of 85 to 99 percentile.
| Colleges Accepting CMAT score |
CMAT Cut Off Percentiles |
|---|---|
| 99.9 |
|
| 95-99 |
|
| 95-99 |
|
| 99 |
|
| 95-99 |
|
| 95-99 |
|
| 95 |
|
| 85 |
|
| 80 |
|
| 85 |
|
| 85 |
|
| 85 |
|
| 85 |
|
| 85 |
Also Read: Institute-wise CMAT cut offs
MBA Colleges Accepting CMAT Score
Check out some of the popular MBA colleges in India which accept CMAT score for admission:
CMAT Eligibility Criteria 2026
CMAT is a postgraduation entrance exam, so candidates must have graduation degree. Check below CMAT eligibility criteria 2026.
- Graduation or equivalent degree from a recognised university.
- Students in their final year of bachelor’s degree can also apply for CMAT exam.
- Only passing marks in graduation is required for CMAT
- There is no age limit for appearing in the exam. Any candidate at any stage of their career can appear for CMAT.
Note: The CMAT accepting colleges may have minimum score requirement of 50 percent (45 percent) in graduation.
Also Read: CMAT Eligibility Criteria 2026
CMAT 2026 Registration and Application Process
CMAT registration and application form was available in online mode and was to be submitted by November 24, 2025. Given below is the CMAT 2026 application process:
- Visit CMAT 2026 website: cmat.nta.nic.in
- Click on ‘registration link for CMAT 2026’
- Click on 'new registration' option
- Enter personal details and choose a password to create a login ID
- Log in with the ID shared in mail
- Upload a government ID
- Fill the CMAT 2026 form will relevant details
- Add personal and academic details
- Select 4 test cities in order of preference
- Upload a photo ID and signature
- Pay the fee via debit/credit card or net banking
Also Read: List of CMAT test cities
CMAT Exam Fees 2026
Given below is the fee amount to be paid at the time of CMAT 2026 form submission:
- INR 2,500 for General / EWS/OBC-NCL (Male)
- INR 1,250 for Females, Third Gender and Reserved category students
Candidates must note that the fee in non-refundable and if they make an error in their form and have to fill it again, they will need to pay the fee again.
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Sectional weightage of CMAT is same. Since the Language Comprehension section of CMAT includes reading comprehension passages, it can be considered a lengthy section. However, any other section can also be lengthier due to nature of the questions.
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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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 2 days 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 days ago
GIBS is pretty chill when it comes to entrance exams because they accept almost all the common ones that students usually write. Like CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, GMAT, ATMA, and even state CET scores are considered. So honestly you don't feel limited or stressed about writing only one specific exam. Most o
S
Beginner-Level 5
Answered 5 days ago
Candidates seeking admission to GIBS Bangalore's PGDM and MBA programs can use the results of a variety of national and international management entrance tests including CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, ATMA, and GMAT. All applicants will be reviewed based on their academic record, performance in group discussi
M
Contributor-Level 8
Answered a week 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
Answered a week ago
CMAT is one of the important examinations for admission to the MBA course at Biyani Group of Colleges. However, as the MBA course at Biyani Group of Colleges is offered with the affiliation of Rajasthan Technical University. Thus, there are chances that the college can accept the relevant scores of
I
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
CMAT 2026 admit card will be available for download until exam day (January 25). After that, link to download it will be deactivated. Candidates must download CMAT-NTA admit card as soon as it is released and save it.
A
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a week ago
CMAT 2026 admit card will be released 4-5 days before the exam. Since CMAT 2026 is scheduled on January 25, the admit card can be expected to be released by January 20, 2026. NTA has not announced any date for CMAT 2026 hall ticket release, though.
A
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a week ago
After the declaration of CMAT result, PIGM Indore will start the selection process. The candidates who shall have passed the CMAT exam will be required to fill the application forms for admission. Aspirants will need to apply on the basis of their score and cut offs fixed by PIGM Indore. If a candid
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks ago
With the release of the CMA June 2025 results, 5,491 candidates completed Intermediate Course of the Institute. Such candidates were marked eligible for the practical training.
R
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 3 weeks ago
According to Shiksha, CMAT score is accepted by over 1600 MBA colleges in India. These include, government, government aided and private institutions. So, you can select any college based on its cut offs, ranking, location, fees, placements and infrastructure.
E
Contributor-Level 6
Yes, there is a negative marking in CMAT exam. For each wrong answer, 1 mark will be deducted. However, no marks will be deducted for unanswered questions.