Eight Key Tips to Crack NMAT 2026: Preparation Strategy, Expert's Advice
NMAT 2025 ( NMAT )
Taking into consideration the popularity of NMAT and the ranking of institutions accepting NMAT scores for MBA admission, Shiksha brings to you eight tips to create a preparation strategy for NMAT exam. Read below.
NMAT 2026 Preparation: The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) conducts NMAT exam every year. NMAT scores are accepted by over 50 b-schools in India and abroad. Candidates targeting MBA admissions via NMAT will need 3-6 months for NMAT preparation, depending upon the subject knowledge. Those who have prior knowledge of topics under NMAT syllabus tend to prepare for the exam within three months. However, candidates starting fresh will need 5-6 months for NMAT preparation.
After NMAT registration, candidates have to choose the exam date while scheduling the exam. Candidates must plan three attempts of the NMAT exam before they proceed to select an exam date. Prior to knowing the strategies for NMAT 2026, candidates must familiarise themselves with the NMAT exam pattern.
Also Read: How to Strategically Plan Three Attempts of NMAT Exam?
NMAT 2026 Exam Pattern
The table below mentions the indicative exam pattern for NMAT 2026:
| NMAT Sections |
No. of Questions in NMAT 2026 |
|---|---|
| Language Skills Section |
36 |
| Logical Reasoning |
36 |
| Quantitative Skills |
36 |
| Total |
108 |
The number of questions has been reduced compared to previous years, whereas the duration has remained the same. Equal weightage has been given to each section; the score ranges from 12 to 120 in each section and 36 to 360 in total.
If you aim to crack the exam, use your time best. To help create a preparation strategy for NMAT 2026, Shiksha brings to you eight tips. Considering the time left and the exam difficulty level, we hope these tips will help you crack NMAT 2026 with a good score.
Commonly asked questions
The NMAT exam is generally considered to be of moderate difficulty level. NMAT is a speed-based test which requires candidates to solve 108 questions within 120 minutes. Almost all test takers find NMAT easier than CAT.
How hard it is to get admission to the course depends on a variety of factors. These factors are the difficulty level of the entrance exam, the number of applicants, the availability of seats in the selected course/specialisation. etc. Admission to the BTech programme of NMIMS Hyderabad is based on the N-CET scores. Seats are allotted to the candidates who manage to secure the required cut-off for BTech admission at the institute, provided they fulfill the eligibility criteria. The institute's BTech eligibility criteria are not very difficult to meet. A candidate must have passed Class 12 with at least 45% in physics, mathematics, chemistry, or vocational subjects to be eligible for the course. Candidates with 45% in Diploma in engineering can also apply.
While preparing for Verbal Reasoning section of NPAT exam, candidates must recognise grammatical structure and usage, use prepositions, determiners, connectives, tenses appropriately.
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Eight tips to crack NMAT 2026
- Create a strategy for practice: Practising without any strategy is not worthwhile. Ask questions to yourself like what subject to prepare at what time, how much time to devote to it, when to start revision and so on.
- Convert your weaknesses to strengths and make strong areas stronger: To do this, here’s a four-step strategy:
- Practice and understand solved examples
- Practice unsolved exercises
- Next, move on to NMAT mock tests
- Finally, solve the previous years’ NMAT question papers. Try to practice around 20 questions in each step for each topic.
- Revision should be on the top of your mind in the last few days: The more you are clear about basic concepts, the more confident you are in solving all the questions successfully in the exam. Try to revise the chapters' basics to score high in the exam.
- Work out on shortcuts: If you are confident about any topic or subject, do not practice odd questions. Find out shortcuts to solving a time-consuming question and practice NMAT by GMAC mock tests.
- Time Management. Each section has specific durations assigned for completion, i.e. NMAT will have a sectional time limit. While practising, keep a timer, onscreen or physical, to keep track of the time and ensure that you not only complete the section on time but also there is enough time for revision. The section-wise durations are given in the below table.
| NMAT 2026 Sections |
Sectional Time Limit |
|---|---|
| Language Skills |
28 minutes |
| Logical Reasoning |
40 minutes |
| Quantitative Skills |
52 minutes |
| Total Duration |
120 minutes |
Also Read: NMAT Syllabus 2026
-
Practice subjects in an alternate manner: During preparation, ensure that you pick up sections in an alternate manner so that you get equal practice and preparation in all three sections. For example, practice the Quant section on one day (or a few days) and the Language Skills sections on the second. This will help in maintaining the mood for practice. For example, devote Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to the Quant and Logical Reasoning section and Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday to the Language Skills section.
-
Practice individual topics in an alternate manner: Just like you alter between sections, try to alter your topics as well. Do not get stuck on one particular topic for days. Try to switch to a new topic every time you change your section. This is important while revising. If you stick to one topic for too long, you won’t have the time to focus on other topics.
-
Devote last month for revision and practising mock tests: Try to devote the last month of preparation to the basics and focus on practising the NMAT mock tests. Solving NMAT question papers in the final few days is essential. There are chances of repetition of questions from past years.
These are a few suggestions to help you in NMAT exam preparation. The better you prepare, the more the chances of admission in a top B-School will be. NMAT by GMAC scores are accepted by numerous institutes in India and abroad. Remember, hard work is the key to success. If you really work hard, you will definitely crack the test.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 5 days ago
Yes, students have to apply separately for NMIMS MBA admission after NMAT results are out. Students must go to the NMIMS website and register online. To submit the form, candidates have to provide documents and application fees.
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks ago
The maximum scaled score a candidate can achieve in the NMAT exam is 360 marks. Since there are 108 questions and each correct answer carries three marks, the total score ranges between 36 and 360.
V
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 3 weeks ago
The NMAT exam consists of three distinct sections. These sections are Language Skills, Quantitative Skills, and Logical Reasoning. Each of these three sections has equal weightage and contains exactly 36 questions for candidates to solve.
D
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 3 weeks ago
In the NMAT exam marking scheme, candidates are awarded three marks for each correct objective-type question. There is no negative marking for incorrect attempts, but zero marks are deducted for any unattempted questions during the online test.
N
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 3 weeks ago
The total duration of the NMAT exam is 120 minutes. NMAY has a sectional time limit with 28 minutes for Language Skills, 40 minutes for Logical Reasoning, and 52 minutes for the Quantitative Skills section.
R
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 3 weeks ago
The NMAT exam pattern features 108 objective-type questions to be completed in 120 minutes. It is a computer-based test divided into three equal sections: Language Skills, Quantitative Skills, and Logical Reasoning, each containing exactly 36 questions.
B
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 3 weeks ago
Yes, candidates can efficiently prepare using the books recommended for CAT exam preparation or any other MBA entrance exam. The syllabus for these entrance exams is mostly similar, covering Language Skills, Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Skills.
S
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 3 weeks ago
Yes, candidates must refer to at least two books for each section while preparing for the NMAT exam. It is highly recommended to use the official GMAC guide along with other standard competitive exam preparation books.
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks ago
Based on test-taker feedback, the NMAT exam is moderate to tough. It focuses heavily on speed, accuracy, and basic conceptual understanding. Almost all candidates find the NMAT exam easier than CAT, and its difficulty is comparable to SNAP
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 3 weeks ago
Yes, candidates can prepare for NMAY exam in one month by planning a focused approach. Practice the free NMAT question paper, analyse your weak areas, and divide your time to cover one section per week, leaving the final week for revision
J
Contributor-Level 7
Abhishek is a content writer and editor with 7+ years of experience in education journalism. He completed his graduation from University of Delhi with a BA Degree. At Shiksha.com, he handles content for MBA, BBA, an
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