Common Management Admission Test 2026 ( CMAT )
Exam On - 25 Jan '26
CMAT preparation in last one month is all about practice and revision. Know here what to study, what to practice and how to prepare for CMAT 2026 in 1 month.
CMAT is similar to other MBA entrance exams so it is not very difficult to prepare for it. But the focus should remain steady even in the last one month. Candidate must take care of the fact that the last month of CMAT preparation is not for studying new topics. They need to work on their strengths in that one month of exam preparation.
If you plan to appear for CMAT exam 2026 you need have a plan for 6-months, 3-months and 1-month. In this article we have shared one month CMAT 2026 preparation plan. In this plan candidates must include quick syllabus coverage and extensive practice. You must also focus on time bound revision and mock test practice.
If you appeared for CAT 2025, SNAP 2025, XAT 2026; all you will need to do in the last one month of CMAT preparation is practice CMAT mock tests and study GK. If you plan to appear for only CMAT exam, then you need to put in four to six hours daily for CMAT preparation, but before that you need to make a one-month CMAT preparation strategy. Read below for detailed CMAT exam strategy for one-month preparation.
To prepare for CMAT 2026 in one month, start with the toughest subject. Since, the time is less, focus on the subject you find toughest. Check CMAT 2026 syllabus and make a list of topics starting from toughest to easiest. Allot time for them accordingly and start the preparation.
CMAT exam pattern is almost similar to other MBA exams, i.e. MCQs on Quantitative Techniques, Reasoning, English and GK so the books and study material will be same. Since the time is less, the candidates must start practicing CMAT mock tests and previous years question papers simultaneously while covering the syllabus.
Download: Previous Year CMAT question papers PDFs
Given below is the list of best books for CMAT 2026. You should study for the exam from these books and practice test exercises given:
| CMAT Books |
Author |
|---|---|
| How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT |
Arun Sharma (Mc Graw Hill Education |
| The Pearson Guide to Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning for the CAT |
Nishit K Sinha |
| A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning |
Dr RS Aggarwal |
| Trishna’s Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning for the CAT and Other MBA Examinations |
T.I.M.E. |
| How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT |
Arun Sharma (Mc Graw Hill Education) |
| Quantitative Aptitude Quantum CAT Common Admission Tests for Admission Into IIMs |
Sarvesh K Verma (Arihant) |
| Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations |
Abhijit Guha (Mc Graw Hill Education) |
| NCERT Mathematics Books for Standard 8, 9 and 10 |
NCERT |
| Quantitative Aptitude |
Dr RS Aggarwal |
| How to Prepare for Logical Reasoning for the CAT |
Arun Sharma (Mc Graw Hill Education) |
| Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT |
Nishit K Sinha (Pearson) |
Check below a few CMAT 2026 preparation tips for getting high marks in one month:
30 Sep '25 - 30 Dec '25
30 Dec '25
4 Jan '26
9 Jan '26
5 Jan '26 - 10 Jan '26
29 Nov '25 - 11 Jan '26
13 Jan '26
22 Jan '26
23 Jan '26
Read More:
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.
The difficulty level of CMAT 2025 exam was overall moderate. Interestingly, the GK questions were not tough as they usually are. Check below section wise CMAT 2025 difficulty level.
CMAT 2025 section | Number of questions | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|
Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation | 20 | Easy |
Logical Reasoning | 20 | Easy |
Language Comprehension | 20 | Easy |
General Awareness | 20 | Moderate |
Innovation & Entrepreneurship | 20 | Moderate |
Shiksha offers free CMAT Mock Tests for candidates to practice and prepare for the exam. These CMAT mock tests are prepared on the basis of actual CMAT exams (previous sessions). Candidates can practice for free.
| CMAT_Mock_Test_1 | CMAT_Mock_Test_1_Solutions |
| CMAT_Mock_Test_2 | CMAT_Mock_Test_2_Solutions |
Innovation and Entrepreneurship syllabus of CMAT is not a very difficult section. The syllabus pertains to business studies, economy and entrepreneurship. So, it will not require must time to cover the syllabus. Candidate can dedicate one month to this section towards the end, while preparing for other sections. You can refer to books - Innovation and Entrepreneurship by Peter F. Drucker and Entrepreneurship & Innovation Management by R. Gopal, Entrepreneurship by Robert D. Hisrich and Manorama Year Book by Mammen Mathew.
Yes, it is necessary to attempt GK section in CMAT as unlike other MBA entrance exams, scores of GK are included in percentile calculation in CMAT. Total number of GK questions in 20 and attempting 8-10 questions correctly, can get the candidate desired sectional cut off in CMAT. So, while preparing for CMAT exam, do not ignore GK. You can prepare for it in the last couple of months with the help of year books as most of the questions are asked from Static GK.
When making a strategy for CMAT exam, keep in mind the following aspects in mind:
· CMAT is a medium difficulty level exam
· There is no sectional time limit so you will need to allocate time to every section yourself.
· Every section has 20 questions; one must try to attempt atleast 15 questions.
· Every section of CMAT is mandatory so ensure you have enough time to attempt all sections.
· GK is memory based section, so attempt it in the last 10-15 minutes.
· There is negative marking in CMAT so you must not do guess work.
· Do not spend more than 1 minute on any question. If you thing the questions is tough leave it and move to next question. You can come back to it later.
· Don't panic on seeing a complicated question. Choose the ones you can solve accurately.
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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Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 3 days ago
GIBS accepts scores from all major management entrance exams, including:
CAT
XAT
MAT
CMAT
GMAT
ATMA
State CET
This gives students multiple options to apply. Along with entrance exam scores, GIBS also looks at the overall profile, communication skills, and interest in management, which makes the admission pr
A
Contributor-Level 8
Answered a week 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
Beginner-Level 5
Answered a week 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
Answered a week ago
There is no provision of result evaluation in CMAT. The scores mentioned on result will be final and cannot be challenged. Candidates can only challenge the provisional answer key which is released before CMAT result.
M
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a week ago
No the CMAT scorecard is not sent to any candidate by post. The result is released in online mode only and has to be downloaded from the CMAT-NTA website only.
P
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a week ago
CMAT 2026 result will be available at the CMAT-NTA website. Candidates will have to log in and check their scorecard. Result will not be accessible without login or in offline mode.
N
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 2 weeks ago
Hi.
For PGDM and MBA admissions at GIBS Business School, Bangalore, the following entrance exams are accepted:
Accepted Entrance Exams
| Exam | Type / Level |
|---|---|
| CAT – Common Admission Test | National-level MBA entrance exam |
| XAT – Xavier Aptitude Test | National-level MBA entrance exam |
| MAT – Management Aptitude Test | National-level MBA entrance exam |
| CMAT – Common Management Admission Test | National-level MBA entrance exam |
| GMAT – Graduate Management Admission Test | International / National-level MBA entrance exam |
| ATMA – AIMS Test for Management Admissions | National-level MBA entrance exam |
| State CET (e.g., Karnataka PGCET) | State-level MBA entrance exam for Karnataka candidates |
h
Scholar-Level 18
Answered 3 weeks ago
Marvadi University's MBA Programme involves a total course fee of approximately Rs. 2.5 Lacs over the duration of your two years. The fee for first-year students is approximately Rs. 1.3 lakh. While hostel fees are different depending on whether you're male or female, they are billed separately. Mar
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 4 weeks ago
GGSIPU CMAT cutoff 2026 is expected to be around in the range of 95 to 99 percentile according to the previous years cutoff data. For admission to the MBA programmes at GGSIPU, candidates are expected to appear for the CMAT exam and clear the selection round of their chosen college. For more details
N
Contributor-Level 10
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.