How to Prepare for CMAT 2026 Exam in 1 Month: Check Preparation Tips
Common Management Admission Test 2026 ( CMAT )
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.
- How to prepare for CMAT 2026 in One Month
- Best Books for CMAT Preparation 2026
- One Month Preparation Tips for CMAT 2026
- Points to Keep in Mind for CMAT Exam 2026
- CMAT Mock Test
How to prepare for CMAT 2026 in One Month
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
Best Books for CMAT Preparation 2026
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) |
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One Month Preparation Tips for CMAT 2026
Check below a few CMAT 2026 preparation tips for getting high marks in one month:
- CMAT Mock Tests: Practicing previous years’ CMAT question papers and mock tests will help you strengthen your grip on topics and discover short cuts of solving calculation heavy equations. With one month left for CMAT 2026, practice one CMAT mock test on alternate days. Make it a point to analyse the result of each mock test and work upon the gaps.
- Problem Solving Sessions: Participate in problem solving sessions in online study groups to get your doubts cleared. Online mentors and guides will teach you tricks and shortcuts to solve questions faster and more accurately. The online groups are also helpful in boosting the moral and confidence.
- Revision: Start chapter-wise revision 14 days before the exam. No amount of exam preparation will be useful, if you appear for the exam without ample revision. Take out an hour to go through all the concepts and formulae in the last 14 days. This is also the time to revise GK. If you have been following news, current affair will not be an issue. For static GK topics, the best approach is regular revision. Make short notes – write them down in a notebook. Go through the notes a day before the exam.
- Focus on exam day strategy: Make sure you understand the CMAT 2026 exam pattern properly i.e. know the section-wise break up, topic-wise weightage and difficulty level. The choice of questions plays an important role in overall scoring. CMAT exam 2026 will have negative marking and it is better to skip a question instead of answering it incorrectly. Develop the skill of identifying the questions that can be solved with 100 per cent accuracy.
- Time Management: Another aspect of CMAT preparation is that you need to focus on learning time-management. CMAT 2026 will have 100 questions and the duration of the exam is 180 minutes, which means you will get 1.8 minutes for each question, including reading exam related instructions, RC passages, mathematical calculation, etc. So, develop pace and accuracy in solving sample questions in the last one month.
Points to Keep in Mind for CMAT Exam 2026
- CMAT 2026 will have negative marking of minus one mark for wrong answer. There is no negative marking for unanswered questions.
- There will be no sectional time-limit in CMAT 2026. Candidates can choose the chronology of sections to answer as per their convenience.
- Focus on meeting sectional cut offs of CMAT, first. If there’s enough time left, attempt the questions left behind one more time.
- Start with easy questions first and then move to tough questions. Attempt GK section at last as it should not take more than 10-15 minutes.
- The CMAT question paper is generally of moderate difficulty. RC passages in the Language Comprehension section are also often easily understandable.
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Read More:
- CMAT preparation 2026: Cracking Logical Reasoning
- CMAT preparation 2026: Cracking QA-DI
- CMAT preparation 2026: Cracking Language Comprehension
- CMAT 2026 preparation and exam day tips
- CMAT score Vs percentile: How to calculate?
- What is CMAT score normalization process?
- CMAT exam day: Last minute tips
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 |
CMAT Mock Test
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 |
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.
Since every section of CMAT has 20 questions in total, solving 15 to 18 questions in each section with 80 percent accuracy is considered a good attempt in CMAT, and it can ensure a good percentile in the exam. In the GK section, about 10 to 12 correct attempts will be enough. Out of 100 questions, candidates must try to solve about 70 to 75 questions to achieve a 99 percentile. However, candidates must aim to solve a higher number of questions with maximum accuracy and minimize negative marking. To be able to achieve this target, candidates have to prepare for the CMAT in a disciplined manner. Candidates must set aside about three months to complete the CMAT syllabus, as they have to study five subjects and their numerous topics. If they have appeared for CAT, XAT, and IIFT exams, then they can complete the CMAT syllabus in one month as well. However, it is advised that candidates spend at least three months on CMAT syllabus for complete preparation.
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.
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 6 hours 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 6
Answered 5 days 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 6
Answered 5 days 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 6
Answered 5 days 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 6
Answered 5 days 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 6
Answered 5 days ago
CMAT 2026 result is expected to be declared by February 14 or 15, 2026. NTA has not shared any official date but if you look at the trend of previous year, CMAT result has always been released within 3 to 4 weeks of exam.
E
Contributor-Level 6
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 a month 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 month 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 month ago
CMAT 2026 admit card was available for download until exam day (January 25). Candidates must download CMAT-NTA admit card as soon as it is released and save it.
A
Contributor-Level 6
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.