Last Month Preparation Strategy to Crack CMAT 2026

CMAT 2026 will be held in January 2026, so the ideal time to start practicing CMAT mock tests regularly and seriously is December 2025 onwards. Ideally, an aspirant should aim for at least 10 full-length mocks during the last month of CMAT preparation.

By Mikin Shah

Last month preparation strategy for CMAT 2026 - It is exactly one month to go for CMAT 2025 exam. The efforts put in during the last stages of preparation can play a decisive role in determining your CMAT 2026 result. So, what should be the focus areas in this last one month of CMAT exam preparation 2026. In the last one month of CMAT preparation, the focus should be solely on solving practice tests, mock tests and sample questions. Enough practice of official CMAT questions will prepare you to handle any type of question paper- easy, moderate or tough. You can use the experience of CAT, NMAT, XAT exams to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. Apart from that, you need to focus on several other aspects of CMAT preparation 2026 in the last month. Read below.

Strength and Weaknesses

Any student who has taken up CMAT 2026 preparation seriously and has devoted the requisite time would definitely know the areas of strengths and weakness by now. Going into the final phases, the idea is to capitalise on your areas of strength while managing your weaknesses. This is especially true while attempting mock tests. The idea should be to first tackle the section which is your strength and then move to weaker areas. You must be absolutely clear in your mind about the sequence in which the sections are to be attempted. This sequence should be followed in each mock test and then at the real CMAT exam.

Also Read:

• CMAT 2026 application process started, last date Nov 18
• Check CMAT exam pattern 2026
• CMAT question papers PDFs for download

Well Defined Routine

For the last few weeks, settling into a well defined routine is a must. Various activities such as CMAT mock tests, revisions, study-breaks and most importantly the sleep timings must follow a set pattern. The aspirants should devote at least one hour daily to reading a national newspaper. Apart from being recreational, this can be of great help in improving comprehension skills as well as adding to the general awareness.

CMAT is About Aptitude Not Memory

It has been observed that some students tend to slog too hard during the last few weeks before the exams. This must be avoided at all costs as it is likely to hurt your performance. The idea is to just peak on the day of CMAT exam. Too much work (anything more than six hours per day) in the last month can cause you to burn out before the exam day. Also, CMAT is about aptitude and not memory, so it makes no sense to cover every possible topic / detail / concept / formulae during the last few days. Moreover, most of the candidates would have already spent more than 100 hours for preparation by then, so there is not much to add during the last few days.

CMAT 2026: What to Do in the Last Few Days?

For the last few days before the CMAT 2026 exam, the following should be kept in mind:

• It is alright to relax! You have done all the hard-work, and now is the time to harvest it.
• DO NOT attempt too many mock tests in the final days before CMAT 2026 (Not more than two mock tests during the last four days).
• Be very sure about the section-wise sequence of attempts. Maximise the attempts in your areas of strength.
• Try to visit the CMAT test center one or two days before the actual exam as it will help you to avoid last minute hassle of connectivity, traffic, etc.
• Get a good night’s sleep (at least seven hours) and spend time with family or friends on the day preceding the CMAT exam.