Abhishek
Abhishek Dhawan
Assistant Manager – Editorial Content
Updated on Jan 19, 2026 12:12 IST
Graduate Management Admission council conducts NMAT exam for admission to more than 50 b-schools in India and abroad. Reputed b-schools, like NMIMS, TAPMI, SP Jain, KJ Somaiya, among others accept NMAT scores for MBA admissions. Check complete details on NMAT by GMAC, including exam dates, syllabus, pattern, sample papers and more.

Graduate Management Admission council conducts NMAT exam for admission to more than 50 b-schools in India and abroad. Check complete details on NMAT by GMAC, including exam dates, syllabus, pattern, sample papers and more.

NMAT Exam 2026

NMAT 2026 Exam

NMAT 2026: Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) will conduct NMAT within a test window of around 45 to 50 days. Candidates are allowed to appear for NMAT 2026 thrice within the test window. GMAC is expected to start NMAT 2026 registration in the first week of August. Reputed b-schools, like NMIMS, TAPMI, SP Jain, KJ Somaiya, among others accept NMAT scores for MBA admissions. Candidates find 108 questions in NMAT exam from three different sections. All questions in NMAT exam are objective type, to be answered within 120 minutes. GMAC will also have a sectional timelimit for all three sections of NMAT 2026 exam. Scroll down for more details on NMAT 2026 exam, including dates, eligibility conditions, application process, pattern, syllabus and preparation tips.

Table of contents
  • NMAT by GMAC 2026: Dates
  • NMAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria
  • NMAT 2026 Registration Process
  • NMAT Exam Scheduling
  • NMAT Exam Retake
  • NMAT Exam Pattern 2026
  • NMAT 2026 Syllabus
  • NMAT Preparation 2026
  • NMAT Selection Process 2026
View More

NMAT by GMAC 2026: Dates

Typically, NMAT registrations begin in the first week of August. The table below mentions the important dates related to NMAT by GMAC.

NMAT 2026 Exam Schedule

NMAT Event

Start Date

End Date

Exam registration

First week of August Second week of October

Scheduling

First week of August Second week of October

Re-scheduling

First week of August Third week of December

Retake registration

First week of November Third week of December

Re-take scheduling

First week of November Third week of December

NMAT exam dates

First week of November Third week of December

Release of NMAT results

Immediately after submitting test responses

Check NMAT Cut offs and predict calls from colleges accepting NMAT score for admission. Check Fees, Placement Reviews, Admission, Shortlist Criteria and Eligibility of all NMAT participating colleges by clicking the link below:

Predict NMAT Admission Calls
Q:   What is meant by sectional cutoff for NMAT?
A:

NMAT sectional cutoff is the minimum score required in each section of the exam for admission to a particular B-school. NMAT exam has three sections.

Q:   How can I know about the NMAT cutoffs of different colleges?
A:

The cut-offs of different colleges are different so once the colleges decide on the NMAT cutoffs they will officially release the set level of cut off individually. However, for reference purposes, they can check the past year NMAT cut-offs to understand the level of a particular college.

Q:   How is NMAT cutoff score decided?
A:

NMAT participating institutes decide the cutoff scores for admission and to shortlist candidates for admission rounds. Several factors, including the previous year's cutoff scores, total applicants, total seats, candidate's performance, among other factors helps in deciding the cutoff scores.

Typically, the participating institute shall decide the NMAT cutoff marks based on the number of seats, total applicants, and previous year's cutoff scores. The cutoff score may change based on demand-supply principle. More number of applications will lead to higher cutoff score. Whereas, decrease in the number of applications can lead to a lower cutoff score.

NMAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria

Before filling the application form, candidates need to check the NMAT eligibility criteria. Ineligible candidates will get their candidature rejected in later stages of the examination process. The space below mentions the NMAT eligibility conditions.

  1. Age limit: There is no age limit to apply for NMAT by GMAC
  2. Qualification: Candidates scoring at least 50% aggregate in graduation level examination are eligible for the exam.
  3. Work Experience: Candidates having work experience are also eligible to apply

Key Information: 

  • Candidates found ineligible at any stage of the admission process will be disqualified from the examination process.
  • Appearing candidates are also eligible to apply for the exam.
  • Participating institutes will have separate eligibility conditions for MBA/PGDM admission through NMAT by GMAC

Also Read: NMAT Eligibility Criteria 2026

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NMAT 2026 Registration Process

Eligible candidates can proceed to fill the NMAT application form. NMAT registration is administered in an online mode.

Steps to complete the NMAT 2026 registration are as follows.

1st Step: Create an account by visiting register.nmat.org by providing name, email ID, mobile number and the country to take the test

2nd Step: Hitting the ‘Create an Account’ button will lead to the generation of verification email. Access dashboard using the verification link.

3rd Step: Click the ‘Register Now’ button from the dashboard and proceed to fill in details as mentioned in the image below

Key Information:

  1. Carry the same identity card at the test centre as uploaded during the application process. 
  2. For schools preference, choose five institutes accepting NMAT scores in order of preference.
  3. You might face an additional step of choosing the exam mode in case the exam is held in remote proctored mode as well. 

4th Step: Accept the declaration and click on ‘I Agree’

5th Step: Pay the application fee using the preferred mode of payment.

NMAT Registration Process 2026

NMAT 2026 Registration Process

NMAT Registration Fees 2026

NMAT Application Type

Application Fee (in INR)

Test Registration (regular fee)

3,000 applicable taxes

Retake exam fee

3,000 applicable taxes

Reschedule

1,200 applicable taxes

Request for sending NMAT Scores to B-schools

400 per B-school applicable taxes

NOTE: There is no additional fee for choosing five B-Schools while filling the NMAT application form.

Also Read: NMAT 2026 Registration

Q:   How is the NMAT score and percentile calculated?
A:

The scores of candidates will be equated and percentile scores are calculated after the completion of exam for declaring the final NMAT result. Check below, how the scaled and percentile scores are calculated.

Scaled scores: The scaled scores are prepared after normalising the marks obtained by the candidates. These scores are equated to account any differences in the overall difficulty level. This process is applied to check the scores are comparable across the different sets of question papers.

Final percentile: The final percentile is prepared after the candidates have appeared for NMAT by GMAC examination. The scorecard of NMAT sent to schools will be updated with the announcement of the result. For example, if a test taker is said to score 75 percentile, the test taker scored better than 75%ile of all the test takers who took the exam.

Q:   What is the expected NMAT cutoff for Amity University MBA admissions?
A:

Amity University admission 2024 to MBA course is based on MAT,  XAT,  CAT,  NMAT,  CMAT,  GMAT and CUET. The 2024 CAT cutoff is yet to be released for admission to Amity University. The expected NMAT cutoff 2024 based on previous years' cutoff data will be estimated nearly around 140 to 150 in the upcoming admission session 2025. Candidates seeking admission to Amity University through NMAT can check previous year scores in the table below: 

Amity Business School : NMAT Cutoffs (GN-AI)
Course2023
MBA Retail Management140
Marketing and Sales 140
MBA Finance140
Human Resources140
Telecom Management140
International Business140
International Business with AI140
MBA in Construction Project Management140
MBA in Logistics and Supply Chain Management140
MBA in Competitive Intelligence and Strategic Management140
MBA in Entrepreneurship140
Supply Chain Analytics and Management140
 
Q:   What factors determine NMAT cutoff for admission?
A:

some factors that determine NMAT cutoff are as follows:

  • NMAT exam scores
  • Total applications
  • Total seats available
  • NMAT cutoff trends
  • Reservation criteria
  • Exam difficulty

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NMAT Exam Scheduling

NMAT by GMAC dashboard provides an option to schedule the exam. The ‘Schedule Exam’ option shall be activated soon after payment of the NMAT exam fee. Applicants can choose the following details while NMAT scheduling

  1. Test centre
  2. NMAT exam date
  3. NMAT exam slot

After scheduling, candidates will receive an email containing NMAT details. After completing the NMAT scheduling, you will find the ‘Download Admit Card’ button activated on the dashboard. Download the NMAT 2026 admit card using the activated option. 

NMAT 2026 Rescheduling

NMAT by GMAC dashboard will host the exam reschedule option. Candidates who have scheduled the exam can reschedule the same by paying an additional fee. After rescheduling, candidates can download the NMAT admit card again with the updated details.

NMAT Exam Retake

Graduate Management Academic Council provides an option to retake NMAT two times along with the first attempt. NMAT dashboard will host the exam retake option after the exam date. Candidates can pay the fee to retake the exam during the test window. GMAC will send the best of three score reports to the selected B-Schools.

NMAT Exam Pattern 2026

Applicants preparing for the exam as per the NMAT exam pattern are likely to score better. The Graduate Management Admission Council prescribes the NMAT by GMAC exam pattern. The table below mentions the exam pattern of NMAT 2026.

NMAT by GMAC Exam Pattern 2026

Pattern

Details

Mode of exam

- Online from test centre

- Remote proctored from home (for candidates outside India) 

Exam Duration

2 hours (120 minutes)

Number of Questions

108 Questions 

Sections

Three (Language Skill, Quantitative Skill and Logical reasoning)

Medium

English

Negative Marking

Not Applicable

NMAT 2026 Syllabus

The Graduate Management Academic Council does not prescribe NMAT exam syllabus. However, candidates can study topics under the following sections for an enhanced preparation.

  • Language Skills: This section have questions from Vocabulary, Grammar, Para Jumble, Syntax, Synonyms, Antonyms, Reading Comprehension, etc.
  • Quantitative Skill: This section will include questions from quantitative topics including Coordinate Geometry, Probability, Mensuration, Mixture and Solution, Average, Profit and Loss, Percentage, Number System, Pie Chart, etc.
  • Logical Reasoning: This section will include questions from topics such as Syllogism, Blood Relation, Critical Reasoning, Puzzles, Course of Actions, etc.

NMAT Preparation 2026

Some of the top B-Schools will accept scores of NMAT 2026. Therefore, candidates must have top-notch NMAT preparation. The table below mentions direct links to the NMAT study material, tips and tricks, and a complete preparation guide for NMAT 2026.

Preparation Plan and Exam Strategy to Crack NMAT by Expert

Best Books for NMAT Preparation

NMAT Question Paper

NMAT Preparation Tips & Guide

How to Prepare for NMAT in 6 Months?

How to Prepare for NMAT in 3 Months?

NMAT 2026: Eight Tips for preparation Strategy

How to Prepare for NMAT in One Month?

How to Prepare for NMAT Online?

NMAT 2026 Mock Test

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NMAT Selection Process 2026

Participating institutes will shortlist candidates based on NMAT by GMAC score. All the colleges accepting NMAT scores will have a separate selection process. The typical MBA admission process after the entrance exam includes Group Discussion and Personal Interview rounds. Some institutes might also conduct Written Ability Test for MBA/PGDM admission process.

Check Cut offs of top MBA entrance exams and predict calls from IIMs and other Top MBA Colleges. Check Fees, Placement Reviews, Admission, Shortlist Criteria and eligibility of all MBA Colleges by clicking the link below:

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About the Author
author-image
Abhishek Dhawan
Assistant Manager – Editorial Content

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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Answered a week 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

Vikram Tyagi

Contributor-Level 7

Answered a week 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

Dhanya Shekhar

Contributor-Level 7

Answered a week 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

Nikita Saxena

Contributor-Level 7

Answered a week 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

Rupali Shukla

Contributor-Level 7

Answered a week 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

Bhumika Sharma

Contributor-Level 7

Answered a week 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

Shruti Shukla

Contributor-Level 7

Answered a week 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.

78471112
Abhishek Dhawan

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a week 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

Akansha Goyal

Contributor-Level 7

Answered a week 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

Jaya Katariya

Contributor-Level 7

Answered a week ago

Divide your six months into three focused phases. Allot three months to thoroughly cover the NMAT syllabus. Dedicate two months to practice a minimum of 30 mock tests, and use the final month to revise formulas and concepts

R

Rohini Bisht

Contributor-Level 7