What is CMAT Score Normalization Process 2025?
Common Management Admission Test 2026 ( CMAT )
Registration - 17 Oct '25 - 18 Nov '25
CMAT Normalization is a practice for comparing scores of the candidates across multi session papers to arrive at CMAT percentiles. Check here how the CMAT exam scores will be normalized for preparation of CMAT 2025 result and merit list.
CMAT Score Normalization - CMAT exam is held in 2 sessions - morning and evening. The question paper of both CMAT sessions are different from each. In such a scenario, it may happen that candidates of one exam slot might get the easier set of questions as compared to candidates of another slot.
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CMAT 2025 exam was held on January 25, 2025 in two sessions. Candidates who got the comparatively tougher question paper in CMAT 2025 stand the risk of scoring lower than those who got a relatively easier question paper. To negate this possibility, there is a need to judge the performance of all the candidates on the same scale.
CMAT exam day dos:
- Reach exam centre on time.
- Carry two copies of the CMAT admit card, one photo ID card and a photo
- Carry a blue/black ball point pen for signing attendance sheet
- Cooperate with test centre staff
So, in order to ensure that no candidate has an advantage or disadvantage due to varied difficulty levels of the CMAT 2025 question papers, the NTA will apply the CMAT score normalization procedure for preparing the CMAT 2025 result and merit list. So, let's understand the CMAT score normalisation process.
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- What is CMAT Normalization Process?
- CMAT Percentile Calculation
- CMAT Percentile Scores
- CMAT Normalization: How CMAT Result 2025 will be Prepared?
- CMAT Marking Scheme and Number of Good Attempts
- Preparation of CMAT Result and Merit List 2025
What is CMAT Normalization Process?
CMAT Normalization is a practice for comparing performance of the candidates across multi-session papers. The CMAT normalization process is similar to those being adopted in other national level entrance tests conducted in India. For normalization across sections, NTA shall use the percentile equivalence. To understand CMAT Normalization Process let’s first understand CMAT percentile calculation.
CMAT Percentile Calculation
CMAT result is prepared in the form of a merit list which contains each candidate’s sectional marks, overall marks, sectional percentiles and overall percentile. Check the image below for example:
- Do not carry prohibited items such as bags, purses, pencil box, beepers, wrist watch, calculators, mobile phones, electronic devices, scanners, cameras, wireless/Bluetooth transmission or any such communication devices.
- Don't wear jewellery made of metal, jackets, clothes with pockets, mehendi on palms and closed shoes. Socks are allowed inside it.
- Don't wear goggles, caps & head gears, hoodies or jackets/shirts with pockets
- Don't be late for the exam. The entry gates will be closed 15 minutes before the commencement of exam. So, reach the exam centre as per the reporting time mentioned on the CMAT admit card.
- Don't cheat or indulge in mal practices. You will be disqualified if caught indulging in any such ACT.
- Don't create a ruckus inside the test lab or disturb other candidates
- Don't leave your seat until the exam duration gets over and the invigilator announces exit.
CMAT city intimation slip is available for download for 2-3 days only. Once the CMAT admit card is released, the city intimation slip is not required as the hall ticket carries complete details of test centre. However, registered candidates must download the city intimation slip once it is released to know the test city and make arrangements for exam day before hand. City intimation is very useful specifically for students from rural and far off areas, who have to come to cities to appear for entrance exams.
For preparation of an exam like CMAT will always be helpful as you will be provided with relevant study material and guidance from industry experts. It will help you in disciplined and focused study as coaching centres have time bound classes, lectures, practice sessions, mock tests, etc. So, if you feel that you will not be able to stay dedicated and motivated enough in self-study to crack CMAT will high scores, join a CMAT coaching institute.
CMAT Merit List | courtesy: NTA
Also Read: CMAT 2025 answer key
CMAT Percentile Scores
From the image above, you can figure out that CMAT Percentile scores are scores based on the relative performance of all the test takers across exam sessions. Basically, the marks obtained by each candidate are transformed into a scale ranging from 100 to 0 for each session of examinees.
The CMAT Percentile Score indicates the percentage of candidates that have scored EQUAL TO OR BELOW (raw scores) than a particular Percentile in CMAT exam. Therefore, the topper (highest scorers) of each session will get 100 percentile. The marks obtained in between the highest and lowest scores are also converted to appropriate percentiles. The formula of CMAT percentile calculation is:
Number of candidates (in the ‘Session’ with raw score EQUAL TO OR LESS than the candidate) X 100
Total number of the candidates who appeared in the ’Session’
The CMAT percentile calculation as explained by the NTA is presented below:
Highest Raw Score and Percentile Score: All the highest raw scores will have a normalized Percentile Score of 100 for their respective session.
Highest Raw Score and Percentile Score | Courtesy: NTA
Lowest Raw Score and Percentile Score: Percentile Score of all the lowest raw scores will depend on the total number of candidates who have taken the Examination for their respective session.
Lowest Raw Score and Percentile Score | Courtesy: NTA
Also Read:
- CMAT score vs percentile: How to calculate?
- CMAT 2025 result and scorecard download
- Institute-wise CMAT cut offs 2025
- What after CMAT result 2025?
CMAT Normalization: How CMAT Result 2025 will be Prepared?
For preparing CMAT 2025 result by Normalization Process, the examination authority will divide all the test takers equally into fours sessions. This will ensure that there is no bias in the distribution of candidates who shall take the examination. Further, with a large population of examinees spread over the entire country the possibility of such bias becomes remote.
CMAT results for each session would be prepared in the form of:
- Raw Scores
- Percentiles Scores of Total raw scores
The percentiles would be calculated for each candidate by the formula given below:
Total Percentile (TP1):
100 X No. of candidates appeared from the session with raw score EQUAL TO OR LESS than T1 score
Total No. of candidates appeared in the session
Also read:
CMAT 2025 exam analysis, check difficulty level, good attempts
CMAT 2025 answer key, question paper (shift 1 and 2) PDF download
CMAT Response Sheet 2025 PDF Free Download
CMAT 2025 Student Reactions and Reviews
CMAT Marking Scheme and Number of Good Attempts
CMAT question paper has five sections and each section has got equal weightage. Every question carries 4 marks for correct attempt and -1 mark for incorrect attempt. Candidates are marked 0 for unanswered questions. Check the table below for total number of questions and number of good attempts.
| CMAT Sections |
Number of questions |
Number of good attempts |
|---|---|---|
| Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation |
20 |
16-17 |
| Logical Reasoning |
20 |
16-17 |
| Language Comprehension |
20 |
16-17 |
| General Awareness |
20 |
8-10 |
| Innovation & Entrepreneurship |
20 |
7-9 |
Preparation of CMAT Result and Merit List 2025
The CMAT percentile scores for the Total Raw Score for all the shifts would be merged and shall be called the NTA-CMAT scores to be used for preparation of merit list.
In case, CMAT percentiles for the multi-shifts being unequal, the lowest will be the eligibility cut-off for that category for all candidates across all exam sessions.
For Example: If 40 per cent marks correspond to 78 percentile in Shift 1 and 79 in Shift 2, then all those equal to or above 78 percentiles (Percentile score of 100 to 78) in both shifts will become eligible in General Category.
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