CMAT 2026 Exam Date (Announced): Registration, Admit Card, & Result Dates

Exam On - 25 Jan '26

Updated on Jan 21, 2026 16:44 IST

By Vipra Shrivastava, Senior Manager - Content

CMAT 2026 exam will be held on January 25, 2026. NTA released CMAT 2026 admit card on January 21. Registration for CMAT 2026 was done from October 17 to November 24, 2025. CMAT 2026 will be conducted in 120+ cities across India. Check below important CMAT 2026 exam dates and events.

Table of contents

CMAT 2026: Key Aspects of the Exam
CMAT 2026 Exam Dates & Schedule
CMAT 2026 Exam Date and Important Events
CMAT 2025 Question Paper Pattern
Top Colleges for CMAT
FAQs Related to CMAT Exam Dates

CMAT 2026: Key Aspects of the Exam

CMAT is a pan India exam conducted annually by the NTA. All AICTE approved colleges accept CMAT score for admission. Minimum eligibility criteria for CMAT is graduation from a UGC recognised university. Candidates in the final year of graduation are also eligible. Take a look at the key aspects of CMAT 2026 exam below:

CMAT 2026	Exam details
CMAT full form	Common Management Admission Test
Conducting body	National Testing Agency (NTA)
Exam mode	Computer based test
CMAT Sections	· Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation · Logical Reasoning · Language Comprehension · General Awareness · Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Time duration	180 minutes without sectional time limit
Number of questions in CMAT	100 ( 20 each in the five sections)
Total marks	400
Marking scheme	+4 for correct option -1 for incorrect option 0 for unanswered questions
Difficulty level	Easy to Moderate

Commonly asked questions

Q: How similar is CMAT syllabus to CAT syllabus?

Verbal Ability, Quantitative Aptitude, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning topics of CMAT syllabus are same as CAT syllabus. So, an MBA aspirant can prepare for CAT and CMAT simultaneously with the same study material. However, they will need CMAT specific books and resources to study Innovation and Entrepreneurship and GK section. CAT doesn't have these two sections.

Q: What is CMAT city intimation slip?

CMAT city intimation slip is the document released by the NTA to inform candidates the city in which they have been allotted the test city. The CMAT city intimation is issued 2-3 days before the release of CMAT admit card. With the help of city intimation slip, candidates can make arrangement of travel and stay in the city where the candidate has been allotted the test centre.

CMAT 2026 Exam Dates & Schedule

Take a look at the table below for the complete schedule of CMAT 2026 exam

Dates	Upcoming Exam Dates
25 Jan ' 26	CMAT 2026 exam

Dates	Past Exam Dates
21 Jan ' 26	CMAT 2026 exam admit card
26 Nov ' 25 - 28 Nov ' 25	CMAT 2026 form correction
17 Oct ' 25 - 24 Nov ' 25	CMAT 2026 registration and application process
View More Past Events (1)

CMAT 2026 Exam Date and Important Events

CMAT 2026 Admit Card: The hall ticket has been released in online mode only. Candidates have to download their CMAT 2026 admit card from the exam website by using their login credentials. It is available for download until the exam day, January 25, 2026.

CMAT Exam 2026 will have 100 questions from Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning, Verbal Ability, General Awareness and Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Every section will carry 20 questions of 4 marks each. The duration will be 180 minutes.

CMAT 2026 Answer Key: NTA will release preliminary answer key of CMAT 2026 a few days after the exam.Candidates will be able to download response sheets and CMAT answer key 2026 by using their login credentials. The objection window will be opened for 2-3 day during which candidates can apply to challenge the official answer key. All the objections will be examined and if any of them is found valid, revised answer key will be released.

CMAT Result 2026: Result of CMAT 2026 exam will be declared 2-3 weeks after the exam. Candidates will have to check their CMAT result and download scorecards using their login IDs. The scorecard will contains sectional and overall percentiles of the candidate. With the CMAT 2026 score candidates can apply for admission to CMAT accepting MBA colleges.

CMAT Registration 2026: Registration window for the exam was open from October 17 to November 25, 2026. The application form had to be submitted at the official website cmat.nta.nic.in, with payment of INR 2,500 as fee (INR 1250 for Reserved categories, women and transgender candidates).

Commonly asked questions

Q: Which are the top colleges for MBA with CMAT score of 80 to 85 percentile?

If you score between 80 to 85 percentile CMAT you need not worry about admission. There are a large number of MBA colleges that accept candidates with CMAT score in the range of 80 to 85 percentile. A number of government as well as private institutes with good infrastructure and placements are within your reach. Some of those popular colleges include, Welingkar Institute of Management-Mumbai, Welingkar Institute of Management-Bangalore, Indian Institute of Information Technology & Management, IFIM-Bangalore, IFMR- Chennai, NIBM-Pune, NL Dalmiya Institute of Management, IMT Hyderabad, IMT Nagpur, XISS Ranchi, ITM Navi Mumbai, Jaipuria Institute of Management Noida, Xavier Business School-Xavier University, Great Lakes Institute of Management-Gurgaon, BIMTECH-Greater Noida, XIME-Bangalore, ISBM-Pune, Jaipuria Institute of Management Lucknow, KIIT School of Management, IPE Hyderabad, SIES College of Management Studies-Navi Mumbai and Chetana Institute of Management and Research-Mumbai among others.

Q: What is the ideal time duration for CMAT preparation?

CMAT has five subjects – Quantitative Aptitude, Logical Reasoning, English Comprehension, General Awareness and Innovation & Entrepreneurship and to cover all of them, one will need good enough time. Overall, 3 months are needed to cover syllabus of CMAT and about 2 to 3 months for practice and revision. So, overall 6 months are good for CMAT preparation.

CMAT 2025 Question Paper Pattern

CMAT 2026 question paper will be divided into 5 sections
Every section will have 20 questions
Difficulty level of CMAT question paper 2026 will be moderate
There will be no sectional time limit. Candidates will be able to toggle between sections and questions.

Check overview:

CMAT Sections	Number of Questions	Marks Allotted
Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation	20	80
Logical Reasoning	20	80
Language Comprehension	20	80
General Awareness	20	80
Innovation & Entrepreneurship	20	80

Commonly asked questions

Q: How many questions are asked in GK section of CMAT?

There are 20 questions from General Knowledge in CMAT. All the questions are in MCQ format. Four options are given for each question to choose the right answer from. The General Knowledge section of CMAT is usually of a higher difficulty level but as it is a memory based section, it can be completed in maximum 15 minutes. The questions pertain to static GK and Current Affairs. Topics included in CMAT GK section are business, politics, awards, inventions, Science and technology, sports, society, world, advertising, trade, books and authors, arts, entertainment, history, geography and politics. Candidates should attempt the GK section in the end as the main criteria for MBA are English Quantitative Aptitude Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation. The candidate's main focus should be on getting maximum questions correct in these three sessions. GK can be handled at the end.

Q: What is the CMAT Innovation and entrepreneurship syllabus? Which books to study?

The syllabus of CMAT Innovation and entrepreneurship section includes Concepts of Entrepreneurship, Overview of Entrepreneurship, Evolution of Entrepreneurship in India, Role of Entrepreneurship in Economic Development, Theories and Models of Entrepreneurship, Framework of Entrepreneurship Theories, Models of Entrepreneurship, Emerging Models of Corporate Entrepreneurship, Dimensions of Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurial Society, Entrepreneurial Culture, Rural Entrepreneurship, Women Entrepreneurship, Emerging Trends in Social Entrepreneurship, Principles of Business Organisation, Motivation, Communication and Leadership To study these topics candidates should refer to books like: 1. Innovation & Entrepreneurship by Peter F. Drucker 2. Entrepreneurship & Innovation Management by R Goal 3. Entrepreneurship - Robert D. Hisrich 4. Manorama Year Book - Mammen Mathew Apart from these books, candidates must solve last two years' CMAT question papers to know the type of questions asked in this section and their difficulty level. These questions will give you an insight into CMAT Innovation and entrepreneurship.

Top Colleges for CMAT

Check below some of the top colleges accepting CMAT score for admission to MBA/PGDM courses:

Commonly asked questions

Q: Is CMAT syllabus the same as that of CAT?

Yes, syllabus of CMAT and CAT are same and include: 1. Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation: Mensuration Number System Algebra Time-Speed-Distance, Allegation and Mixtures, Geometry, Graph, Quadratic and Linear Equations, etc. 2. Logical Reasoning: Analytical Reasoning, Linear Arrangements, Number Series, Matrix Arrangements, Blood Relationship Tests, etc. 3. Language Comprehension: Reading Comprehension, Verbal Ability, Vocabulary, Grammar, English Usage Errors, Para jumbles, etc. However, CMAT has two extra sections - General Knowledge and Innovation and Entrepreneurship, topics of which are mentioned below: 4. General Awareness: Economy, Business, World, Politics, Sports, Culture, Society, Arts, Awards, Inventions 5. Innovation & Entrepreneurship: Questions related to innovation, entrepreneurship and start up business, models of entrepreneurship, Emerging Trends in Social Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurial Society, Rural Entrepreneurship, etc.

Q: Which are the best books for CMAT Quantitative Aptitude preparation?

The Quantitative Aptitude section of CMAT has questions from Arithmetic, Geometry, Modern Math, Numbers, Algebra and Data Interpretation. The questions are of moderate difficulty level and one can prepare for it with the help of best books for CMAT recommended by experts and toppers. We have listed down some of the popular CMAT books that candidates usually refer: 1. NCERT Mathematics Books for Class 8, 9 and 10 2. The Pearson Guide to Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Exams 3. How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT Arun Sharma (Mc Graw Hill Education) 4. Quantitative Aptitude Quantum CAT Common Admission Tests for Admission into Iims by Sarvesh K Verma (Arihant) 5. Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by Abhijit Guha (Mc Graw Hill Education) 6. Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Exams by RS Aggarwal.

MBA exams you must check out

Exams whose cutoff has been released

Cut-off released

Exam D-day soon

About to start

Registration ends soon

Upcoming registrations

IGNOU

IGNOU TEE Dec Result

16 Jan '26 - 23 Jan '26

XAT

XAT 2026 Cut Offs Release

29 Jan '26

View allMBA exams

FAQs Related to CMAT Exam Dates

Check here Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) related to CMAT important dates.

Commonly asked questions

Q: I scored less than 50 percent marks in Graduation. Am I eligible to apply for CMAT?

Yes, you are eligible to apply for CMAT exam. Any candidate who has secured passing marks in graduation can apply for CMAT. Candidates must ensure that they have cleared graduation to be able to apply. Final year students planning to appear for the exam must ensure that they have passed the first two years of Bachelor's degree and must target passing marks in the final year as well. However, colleges accepting CMAT score for admission have a 50 per cent in graduation. The minimum score requirement for SC, ST, PwD candidates is 45 per cent as minimum criteria thus candidates must not target passing marks in graduation as even if they will clear CMAT. They might not get admission as they will not meet the institutes academic eligibility criteria.

Q: Is there any age restriction to take CMAT exam?

There is no age bar for appearing in CMAT exam. Any person at any phase of their career, from any field, fresher or working professionals, can appear for CMAT. However, the candidate should have completed graduation. The education mode can be full-time or correspondence but the university should be affiliated to the UGC. A graduation degree is normally completed by the age of 20 so the candidate must be at least 20 years old at the time of appearing in the CMAT exam. So, yes one can say that there is a minimum age limit but not maximum age limit for appearing in CMAT. A large percentage of CMAT applicants is of fresh graduates as it suits them better to continue education in full-time mode. However, many working professional also appear for the CMAT exam to purse executive MBA, Online MBA, Distance MBA or Part-Time MBA from reputed institutes.

Q: Can I change my exam centre after the CMAT admit card has been issued?

No. You cannot change the exam centre after the CMAT admit card has been issued. You cannot take the exam at any other centre other than the one mentioned in your admit card, either. So make an informed decision at time of selecting your test city in the CMAT application form. Select only those cities where you can make arrangement of stay on the CMAT exam day. Choose your home city or city of current residence as the first test city. The examination authorities try to allot the test centre to a candidate as per their first preference. However, sometimes if there are not enough number of applicants for a city, the centre may be cancelled there and candidates are allotted a test centre in the next city of preference. If at a particular exam centre in a city has already been filled with candidates, then the remaining students are allotted a test city in the next city of preference.

Q: What details will be mentioned on the CMAT admit card?

The CMAT admit card is a main document of identification of the candidate who will be appearing in the exam. To ensure that a candidate doesn't use proxy candidate for taking the exam, admit card and original photo ID is checked at the exam centre. The personal details mentioned in the CMAT application from and photo ID, should reflect on the CMAT admit card too. The following details are mentioned on every candidate's CMAT admit card. Candidate's name Candidate's roll number Candidate's gender Candidate's category Candidate's date of birth Candidate's signature Candidate's photo Candidate's address Examination year Examination date Examination slot Examination timings Reporting time Test centre address Google link to locate test centre Additional information such as exam day guidelines, examination process in the test lab, items to carry, items not to carry, activities prohibited, dress code and entry process are also mentioned on the CMAT hall ticket.