
TANCET 2026 Exam Pattern: The conducting body of TANCET 2026, Anna University, has released the TANCET exam pattern. TANCET pattern for MBA is different from MCA; therefore, Anna University conducts the exam for MBA and MCA in two separate shifts. TANCET exam is conducted every year for MBA and MCA courses. The exam pattern of TANCET MBA 2026 is on similar lines to the previous session. Anna University will conduct TANCET 2026 in a pen-pencil based mode, or the offline mode.
As per the TANCET 2026 MBA exam pattern, the question paper will have five sections, namely, Analysis of Business Situations, Reading Comprehension, Quantitative Ability, Data Sufficiency and English Usage. Each section will have 20 questions. Candidates need to answer questions from all the sections within a two-hour duration. Read this article further to get more details on TANCET exam pattern 2026.
Access past 10 year TANCET question papers for MBA and MCA
- TANCET Exam Pattern 2026
- TANCET Exam Pattern 2026: Sectional Insights
- TANCET 2026 Marking Scheme
- TANCET 2026 Syllabus: Important Topics
- TANCET Exam Preparation 2026
- FAQs on TANCET Exam Pattern
TANCET Exam Pattern 2026
Check the table below to know the TANCET 2026 exam pattern for MBA and MCA courses:
TANCET Exam Pattern |
Details |
---|---|
Exam mode |
Offline |
Total questions |
100 |
TANCET MBA sections |
5 (Business Situations, Reading Comprehension, Quantitative Ability, Data Sufficiency and English Usage) |
TANCET MCA sections |
4 (Quantitative Aptitude, Analytical Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, Computer Awareness ) |
Section-wise question weightage (MBA) |
20 per section |
Section-wise question weightage (MCA) |
25 per section |
Duration of test |
2 hours |
Marks per correct response |
+1 mark |
Negative marks |
-1/4 for each incorrect response |
Medium |
English |
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Commonly asked questions
TANCET exam does not have any descriptive type questions. All the questions in the TANCET question paper are objective type questions, also known as Multiple Choice Questions. Anna University design the TANCET test paper to ask questions with four answers options. Out of these four options, one answers is correct, while other three answers are incorrect. Candidates have to choose the right answers to fetch 1 mark. For every incorrect response, candidates will get a education of 1/3 marks. All 100 questions in the TANCET exam are objective type.
TANCET exam duration is two hours or 120 minutes. Candidates have to answer a total of 100 MCQ type questions within 120 minutes. For each question in the TANCET exam, candidates will have more than one minute. Therefore, candidates must target to answer each question of the TANCET exam within the specified timeline.
Since there is a negative marking, candidates must avoid the guess work and only answer those questions where they are confident of the answer.
TANCET Exam Pattern 2026: Sectional Insights
The table below mentions the key insights of the TANCET MBA exam sections:
Sections |
Details |
---|---|
Business Situations |
This section assesses the candidates’ ability to analyse a given set of data critically and apply the data in making business decisions |
Reading Comprehension |
This section tests the candidates’ based on their ability to answer questions on the given passages in English |
Quantitative Ability |
This section evaluates the candidates’ skill in solving mathematical problems |
Data Sufficiency |
This section analyses the candidates’ ability to solve data-based questions and knowledge of mathematics |
English Usage |
This section aims to test the candidates’ knowledge of English Language and its usage, Grammar and Punctuation. |
DILR Question-Answers for Practice | Quantitative Aptitude Question-Answers for Practice | VARC Question-Answers for Practice |
The table below mentions the key insights of the TANCET MCA exam sections
Sections |
Details |
---|---|
Quantitative Ability |
This section evaluates the candidates’ skill in solving mathematical problems |
Analytical reasoning | This section evaluates a candidate's ability to study information and draw inferences from the given pattern |
Logical Reasoning |
This section assesses candidates ability to logically work through concepts and problems |
Computer Awareness |
This section evaluates the candidate's knowledge of Computer |
Commonly asked questions
As per the TANCET exam pattern, the exam has five sections compiling 100 questions. The total duration to answers all these 100 MCQs is 120 minutes. It is up to the test take to decide how much time he/she should allocate to each section. Since there is no pre-define sectional time limit, candidates can over across questions as well as sections. Although there is no sectional time limit, candidates must not forget that the weightage of questions and marks in each section is similar. Therefore, all five sections hold equal significance. It is crucial to allocate time to each section based on the candidates individual comfort and preparation. Candidates must keep the total time duration of the exam in mind and the time they need to answers questions from the next section of TANCET exam.
The TANCET exam has five sections, namely,
- Business Situations
- Reading Comprehension
- Quantitative Ability
- Data Sufficiency
- English Usage
As per the TANCET exam pattern, a total of 100 questions are asked collectively from all sections of the TANCET exam. All five section of TANCET MBA exam have equal weightage. Therefore, candidates have to answer a total of 20 questions, irrespective of the section. Since all sections of the TANCET exam have equal weightage, candidates must take all sections seriously. Each section of TANCET exam holds identical importance.
TANCET 2026 Marking Scheme
Space below has the TANCET 2026 MBA marking scheme:
- The TANCET question paper have 100 questions.
- Candidates need to choose one correct answer option out of four options.
- For every correct answer, candidates will score 1 mark.
- For each wrong answer, 1/4 marks will be deducted
- If any candidate selects multiple options as the answer, it will be treated as the wrong answer and 1/3 mark will be deducted for this.
- No marks will be deducted for the questions left unanswered.
Commonly asked questions
TANCET exam coprises as many as 100 objective type questions. TANCET MBA exam has five sections with equal question weightage. Therefore, each section will have 20 questions each. Candidates have to answer all the questions. However, in case of incorrect responses, candidates will face a penalty of 1/3 mark. Each correct answer will fetch 1 mark.
Anna University prescribes the marking scheme of TANCET MBA and MCA exam. Candidates preparing for the exam day strategy must know the TANCET marking scheme to plan the best strategy. The TANCET exam marking scheme is as follows:
- Each correct response will fetch 1 mark
- Any incorrect response in the TANCET exam will lead to deduction of 1/3 mark
- No negative marking prevails for the unattempted questions
Since the TANCET exam have a negative marking for incorrect response, candidates must only mark the answers in the OMR sheet if they are sure of the same. Negative marking may decrease the overall score extensive.
TANCET 2026 Syllabus: Important Topics
Candidates are advised to cover the following topics of the TANCET syllabus as most of the questions asked are based on these.
Sections | Topics |
---|---|
Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry & Mensuration, Calculus, Differential Equation, Probability and Statistics |
|
Passages followed by a set of questions |
|
Synonyms, Antonyms, Fill in the blanks, Grammar, Vocabulary, Sentence Corrections, Idioms, Cloze Test, One Word Substitution |
|
Number systems, Data Interpretation (Pie Chart, Line Graph, Bar Graph and Tables), questions in the form of Statements |
Commonly asked questions
CAT is a national level exam for MBA admission, while TANCET is a state level exam for MBA admission. Syllabus for both CAT and TANCET are on a similar lies with slight changes in the sections. TANCET exam includes an additional section for Business Situation analysis. Candidates who have prepared for CAT exams section, including DILR, VARC, and QA, need a minimal study plan to prepare for TANCET. Candidates who took the CAT exam must drive deeper into the section for analysis of business situations. Study material, including books, question type remains similar for CAT and TANCET exam.
Practising mock tests for CAT and TANCET must be done individual as the difficult standards, exam duration, number of questions and other elements of test pattern will vary. Mock test will provide a better understanding of taking TANCET and CAT exam.
TANCET exam is conducted for MBA and MCA admission. More than 25,000 candidates take the TANCET exam for MBA admission. The sections vary for MBA and MCA exams. The space below mention the TANCET MBA exam pattern:
- Mode of TANCET exam: Offline, OMR based
- Type of questions: Objective type
- Number of questions: 100
- Number of sections: 5
- Exam duration: 120 minutes
- Maximum marks: 100
- Marks for correct response: 1 mark
- Mark down for incorrect response: 1/4 mark
- Exam medium: English
The TANCET MBA syllabus is based on five sections. The sections for TANCET MBA exam include:
- Business Situations
- Reading Comprehension
- Quantitative Ability
- Data Sufficiency
- English Usage
All sections in the TANCET exam have equal weightage.
TANCET Exam Preparation 2026
Candidates need around three to four months for TANCET preparation. the first step for TANCET exam preparation must be obtaining the knowledge for TANCET exam pattern and syllabus. Good TANCET preparation plan will require candidates to complete the syllabus, and then practise the previous year question papers, and appear for mock tests.
Candidates can check the below mentioned points to plan their TANCET preparation 2026:
- Check TANCET pattern syllabus for important topics and exam structure
- Clear concepts using the recommended TANCET study materials
- Know strong and weak topics from TANCET syllabus.
- Take regular mock tests and solve previous years' questions
- Plan the exam day strategy
Read More:
Commonly asked questions
Yes, it is easy to obtain high score in TANCET exam. to meet the cutoff scores. An exam is considered tough or easy by an individual based on his/her preparation. TANCET exam pattern is easier compared to other MBA entrance exams such as CAT, XAT, CMAT, etc.
TANCET MBA has five sections with 20 marks for each section. These sections are mentioned below:
- Business Situations
- Reading Comprehension
- Quantitative Ability
- Data Sufficiency
- English Usage
TANCET exam is conducted once every year. Candidates can appear for the TANCET exam once within one academic year. For admission to the next year, candidates have to appear for the subsequent term of the TANCET exam. However, the exam schedule and frequency might change in the future.
For latest updates on TANCET exam, candidates can rely on shiksha's TANCET exam page. https://www.shiksha.com/mba/tancet-exam.
FAQs on TANCET Exam Pattern
Here are some of the frequently asked questions related to TANCET exam pattern.
Commonly asked questions
Anna University may consider changing the TANCET exam mode from offline to online. Since the exam has fewer audience as compared to other competitive exams, offline exam becomes easy to manage. Candidates prefer an online exam over the offline OMR based exam. The decision with the change in the exam mode shall lie with the conducting body.
TANCET exam for MBA admission have five sections. Each section of the TANCET exam have an equal weightage. Anna University provides 20 per cent weightage to all five sections of the exam. Eacg section has 20 questions, collectively taking the question count to 100. The sections in the TANCET MBA exam include:
- Business Situations
- Reading Comprehension
- Quantitative Ability
- Data Sufficiency
- English Usage
Since all the sections of the TANCET exam have equal weightage, candidates provide equal importance to all five sections. Any of the section may lead to act as an advantage in pulling the overall score of the candidate.
Anna University conducts TANCET exam in an offline mode. The offline centre based exam has objective type questions to be answered on an OMR sheet. OMR or Optical Mark Recognition sheet acknowledges human-created marks on a specially printed paper. OMR sheets are commonly used in surveys, exams, etc.
Anna University evaluates the responses by all the candidates using the OMR device which scans the sheet after reflecting a light. The OMR device looks at the contrasting reflectivity of the light at certain positions on the form. Shaded areas on the form will reflect less light. Therefore, the shaded blocks are detected as the response from the test-taker.
Explore subject-wise topics asked in TANCET
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TANCET Exam
Student Forum
Answered 4 weeks ago
Some of the factors that lead to determination of TANCET cutoff scores include the number of seats available for admission, difficulty level of exam, previous cutoff trends, number of test takers, performance of test takers, among other factors.
D
Beginner-Level 5
Answered 4 weeks ago
TANCET counselling is conducted by GCT Coimbatore. DTE, Tamil Nadu has allocatted the responsibility for TANCET counselling to GCT, Coimbatore. Candidates will have to participate in the centralised counselling process for TANCET based admissions.
B
Beginner-Level 5
Answered 4 weeks ago
The last date for TANCET exam registration is expected to lie around 20-30 days after the start date. Therefore, if the registration starts in January, candidates can expect the last date to apply for TANCET exam to be in the month of February. The timeline for TANCET registration is notified with t
L
Beginner-Level 5
Answered 4 weeks ago
No, there is no facility for revaluation in TANCET exam. The results declared by Anna University are final and will be considered for admissions in Tamil Nadu. Anna University will not entertain any requests for revaluation and rechecking of the TANCET answer sheet.
R
Beginner-Level 5
Answered 4 weeks ago
TANCET exam is conducted once every year. Candidates aiming for admissions via TANCET in current year must appear for the current cycle of the TANCET exam. In case of change in the TANCET exam frequency, Anna University will notify the details on teh official website and the infoirmation brochure.
A
Beginner-Level 5
Answered 4 weeks ago
TANCET scores remain valid for a period of one admission cycle. Candidates appearing for the TANCET exam in this year can only get admission in the current admission cycle.
S
Beginner-Level 5
Answered 4 weeks ago
Yes, TANCET exam consists of negative marking. For each incorrect response candidates face a penalty of 1/3 mark. Therefore, candidates must avoid guesswork while answering questions in the TANCET exam.
R
Beginner-Level 5
Answered 4 weeks ago
TANCET exam details are released around the month of January every year. Candidates find the start dare for the TANCET registration along with the TANCET syllabus, infomation brochure, and exam date. Additionally, the TANCET website mentions the notification release date beforehand. TANCET notificat
J
Beginner-Level 5
Answered 4 weeks ago
TANCET ranks are allotted based on the marks of the candidates. All candidates with a TANCET Bscore who get their documents verified before the counselling process will be placed in the TANCET rank list. the highest scorer in the TANCET exam who will get the documents verified will get first rank in
V
Beginner-Level 5
529 Institutes accepting TANCET
Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science
Kelambakkam, Chennai • Private
KEC - Kongu Engineering College
Erode • Private
Hindusthan College of Engineering and Technology
Coimbatore • Private
Mepco Schlenk Engineering College
Tamil Nadu - Other • Private
How are TANCET cutoff scores determined?