MBA entrance exam
CMAT: Exam Pattern, Dates, Eligibility and Fees
CMAT (Common Management Admission Test) is conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA), Ministry of Education, Government of India and is used for aICTE-approved MBA and PGDM programmes that accept it. CMAT 2026 examination (single shift, 09:00 AM-12:00 PM, CBT): 25 Jan 2026. It has 5 sections in 180 minutes. Every detail below links to the official notice it comes from.
By ProCounsel Editorial TeamReviewed by ProCounsel counselling teamLast updated 12 Nov 2026
Official sources only · last verified 12 Nov 2026
Official CMAT websiteWhat are the important CMAT dates?
| CMAT 2026 online application opens | 17 Oct 2025Source: CMAT 2026 Information Bulletin (NTA)· last verified 11 Nov 2026 |
| Last date for online application (extended from 17 Nov 2025) | 24 Nov 2025Source: CMAT 2026 Information Bulletin (NTA)· last verified 11 Nov 2026 |
| Last date for successful fee transaction (extended from 18 Nov 2025) | 25 Nov 2025Source: CMAT 2026 Information Bulletin (NTA)· last verified 11 Nov 2026 |
| Correction window in application particulars | 26-28 November 2025 (up to 11:50 PM)Source: CMAT 2026 Information Bulletin (NTA)· last verified 11 Nov 2026 |
| Admit cards released | 21 Jan 2026Source: CMAT 2026 Information Bulletin (NTA)· last verified 11 Nov 2026 |
| CMAT 2026 examination (single shift, 09:00 AM-12:00 PM, CBT) | 25 Jan 2026Source: CMAT 2026 Information Bulletin (NTA)· last verified 11 Nov 2026 |
| Provisional answer key challenge window | 31 January 2026 to 2 February 2026 (up to 11:50 PM); fee Rs 200 per question challengedSource: CMAT 2026 Information Bulletin (NTA)· last verified 11 Nov 2026 |
| Result / NTA scores declared | 17 Feb 2026Source: CMAT 2026 Information Bulletin (NTA)· last verified 11 Nov 2026 |
| CMAT 2027 registration / exam dates | Not yet announced by NTA as of 2026-11-11TentativeSource: CMAT 2026 Information Bulletin (NTA)· last verified 11 Nov 2026 |
All MBA 2027 admission deadlines, with colleges’ own application dates
What is the CMAT exam pattern?
| Section | Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation | 20 | — |
| Logical Reasoning | 20 | — |
| Language Comprehension | 20 | — |
| General Awareness | 20 | — |
| Innovation & Entrepreneurship | 20 | — |
| Total time | 180 min |
Marking: Each question carries 4 marks (+4 for a correct response); 1 mark deducted for each incorrect response; no marks for unanswered questions. Each section has a maximum of 80 marks, 400 in total (100 questions).
Medium of question paper: English only. No section-wise time limits are stated in the bulletin (minutes: null). For multi-shift papers, raw marks are converted to NTA scores (normalization, Appendix VIII). Tie-break: same score ranked by date of birth (older first). Figures are from the CMAT 2026 information bulletin.
Source: CMAT 2026 Information Bulletin (NTA)· last verified 11 Nov 2026
What does CMAT test?
- Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation
- Logical Reasoning
- Language Comprehension
- General Awareness
- Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Who can take CMAT, and how is it run?
| Exam cycle | CMAT 2026 (latest completed cycle; exam held 25 Jan 2026, result 17 Feb 2026). As of 2026-11-11 the CMAT site's About page mentions CMAT-2027 for Academic Session 2027-28, but no CMAT 2027 information bulletin or public notice has been released; the Information Bulletin link still points to the CMAT 2026 bulletin.Source: CMAT 2026 Information Bulletin (NTA)· last verified 11 Nov 2026 |
| Conducted by | National Testing Agency (NTA), Ministry of Education, Government of IndiaSource: CMAT official website - About CMAT· last verified 11 Nov 2026 |
| Mode | Computer Based Test (CBT)Source: CMAT 2026 Information Bulletin (NTA)· last verified 11 Nov 2026 |
| How often it is held | Once a year (single exam date). CMAT 2026 was held on 25 January 2026 in a single shift (09:00 AM to 12:00 PM). The bulletin notes the exam may be held in multiple shifts depending on candidate numbers.Source: CMAT 2026 Information Bulletin (NTA)· last verified 11 Nov 2026 |
| Eligibility | The candidate must hold a Bachelor's Degree in any discipline. Candidates appearing for the final year of Bachelor's Degree, whose result will be declared before commencement of admission for academic year 2026-27, can also apply. The candidate must be a citizen of India. There is no age restriction.Source: CMAT 2026 Information Bulletin (NTA)· last verified 11 Nov 2026 |
What is the CMAT application fee?
| General (UR) - Male | ₹2,500Source: CMAT 2026 Information Bulletin (NTA)· last verified 11 Nov 2026 |
| General (UR) - Female | ₹1,250Source: CMAT 2026 Information Bulletin (NTA)· last verified 11 Nov 2026 |
| Gen-EWS / SC / ST / PwD/PwBD / OBC-(NCL) - Male | ₹1,250Source: CMAT 2026 Information Bulletin (NTA)· last verified 11 Nov 2026 |
| Gen-EWS / SC / ST / PwD/PwBD / OBC-(NCL) - Female | ₹1,250Source: CMAT 2026 Information Bulletin (NTA)· last verified 11 Nov 2026 |
| Third gender | ₹1,250Source: CMAT 2026 Information Bulletin (NTA)· last verified 11 Nov 2026 |
Which colleges accept CMAT?
| Institute | City | NIRF 2025 | Total fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| B.K. School (BKSPMS)P1 | Ahmedabad | Not in top 100 | ₹13,000source |
| CBS KolkataPGDM | Kolkata | Not in top 100 | ₹7,70,000source |
| EDIIPGDM-E | Gandhinagar | Not in top 100 | ₹13,95,000source |
| Globsyn (GBS) KolkataPGDM | Kolkata | Not in top 100 | ₹8,95,000source |
| IIEST Shibpur SOMSP1 | Howrah | Not in top 100 | ₹4,77,700source |
| IPE HyderabadPGDM | Hyderabad | Not in top 100 | ₹9,00,000source |
| IPS Academy IBMRMBA-Core | Indore | Not in top 100 | ₹2,76,000source |
| Jaipuria IndorePGDM | Indore | Not in top 100 | ₹13,50,000source |
| KJSIMMBA | Mumbai | #65 | ₹23,87,500source |
| PIMR IndoreMBA | Indore | Not in top 100 | ₹3,80,000source |
| Praxis KolkataPGDM | Kolkata | Not in top 100 | ₹11,00,000source |
| SMS, University of HyderabadMBA | Hyderabad | Not in top 100 | ₹2,19,220source |
| SVIMS IndoreMBA | Indore | Not in top 100 | ₹1,72,000source |
| WeSchoolPGDM | Mumbai | #75 | ₹14,00,000source |
Frequently asked questions
When is CMAT?
CMAT 2026 examination (single shift, 09:00 AM-12:00 PM, CBT): 25 Jan 2026, per the official notice. Check https://cmat.nta.nic.in/ for changes.
What is the CMAT exam pattern?
CMAT has 5 sections: Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation; Logical Reasoning; Language Comprehension; General Awareness; Innovation & Entrepreneurship, 100 questions in all, in 180 minutes. Marking: Each question carries 4 marks (+4 for a correct response); 1 mark deducted for each incorrect response; no marks for unanswered questions. Each section has a maximum of 80 marks, 400 in total (100 questions).
Who can take CMAT?
The candidate must hold a Bachelor's Degree in any discipline. Candidates appearing for the final year of Bachelor's Degree, whose result will be declared before commencement of admission for academic year 2026-27, can also apply. The candidate must be a citizen of India. There is no age restriction.
How are CMAT results used for admission?
Result is declared on https://cmat.nta.nic.in only; candidates download score cards from the website (no dispatch, no re-evaluation). The CMAT score is accepted by all AICTE-Approved Institutions / University Departments / Constituent Colleges / Affiliated Colleges. NTA's role ends at declaring results, hosting score cards and providing result data to AICTE; NTA has no role in counselling. Candidates must apply separately to participating institutions, which release their own cut-off CMAT scores and may hold Group Discussion and Personal Interview for final selection. For institutes run/aided/recognized by State Governments, the respective state reservation policy applies. (State CAPs are not named in NTA documents.) CMAT 2026: 53,453 registered, 41,872 appeared (78.33%), 110 cities, 259 centres.
Sources
Official documents used on this page, last checked on 12 Nov 2026.
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