MBA entrance exam
NMAT: Exam Pattern, Dates, Eligibility and Fees
NMAT (NMAT by GMAC) is conducted by Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), delivered by Graduate Management Global Connection (India) Private Limited (GMGC), a GMAC subsidiary and is used for nMIMS and the other schools that take part in NMAT. Exam delivery window opens (India): 2 Nov 2026. It has 3 sections in 120 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 NMAT websiteWhat are the important NMAT dates?
| Registration opens (India) | 20 Aug 2026Source: NMAT by GMAC Exam | mba.com (official NMAT home; nmat.org redirects here)· last verified 11 Nov 2026 |
| Registration closes (India) | 31 Oct 2026Source: NMAT by GMAC Exam | mba.com (official NMAT home; nmat.org redirects here)· last verified 11 Nov 2026 |
| Scheduling opens (India) | 20 Aug 2026Source: NMAT by GMAC Exam | mba.com (official NMAT home; nmat.org redirects here)· last verified 11 Nov 2026 |
| Scheduling closes (India) | 31 Oct 2026Source: NMAT by GMAC Exam | mba.com (official NMAT home; nmat.org redirects here)· last verified 11 Nov 2026 |
| Exam delivery window opens (India) | 2 Nov 2026Source: NMAT by GMAC Exam | mba.com (official NMAT home; nmat.org redirects here)· last verified 11 Nov 2026 |
| Exam delivery window closes (India) | 20 Dec 2026Source: NMAT by GMAC Exam | mba.com (official NMAT home; nmat.org redirects here)· last verified 11 Nov 2026 |
All MBA 2027 admission deadlines, with colleges’ own application dates
What is the NMAT exam pattern?
| Section | Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Language Skills | 36 | 28 min |
| Quantitative Skills | 36 | 52 min |
| Logical Reasoning | 36 | 40 min |
| Total time | 120 min |
Marking: Each section is scored 12-120; the total is 36-360. The three sections are weighted equally. There is no negative marking: no marks are deducted for wrong or unanswered questions.
108 multiple-choice questions in total. Before the test, there is a 2-minute NDA, an 8-minute tutorial and 3 minutes to choose section order. The test taker picks the order of the sections. Each section has its own time limit: unused time does not carry over, and you cannot return to a section once you leave it. GMAC's syllabus article gives 38 minutes for Language Skills; this file uses the 28 minutes stated in the official Terms and Conditions, which matches the 120-minute total.
Source: NMAT by GMAC Exam | mba.com (official NMAT home; nmat.org redirects here)· last verified 11 Nov 2026
What does NMAT test?
- Quantitative Skills: Number properties (fractions and decimals, logarithms, factors and multiples incl. LCM/HCF, prime numbers)
- Quantitative Skills: Arithmetic (percentages, simple and compound interest, profit and loss, ratio, proportion and averages, time and work)
- Quantitative Skills: Algebra and probability (linear and quadratic equations, inequalities, sequences and series, permutations and combinations, probability)
- Quantitative Skills: Data interpretation and data sufficiency (caselets, graphs and charts, tables)
- Logical Reasoning: Verbal reasoning (critical reasoning - conclusions, inferences, assumptions, strong/weak arguments, verbal logic; deductions)
- Logical Reasoning: Analytical reasoning (syllogisms, analytical puzzles, input-output, seating arrangements, decision-making, Venn diagrams)
- Language Skills: Reading comprehension, para forming, error identification, prepositions, sentence completion, analogies
Who can take NMAT, and how is it run?
| Exam cycle | NMAT 2026Source: NMAT by GMAC Exam | mba.com (official NMAT home; nmat.org redirects here)· last verified 11 Nov 2026 |
| Conducted by | Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), delivered by Graduate Management Global Connection (India) Private Limited (GMGC), a GMAC subsidiarySource: NMAT by GMAC Exam - Terms and Conditions (India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh) PDF· last verified 11 Nov 2026 |
| Mode | Computer-adaptive test. Candidates located in India may take only the Test Centre Exam; candidates outside India may take only the Online Proctored Exam at Home.Source: NMAT by GMAC Exam - Terms and Conditions (India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh) PDF· last verified 11 Nov 2026 |
| How often it is held | Maximum of three attempts in a testing year (first attempt plus up to two retakes, No Shows included). A retake can be registered once the previous attempt's score has been received, for any date more than 15 days after the previous attempt. Each retake costs INR 3,000 (excluding taxes).Source: NMAT by GMAC Exam | mba.com (official NMAT home; nmat.org redirects here)· last verified 11 Nov 2026 |
| Eligibility | GMAC sets no separate eligibility criterion for the test. Official terms: "It is the responsibility of the test taker to understand the eligibility requirements of all the universities and schools to which he/she is interested in applying before registering for the Test... test takers are advised to check the websites of each university and school where they plan to apply."Source: NMAT by GMAC Exam - Terms and Conditions (India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh) PDF· last verified 11 Nov 2026 |
| Score validity | Valid for one application cycle only. GMAC: "your NMAT Exam score only lasts for one application cycle. If you want to apply with the NMAT again another year, you have to sit the NMAT again."Source: NMAT 2026-27: Key info, dates, fees, registration process (GMAC)· last verified 11 Nov 2026 |
What is the NMAT application fee?
Which colleges accept NMAT?
| Institute | City | NIRF 2025 | Total fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMSOM (Ahmedabad University)P1 | Ahmedabad | Not in top 100 | ₹14,00,000source |
| IBS HyderabadMBA | Hyderabad | #46 | ₹17,01,000source |
| KJSIMMBA | Mumbai | #65 | ₹23,87,500source |
| NMIMS SBM MumbaiP1 | Mumbai | #24 | ₹27,00,000source |
| SoM-PDEUMBA | Gandhinagar | #89 | ₹14,20,000source |
Institutes the exam body names:
- NMIMS Mumbai - Two-Year MBA programs
- SP Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR), Mumbai - Global Management Program (GMP)
- Indian School of Business
- K J Somaiya Institute of Management, Mumbai - MBA
- T A Pai Management Institute (TAPMI), Manipal - MBA
- SDA Bocconi Asia Center, Mumbai - International Master's in Business
- Great Lakes Institute of Management (Gurgaon, Chennai) - PGPM
- SOIL Institute of Management, Gurgaon - PGPM, PGDM
- BML Munjal University, Gurgaon - MBA
- Jindal Global Business School, Sonipat - MBA
- Amity University, Noida - MBA
- Chitkara Business School, Chandigarh - MBA
- FLAME University, Pune - MBA
- PDEU School of Management - MBA
- Alliance University, Bangalore - MBA
- SRM School of Management, Chennai - MBA
- VIT Business School, Vellore - MBA
- Krea University IFMR Graduate School of Business, Sri City - MBA
- ICFAI Business School (IBS), Hyderabad - Two-year MBA
- Woxsen School of Business, Hyderabad - MBA
- XIM University (XIMB), Bhubaneswar - MBA programmes
Frequently asked questions
When is NMAT?
Exam delivery window opens (India): 2 Nov 2026, per the official notice. Check https://www.mba.com/exams/nmat for changes.
What is the NMAT exam pattern?
NMAT has 3 sections: Language Skills; Quantitative Skills; Logical Reasoning, 108 questions in all, in 120 minutes. Marking: Each section is scored 12-120; the total is 36-360. The three sections are weighted equally. There is no negative marking: no marks are deducted for wrong or unanswered questions.
Who can take NMAT?
GMAC sets no separate eligibility criterion for the test. Official terms: "It is the responsibility of the test taker to understand the eligibility requirements of all the universities and schools to which he/she is interested in applying before registering for the Test... test takers are advised to check the websites of each university and school where they plan to apply."
How long is a NMAT score valid?
Valid for one application cycle only. GMAC: "your NMAT Exam score only lasts for one application cycle. If you want to apply with the NMAT again another year, you have to sit the NMAT again."
How are NMAT results used for admission?
Unofficial scores appear on screen right after the test. The official score card, with scaled section and total scores, is ready within 48 hours; exams flagged for security review are audited, and those results come out within 10 working days. Registration covers score sending to up to 5 programmes/schools, and each additional school costs extra. There is no central counselling. Each school runs its own admission process and NMAT cutoff, and GMAC says cutoffs vary by college and year.
Sources
Official documents used on this page, last checked on 12 Nov 2026.
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