If students are planning to pursue an MBA, they must have heard of entrance exams like CAT and NMAT. While both are popular ways to get admission into top business schools in India, they differ significantly in terms of format, difficulty level, and approach. CAT (Common Admission Test) is considered more challenging, focusing heavily on logical reasoning, quantitative ability, and reading comprehension with a more unpredictable pattern and higher competition. In contrast, NMAT by GMAC is designed to be more candidate-friendly. It offers greater flexibility; candidates can attempt it up to three times in a testing window, unlike CAT, which can be taken only once a year. NMAT follows a structure similar to GMAT and allows candidates to choose the order of sections, making it less stressful. The questions in NMAT are generally considered easier, and the exam follows a fixed pattern, unlike the dynamic difficulty level of CAT. Both exams are valuable, but the choice may depend on candidates’ comfort with exam pressure, aptitude strengths, and the kind of B-schools they are targeting. Students can find out the difference between CAT and NMAT in this blog.
NMAT Vs CAT Exam Pattern
Given below is the detailed NMAT and CAT exam pattern for students’ reference:
NMAT
Here’s a structured table representing the updated NMAT 2025 Exam Pattern. The exam is now consists of 108 questions, equally distributed across three sections, with a total duration of 120 minutes. Each section is individually timed, and candidates must complete one section before moving to the next.
CAT
The CAT Exam Pattern includes three sections with a total of 68 questions to be attempted in 120 minutes. Each section is timed for 40 minutes, and candidates cannot switch between sections during the test.
NMAT Vs CAT Exam Syllabus
Here's a structured overview of the NMAT 2025 Syllabus, broken down by section. While the overall syllabus is similar to other MBA entrance exams like CAT, NMAT focuses on speed and accuracy across its three main sections: Language Skills, Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Aptitude & Data Interpretation. The section provided below shows the complete syllabus for NMAT and CAT exams:
NMAT
Tabulated below is the detailed syllabus for the NMAT exam:
CAT
Here's a structured table outlining the CAT 2025 Syllabus, organised by section. While CAT shares some common topics with exams like NMAT, its questions are generally more complex and require a deeper conceptual understanding. The three sections are Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (QA).
NMAT Vs CAT: Marking Scheme & Type of Questions
One of the key differences between NMAT and CAT lies in their marking schemes and types of questions. For more details, refer to the sections given below:
NMAT
The NMAT exam consists entirely of multiple-choice questions (MCQs), and the marking is quite straightforward. Candidates receive three marks for each correct answer, and there’s no negative marking for wrong answers. This makes NMAT a more forgiving exam, allowing test-takers to take calculated risks without the fear of losing marks. The scores are reported as scaled scores, ranging from 12 to 120 per section, and 36 to 360 overall.
CAT
On the other hand, the CAT exam includes a mix of MCQs and non-MCQs (also known as TITA, Type In The Answer questions). In CAT, each correct answer earns three marks, but there is a negative marking of one mark for each wrong answer in the MCQ section. However, non-MCQs do not carry any negative marking. Like NMAT, CAT also uses scaled scores, but the final result is presented as a percentile, which reflects a candidate’s performance relative to others. This combination of question types and scoring makes CAT a more complex and competitive exam.
Read More: CAT Analysis
NMAT Vs CAT: Number of Attempts
When it comes to the number of attempts, NMAT offers more flexibility compared to CAT. Candidates can appear for the NMAT exam up to three times within a 45-day testing window, usually between November and December. This allows students to improve their scores if needed, and most participating colleges consider the best of the three scores for MBA admissions. In contrast, CAT is conducted only once a year, typically in November, giving candidates just one shot annually. However, both exams are similar in terms of score validity, as the scores from each are generally valid for one admission cycle.
NMAT Vs CAT: Difficulty Level
When comparing the difficulty levels of NMAT and CAT, CAT is widely regarded as the more challenging of the two. In fact, it’s considered the toughest MBA entrance exam in India. NMAT, on the other hand, is known for being more student-friendly, thanks to its adaptive format. This means the difficulty level of questions in subsequent attempts depends on how the candidates performed earlier. If they do well and answer difficult questions correctly on their first attempt, they will likely face tougher questions next time. But if they struggle, the next attempt will offer slightly easier or more moderate questions.
CAT doesn't offer that flexibility. It's held just once a year, attracting lakhs of aspirants, including many seasoned candidates and even those who scored high percentiles in previous years. The intense competition and the high-level problem-solving required in CAT contribute significantly to its difficulty, making it a more competitive and demanding exam compared to NMAT.
To Conclude
Both CAT and NMAT are well-recognised MBA entrance exams in India, but they cater to different types of test-takers and preparation strategies. CAT, with its high difficulty level, is ideal for candidates aiming for top-tier IIMs and other elite B-schools. In contrast, NMAT offers a more flexible and student-friendly approach, with multiple attempts, a fixed structure, and no negative marking. For many MBA aspirants, preparing for both simultaneously is a smart strategy, keeping more doors open for admission into reputed B-schools across the country.
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