CMAT 2026: Dates, Registration, Eligibility, Exam Pattern, Syllabus, Cutoff

CMAT 2026 Exam is expected to be scheduled in January 2026. The registration process is expected to begin by the second week of November. Candidates can register online at exams.nta.ac.in/CMAT by filling out the application form and paying the prescribed fee. Graduates in any discipline from a recognised university are eligible to apply, and final-year students are also eligible to appear for the exam.

The exam will be conducted in a computer-based mode. It will consist of five sections: Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning, Language Comprehension, General Awareness, and Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

CMAT Admit Card 2026 will be released 4-5 days before the exam. CMAT Result will be declared by February 2026. After the result declaration, candidates must apply separately to their preferred colleges to get admission.

What is CMAT?

CMAT stands for the Common Management Admission Test, a national-level test administered by the NTA to provide admissions across MBA/PGDM courses. It assesses candidates in terms of Quantitative Techniques, Logical Reasoning, Language Comprehension, General awareness, and Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Over 1,000 business schools across India accept CMAT scores for admission. Notable institutions among them include the JBIMS, SIMSREE, KIIT, and the Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research. Candidates can also take admission in the MAH, MBA, and CAP programs using CMAT scores.

CMAT 2026: Key Highlights

The CMAT Exam is a computer-based test held once a year. Candidates must register themselves at exams.nta.ac.in/CMAT to pursue MBA/PGDM courses. Refer to the table below to check key highlights of the CMAT 2026 Exam.

CMAT 2026: Important Events And Dates

The CMAT 2026 notification is expected to be released in November 2025, with the registration process likely to commence by the second week of the month. The application fee payment and correction windows will remain open till the last week of December. Refer to the information below to view the tentative exam schedules for CMAT 2026.

CMAT Eligibility Criteria 2026

Candidates planning to appear for the CMAT 2026 Exam must have completed their Graduation in any discipline from a recognised university in India. More details on the CMAT Eligibility Criteria 2026 are as follows:

CMAT Application Process 2026

CMAT Application Process 2026 is expected to begin in November 2025. Candidates must register for the CMAT exam at nta.ac.in/CMAT/. The registration process for CMAT 2026 is described below:

• Open exams.nta.ac.in/CMAT/
• Enter name, date of birth, email ID, and phone number
• Create a CMAT account and user ID by confirming registration via OTP/e-mail
• Fill the CMAT Application Form 2026 by putting personal and academic qualification details
• Upload a passport-size photo and a scanned signature in the prescribed format
• Pay the CMAT registration fees via credit/debit card/ Net Banking/ UPI

CMAT Application Fees

CMAT Application Fees vary category-wise. For General male candidates, the standardised fee is INR 2500, while for General Female, Gen-EWS/SC/ST/PwD/OBC-(NCL), and third-gender candidates, the registration fee is INR 1250.

Candidates must note that service/processing charges and GST, in addition to the Examination fee, are applicable. They should pay it to the relevant bank or payment gateway. For details, refer to the table below:

CMAT Test Centres 2026

CMAT 2026 exam will be conducted across 107 test cities throughout India. At the time of registration, CMAT 2026 candidates can choose up to four exam cities for test centre allotment. CMAT Test Centres 2026 will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Candidates are advised to select their home city as a first preference for test cities. NTA will allocate the test centre according to the candidate's choice; however, if the seats are filled, candidates will be assigned to the test centre as per their second preference. Some names of CMAT Test Centres are listed below:

CMAT Exam Pattern 2026

According to the CMAT Exam Pattern 2026, the exam will consist of five sections: Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning, Language Comprehension, General Awareness, and Innovation & Entrepreneurship. Each section will contain 20 questions, totalling 100 questions in the exam. For each correct answer, candidates will earn +4 marks, but for each incorrect answer, a penalty of 1 mark will be applied. Check below to review the CMAT Exam Pattern 2026.

CMAT Syllabus 2026

CMAT Syllabus 2026 contains five key sections, and each section has equal weightage in terms of marks distribution. Candidates can refer to the table below to check key topics included in each section of the CMAT Syllabus.

CMAT Preparation Tips

For CMAT 2026 preparation, candidates should start by strengthening their foundational concepts in the relevant subjects. In addition, practising mock test papers and past year question papers are also required to understand the question paper pattern and crucial topics. Candidates should note that they need at least 6 months to prepare adequately for the exam. Below are some effective preparation tips to ace the CMAT 2026 Exam.

• Create a daily 6-hour study plan focused on revising the prescribed CMAT topics.
• Practice CMAT mock tests and sample question papers.
• Stay informed about current events to enhance your general awareness.
• Watch YouTube tutorials on Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Techniques, and Data Interpretation to learn the tricks for solving complex problems easily.

CMAT Admit Card 2026

CMAT Admit Card 2026 will be published 4-5 days before the exam at cmat.nta.nic.in. It will include candidates’ names, roll numbers, the name of the examination centre, date, and timing. In case candidates are unable to download the admit card or find any discrepancies in their photographs or signature, they must contact the helpline between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM. The following steps outline the process for downloading the CMAT Admit Card 2026.

• Access cmat.nta.nic.in
• Click on the 'CMAT 2026 Admit Card' tab
• Enter application number and date of birth
• Click on 'submit' to log in
• Fill out the self-declaration form to go to the admit card page
• Download the CMAT Admit Card 2026 as a PDF

CMAT Answer Key 2026

The CMAT Answer Key and Response Sheet will be released within 3-4 days of the CMAT 2026 Exam. In the answer key, question IDs and their corresponding correct answers will be listed, and the response sheet will include the recorded responses of the candidates. With the help of the answer key, candidates can calculate their scores by matching their recorded responses with the correct answers. However, in case of any discrepancies, they are allowed to raise objections by paying INR 200 per challenged question with supporting documents. Candidates can refer to the steps below to download the CMAT Answer Key 2026.

• Open cmat.nta.nic.in
• Click on 'login'
• Enter application number, date of birth, or password
• Click on the 'Answer Key' link
• Download the CMAT Answer Key 2026 in PDF format

CMAT Results 2026

CMAT Results 2026 will be declared by February 2026. It will include subject-wise marks and percentiles obtained by the candidates. Candidates must note that the CMAT Results 2026 will be valid for 1 year from the day of result declaration. Candidates must follow the steps below to download the CMAT Results 2026.

• Go to cmat.nta.nic.in
• Click on the 'CMAT 2026 Scorecard' tab
• Enter the application number and password
• Click on 'Submit' and download the CMAT Result 2026

CMAT Cutoff 2026

CMAT Cutoff 2026 will vary across Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 colleges. For Tier-1 colleges, the cutoff will be between the 90th and 99th percentile. For Tier-2 colleges, the cutoff range will be between the 60th and 80th percentiles, and for Tier-3 colleges, it will range from the 50th to the 70th percentiles. Candidates can refer to the table below to check the top MBA colleges that accept CMAT 2026 Scores, along with the expected cutoff percentiles.

CMAT Admission Process 2026

CMAT Result Declaration is followed by the CMAT Admission Process, which includes Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI) sessions. To participate in the CMAT 2026 admission process, candidates must submit their application forms to their preferred institutes, as the GD and PI rounds are conducted individually by each college. The colleges will consider CMAT scores and candidates’ performance in the GD and PI rounds to finalise the admission procedure.

CMAT 2026 FAQs