CMAT 2026: Exam Dates, Registration, Fees, Syllabus

The CMAT(Common Management Admission Test) Exam 2026 will be organised by NTA and is expected to be conducted in January 2026. NTA CMAT Exam is an online(Computer-Based) exam that facilitates admission in MBA/PGDM courses in Top B-Schools in India. Over 1000 MBA colleges in India accept CMAT scores for admission to their MBA programs. The CMAT Exam Eligibility 2026 includes a graduation degree with passing marks from any recognised university. There is no specified upper age limit for NTA CMAT Exam 2026. The CMAT registration fee is ₹2,500 for general candidates, while the same for female and reserved categories is ₹1,250. 

The CMAT Exam 2026 pattern will include five sections i.e Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning, Language Comprehension, General Awareness, and Innovation & Entrepreneurship. There will be a total of 100 questions in the CMAT Exam question paper for which students will get 180 minutes (3 hours). The CMAT Exam Registration 2026 is expected to start in the second week of November, 2025.

CMAT Exam: Quick Highlights

The table below shows the quick overview of the CMAT Exam 2026.

What is the CMAT Exam?

The Common Admission Test (CMAT) 2026 is a national level examination conducted by NTA. The exams make students eligible to secure their seat in over 1000 B-schools in India.  The CMAT Exam Syllabus 2026 consists of five sections i.e.  Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning, Language Comprehension, General Awareness, and Innovation & Entrepreneurship, each having 20 questions, for a total exam duration of 180 minutes (3 hours).

A total of 63,145 candidates appeared for the CMAT Exam 2025. However, a total of 74,012 candidates have registered for the exam. The CMAT Exam difficulty level generally lies between moderate to high Category.

CMAT Admit Card

The CMAT Admit Card will be released by NTA. The CMAT admit card 2026 will have key details like the allotted exam centre address, date, time, guidelines and more. Students are highly encouraged to keep a regular eye on official websites for latest updates. Here below are the key steps to download CMAT Admit Card 2026.

1. Go to the NTA official website and login using required credentials.
2. On the homepage, find the ‘Download Admit Card’ link.
3. The CMAT admit card will be displayed on the screen. Check details like name, exam date, time, and venue.
4. Download the admit card and take a clear printout for future reference. A hard copy is required on the exam day.

Note: All candidates will have to present their CMAT 2026 admit card along with an original valid ID proof at the exam centre.

CMAT 2026 Exam Pattern

CMAT 2026 Exam Pattern, will include five sections i.e.  Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning, Language Comprehension, General Awareness, and Innovation & Entrepreneurship, each section will have 20 questions. The CMAT Exam paper 2026 will include 100 questions for 400 marks for a total duration of 180 minutes (3 hours). The table below shows a detailed overview of the CMAT Exam 2026.

CMAT Exam Registration 2026

The CMAT Exam Application Form 2026 will be released in November 2025 on the official website NTA. Candidates willing to appear for the CMAT examination 2026 will have to fill the application form and submit all the required documents within the time frame. The detailed CMAT Exam 2026 registration process is explained below:

Step 1. Visit the Official Website: Visit the official CMAT NTA website.

Step 2. New Registration: Click on the 'New Registration' link to start the process.

Step 3. Complete Registration Form: Enter your personal details, including name, date of birth, email ID, and mobile number. Create a password for future logins.

Step 4. Note Application Number: After successful registration, a system-generated Application Number will be displayed. Keep this number safe for subsequent logins.

Step 5. Fill Application Form: Log in using your Application Number and password. Provide the necessary academic and personal information as required.

Step 6. Upload Documents: Upload scanned copies of your recent passport-size photograph and signature in the specified format and size.

Step 7. Pay Application Fee: Proceed to pay the application fee online using a debit/credit card, net banking, or UPI. The fee details will be specified in the official notification.

Step 8. Submit and Print Acknowledgement Slip: After successful payment, submit the application form. Download and print the confirmation page for your records.

Note: Ensure all information provided is accurate and complete. Incomplete or incorrect applications may be rejected. Regularly check the official CMAT website for updates and detailed instructions.

CMAT Exam Eligibility

The table below shows the CMAT 2026 Exam Eligibility.

CMAT Exam Syllabus

The CMAT Entrance exam syllabus includes a total of 5 sections, i.e Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning, Language Comprehension, General Awareness, and Innovation & Entrepreneurship. Understanding and analysing the syllabus not only helps students to understand the exam pattern and difficulty but also allows them to figure out their weak areas. Here below is the CMAT EXAM section wise syllabus and important topics.

CMAT 2026 Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation Syllabus

The CMAT Exam Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation syllabus is shown in the table below.

CMAT 2026 Language Comprehension  Syllabus

The CMAT Exam LC important topics are listed below in the table.

CMAT 2026 Logical Reasoning Syllabus

The CMAT Exam Logical Reasoning important topics are listed below in table.

CMAT 2026 General Awareness Syllabus

The CMAT Exam General Awareness important topics are listed below in table.

CMAT 2026 Innovation and Entrepreneurship Syllabus

The CMAT Exam Innovation and Entrepreneurship important topics are listed below in table.

CMAT Mock Test

A CMAT mock exam is a replica of the real CMAT 2026 Exam, with questions that are comparable in terms of time constraints and difficulty.  Online CMAT practice exams are accessible.  Numerous websites provide a variety of exam series, both free and paid.  A few of the coaching centres also offer practice CMAT mock exams.  In addition to all of this, a variety of publications with CMAT Exam practice tests exist on the market.

CMAT 2026 Preparation Tips

To get a decent score in this CMAT 2026 exam, both strong conceptual understanding and time management is required. The CMAT Exam syllabus is similar to that of other MBA entrance exams. Some of the key expert-curated tips for the CMAT 2026 exam preparation are:

1. Understand the Exam Pattern – Know the sections: Quantitative Techniques, Logical Reasoning, Language Comprehension, General Awareness, and Innovation & Entrepreneurship.

2. Create a Study Schedule – Allocate time daily for each section and stick to a disciplined routine. Make a SMART and feasible routine that can be followed.

3. Basics First – The key to solving maximum questions in the final examination accurately is strengthening fundamentals in math and grammar before moving to advanced problems.

4. Practice Mock Tests – Regularly take full-length mocks to build speed, accuracy, and time management.

5. Analyze Performance – After each mock, review your mistakes and weak areas to improve.

6. Revise GK Daily – Read newspapers and follow current affairs; revise static GK regularly.

7. Work on Vocabulary – Improve word power through reading and flashcards for better comprehension.

8. Master Shortcut Techniques – Learn tricks for faster calculations and logical reasoning solutions.

9. Stay Updated on Innovation & Entrepreneurship – Study basic concepts and recent trends in startups and business.

CMAT Exam Best Books

The secret to achieving a high percentile on the CMAT exam is choosing the right study materials.  Though there are many books on the market, the table below lists some of the best-selling books that are suggested for various subjects along with the writers of those works.

CMAT 2026 Answer Key 

The CMAT 2026 answer key will feature the correct responses of the asked questions in the examination and will be released by NTA in February 2026. Students can match their answer in the CMAT 2026 response sheet. Students may also challenge the answer key with a valid document if they found anything wrong. The detailed process to download CMAT 2026 answer key displayed below.

• Log on to CMAT-NTA website
• Click on 'login'
• Enter application number and date of birth or password
• Click on 'Answer Key' link reflecting on the dashboard
• Download the CMAT 2026 answer key

CMAT 2026 Exam Result

The CMAT 2026 results will be released by NTA in the form of normalised scores/Percentile. The result will be declared after the commencement of the final examination, and is expected to be released by February 2026. The percentile in CMAT results will be considered for the CMAT 2026 counselling process. To access and download the CMAT scorecard 2026, the candidates will have to log in using their application number and password. Candidates are advised to keep a regular eye on the NTA official website for latest updates regarding CMAT 2026 Exam.

CMAT Exam Centres

All applicants have to select their preferred CMAT Exam Centres while filling out the application form. The exam will be conducted in 124 cities. The CMAT Exam centres are shown in the table below.

CMAT Counselling Process

After the CMAT Results are announced, the individual B-schools will get activated to initiate the CMAT counselling process. This process includes Group Discussions, and Personal Interviews. A detailed step-by-step guide to the counselling process is shown below.

1. Shortlisting and Call Letters:  After the CMAT result is declared the students will be called by various colleges for the counselling and admission process.

2. GD(Group Discussion): After shortlisting candidates are required group discussion (GD)

3. PI(Personal Interview): After GD candidates have to go through a personal interview.

4. Finalised score: The final selection of candidates is based on a combination of factors, including CMAT score, performance in GD/PI, and other criteria defined by the B-school.

5. Final Admission and Reporting: Once the seat is confirmed, candidates must get all the documents verified and report to the allotted campus within the given timeline.

Note: As there is no centralized counseling process for CMAT; each B-school conducts its own admission process. Candidates need to apply separately to each B-school they are interested in, even after qualifying for the CMAT. 

The CMAT Exam 2026 is expected to be held in January 2026, as per the schedule followed for CMAT 2025. However, the official dates will be disclosed in the CMAT Exam Notification 2026 that will be released on NTA’s official exam website. The CMAT 2026 Registration is expected to begin in the second week of November this year. 

The table below shows some of the key dates concerning the CMAT Exam 2026.

The CMAT Exam cutoff is the minimum percentile required for admission to various B-schools. There is a range of colleges accepting CMAT, the cutoff ranges between 70-99 percentiles based on various colleges.