CMAT 2026: Exam Date, Notification, Application Form, Eligibility

The National Testing Agency (NTA) will announce the CMAT 2026 Exam date in November and candidates can download the CMAT 2026 Application form by using their login details. However, the CMAT 2025 Merit List was released on 13th February 2025 for the examination took place on 25th January 2025. The NTA conducts the Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) to evaluate the candidate’s ability for admission to management courses offered by the AICTE affiliated/ Participating Institutions. Key highlights of the CMAT Exam are as follows:

• The entrance exam was conducted on 25th January 2025.
• To register for CMAT 2026, candidates must be Indian citizens with a Graduation Degree. 
• The CMAT score is accepted by all AICTE- AICTE-approved institutions / Universities/Departments / Constituent Colleges /Affiliated Colleges.

Check List of MBA Entrance Exam 

Direct Link for CMAT Merit List

Download CMAT Response Sheet PDF

CMAT 2026: Overview

The CMAT Exam is perfect for candidates seeking admission to Management Courses offered by recognized institutes in the country. Check all important details and highlights about the CMAT 2026 Exam from the table below.

Download CMAT 2026 Official Notification PDF (to be activated soon)

CMAT Exam Dates 2026

All candidates who have applied for the CMAT Exam must be familiar with the latest CMAT exam dates to plan their preparation accordingly. In the following table, we have provided exam dates for your reference:

What is the CMAT Exam?

The Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) is a national -level entrance examination, conducted by the NTA for admission to management programs offered by AICTE-recognized institutes It is a compulsory exam for admission to over 1300 business schools across India. As the third most popular MBA entrance after CAT and XAT, around 70,000 candidates appear for CMAT each year. The test intends to assess the candidates' knowledge of quantitative, reasoning, comprehension, awareness and innovation skills. 

CMAT Exam Apply Online

Candidates can apply for CMAT 2026 through “Online” mode only. The Application Form in any other mode will not be accepted. Only one application is to be submitted by a candidate. More than one application i.e. Multiple application forms submitted by a candidate will not be accepted.

Step 1: Register through the Official Website

Visit the official CMAT website. Click the link to apply for CMAT 2026. Then click on 'New Registration' and provide the required details to register yourself. You will be provided with your login credentials.

Step 2: Fill the CMAT Application Form

Login using your credentials and fill out the CMAT application form carefully. Verify and save the details. Then proceed further.

Step 3: Upload the Documents

Upload scanned images and other relevant documents in the prescribed format. You can use Testbook’s Resizing Tool to resize photographs according to the given format.

Step 4: Pay the Application Fee

Pay the prescribed application fee as per your category through online mode/

Step 5: Submit the Application Form

Now, verify all the details and finally submit the CMAT Application form. Download and save a copy of the same for future reference.

CMAT Exam Application Fees 2026

Candidates can submit their CMAT Exam fees through Credit Card /Debit Card (except Master/Visa Card) / Net-Banking/UPI). The category-wise fee details are mentioned below.

*Applicable service/processing charges & GST, over and above the examination fee, are to be paid by the candidate to the concerned Bank/ Payment Gateway Integrator (For details, Annexure -I may be referred to).

CMAT Selection Process 2026

The CMAT Selection Process evaluates candidates for admission to management courses in participating institutions. It consists of an entrance exam followed by counselling and further selection stages.

Entrance Exam

The CMAT is a national-level computer-based test assessing candidates on topics like Quantitative Techniques, Logical Reasoning, Language Comprehension, General Awareness, and Innovation & Entrepreneurship. The exam serves as the primary criterion for shortlisting candidates for the next stages.

Counselling and Further Selection

After qualifying for the CMAT, candidates are invited for the counselling process based on their scores. This stage involves document verification, seat allotment, and interviews (if required) conducted by individual institutions.

Colleges Accepting CMAT Score

The CMAT Score is accepted by all the AICTE-recognized universities and colleges across India. Some of the reputed colleges which accept the CMAT Score are:

CMAT Eligibility

To apply for the CMAT exam, candidates should possess the below prescribed CMAT eligibility criteria in terms of their educational qualification, age limit, etc. Those who do not fulfil these requirements will not be eligible to appear for the exam.

• There is no age restriction for appearing in CMAT.
• Candidate must hold a Bachelor’s Degree in any discipline.

CMAT Exam Pattern 

The CMAT Exam Pattern outlines the structure of the test, including the subjects, marking scheme, and question distribution. Understanding the pattern is crucial for effective preparation and maximizing scores.

• The exam consists of five sections: Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning, Language Comprehension, General Awareness, and an optional Innovation & Entrepreneurship section.
• Each section includes 20 questions, with a total of 100 questions carrying a maximum of 400 marks.
• Four marks are awarded for every correct answer, while one mark is deducted for each incorrect response.

CMAT Syllabus 

The CMAT Syllabus covers five key areas: Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning, Language Comprehension, General Awareness, and Innovation & Entrepreneurship. It includes topics like arithmetic, algebra, puzzles, critical reasoning, vocabulary, reading comprehension, current events, business knowledge, and entrepreneurial concepts. A thorough understanding of the syllabus helps candidates focus their preparation on relevant topics for better performance.

CMAT Books

Preparing from the right CMAT Books is essential for acing the exam. Some key books that aspirants must refer for subject-specific preparation include – Lucent's General Knowledge for the General Awareness section. R.S. Aggarwal's Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning and M.K. Pandey's Analytical Reasoning are useful for logical reasoning. For Quantitative Aptitude, books like Fast Track Objective Arithmetic by Rajesh Verma and Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by Abhijit Guha help in problem-solving skills. To strengthen language comprehension, refer to General English for All Competitive Examinations by S.C. Gupta. Besides subject books, solving previous years' question papers and taking mock tests are valuable sources for CMAT exam preparation.

CMAT Preparation Tips 

The CMAT exam is one of the challenging MBA exams. Preparing for the CMAT required dedicated focus and the right preparation approach. The following are expert preparation tips for CMAT Exam which will help you crack the CMAT 2026 in one go –

• Candidates must have prior knowledge of the fundamentals of a subject thoroughly. It is essential to get hold of the fundamentals of the topics of the entire syllabus. 
• Practice and solve CMAT Previous Year Papers regularly to self-evaluate your preparation.
• It is better to have advanced knowledge of the examination and syllabus to crack the bottleneck competition. This can be achieved by taking mock tests. It will help to give you a clear understanding of the exam pattern and the type of questions.

CMAT Admit Card

The CMAT Admit Card is released a few days before the scheduled exam. It is an important document without which candidates are not allowed to enter the exam hall. The exam date, timing, and location of the exam centre will be specified on the CMAT Admit Card .Candidates must note that the admit card will be available online only and nor hardcopies of the same will be sent to them.

CMAT Exam Cut Off

The CMAT Cut Off Marks are the minimum marks prescribed by institutions for shortlisting candidates during the admission process. These cut-offs vary each year and across colleges depending on various factors like the difficulty level of the exam, total number of applicants and availability of seats. Candidates must refer to the .MAT Cut Off trends the cut-off trends to get an idea of the expected cut off, and gauge their chances of admission at good colleges. However, merely clearing the cut-off does not guarantee admission, since the final admission depends on the aspirant's performance in the further stage such as GD and PI.

CMAT Exam Answer Key

The CMAT answer key is released by the NTA in a few days after the successful completion of the exam. It contains correct responses to questions asked in the different sections of the exam. Candidates can compare their marked responses with the official CMAT Answer Key to get an estimate of their probable score. This helps in analyzing the performance and identifying weak areas requiring more preparation. Though not final, answer keys are a reliable indicator of relative merit. Any challenges to the key are scrutinized before final results are declared. Previous year's answer keys are also useful resources for aspirants to analyze past question papers and solutions.

CMAT Result

The CMAT Result is announced online on the official website of NTA CMAT. Candidates can log in using their credentials to view their results and to download their CMAT Scorecard. Based on their CMT score they can then apply for admission to the participating colleges for which they are eligible, and undergo the further selection process.

Hopefully, this article on the CMAT Exam was helpful for all eligible candidates. Our experts will help you to solve all your queries related to this exam. The candidates can download the Testbook App for preparation for various Govt job exams.