Exams
Overview
The three-hour online test is given in a single sitting and is designed to gauge a candidate's proficiency in a variety of areas, including quantitative technique, logical reasoning, language comprehension, innovation & entrepreneurship and general awareness. Every AICTE-Approved Institution, Department of a University, Constituent College, and Affiliated College accepts the CMAT score. Around 1,300 B-schools in India, including both public and private institutions like Great Lakes Institute of Management, JBIMS, SIMSREE, K J Somaiya, Welingkar, and PUMBA, accept the CMAT result.
Students who pass the exam can be assured of admission to a government-recognized institute that provides management programs. The Postgraduate Common Entrance Test (PGCET), which is administered by the state in thirteen states, is less likely than authorized government and private colleges, as well as prestigious business schools, to accept scores as the entrance to MBA admissions under the government quota. The following states: Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Nagaland, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, and Himachal Pradesh will recognize test results. With the creation of the National Testing Agency (NTA), it is anticipated that a greater number of accredited B-schools would accept scores.
Particulars |
Details |
Conducting Body |
National Testing Agency |
CMAT 2023 exam date |
4th May 2023 |
Exam Level |
National |
Exam Frequency |
Once a year |
Exam Mode |
Online |
Exam Duration |
3 hours |
Exam Syllabus |
Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation Logical Reasoning Language Comprehension & Verbal Ability General Awareness Innovation and Entrepreneurship |
Exam Pattern |
100 questions in MCQ format |
Language |
English |
CMAT Exam Fees |
INR 2,000 (General category male) INR 1,000 (General category female/reserved category students) |
Exam Purpose |
Admission to 1,300 MBA colleges |
Course Offered |
MBA/PGDM |
No. of Test Cities |
124 |
No. of applicants |
70,000 (approx.) |
CMAT Exam Strategy
There are five sections in CMAT exam:
1. Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation
2. Logical Reasoning
3. Language Comprehension
4. General Awareness
5. Innovation and entrepreunership
1. Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation
i. Build the foundation: Understand the fundamentals of all topics like arithmetic, algebra, and geometry (cover all the sub-topics). You should practice questions to improve your speed and accuracy. This is imperative to solve the puzzles that appear in the exam.
ii. Shortcuts: Learn shortcuts and tips & tricks to solve problems quickly. This will increase speed and save crucial time.
iii. Practice the art of letting go: If you get stuck while solving the issue, skip to the next question and try again later. It is better to skip the question than answering it incorrectly.
iv. Data Analysis: The capacity to analyze data provided in tables, graphs, and charts is the goal of the data interpretation section. It entails analyzing or making decisions based on mathematical data. Practice as many questions as possible through books and mocks to increase accuracy.
2. Logical Reasoning
i. Topics: Statement and argument, blood connection, statement and conclusion, coding and decoding, statement and assumptions, number series, and analogies ii. Candidates must answer a variety of issues of varying degrees of complexity with speed and precision.
3. Language Comprehension
i. Topics: Para jumbles, reading comprehension, sentence completion, idioms and phrases, one-word replacement, and synonym and antonym
ii. So, in order to keep up with all of these types of questions on a regular basis, one must read a variety of articles, novels, and books that are of personal interest and choice.
4. General Awareness
i. Take a brief glance at current government plans in the areas of the economy, the environment, financial news, sports, politics, social concerns, significant business events, well-known awards, world records, and foreign news.
ii. Concentrate solely on well-known and popular themes, as the majority of questions are based on recent news or updates. So, every day, devote some time to reading the newspaper or watching news or movies that will be remembered for a long time.
Eligibility criteria
The eligibility criteria for CMAT are:
1. The aspirant should be a graduate of any discipline.
2. Final year students of graduate courses (10+2+3) are also eligible for CMAT, provided the results are declared before the commencement of admission.
3. There’s no age limit for CMAT.
4. The candidate must be a citizen of India.
Answer key of the official NTA CMAT exam:
The NTA posts the CMAT answer key on the exam website a week before the results are announced. The CMAT answer key includes the CMAT question paper as well as the response sheet. Using their login credentials, test takers can obtain the CMAT 2023 answer key from the exam website. The following is the procedure for downloading the CMAT answer key 2023:
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Visit the CMAT-NTA website.
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Click the 'CMAT 2023 Answer Key Download' button.
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Enter your application number, date of birth, and password.
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On the dashboard, click the 'Answer Key' option.
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Get the CMAT answer key there.
The NTA also provides the option to contest the official answer key. Under this clause, any candidate may challenge the official answer key by completing an online form and submitting supporting documentation. If the claim is validated, the CMAT answer key will be updated. After reviewing the objections filed, the CMAT 2023 result and final answer key will be prepared.
Nearly 1,300 B-Schools in India accept the CMAT test result for admission to various MBA/PGDM programmes. Some of the most well-known MBA institutions that accept CMAT results are listed below.
Colleges Accepting CMAT Score |
CMAT Expected Cut-Off Percentiles |
JBIMS, Mumbai |
99.9+ |
Goa Institute of Management |
99.8 |
KJ Somaiya Institute of Management |
99.20 |
SIMSREE, Mumbai |
99+ |
Great Lakes Institute of Management |
95-99 |
University of Pune, Dept of Management Sciences |
96.42 |
Xavier Institute of Social Service, Ranchi |
95 |
Welingkar Institute of Management, Mumbai |
80+ |
Welingkar Institute of Management, Bangalore |
80 |
Indian Institute of Information Technology & Management |
85 |
IFIM, Bangalore |
85 |
IFMR, Chennai |
85 |
NIBM, Pune |
85 |
NL Dalmiya Institute of Management |
85 |
IMT Hyderabad |
80 |
IMT Nagpur |
85+ |
XISS Ranchi |
80 |
ITM, Navi Mumbai |
80 |
Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida |
85 |
Xavier Business School, Xavier University |
85 |
Great Lakes Institute of Management, Gurgaon |
85 |
BIMTECH, Greater Noida |
80 |
XIME, Bangalore |
75+ |
ISBM, Pune |
80 |
Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow |
80 |
KIIT School of Management |
80 |
IPE Hyderabad |
80 |
SIES College of Management Studies, Navi Mumbai |
80 |
Chetana Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai |
80 |
The CMAT exam is divided into four sections: quantitative techniques and data interpretation, logical reasoning, language comprehension, and general awareness. Last year, an extra section called Innovation and Entrepreneurship was added. The following are essential CMAT syllabus topics:
Sections |
Important Topics |
Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation |
Algebra, Geometry, Time-Speed-Distance, Allegation & Mixtures, Graph, Quadratic Equation, Linear Equations, Differential Equations |
Logical Reasoning |
Analytical Reasoning, Linear Arrangements, Number Series, Matrix Arrangements, Blood Relationship Tests |
Language Comprehension |
Reading Comprehension, Para–jumbles, Grammar, English Usage Errors |
General Awareness |
Current affairs, Economy, Business, World, Politics, Sports, Culture, Society |
Innovation and Entrepreneurship |
Fundamental Concepts of Innovation and Entrepreneurship |
CMAT Syllabus with Section Wise Weightage
The weightage of subjects included in the CMAT syllabus is equal in each section. CMAT exam paper 2023 will have 100 MCQs distributed evenly across all sections. Four marks will be awarded for each correct try, and one mark will be deducted for each incorrect attempt. The CMAT question paper breakdown is as follows:
Sections |
Number of Questions |
Marks Allotted |
Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation |
20 |
80 |
Logical Reasoning |
20 |
80 |
Language Comprehension |
20 |
80 |
General Awareness |
20 |
80 |
Innovation & Entrepreneurship |
20 |
80 |
CMAT Exam Pattern
The CMAT exam consists of MCQs, with no time restriction per section. Candidates have the flexibility to move between the sections. Additionally, the applicants can choose between two options:
1. 4-section exam – 3 hours
2. 5-section exam – 3.5 hours
The merit score and % is calculated using only the first four parts. The CMAT scorecard shows the actual score out of 400/500, the sectional score, and the sectional and overall percentiles in the exam.
Exam Sections |
No. of Qs |
Max Marks |
Marks per Q |
Penalty per Q |
Language Comprehension |
25 |
100 |
+4 |
-1 |
Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation |
25 |
100 |
+4 |
-1 |
Logical Reasoning |
25 |
100 |
+4 |
-1 |
General Awareness |
25 |
100 |
+4 |
-1 |
Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Included only in 5- section exam) |
25 |
100 |
+4 |
-1 |
Total |
125 |
500 |
- |
- |
Marking scheme
According to the CMAT 2023 marking scheme:
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A candidate will be awarded +4 marks for each right answer.
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A -1 mark will be deducted for each wrong response.
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Unanswered/unattempted questions will receive no credit.
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If a question is ignored or dropped, all students will receive a +4, regardless of whether the question was answered correctly or not.
The CMAT 2023 admit card will be available on the exam's official website. Candidates who have successfully registered will be able to download their CMAT admission card. The following is the procedure for downloading the CMAT admission card from the NTA website:
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Go to the official website
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Click on admit card section
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Enter your email ID and password
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Download admit card
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The CMAT admit card has the following details:
1. Photo
2. Name and signature of the candidate
3. CMAT Roll number
4. Test date
5. Time
6. Reporting time at the venue
7. Venue name
8. Venue address
9. Brief instructions for the candidate
The candidates are advised to check the details and take two printouts of the CMAT admit card. In case of any discrepancy or inability to take a printout, the candidates must contact the CMAT helpdesk at the following phone number: 011-69227700, 011-40759000
It is mandatory to carry a copy of the admit card to the exam center. Candidates not carrying their admit cards will not be allowed to appear in the exam. Thus, they must download their admit cards as hard copies of the same will not be sent to anyone.
The candidates are advised to keep their admit cards safely with them till the admission process is over.
ProcessCMAT comprises these steps:
STEP 1: Application process
To apply for CMAT, candidates need to register on the official CMAT website as new users. On successful registration, a login ID will be shared which can be used for all login purposes.
STEP 2: Admit Card
CMAT admit cards will be available for download on the official website, as per the schedule. Registered candidates can download their admit cards till the day before the exam.