The National Testing Agency (NTA) has officially announced the exam date for the Common Management Admission Test (CMAT 2026). The computer-based test will be conducted on January 25 for students seeking admission to Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) programs across India.
CMAT 2026 is scheduled to last for three hours. It will be administered at various examination centers located in cities throughout the country. The entire question paper will be presented solely in English.
NTA will soon release the CMAT 2026 exam city slip. This document will inform candidates about their assigned exam city and will be available on the official NTA CMAT portal: cmat.nta.nic.in. Exam centers are typically allotted based on the first preference a candidate provided during their application.
The official admit card for CMAT 2026 is anticipated for release in the second week of January 2026 . Candidates must download their admit cards from the NTA website closer to the exam date. Regular visits to the official portal are recommended for all updates.
The application process for CMAT 2026 concluded on November 24. A short window for application form corrections was also provided by NTA, which closed on November 28. No further applications or corrections are currently accepted.
CMAT 2026 Exam Pattern
The CMAT question paper includes five main sections: Logical Reasoning, Language Comprehension, General Awareness, Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation, and Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
The examination comprises a total of 100 multiple-choice questions . The maximum achievable score in the CMAT 2026 exam is 400 marks . The marking scheme awards +4 marks for every correct answer. A penalty of -1 mark is deducted for each incorrect response, emphasizing accuracy.
Section-wise Break-up
Each of the five sections in the CMAT 2026 paper carries equal weight. Candidates will face 20 questions in each section. This structure results in each section contributing 80 marks to the overall score.
| CMAT Sections | Number of Questions | Marks Allotted |
|---|---|---|
| Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation | 20 | 80 |
| Logical Reasoning | 20 | 80 |
| Language Comprehension | 20 | 80 |
| General Awareness | 20 | 80 |
| Innovation and Entrepreneurship | 20 | 80 |
| CMAT Total | 100 | 400 |
Previous Year Attendance Statistics
CMAT serves as a crucial gateway for management education. In the previous examination cycle, a total of 74,012 candidates registered for the test. Of these registered individuals, 63,145 candidates successfully appeared for the examination. This recorded an attendance rate of 85.32% for the CMAT exam.
Students planning for their higher education in management are advised to familiarize themselves thoroughly with the announced exam schedule, pattern, and syllabus. Staying informed through the official NTA website remains critical for all upcoming announcements regarding CMAT 2026.