CMAT Common Management Admission Test
Management · PG · All India
Overview
Eligibility
CMAT is conducted by the National Testing Agency and its score is accepted by AICTE-approved management programmes across the country.
- Degree: a bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognised university.
- Final-year students: eligible, with admission conditional on completing the degree before the institute's deadline.
- Marks and age: no minimum percentage is set to sit the exam, and there is no age limit. Individual institutes may set their own bar.
Exam Pattern
Syllabus
Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation (QA/DI)
20%Arithmetic, Algebra & Modern Maths, Geometry & Mensuration, Number System, Data Interpretation & Sufficiency
Logical Reasoning (LR)
20%Traditional Logic, Verbal / Critical Logic, Analytical Logic
Language Comprehension (VARC)
20%Vocabulary, Grammar, Comprehension & Verbal Ability
General Awareness (GA)
20%Current Affairs, Economy & Business, Static GK
Innovation & Entrepreneurship (I&E)
20%Entrepreneurship Basics, Innovation & Creativity, Business Models, Finance & Funding, Government Schemes & Ecosystem, Case Studies
How to Apply
The application is an online form on the NTA’s CMAT website. Everything below is done in one sitting or saved and returned to; nothing is done on paper.
Register
Create an account on the NTA’s CMAT website with an email address and mobile number you will still have months from now -- every notice, the admit card and the result reach you there. A registration number is issued; keep it.
Fill the form
Personal details, academic record from class 10 onwards, category, and work experience where it applies. The academic figures must match your marksheets exactly, because they are verified later against the originals.
Choose test cities
Cities are given in order of preference and allotted on availability, so the first choice is not guaranteed. Pick somewhere you can reach the morning of the exam without an overnight journey.
Upload photograph and signature
Both have to meet the format, size and background stated in the notification. A rejected upload is the most common reason a form is left incomplete past the deadline.
Pay the fee
Online, through the official portal only. The amount is set afresh in each year’s notification and is lower for SC, ST and PwD candidates. Keep the payment receipt.
Submit, then check
Print the completed form. A correction window usually opens afterwards -- it is limited, and it rarely covers every field, so it is a repair, not a second chance.
Apply only through the official portal. No agent can register you, and nobody can change a score once it is declared.
Important Dates
Selection Process
CMAT covers more ground than most management papers, and the extra sections are where candidates lose marks they did not plan to lose.
- Alongside Quantitative Techniques, Logical Reasoning and Language Comprehension, the paper carries General Awareness and a section on Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
- There is negative marking, and the General Awareness section cannot be prepared for in the last week — it rewards a habit rather than a push.
- The NTA publishes a score and an All India Rank. Institutes then run their own group discussion and interview.
- Several state common admission processes accept the CMAT score directly for their seat allocation.
Past Papers
| Year | Paper | Shift | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | CMAT Previous Year Paper 2026 | Paper 1 | Open → |
| 2025 | CMAT Previous Year Paper 2025 | Paper 1,Paper 2 | Open → |
| 2024 | CMAT Previous Year Paper 2024 | Paper 1,Paper 2 | Open → |
| 2023 | CMAT Previous Year Paper 2023 | Paper 1,Paper 2 | Open → |
| 2022 | CMAT Previous Year Paper 2022 | Exam Paper | Open → |
| 2021 | CMAT Previous Year Paper 2021 | Paper 1,Paper 2 | Open → |
All 6 open in the papers section.
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