CMAT Exam

CMAT 2024 Latest Updates and News

CMAT 2024 to be conducted in 2 shifts in the first week of May 2024. CMAT 2024 registration to begin in the second week of February 2024. The application window opens for a month on the official NTA CMAT website- cmat.nta.nic.in. Check CMAT Exam Registration Process and Fees

 

To apply for CMAT exam, you need a bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognized institution. There is no minimum marks requirement for CMAT 2024 exam. Check CMAT Eligibility Criteria

CMAT question paper comprises 100 MCQs carrying 4 marks each- 20 each from Quant & DI, Logical Reasoning, VARC, GK, and Innovation & Entrepreneurship. Check CMAT Exam Syllabus

CMAT Cut off is not released by NTA. It is decided by the respective institutes for carrying out the admission process. CMAT Cut off for some colleges can be as low as 60 percentile while for some it is above 95 percentile. CMAT 2024 Cut off for MBA colleges like JBIMS, Sydenham, SIMSREE, etc., is expected above 99 percentile. Check CMAT Expected Cut off

CMAT selection process is carried out separately be each MBA college. The selection process includes shortlisting candidates based on CMAT 2024 scores followed by the GD-PI-WAT rounds. Check CMAT Selection Process

 

What is CMAT exam for?

Common Management Aptitude Test or CMAT is a national level management entrance exam conducted by the NTA for admission to MBA/ PGDM courses in about 1300 AICTE approved B-schools in India including JBIMS Mumbai, SIMSREE Mumbai, K J Somaiya Institute of Management and Research, PUMBA Pune.

 

CMAT 2024 Exam Date

CMAT 2024 Exam Date will be out in February 2024. Given below are the tentative dates for registration, admit card, exam date based on previous year data.

Events	Dates
CMAT Registration Begins	Second week of February 2024
CMAT Registration Last Date	Second week of March 2024
CMAT Correction Window	March 2024
CMAT 2024 City Intimation Slip	Last week of April 2024
CMAT 2024 Admit Card Download	First week of May 2024
CMAT 2024 Exam Date	First week of May 2024
CMAT 2024 Answer Key	Second week of May 2024
CMAT 2024 Result	Last week of May 2024
CMAT 2024 Final Answer Key	First week of June 2024

CMAT 2024 Latest News and Updates

• Is CMAT 2024 Exam Date Out?:No, NTA has not yet announced CMAT 2024 Exam Date. The exam is expected to be conducted in the first week of May 2024 in two shifts. Shift 1 from 9 AM to 12 PM and Shift 2 from 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM.
• CMAT 2024 Notification releasing on @cmat.nta.nic.in 2024:NTA will release the official information bulletin for CMAT 2024 exam in February 2024.

 

Particulars	Details
Name of the exam	CMAT (Common Management Admission Test)
Exam Conducting Body	National Testing Agency (NTA)
Exam Frequency	Once a year
Exam Mode	Online Computer Based Test
Medium of the exam	English
Number of Questions	100
Number of Sections	5: Language Comprehension, Quant & DI, Logical Reasoning, GK, and Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Type of Questions	Multiple Choice (MCQs)
Marking Scheme	4 marks for correct answer and 25% negative marking, i.e. 1 mark for every incorrect answer
Total Marks	400
Exam Duration	3 hours (180 minutes)
CMAT Exam Date 2024 NTA Official website	cmat.nta.nic.in

CMAT 2024 Exam Highlights

 

Why take CMAT exam?

CMAT exam offers various advantages over other MBA entrance exams. Some of the reasons why one should sit for CMAT MBA entrance exam include:

• More than 1300 top B-schoolsin India accept CMAT scores for admission.
• Comparatively, CMAT exam is easier than CAT, XAT, and IIFTentrance exams.
• The syllabus of CMAT is at par with the other exams making it a good choice among candidates who have appeared for CAT and XAT previously.

 

CMAT 2024 Eligibility Criteria

Candidates should ensure that they meet CMAT Eligibility Criteria 2024 before registering for the exam:

• There is no upper age limitto appear for CMAT exam.
• You must be in possession of a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent in any stream from a recognized university.
• No minimum aggregate marks are required in graduation to apply for CMAT 2024 exam.
• Candidates in the final year of graduation can also apply for NTA CMAT 2024 exam.
• There is no limit on the number of attemptstaken by an individual.

 

CMAT 2024 Registration Process

Candidates can check the step-by-step CMAT 2024 Application Process provided below.

• New candidate registration on the official website of NTA-CMAT 2024.
• Fill CMAT 2024 application form by logging in with the credentials generated in the previous step.
• Upload scanned images of photographs and signatures in the suitable image format only.
• Final submission of CMAT registration form 2024.
• Printing out the application form for all the future correspondence regarding CMAT 2024 examination.

 

CMAT 2024 Registration Fee

CMAT 2024 registration fees structure as per the category of candidates is mentioned in the table below:

Category	Fees
For General Male Candidates	INR 2000
For General Female/ SC/ ST/ NC-OBC/ PwD/ EWS/ Third Gender candidates	INR 1000

 

CMAT 2024 Exam Pattern

CMAT 2024 exam pattern is provided by NTA. No changes are expected in this year’s CMAT exam pattern from last year. The medium of CMAT question paper will be English only. The details of the paper pattern of CMAT 2024 are tabulated below:

Section	Number of questions
Language Comprehension	20
Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation	20
Logical Reasoning	20
General Awareness	20
Innovation & Entrepreneurship (optional)	20
Total	100

 

It was in CMAT exam 2021 that the section on Innovation and Entrepreneurship was introduced as an optional section with 25 extra questions. Hence, before 2021, CMAT exam had 100 questions divided equally into 4 sections only. 

 

CMAT 2024 Marking Scheme

Particulars	Marks Allotted
For every correct response	+4
For every incorrect response	-1
For unattempted questions	0

 

It must be noted that if after the conclusion of the answer key challenge:

• If more than 2 options for any question are found to be correct, then only the candidates who have attempted the same will be given full marks.
• Further, if a question is droppedlater, then all candidates will be given full marks irrespective of the attempt.

It must be noted that if after the conclusion of the answer key challenge:

• If more than 2 options for any question are found to be correct, then only the candidates who have attempted the same will be given full marks.
• Further, if a question is droppedlater, then all candidates will be given full marks irrespective of the attempt.

 

 

 

CMAT 2024 Syllabus

CMAT 2024 Syllabus is as prescribed by AICTE. CMAT Syllabus 2024 includes the important topics included under the 5 sections:

Subject	Syllabus
Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation	Speed, Time and Distance, Ratio and Proportion, Percentages, Averages, Profit, Tables, Bar Graphs , Line Charts, Venn Diagrams, Pie Chart,
Logical Reasoning	Logical Sequence, Number and Letter Series, Binary Logic, Direction Sense, Clocks & Calendars, Puzzles, Syllogism, Seating Arrangement, Coding-Decoding, Blood Relations
Language Comprehension	Reading Comprehension, Sentence Correction, Grammar, Vocabulary-based, Parajumbles
General Awareness	Current Affairs of National and International Economy, Personalities in News, Indian Constitution, Sports News, Politics, History, Culture, Geography, Economics, Science in Everyday Life.
Innovation & Entrepreneurship	Important Events, Budget & Economic Survey, Business & Corporate affairs, New Investments & Schemes, Policies related to Entrepreneurship and Business Promotion, Startups, General Economy, and Current Affairs

 

 

CMAT Topic Wise Weightage

CMAT topic wise weightage is provided here to help you prepare well for the upcoming exam in 2024. Based on the analysis of the past 3 years’ CMAT exam, we have curated the list of topics that have had the highest weightage in CMAT exam.

 

CMAT Quant Topic Wise Weightage

Topic	Number of questions in CMAT 2023	Number of Questions in CMAT 2022	Number of Questions in CMAT 2021
Arithmetic	6	8	11
Algebra	2	1	4
Number System	5	2	4
Geometry	1	2	1
Modern Math	1	2	3
Data Interpretation	5	5	2

 

CMAT Verbal Ability Topic Wise Weightage

 

Topic	Number of Questions in CMAT 2023	Number of Questions in CMAT 2022	Number of Questions in CMAT 2021
Reading Comprehension	5	4	14
Synonyms/ Antonyms	7	2	1
Phrasal Verbs		3	2
Word Meaning & Spellings		2	–
Fill in the blanks (Vocabulary)		2	–
Error Detection	7	3	1
Direct Grammar based questions		2	–
Rephrasing of underlined text (Grammar & Vocabulary based)		–	5
Jumbled Sentences	1	1	–
Sentence Completion	–	–	2

 

 

CMAT Logical Reasoning Topic Wise Weightage

Topic	Number of Questions in CMAT 2023	Number of Questions in CMAT 2022	Number of Questions in CMAT 2021
Linear Arrangement	2	1	1
Blood Relations	3	2	2
Alphabet Series	–	2	1
Syllogism & Venn Diagram	–	1	1
Number Series	1	1	1
Number based Puzzle	–	1	1
Number Analogy	–	1	1
Circular Arrangement	–	1	2
Order & Ranking	–	1	2
Direction Test	1	3	2
Coding/ Decoding	1	–	1
Figure Counting	2	–	–
Miscellaneous	2	–	2

 

Verbal Reasoning

Analogy		1	1
Odd one out		1	–
Statement, Assumption & Arguments		1	1
Logical Consistency		–	4

 

Innovation and Entrepreneurship CMAT

NTA introduced Innovation and Entrepreneurship as an optional section in the 2021 CMAT exam. It has been made a compulsory section from 2022 onwards. This section is quite dynamic in terms of the questions asked.

Going by the analysis of questions asked in Innovation and Entrepreneurship CMAT section in the last 2 years, the below-mentioned topics are extremely important:

• Basic Business and Entrepreneurship Knowledge
• Government Schemes, Policies, Events related to Innovation, Startups, Investment, and Entrepreneurship
• Names of Companies and CEOs
• Brand Names and Taglines
• Startup and Venture Development- stages, organizations, problems
• Fund Raising
• Venture Capital
• Investment and Entrepreneurship related terms

CMAT 2024 Preparation

CMAT 2024 exam is amongst the top management admission exams with a large number of candidates appearing for the exam. In 2023, 58,035 candidates who took the test. Out of these, 32420 were male, 25613 were female, and 2 belonged to third gender. So, CMAT exam has a higher competition level, and thorough preparations are required. All exam aspirants must check out below mentioned preparation tricks and tips which will help them have a good score in the exam.

• Solve practice papers and last years’ papersas it helps to know the kind of questions asked in the exam.
• Doing more mock testsis another way to get a good score on the exam. One can improve his/her speed and accuracy by doing more mock tests.
• Don’t take the stress. Always study peacefully and calmly.

 

Timetable for CMAT 2024 Preparation

Start studying in a more focused and well-planned manner. Make a timetable and adhere to the same throughout your preparations. We have provided below a carefully devised plan for CMAT 2024 daily study plan for your convenience:

Number of Hours a Day	What to Study?
2.5 hours	Study and Practice Questions on QADI, VA, GK
2 hours	Practice LR, RC
0.5 hours	Read newspaper
1 hour	Study the basics of Innovation and Entrepreneurship CMAT Syllabus
3 hours	Sectional and Complete Mock Tests on alternate days

 

 

Section-wise CMAT 2024 Preparation Strategy

CMAT 2024 is expected to be conducted in the first week of May 2024, here are some tips to help you out with CMAT 2024 Preparation.

CMAT Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation

Based on the analysis of previous year statistics, Arithmetic, Algebra, Number System and DI should be your focus area as these 4 topics alone can get you more than 80% marks.

CMAT Logical Reasoning

In CMAT logical reasoning, you should practice questions from all the topics of Verbal and Non-verbal Reasoning. Verbal Reasoning accounts for about 25% of the questions while analytical reasoning topics like blood relations, series, direction sense test, arrangements, puzzles, coding- decoding, etc., account for 75%.

 

CMAT Language Comprehension

Practice as many Reading Comprehension passages as possible. Although in 2023 and 2022, there were only 5 and 4 questions respectively, in 2021, there were 14 questions. So, do not leave this topic untouched before the exam. The difficulty level of the passages is not very high, so make sure that you attempt all the questions in the exam.

Usually, grammar and vocabulary have almost equal weightage in the exam. So, practice at least 30-40 questions each on synonyms, antonyms), para jumbles, spelling errors, error detection, phrases and idioms, etc.

CMAT GK

It has been observed that in CMAT GK section, the maximum weightage is of static GK. So, try to revise only the notes or material you have to cover as much as possible. You can expect more questions from politics, economics, and general awareness on awards and events. 

CMAT Innovation and Entrepreneurship Preparation

You can expect a majority of the questions from basics and business knowledge (about 10-15), 3-4 questions from government schemes and funding, startup and venture development, and only 2-3 questions from brand names and taglines, CEOs of companies, MVP, VC, investment related terms, etc. So, divide your preparation time accordingly to get maximum marks in this section.

Best Books for CMAT Preparation

One can either decide to self-study or seek the assistance of a coaching center, online or offline, for CMAT 2024 exam preparation. In any case, practicing and reading books can prove beneficial for the preparation for CMAT exam. Check Best Books for CMAT Exam Preparation

CMAT 2024 Mock Tests and Sample Papers

The NTA Provides Mock tests on its official website- nta.ac.in. You can access the same by selecting CMAT exam in the ‘Mock Test’ tab present on the webpage. The test series is designed to mimic the exam setting and covers the entire syllabus in a systematic and time-based manner.

• Regular practice of the mock tests can help in improving accuracy and speed in solving questions and identifying and correcting errors.
• CMAT Mock Test series is based on the latest exam pattern and syllabus,and it comes with detailed explanations and solutions to enhance comprehension.

Also, practicing the CMAT mock tests and CMAT sample papers can help in developing effective revision strategies, improving the retention of concepts, and constructive time management.

 

CMAT 2024 Test Practice Centers

The purpose of TPC is mainly to organize practice tests for the upcoming NTA exams including CMAT 2024. The Ministry of Human Resource Development has directed the NTA to establish a network of test centers for candidates, especially in remote and rural areas, so that they can practice and feel comfortable in taking the Computer Based Test (CBT). Check CBT Mode Guidelines by NTA for CMAT exam

 

• This option is completely free.
• Candidates can register online (NTA website) where they will get a convenient TPC near their location for practice.
• It makes taking a Computer Based Test (CBT) easy and convenient.

The purpose is to provide practice tests and questions so that candidates can familiarize themselves with how to log into the system, go through the detailed instructions of the test, use the mouse or on-screen numeric keypad (virtual), scroll to attempt each question, to the next question, navigate between questions, check and change their choices.

CMAT 2024 Test Cities and Centers

CMAT 2024 will be conducted at 200+ CMAT 2024 Exam Centers located across 110 major test cities all over the country. NTA takes all the efforts to allot the exam center as per the 4 city choices opted by the candidates during CMAT registration. However, in case of some logistic issues, a different test center may be allotted. The final allotted CMAT test center is printed on the admit card and no changes are permitted in the same.

 

CMAT 2024 Admit Card

CMAT 2024 Admit Card is available for download only on the official website- cmat.nta.nic.in. The admit card for CMAT 2024 is issued provisionally to all the registered candidates, subject to the fulfillment of the eligibility criteria.

• NTA does not send the admit card of CMAT by post
• Under no circumstances is a duplicate admit card be issued at the test center.
• In case of any discrepancyin the details mentioned on CMAT admit card 2024, immediately contact NTA helpline between 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

CMAT Admit Card 2024 Download Link

CMAT Admit Card 2024 download link will be available under the ‘Candidate Activity’ section on the official NTA CMAT website- cmat.nta.nic.in. You can also find the download link for CMAT Admit Card 2024 here.

CMAT Admit Card Download Link

Check Here

 

CMAT Exam Day Schedule

Activity	Shift 1	Shift 2
Entry to the Examination Hall	8:15 – 8:30 am	1:45 – 2:00 pm
Last Entry to the Exam Hall	8:30 am	2:00 pm
Instructions by Invigilator	8:45 to 8:55 am	2:15 to 2:25 pm
Commencement of CMAT Exam	9 am	2:30 pm
CMAT Exam Concludes	12 am	5:30 pm

 

CMAT Exam Day Guidelines by NTA

The important guidelines that all candidates need to follow on CMAT exam day are provided below for your reference:

• It is advised to reach the allocated test center at least 2 hours beforethe exam time
• Carry a printout of CMAT 2024 admit card along with a passport-size photograph to paste on the attendance sheet.
• Carryany one of the below-mentioned photo IDs in original
  • PAN card
  • Driving License
  • Voter ID/ Passport
  • Aadhaar Card (With photograph)
  • Aadhaar Enrolment No
  • Ration Card
• PwD candidates have to carry the disability certificate issued by a competent authority.
• No baggage is allowed inside the exam hall. NTA is not responsible for any belongings of the candidates.
• All rough work and calculations must be done only on the white sheets provided by the invigilators at CMAT exam center.
• Do not indulge in any unfair meansto avoid cancellation of candidature. Some of the activities described by NTA as unfair means include:
  • Trying to interact with other candidates
  • Writing on any material other than the rough sheets
  • Not following the rules laid down by the supervisors
  • Forcefully entering or leaving the test center
  • Having possession of prohibited materials like cellphones, notepads, etc.

The decision of NTA is final and binding in declaring any candidate involved in an activity classified as Unfair Means Case (UMC).

 

CMAT Previous Year Exam Analysis

CMAT Exam Analysis 2023 is updated here. The detailed section-wise CMAT exam analysis is updated here based on the analysis by subject-matter experts. 

• The CMAT LR & QADI sections were moderate and lengthy.
• CMAT VARC section was the easiest in both shifts and had more vocabulary-based questions and RC passages.
• Most students in shift 2 found GK & Innovation & Entrepreneurship sections to be tough.

 

Subject	Topic Wise Weightage in CMAT 2023 (No. of Questions)	Difficulty Level
Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation	· Arithmetic- 6 · Algebra: 2 · Geometry: 1 · Data Interpretation: 5 · Modern Math: 1 · Numbers: 5	Moderate
Logical Reasoning	· Verbal Reasoning (Odd one out, analogy, reason assumption, statement conclusion): 8 · Analytical Reasoning (Blood Relation, Puzzle, Arrangement, Direction Test, Alpha-Numeric Series, Coding-Decoding): 12	Moderate
Language Comprehension	· Vocabulary: 7 · Grammar: 7 · Reading Comprehension: 5 · Para Jumbles: 1	Easy to Moderate
General Awareness	· Current Affairs: 4 · Static GK: 16	Easy to Moderate
Innovation & Entrepreneurship	· 90% Static Questions on Brand Taglines, CEO & Company Names, Phases of Entrepreneurship, MVP, Government Intervention, Policies on Entrepreneurship, etc. · 4 Current Affairs based questions on business GK	Moderate

 

CMAT 2024 Answer Key

CMAT 2024 provisional answer key, question paper, and response sheet will be released by NTA in the login window. CMAT Answer Key 2024 (provisional) will be open for challenge for 2-3 days at a fee of INR 200 per answer/ question challenged. Based on the objections received against the provisional answer key, NTA then releases the revised final answer key along with the result. Candidates can access the answer key PDF directly at cmat.nta.nic.in without login. 

The steps to check CMAT answer key are mentioned below:

• Visit NTA-CMAT 2024 Official Website
• Click on the link for ‘Answer Key for CMAT 2024’
• Enter the candidate login details- CMAT registration no. and password
• View/ Download CMAT answer key PDF available on the screen

Check How to Raise Objections Against CMAT Answer Key

 

CMAT 2024 Result

CMAT Exam Result is released as a scorecard comprising the overall score, sectional scores, and the AIR of the candidate. CMAT Results are made available in the candidate login. ​

The steps to download CMAT 2024 result-cum-scorecard are:

• Visit the official CMAT website of NTA, i.e., cmat.nta.ac.in
• Click on the ‘Download CMAT 2024 Scorecard’ tab.
• Fill in your login credentials which are your CMAT 2024 registration number and password.
• Enter the security pin that is presented on the screen.
• Download your CMAT scorecard 2024 and print it out for future correspondence.

Based on the scores obtained in the exam, CMAT Merit List is also prepared and released by the NTA. ​Check CMAT Merit List 2024

On CMAT 2024 result date, you can also find the list of toppers along with their scores, percentile, and rank. Check CMAT Topper List

CMAT Score vs Percentile

CMAT Score vs Percentile analysis is provided below based on the analysis of previous year result statistics of candidates. To secure 95+ percentile, candidates need to aim for a score above 290 in CMAT exam. Check CMAT Score vs Percentile

CMAT Scores	CMAT percentile
330+	100
320-330	99.95-99.99
315-320	99+
280-310	95+
270+	90 +
200-250	81 to 89 +

 

CMAT 2024 Cut off

NTA does not release CMAT Cut off scores. Each participating college of CMAT 2024 will release its own CMAT Score for Admission. CMAT 2024 Cut Off for the top MBA colleges like JBIMS, GIM Goa, Great Lakes, PUMBA Pune, XISS Ranchi, etc. ranges between 95 to 99.9 percentile.

What is a Good Attempt in CMAT Exam?

• If you are targeting a 9+ percentile, then you need to attempt at least 85 questions.
• For 99.5-99.9 percentile, you must aim for at least 80 questionsattempted correctly, i.e. a score above 320.
• Similarly, for 99-99.5 percentile, a score of about 300 is required. So, attempting 75-76 questionsaccurately is a must.

 

CMAT 2024 Expected Sectional Cut off

CMAT 2024 sectional cut-off means the least score that candidates are supposed to get to clear CMAT 2024 exam and get a seat in an AICTE approved Management College. The expected cut-offs for CMAT 2024, section wise is mentioned here:

CMAT Paper Section	Sectional Cut Off for CMAT 2024
Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation	50
Language Comprehension	50
Logical Reasoning	40
General Awareness	45
Innovation and Entrepreneurship	40

 

 

CMAT 2024 Admission Process

NTA is not responsible for carrying out the admission process post declaration of CMAT result. Each of the 1300+ CMAT score accepting colleges carry out their separate admission process based on the Cut offs decided. CMAT 2024 selection process for MBA/ PGDM admission comprises Group Discussion (GD), Personal Interviews (PI), and Written Ability Test (WAT) rounds. Check CMAT 2024 selection process

• Based on the marks in CMAT 2024 scorecard, candidates are shorlisted by the colleges/ institutes.
• All the shortlisted candidates have to appear for the GD/ PI rounds on the date specified by the institute.
• The final admission will be granted on the basis of the weightage assigned by the institute to CMAT scores, GD/ PI performance, and availability of seats.

CMAT 2024 Selection Process: Documents Required

The list of the documents that candidates are supposed to bring at the time of CMAT counseling include:

• CMAT Admit Card
• Birth Certificate
• CMAT Scorecard
• Class 10 & 12 Marksheet & Certificate
• Graduation Marksheet & Certificate
• Caste Certificate
• Valid ID proof
• Address proof