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CMAT Exam 2024: What Is It and All You Should Know

Updated on 05 December, 2023

Pragya Sharma

Pragya Sharma

Sr. Content Editor

CMAT Exam

In India, candidates aiming for admission to management programs must pass the Common Management Admission Test (CMAT). AICTE-approved schools across the nation recognize the CMAT scores. This article will discuss everything pertaining to the CMAT exam, including CMAT 2024 dates, eligibility criteria, exam pattern, syllabus, and more.

What is CMAT Exam

CMAT is a national-level entrance exam aiming to evaluate a candidate's suitability for management education. The National Testing Agency (NTA) administers the CMAT exam and assesses students in general awareness, logical reasoning, language comprehension, and innovation. The following table lists the basic details of the CMAT exam:

CMAT Full FormCommon Management Admission Test
Exam LevelNational
Conducted ByNational Testing Agency (NTA)
Accepted ByAICTE-approved institutions and universities
Exam FrequencyOnce a year
Exam ModeOnline
Medium of ExamEnglish
Exam Duration3 hours
Total Exam Score400
Marking Scheme4 marks for each question and 1 negative mark for an incorrect answer
Number of Test Cities110 (2023 exam)
Official Websitehttps://cmat.nta.nic.in

CMAT 2024 Dates

The CMAT exam date is announced by the National Testing Agency (NTA), and the CMAT registration for 2024 will start in February 2024. Here are the tentative exam details for CMAT 2024:

Release of Application Forms13th February 2024
Last Date of Application Forms13th March 2024
Application Correction Window14-16 March 2024
Admit Card DownloadApril 2024
Exam Date2nd week of April 2024
Answer Key Release Date1-2 weeks after exam
Result DateLast week of April 2024
Admission and CounselingTo be announced

CMAT 2024 Eligibility Criteria

To apply for the CMAT entrance exam, the students must meet the eligibility criteria laid out by the government. Below are the criteria:

  • The exam requires a three-year bachelor's degree in any discipline from an authorized university.
  • Students can apply for the CMAT exam while waiting for their final year results.
  • The applicant must have graduated with at least 50% of the possible scores. Candidates under the SC, ST, or PwD categories must meet the minimum criteria of 45%.
  • Candidates must be at least 21 years old at the time of registration. There is no cap on the maximum age limit. 
  • To apply for the exam, a candidate must be a citizen of India.
  • To be admitted to an executive program in management, candidates must meet the same academic requirements and have at least five years of relevant managerial or supervisory experience.

CMAT 2024 Application Form

The eligible candidates must complete the CMAT registration and fill out the application form to take the exam. If you are an eligible student, you can follow the below steps to complete your application process:

  1. Visit the official CMAT website (http://cmat.nta.nic.in).
  2. Click on CMAT 2024 Registration on the homepage.
  3. Enter the required details for registration purposes.
  4. Enter your email ID and phone number for CMAT exam updates and notifications.
  5. You will receive the login information on the number you used for registration.
  6. Fill out the application form by entering the necessary information. Additionally, you will need to attach supporting documentation.
  7. You must also pay the CMAT exam fees along with the application form.
  8. You can save the application form or take a printout if needed.

Here are the CMAT exam fee details:

Category

Fees

 

Male

Female

General

INR 2000

INR 1000

General - EWS/OBC (NCL)

INR 1000

INR 1000

SC/ST/PwD

INR 1000

INR 1000

Third gender

INR 1000

INR 1000

CMAT 2024 Exam Pattern

Here are a few things a student should know about the CMAT 2024 exam pattern:

  • It is a computer-based online exam.
  • The duration of the exam is 3 hours.
  • There will be a total of 100 questions, all multiple-choice queries.
  • The total exam score will be 400 marks.
  • The questions will be on Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Technique, General Consciousness, and Language Comprehension.
  • You will get four marks for each correct response, while one mark will be subtracted for each incorrect one.
  • You must complete the exam in 180 minutes.

Here is the section-wise question distribution:

Subjects

Total Questions

Total Marks

Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation

20

80

Logical Reasoning

20

80

Language Comprehension

20

80

General Awareness

20

80

Innovation & Entrepreneurship

20

80

Total

100

400

CMAT 2024 Syllabus

There is no fixed syllabus for the management entrance test, and it is recommended that students check the previous year’s exam paper to study and practice. However, there are certain topics that students should be well versed with. Below are the same:

General AwarenessTrade Awareness, Indian Constitution, Economics, Science in Everyday Life, Current Affairs of National and International Economy, History, and Politics
Quantitative Techniques and Data InterpretationSimple Interest and Compound Interest, Alligation and Mixtures, Percentages, Number Systems, Work and Time, Graph, Mensuration, Fraction and Decimals, Algebra, Pipes and Cisterns, Tabulation, Partnership, Bar Chart, and Pie Chart
Logical ReasoningAnalytical Reasoning, Direction and Distance Tests, Blood Relationship Tests, Statements Assumptions, Coding and Decoding, Matrix Arrangements, Inferences, Linear Arrangements, Symbol Based Problems, Statements Arguments, and Ranking Tests
Language ComprehensionParagraph Completion, Antonyms, Jumbled Para, Synonyms, Reading Comprehension, English Grammar, Sentence Improvement, Sentence Correction, and English Usage Errors
Innovation and EntrepreneurshipBudget and Economic Survey, Important Events, Startups, General Economy, Current Affairs, Business and Corporate Affairs, Policies Related to Entrepreneurship and Business Promotion, and New Investments & Schemes

CMAT 2024 Result

The result for CMAT 2024 is expected to be announced in April 2024. Candidates can access their results by entering their login ID & password on the official website. If the candidates want to be selected by the top institutes offering management programs, they must score between 98-100 percent. For scoring above 99%, the CMAT scores must be between 330 and 340.

CMAT 2024 Counseling

Once the candidate completes every round, the CMAT counseling begins. The counseling takes place to finalize admissions to one of the participating colleges based on the candidate's CMAT exam performance. Here, the candidate must also submit some documents to the admission authorities. During counseling, the candidates may also be asked to submit admission fees. The counseling details will also be shared on the official CMAT website.

List of Colleges Accepting CMAT

The CMAT score is accepted by all AICTE - Approved Institutions/ University Departments/

Constituent Colleges/ Affiliated Colleges. Here is a table that lists some AICTE-approved institutions. 

Name of the College

Location

Great Lakes Institute of ManagementGurugram
GIMGoa
WelingkarMumbai
IES’s Management College and Research CentreMumbai
K J Somaiya Institute of ManagementMumbai
Vivekanand Business SchoolMumbai
METMumbai
SIESMumbai
Aditya School of Business Management - ASBMMumbai
Kohinoor Business SchoolMumbai
Durgadevi Saraf Global Business School (DSGS)Mumbai
ATLAS SkillTech UniversityMumbai
BIMTECHGreater Noida
Accurate Institute of Management and TechnologyGreater Noida
KIITBhubaneswar
IFMR Graduate School of Business Krea UniversityAndhra Pradesh
Amrita School of BusinessCoimbatore
Institute of Public Enterprise (IPE)Hyderabad
Woxsen UniversityHyderabad
Vignana Jyothi Institute of ManagementHyderabad
Siva Shivani Institute of ManagementHyderabad
VIT Business School (VIT)Vellore
Jaypee Business SchoolNoida
Jaipuria Institute of ManagementNoida
CII School of Logistics, Amity UniversityNoida
Jaypee Business SchoolNoida
Delhi School of Business (DSB)Delhi
Jagan Institute of Management Studies (JIMS Rohini)Delhi
New Delhi Institute of Management (NDIM)Delhi
National Insurance Academy (NIA) Pune
Sri Balaji UniversityPune
Pune Business SchoolPune
International Institute of Management StudiesPune
Chandragupt Institute of Management - CIMPPatna
Indus Business Academy - IBABangalore
IFIM CollegeBangalore
NSB AcademyBangalore
AIMS School of BusinessBangalore
Dayananda Sagar UniversityBangalore
Adarsh Institute of Management and Information TechnologyBangalore
Alliance School of Business - Alliance UniversityBangalore
RV Institute of ManagementBangalore
GITAMVisakhapatnam
Rajagiri Business School: RBSCochin
SCMS Cochin School of BusinessCochin
IMSGhaziabad
Sri Sri UniversityCuttack
Globsyn Business SchoolKolkata
EDIIAhmedabad
Manav RachnaFaridabad
Rajalakshmi School of Business Chennai
Prestige Institute of Global ManagementIndore

To Conclude

The CMAT exam is an essential tool for evaluating the aptitude and abilities of prospective management professionals. The extensive framework and emphasis on practical problem-solving make it an invaluable tool for identifying applicants prepared for the ever-changing demands of the corporate world.

Disclaimer: The fees, exam pattern, and list of colleges is indicative, and subject to change.

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FAQs

What is the purpose of the CMAT Exam?

The CMAT is a standardized assessment tool used to assess applicants' quantitative, verbal, analytical, and general knowledge abilities for admission to various management programs in India. It assists organizations in identifying people who possess the intellectual and cognitive skills required for success in the management sector.

Who can apply for the CMAT Exam?

Candidates with a three-year bachelor's degree can apply for the CMAT. In addition, there are other eligibility criteria that the candidate must fulfill to be eligible for the exam.

Is the CMAT mandate for an MBA?

The CMAT is a standardized exam that many Indian business schools utilize to assess applicants' aptitude and skills for admission to MBA programs. Certain MBA programs can have different entrance requirements or not require the CMAT.

Pragya Sharma

Sr. Content Editor

Pragya Sharma is a content developer and marketer with 6.5+ years of experience in the education industry. She started her career as a social media copywriter for NIELIT, Ministry of Electronics & IT, and has now scaled up as a 360-degree content professional well-versed with the intricacies of digital marketing and different forms of content used to drive and hook the target audience. She is also a co-author of 2 stories in an anthology based on the theme- women empowerment.

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Disclaimer

The above tips are the Author's experiences. upGrad does not guarantee scores or admissions.