The Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) is a pan India entrance examination conducted by the National Testing Agency for admissions into various management programs. It is conducted in the computer based mode in more than 109 cities spread across the country. The examination tests the candidate’s ability in 4 main spheres i.e. Language Comprehension, Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning and General Awareness. The question paper consists of 100 questions to be solved in 3 hours. The online registration for the CMAT 2021 will start in the month of November 2020 and the exam will be held in the month of January 2021.

CMAT 2021 Highlights

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CMAT 2021 Important Dates (Tentative)

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CMAT 2021 Eligibility

The applicants must fulfil the below mentioned eligibility conditions in order to be eligible for appearing in CMAT 2021:

• The applicant must be a citizen of India.
• The applicant must have passed out with a minimum 3 year graduation degree from an AICTE approved college/university.
• He/ she must have secured a minimum of 50% marks in his/her graduation.
• There is no criteria for age.
• The students currently pursuing the final semester of their qualifying degree program/ appeared for the final semester examinations, are also eligible to apply. However they are required to have met the eligibility requirement before the academic year 2021-2022 begins.

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CMAT Reservation Criteria 2021

Although there is no centralized reservation policy for CMAT candidates, many of the business schools that accept CMAT scores follow the guidelines enumerated by the Government of India. Individuals who suffer from a disability that impairs more than 40% of their abilities can claim the Pwd (Person with Disabilities) status.

Candidates with disabilities that require a scribe / reader / lab assistant during the CMAT 2021 exam may submit a request to their respective exam center superintendent. The superintendent must be notified regarding the candidate’s requirement of scribe / reader and disability certificate issued under the candidate’s name.

CMAT 2021 Registration Process

The students who meet the eligibility requirements can proceed for online application to be made available in the official website of the AICTE-CMAT from the first week of November 2020.

• Applicants need to first register at the official website i.e. cmat.nta.nic.in
• They must enter their name and personal information including email and phone number
• After registering, students will receive their login details and system generated application number on their registered email and phone number.
• After completing the information part of the application form, applicants are required to upload a scanned photograph and the specimen of their signature.
• Next step is to pay the application fee through credit card / debit card, net banking, UPI, or PayTM and submit the application form. A handy copy of the fee transaction receipt should be kept by the candidate.
• Lastly, candidates need to select the city in which they wish to give the CMAT examination.

The scanned documents uploaded by the candidate must follow these specific requirements:

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CMAT 2021 Admit card

The admit card for the successfully registered candidates will be issued tentatively in the first week of January 2021. Students are advised to visit the official website of CMAT 2021 and click on the link for download admit card. Students will be intimated about the release of the admit card through email.

Candidates can view their name, date of birth, exam center, photograph, and other personal details on the admit card. The admit card will be available for download on cmat.nta.nic.in using their Application Number and password or Date of Birth.

However, there is no provision for the delivery of admit card through post. Students are required to take a print out of the admit card and produce it during the examination along with an original photo identity proof issued by the Government.

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CMAT 2021 Exam Centers

CMAT is conducted in 109 cities across the country. There are currently 84 exam centers present in the country. Applicants are required to give preference for 4 cities of their choice. The final decision for allotment of a particular center, depends on the number of available slots for the same. Candidates are advised to carefully select the examination centers because they cannot be changed later.

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CMAT Exam Pattern

CMAT 2021 will be conducted through the online mode for a duration of 3 hours. It consists of 100 MCQs of 4 marks each. The total marks of the paper is 400. There is a negative marking of 1 mark for each question answered wrongly. The paper comprises an equal number of questions from the sections of Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation, English language and General awareness.

Candidates are allowed to move back and forth between questions. Every candidate will be allocated a pen/pencil and a rough piece of paper that they will have to return after the exam. Candidates will not be allowed to take breaks during the examination or leave early.

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CMAT 2021 Syllabus

Language Comprehension

The language comprehension section generally assesses a candidate’s verbal reasoning and reading comprehension by posing 25 MCQ questions on topics such as synonyms, antonyms, vocabulary, error correction, jumbled words, etc.

General Awareness

General Awareness usually covers topics regarding current and static information aboutIndia and the world, current affairs, history, awards, politics and science etc.

Logical Reasoning

This section tests a candidate’s ability to solve various problems logically and utilize analytical reasoning to solve puzzles, arrangement questions, cause and effect situations, evaluate statements and assumptions etc.

Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation

This portion of the exam tests the candidate’s numerical aptitude, mathematical ability and economic concepts. Data Interpretation includes an understanding of data that is presented through a variety of forms such as pie charts, graphs, etc and problem solving based on the interpreted data. Short cuts are extremely useful in the section of the exam.

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Recommended books for CMAT 2021

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Previous year paper analysis:

The analysis of the previous year's paper shows that the exam was moderately difficult. The reasoning questions were slightly tricky and the questions from the data interpretation section took longer to be solved. GK questions were covered from both static as well as current affairs. The verbal section was comparatively difficult. The paper analysis of previous year’s shows that CMAT paper has always been predictable and the cut off is not that high. A student with a fair amount of preparation can easily get through it.

Exam mock tests/ sample papers:

Students are advised to take regular mock tests and practice sample question papers. Regular mock tests help the students to assess their preparation level and also makes them aware of their strengths and weaknesses. There are many online portals which offer mock tests consisting of sample questions papers. Mock tests give the students a real time feel of the actual examination environment. It helps the student to learn to better manage time during the actual examination. It also helps them to identify the areas which require more revision before the exams.

Candidates can download mock tests by using the following method:

• Visit the official portal of NTA or CMAT
• Click on the ‘Student Registration (Mock Tests) Link
• You can select a mode of Login (via Google / Facebook / Mobile No.)
• Select the exam for which you want to take the mock test.
• Enter the issued Username and Password.
• Start taking the mock tests.

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CMAT 2021 Examination preparation tips

In order to do well in the exam, the first thing an aspirant must do is to familiarize themselves with the syllabus well. They should then identify the areas where they are good enough and also the areas which requires more time to prepare. The next step is to prepare a time table and effectively manage time.

The first few weeks of the preparation should be focused on building concepts. And the most effective way to do so is to read books. Students can also take the help of different video tutorials as well as other online material specific to the subjects. Apart from that, they should regularly solve previous year question papers and appear for mock tests.

 Consistency is the key to success. So regular study is very important to crack the exams. Days leading to the exam must be spent in revision of the studied concept rather than trying to gather new information. For the current affairs part, students are advised to read newspaper regularly and also read online materials on current affairs.

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CMAT 2021 Cut Off

The cut off for admission into the management courses is decided by the participating institutes. It varies from institute to institute. A score in the range of 270-290 can help the students get a reputed college.

The question paper consists of 100 questions. Each right answer is awarded 4 marks. There is a negative marking of 1 mark for wrong answers. The total of marks lost or gained in each question, gives the total score. On the basis of the score obtained, the students are provided rankings. The student who scores the highest mark is provided with AIR 1.

The percentile of marks obtained by a candidate is given by the following formula published by the National testing Agency

Percentile= 100 x (No of candidates appeared in the examination with raw marks equal to or less than the candidate)/Total number of appeared candidates

CMAT 2021 Participating Institutes will release their own individualized cutoffs after the announcement of the result. All institutes that are approved by the AICTE will accept CMAT scores. Candidates that qualify the cutoff will then be able to proceed for the Group Discussion and Personal Interview round.

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CMAT 2021 Result

The results of CMAT 2021 are expected to be released in the first week of February 2021. The results will be made available on the official website of the testing agency. The result will contain the total score obtained by the candidate along with the scores of each section. It will also contain the percentile score of the candidate. NTA will also release an all India ranking list where students will be allotted ranks on the basis of their performance.

Candidates will be able to view their result in the form of a scorecard which will include a scaled score for each section, the candidate’s overall percentile ranking and their total scores. The following details are mentioned on the scorecard of the candidate: 

• Name of the candidate 
• Date of birth 
• Father’s name 
• Roll Number 
• Registration number 
• Sectional and overall marks obtained in CMAT 2021
• Percentile 
• Rank 
• Qualifying Status 
• Contact details 

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CMAT 2021 Counselling

NTA does not conduct any common counselling process for CMAT qualified students. They need to apply separately to the institutes of their choice, using the CMAT scores. The NTA will release the CMAT 2021 Merit List which can be utilized to apply to separate universities.

In order to be selected for admissions into the college of their choice, the students must go through subsequent selection process conducted by the respective colleges. Apart from a valid CMAT score, students are also required to qualify the Group discussion and Personal interview round conducted by the colleges. The final selection to an institute is dependent on the performance of the CMAT qualified students in the GD and PI rounds. 

CMAT 2021 Answer Keys

• After CMAT 2021, NTA will showcase the answer keys and responses of the MCQs on the website. If candidates find any discrepancies between the two, they may raise an objection. 
• Candidates who wish to raise an objection can fill an online application form and pay the INR 1000 processing charge per question. 
• The processing fee can be paid by credit/debit card/ net banking. Once the fee is paid, it will not be refunded irrespective of the result. The decision taken by the NTA committee will be final and any other demands will not be entertained. 

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CMAT 2021 Participating Colleges

There are more than 1000 participating institutes that accept the scores of CMAT for admissions into its management programs. 

Some of the top institutes are:

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Frequently Asked Questions