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 Conducting Authority | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
Exam Level | National |
CMAT Periodicity | Once in a year |
CMAT Official Website | cmat.nta.nic.in |
CMAT Mode of Application | Online |
CMAT Exam Mode | Online |
CMAT 2021 Score Validity | 1 Year |
CMAT Score Accepting Colleges | 1000+ Colleges |
CMAT Helpdesk | 7042399521 / 7042399525/ 7042399526 |
Events | Tentative Date |
---|---|
Commencement of Online registration | 1st week of November 2020 |
Last date of online registration | 1st Week of December 2021 |
Date of issue of admit cards | 4th Week of December 2021 |
Date of examination | 4th week of January 2021 |
Announcement of result | 1st week of February 2021 |
Issue of scorecard | 2nd week of February 2021 |
The applicants must fulfil the below mentioned eligibility conditions in order to be eligible for appearing in CMAT 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.
Category | Reservation (in percentage) |
---|---|
Scheduled Caste | 15% |
Scheduled Tribe | 7.5% |
Other Backward Classes (Non-Creamy Layer) | 27% |
General / Open | 50.5% |
PwD | 5% in each category |
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.
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.
Category | Male (INR) | Female (INR) |
---|---|---|
General / Non-Creamy Layer OBC | 1600 | 1000 |
Gen - EWS / OBC (NCL) | 1000 | 1000 |
SC / ST / PwD | 800 | 700 |
Transgender | 700 |
The scanned documents uploaded by the candidate must follow these specific requirements:
Document | Format | Size |
---|---|---|
Passport Size Photograph | JPG / JPEG | Between 10kb - 200kb |
Signature | JPG / JPEG | Between 4kb - 30kb |
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.
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.
Agartala | Bhubaneswar | Gulbarga | Kanpur |
Ahmedabad | Bhuj | Gurgaon | Kochi |
Ahmedanagar | Chandigarh / Mohali / Panchkula | Guwahati | Kolhapur |
Allahabad / Prayagraj | Chennai | Gwalior | Kolkata |
Amravati | Coimbatore | Hyderabad | Kozhikode |
Amritsar | Davengere | Indore | Lucknow |
Aurangabad | Dehradun | Jabalpur | Ludhiana |
Bangalore | Delhi / New Delhi | Jaipur | Mangalore |
Bareilly | Dhanbad | Jammu | Meerut |
Bhavnagar | Dharwad | Jamshedpur | Mumbai |
Bhopal | Durgapur | Jodhpur | Mysore |
Tirupati | Vijayawada | Bhilai / Durg / Bhilai Nagar | Anand |
Ghaziabad | Warangal | Tirunelveli | Madurai |
Thane | Solapur | Nanded | Dhule |
Hamirpur | Hisar | Faridabad | Nagpur |
Srinagar | Nasik | Surat | Navi Mumbai |
Trivandrum | Greater Noida / Noida | Udaipur | Panaji / Madgaon |
Vadodara | Patna | Varanasi | Pune |
Visakhapatnam | Rajkot | Guntur | Raipur |
Kurnool | Ranchi | Nellore | Shimla |
Gandhinagar | Kadi / Mehsana | Bhatinda | Sambalpur |
Thiruvananthapuram | Bengaluru |
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.
TOPIC | Number of questions | Total marks |
---|---|---|
English Language comprehension | 25 | 100 |
Logical Reasoning | 25 | 100 |
Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation | 25 | 100 |
General awareness | 25 | 100 |
Total | 100 | 400 |
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.
Verbal Reasoning | Syllogisms |
Contextual Usage | Analogies |
Antonyms and Synonyms | Fill in the Blanks |
Jumbled Paragraphs | Sentence Correction |
Foreign Language Words used in English | English Usage Errors |
Sentence Improvement | Odd one out |
Idioms and Phrases | One word substitution |
Different usage of the same word | Fact, Inference and Judgement |
Paragraph Completion | Reading Comprehension |
General Awareness usually covers topics regarding current and static information aboutIndia and the world, current affairs, history, awards, politics and science etc.
Current Affairs of National Economy | Business |
Current Affairs of International Economy | Personalities in News |
Major Corporate Events | Famous Awards and Prizes |
World Records | Books and Authors |
Economics | History |
Geography | International Organizations |
Important Quotations | Trade Awareness |
Sports News | Finance |
Indian Constitution | Culture |
Politics | Science in Everyday Life |
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.
Critical Reasoning | Visual Reasoning |
Seating Arrangement | Number Series |
Direction | Blood Relations |
Sequencing | Symbol Based Problems |
Clocks and Calendars | Analogy Test |
Cause and Effect | Ranking Tests |
Statements and Assumptions | Identifying Valid Inferences and Arguments |
Statements and Conclusions | True and False |
Matrix Arrangements | Non-Verbal Reasoning |
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.
Geometry and Trigonometry | Lines, Angles, Triangles etc. |
Rations and Proportion | Percentages |
In equations | Algebra |
Profit and Loss | Averages |
Partnership (Accounts) | Time-Speed-Distance |
Work and Time | Number System |
HCF and LCM | Geometric Progression |
Arithmetic Progression | Arithmetic Mean |
Geometric Mean | Median, Mode and BODMAS |
Mensuration | Allegation and Mixtures |
Pipes and Cisterns | Simple Interest and Compound Interest |
Set Theory | Venn Diagram |
Installment Payments | Clocks |
Permutations and Combinations | Binomial Expansion |
Vectors | Logarithm |
Calendar | Maxima and Minima Progression |
Book | Author |
---|---|
Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations | RS Agarwal |
How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT | Arun Sharma |
General Knowledge | Disha Experts |
The Pearson Guide to Verbal Ability | Sujit Kumar |
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT | Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay |
A Modern Approach to Logical Reasoning | R.S. Aggarwal |
How to Prepare for Logical Reasoning for CAT | Arun Sharma |
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.
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:
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.
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.
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:
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.
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:
Institute Name |
---|
Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies (JBIMS), Mumbai |
SIMSREE |
KJ Somaiya Institute of Management Studies & Research (KJSIMSR), Mumbai |
Goa Institute of Management, Goa |
SIES College of Management Studies |
Christ University, Bangalore |
Doon Business School, Dehradun |
Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai |
Institute of Public Enterprise, Hyderabad |
Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship, Bangalore |
Alliance School of Business, Bangalore |
Ques. How many times CMAT is conducted every year?
Answer: It is conducted once a year. But prior to the 2016 session, it was conducted twice in a year.
Ques. What does a computer based test look like? Can a student appear from any computer?
Answer: NTA provides mock exams in its official website so that students can get an idea of the computer based format. Students can attempt the exam from the allotted computer at a test venue.
Ques. What are the sections in the question paper? How many questions will be asked from each section?
Answer: There are four sections in the question paper:
There are 25 questions from each section.
Ques. What are the fees required for the examination? By which mode the fees can be paid?
Answer: Male candidates belonging to the General and OBC categories are required to pay a fees of INR 1400. Female Students and the students of the reserved categories are required to pay an amount of INR 700 plus bank charges.
The fees can be paid online through online mode. This includes payment through debit card, credit card and net banking.
Ques.Can I change my preference for the examination venue?
Answer: there is no change permissible after the submission of the online form. Students are advised to verify all the details carefully before the final submission of the form.
Ques. How do I get the admit card?
Students need to log in to the official website using the login credentials and download the official admit card. The hard copy of the admit card will not be sent via post. However the students will receive the soft copy of the admit card through email.
Ques. Is there any sectional cut off for the examination?
Answer: No, there is no provision for any sectional cut off
Ques. What is the age criteria for appearing in CMAT?
Answer: There is no restriction in age for CMAT
Ques.What documents should I bring for the examination?
Answer: Students are required to bring a printed copy of the admit card along with a photo id card issued by the central or the state government.
Ques.Which programs of study are covered under CMAT?
Answer: PGDM, MBA, PGCM, Executive PGDM
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.