The Common Management Admission Test, or CMAT 2026, is India’s most popular MBA entrance test, which is conducted by the National Testing Agency, or NTA. It is an entrance test for more than 1,300 AICTE approved management institutes in India. If you are planning to appear for CMAT 2026, this guide is what you need, from fees to seats and placement trends.
What is CMAT?
CMAT is an all India level test for MBA admission that tries to test the students on Quantitative Techniques, Logical Reasoning, Language Comprehension, General Awareness, and Innovation & Entrepreneurship. CMAT is conducted annually in the internet based (computer based) test mode.
NOTABLE HIGHLIGHTS OF CMAT2026
| Conducting Body | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
| Exam Mode | Computer Based Test |
| Duration | 3 hours (180 minutes) |
| Total Questions | 100 |
| Question | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) |
| Total Marks | 400 |
| Marking Scheme | +4 for correct answer, 1 for incorrect answer |
| Exam Date | April 2026 |
| Official Website | cmat.nta.nic.in |
Colleges Where You Can Get admitted on CMAT basis
CMAT score is accepted by most of the top management colleges of India. Some of the top colleges where you can get admitted on the basis of your CMAT percentile are given below:
Top CMAT Score Accepting Colleges (95+ Percentile)
- Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies (JBIMS), Mumbai
- Sydenham Institute of Management Studies (SIMSREE), Mumbai
- K J Somaiya Institute of Management, Mumbai
- Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai
- Welingkar Institute of Management, Mumbai & Bangalore
- Goa Institute of Management (GIM), Goa
- PUMBA (Department of Management Sciences), Pune
- Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Nagpur
Mid Tier Colleges Accepting CMAT Scores (80 95 Percentile)
- BIMTECH (Birla Institute of Management Technology), Greater Noida
- IFMR Graduate School of Business, Chennai
- Xavier Institute of Social Service (XISS), Ranchi
- Institute of Public Enterprise (IPE), Hyderabad
- Indus Business Academy (IBA), Bangalore
- Jagan Institute of Management Studies (JIMS), Delhi
- Amity Business School, Noida
Other Top Colleges That Accept CMAT
- Christ University, Bangalore
- Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow
- Bennett University, Greater Noida
- IMS Ghaziabad
- IES Management College and Research Centre, Mumbai
- New Delhi Institute of Management (NDIM), Delhi
These above given colleges possess different specializations, good faculties, and good placements to offer to the candidates of CMAT.
Why CMAT Grads Are Making Their Mark on the Corporate World
CMAT pass outs are contributing significantly to various sectors of the economy through their management skills, innovative abilities, and leadership abilities. These are the ways they are impacting business life:
Entrepreneurial Success – CMAT pass outs businessmen established thriving startups and businesses with their management degree to build thriving business operations.
Best Corporate Careers – Alumni are getting the best corporate careers in operations, consulting, marketing, and finance with global companies.
Professional Growth – Various professionals with an MBA based on CMAT start their professional life from mid level management and evolve to VP and CXO level career positions in a span of ten years.
International Opportunities – CMAT passouts hold a niche in US, UK, European, and Middle Eastern multinationals due to their top level analytical and strategic skills.
Govt. Recruitment & PSU – Certain CMAT test takers are hired in the PSU and government ministry recruitment under their policy making and management handling capability.
CMAT 2026 Placements: Trends to Watch Out
Institutes accepting CMAT have great placement opportunities in industries. Below is a rundown of placements to be anticipated in 2026 from previous trends:
1. Maximum & Average Salary Packages
| JBIMS Mumbai | ₹28 30 LPA (Max) | ₹20 23 LPA (Avg) |
| KJ Somaiya | ₹22 24 LPA (Max) | ₹12 15 LPA (Avg) |
| SIMSREE Mumbai | ₹25 LPA (Max) | ₹10 12 LPA (Avg) |
| PUMBA Pune | ₹15 18 LPA (Max) | ₹7 9 LPA (Avg) |
| Great Lakes Chennai | ₹28 LPA (Max) | ₹13 16 LPA (Avg) |
2. Leading Recruiters Hiring CMAT Alumni
Some of the biggest recruiters to hire from CMAT institutions are:
Consulting: Deloitte, EY, PwC, KPMG, Accenture
Banking & Finance: HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra, Axis Bank, Citi Bank
Technology: TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCL, Capgemini
FMCG: Hindustan Unilever, ITC, Nestlé, Coca Cola, PepsiCo
E commerce: Amazon, Flipkart, Paytm, Meesho
CMAT 2026 provides a future MBA aspirant with a golden opportunity to secure admission in the best B schools without emptying their pocket, and under the guarantee of an early course to success.
CONCLUSION
Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) 2026 is a competitive MBA entrance exam conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for over 1,300 AICTE approved colleges in India.
The test is conducted every year in computer based mode and assesses the competitors on Quantitative Techniques, Logical Reasoning, Language Comprehension, General Awareness, and Innovation & Entrepreneurship.
It has 100 questions of multiple choice type carrying a total of 400 marks, +4 for correct and 1 for wrong. CMAT provides admissions to some of the best B schools in India like JBIMS Mumbai, K J Somaiya, SIMSREE Mumbai, Great Lakes Chennai, Welingkar, GIM Goa, and PUMBA Pune to the candidates scoring above the 95th percentile. Mid range colleges like BIMTECH, IFMR Chennai, and IPE Hyderabad also shortlist CMAT scores of 80 95 percentile.
Even institutions like Christ University, Bennett University, and NDIM Delhi provide different specializations in MBA. CMAT pass outs proved to be the most successful at corporate life and attained consultant career, finance career, operations career, and marketing career with top business companies all over the globe. Alumni are going for entrepreneurship and are being placed in government as well as PSU.
They are generally placed by multinational corporations in the US, UK, Europe, and Middle East as they do not only possess analytical skills but also leadership skills. Placement patterns show that the best institutions provide the best salary packages with the best package of ₹28-30 LPA and average salary of ₹20 23 LPA provided by JBIMS Mumbai.
Similarly, K J Somaiya and SIMSREE Mumbai offer the highest salary ranges of ₹22 25 LPA and mid salary ranges of ₹10 15 LPA. Key recruiters include Deloitte, EY, PwC, KPMG, HDFC, ICICI, TCS, Infosys, Wipro, Capgemini, Hindustan Unilever, Nestlé, Coca Cola, Amazon, and Flipkart.
CMAT remains one of the lowest but effective ways for students interested in attending best level MBA courses with excellent placement and career progression opportunities.
The graduates reach VP and CXO level job titles in just ten years, reflecting how crucial the exam is in terms of securing a high paying successful career. If you are willing to study for an MBA at a business school ranked amongst the best in the country, CMAT 2026 could be a career killer.
Be diligent, stretch your goal towards a high percentile score, and get yourself placed in a good AICTE approved B school for a prosperous career as a manager.
