CMAT Paper Pattern 2025, Marking Scheme, Exam Format, Exam Time, Negative Marking

CMAT Paper Pattern 2025, Marking Scheme, Exam Format, Exam Time, Negative Marking

Edited By Himanshu Shekhar | Updated on Nov 16, 2024 04:19 PM IST | #CMAT

CMAT exam pattern 2025 was released by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on its official website along with the official CMAT 2025 notification. As per CMAT exam pattern, the question paper for CMAT 2025 will have 5 sections with 100 questions in MCQ format. Each section of the CMAT question paper will have 20 questions. Reach this article by Careers360 to know all the latest CMAT exam pattern changes and syllabus mentioned on this page. Also, know more about the CMAT exam date 2025, CMAT marking scheme, sectional time limit, CMAT format, etc.

CMAT Exam Pattern 2025

The CMAT exam will be held in the January 25, 2025, so you have enough time to prepare. The questions will be asked about the following subjects :

  • Logical Reasoning
  • General Awareness
  • Language Comprehension
  • Innovation & Entrepreneurship
  • Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation

CMAT Paper Pattern - Changes over the years

Take a look at the changes made in the CMAT exam pattern and syllabus over the years.

  • The CMAT paper pattern has been revised twice by NTA in the last two years.
  • In 2021, the Innovation and Entrepreneurship section was added as an optional paper and allotted an additional 30 minutes. Meanwhile, this section has been made mandatory by 2022.
  • The NTA reduced the number of questions in each section from 25 to 20. However, there will be a total of 100 questions, divided into five sections (each question will carry four marks).
  • According to the CMAT paper pattern, the CMAT 2025 exam will have five sections with no choice.
  • CMAT exam time duration has been reduced to three hours.
  • There is no additional time limit for the Innovation and Entrepreneurship section.
  • The Innovation and Entrepreneurship section score is counted for percentile calculation to prepare the merit list.
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CMAT Exam Paper Pattern 2025 - Overview

CMAT is a popular entrance test among MBA aspirants, as the score is accepted by more than 1,300 B-schools in India. An overview of CMAT exam pattern 2025 pdf and test structure is given below:

CMAT Exam Structure

CMAT Exam Details

Number of sections in CMAT

5 sections

  • Logical Reasoning
  • Language Comprehension
  • Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation
  • General Awareness
  • Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Mode of CMAT exam

CBT mode

CMAT exam duration

180 minutes (3 hours)

CMAT total number of questions

100 questions

CMAT total marks

400 marks

Number of answer choices

5

CMAT Marking scheme

  • +4 marks for every correct answer
  • -1 mark for every incorrect answer

Language of CMAT paper

English

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CMAT Exam Pattern 2025: Section-wise Questions & Marks

As per the CMAT 2025 paper pattern, the exam will have a total of 100 questions and the total time allotted will be 180 minutes. Check below the sectional weightage of the CMAT 2025 question paper:

CMAT 2025 Section-Wise Break-Up

CMAT Sections

Number of Questions

Marks Allotted to the Sections

Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation

20

80

Logical Reasoning

20

80

Language Comprehension

20

80

General Awareness

20

80

Innovation & Entrepreneurship

20

80

CMAT exam pattern breakup

CMAT Marking Scheme 2025

In CMAT 2025, four marks will be awarded for each correct answer and one mark will be deducted for each wrong answer. Marks will not be deducted if a question is left unanswered. Refer to the table below to understand the CMAT marking scheme:

Status of answer

Marks

Right answer

+4

Wrong answer

-1

Blank question

No deduction

Know all about the CMAT Syllabus here

CMAT Marking Scheme - Key Points

  • Candidates will have to use the computer mouse to answer the question
  • Solving around 75 to 80 questions will considered as good attempt
  • CMAT is CBT based entrance exam, and candidates are not required to carry any stationary item inside the exam hall (apart from a ball point pen)
  • For rough work sheet will be provided inside the CMAT exam centre.
  • Before leaving the CMAT exam hall, candidates will have to handover the roughsheet to the invigilator.
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CMAT 2025 Exam Pattern: Points to consider

  • At the time of taking CMAT 2025, candidates can switch from one section to another and there is no sectional time limit.
  • Candidates must note that CMAT negative marking of one mark for each incorrect response and for every unattempted question no mark will be given.
  • No stationary item will be allowed inside the CMAT examination hall except a pen/ pencil.
  • CMAT is a Computer-based test, students will be provided a rough sheet for extra work.
  • No bio breaks will be allowed at the time of the CMAT entrance exam.

CMAT Previous Year Paper Analysis

The CMAT 2025 exam was held in two slots. According to the last year's CMAT paper analysis, the question paper ranged from easy to moderate difficulty. The Language Comprehension section had a Reading Comprehension section with four questions, the Verbal sub-section had 16 questions on Vocabulary and the Reasoning section had Grammar. There were 15 Non-Verbal Reasoning and 5 Verbal Reasoning questions.

In the Quantitative Techniques section, there were 5 data interpretation questions and 15 quantitative technique questions on tables and pie charts. Check below last year's section-wise difficulty level of CMAT:

CMAT section

Number of questions

Difficulty Level

Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation

20

Moderate to High

Logical Reasoning

20

Easy to Moderate

Language Comprehension

20

Easy to Moderate

General Awareness

20

Easy

Innovation & Entrepreneurship

20

Moderate

How to Prepare for CMAT 2025? Tips and Strategy

For CMAT 2025 exam preparation, candidates should develop a practical and actionable strategy. Since CMAT is an exam of moderate difficulty level, it is better to start exam preparation.

However, if you haven't studied maths after class 10, you should prepare for CMAT earlier. If your English comprehension is weak, you should start preparation for CMAT Language Comprehension earlier. To prepare well for the exam, read the CMAT preparation articles and take the CMAT mock test below:

CMAT Mock Test/ Sample Paper

At the time of CMAT preparation, candidates should include the sample paper or CMAT mock test so that they can get familiar with the CMAT paper pattern, the CMAT question paper, and the duration of the CMAT exam. By solving the CMAT sample paper, candidates can gain accuracy and speed in all the CMAT sections. Apart from that, they can also get to know their strong and weak areas.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Will NTA release the official syllabus of CMAT 2025?

No, the NTA will not specify any syllabus pertaining to CMAT 2025.

2. Will there be any negative marking for unattempted questions?

There will be no marking for any unattempted questions.

3. What is the CMAT exam time duration?

Candidates will get a total of 180 minutes to solve the entire CMAT question paper.

4. How many exam centres for the CMAT 2025 Exam?

There will be a total of 107 exam centres to be allotted for the CMAT 2025 entrance exam.

5. Will NTA release a mock test for the CMAT exam?

Yes, the National Testing Agency (NTA) will release an official mock test for the exam on the basis of the CMAT exam pattern 2025 on the official website.

6. Is there a negative marking in CMAT?

Yes, there will be a negative marking scheme applicable for CMAT 2025 exam, for each correct answer candidates will be awarded 4 marks. For wrong answers, 1 mark will get deducted.

7. Can I use a calculator for the CMAT exam? Which is easy CAT or CMAT?

No, calculators are not allowed in the CMAT exam hall. Candidates will have to use an on-screen calculator. CMAT is comparatively easier than the CAT exam as suggested by experts of management entrance exams. Check out the CMAT Exam Day Guidelines here.

8. What is the syllabus for the CMAT 2025 exam?

CMAT syllabus for the MBA is divided into five parts: Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation, General Awareness, Innovation & Entrepreneurship and Language Comprehension.

9. What is the duration of the CMAT 2025 exam?

The total time duration for the CMAT 2025 exam is 180 minutes.

10. Will there be any subjective questions in the CMAT exam?

No, there will be no subjective questions in the CMAT exam. The CMAT question paper will carry only MCQs.

11. Is the a sectional time limit in the CMAT exam? Is CMAT a negative mark?

No, there will be no sectional time limit in the CMAT 2025 exam. CMAT has a negative marking scheme.

12. What is the paper pattern of CMAT? CMAT is of how many marks?

The CMAT exam pattern 2025 is as follows: 

Section name

Number of questions

Marks

Quantitative techniques and data interpretation

20

80

Logical reasoning

20

80

General awareness

20

80

Language comprehension

20

80

Innovation and Entrepreneurship

20

80

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Questions related to CMAT

Have a question related to CMAT ?

You can start your preparation by Solving previous years’ papers CMAT it will give you an idea about how the actual paper is going to be. You will be introduced to all types of questions, ranging from the simple ones to the complex.

QA, Logic and Verbal can be prepared from the material provided here For GK and IE, you should try reading newspapers and knowing current affairs. There are various sources like  youtube channels . Here is the material- CMAT it contains books, notes , past year papers, etc.

Hello,

Yes, you can also join IIMs two years after graduation, depending upon the justification in interviews and your performance in entrance exams. If you are not sure about CAT, try those other management exams less hard:

Common Management Admission Test: Easier than CAT; 4-5 months of continuous preparation will suffice.

MAT : Much easier and takes place thrice a year.

SNAP (Symbiosis National Aptitude Test): A bit easier than CAT, apt for Symbiosis Institutes.

Xavier Aptitude Test or XAT : Hence, easier than CAT but the unique decision-making section.

Use exams like CMAT and MAT as a challenge to be competitively prepared. This can be given about 4-5 months, along with a few rounds of mock tests and smart studying.

Hello there,

With a 71.5 percentile in CMAT and 77% in BBA, you do have a chance of getting into BK School of Business Management (Gandhinagar Institute of Technology) for MBA, especially if they have a lower cutoff in the 4th offline round. Admission can depend on factors like your performance in the entrance exam, overall profile, and availability of seats. It's also helpful to keep an eye on the specific requirements and trends from previous years to gauge your likelihood better. If possible, consider reaching out to the admissions office for more tailored guidance.

I hope this answer helps you. If you have more queries then feel free to share your questions with us we will be happy to assist you.

Thank you and wishing you all the best for your bright future.


Hello aspirant,

One of the most important things to do when beginning a strategy exam preparation is to grasp the CMAT syllabus 2025. Candidates can make an efficient study plan that helps them cover every topic in detail by consulting the CMAT exam syllabus.

To know the detailed syllabus you can visit our website by clicking on the link given below.

https://bschool.careers360.com/articles/cmat-syllabus

Thank you

Hope this information helps you.

An 80 percentile CMAT score is a decent score, but whether you can secure admission to IMS depends on several factors:

  1. Specific IMS Campus: There are multiple IMS campuses with varying admission criteria and cut-offs.
  2. Program Offered: The program you're targeting (PGDM, MBA, etc.) will have different eligibility requirements.
  3. Category: Your category (General, OBC, SC, ST) will influence your chances.
  4. Competition: The overall competition for that particular year and program will determine the final cut-off.

While an 80 percentile score increases your chances, it's essential to check the specific cut-offs for your desired IMS campus and program. Additionally, consider other factors like work experience, academic background, and GD/PI performance, as they might play a role in the final selection.

To improve your chances, research different IMS campuses, understand their admission process, and prepare well for the subsequent selection rounds.

hope this helps you!!

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