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Common Management Aptitude Test (CMAT) is an annual exam for MBA admission to various B-schools in India. Candidates generally need 320 to 330 marks to achieve 90 percentile in CMAT exam. To score 90+ percentile in CMAT you should attempt around 80-85 questions from all sections with focus on accuracy. With a high accuracy rate (around 85-90%), you can comfortably score 320-330 and will get 90+ percentile in CMAT 2026. Read this article for further details about how many marks is 90 percentile in CMAT and how to achieve it.
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Take a look at the following date, which mentions the expected CMAT 2026 marks vs percentile.
| Raw Score (Out of 400) | Expected Percentile Range | Points to Note |
| 345 – 360 | 99.5 – 100 | Top rankers accepted |
| 320 – 330 | ~90 | Target range for 90 percentile |
| 280 – 310 | 85 – 89 | Safe for Tier 2 B-schools |
| 240 – 279 | 70 – 84 | Opens opportunities in mid-tier institutes |
| 200 – 239 | 55-69 | Lower percentile colleges available |
Aspirants who want to crack 90 percentile in CMAT should score more than 320-330 marks in the CMAT exam. Since CMAT exam has 400 marks and 4 marks per question, to get 90+ percentile marks you need to get 320-330 marks in total. Candidates should also consider factors like the difficulty level of exam, total number of CMAT candidates and other parameters before setting a target for themselves before CMAT.
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Attempting a fixed number of questions alone will not help to score 90+ CMAT percentile. A score of 320-330 usually corresponds to 80-85 correct answers out of 100 total questions, depending on the difficulty level of the CMAT.
Here, it is very important to attempt the questions accurately as 1 mark will be deducted for each wrong attempt. Hence, candidates should attempt the questions with a high level of accuracy to score 90+ percentile marks in the CMAT exam.
CMAT percentile and their raw marks as per previous year are as follows:
CMAT Raw Score | CMAT Percentile |
331-350 | 100% |
320-330 | 90-99% |
210-319 | 81-89% |
171-209 | 71-80% |
141-170 | 61-70% |
116-140 | 51-60% |
Below 116 | Below 51% |
NOTE: The above raw score in terms of percentile may vary depending on the level of difficulty and the number of candidates appearing in the CMAT examination.
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CMAT exam consists of 100 questions in five sections. Here is an estimated strategy of how many questions to attempt to achieve 90+ percentile:
Total Questions to Attempt: 80-85 questions with high precision will usually score 320-330 which will put you in 90+ percentile. It is important to aim for a high accuracy rate (around 85-90% accuracy) as there is a negative mark of 1 mark for each wrong answer.
Sectional Breakdown: The number of questions you have to attempt varies across sections based on your strength.
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Here is the recommended effort breakdown for each section:
1. Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation (QTDI)
Attempt: 18-20 questions
Accuracy: Aim for 80-90% accuracy in this section.
If you attempt 20 questions, try to get 16-18 correct answers.
2. Logical Reasoning (LR)
Attempt: 18-20 questions
Accuracy: Aim for 80-90% accuracy in this section.
Logical Reasoning can have tricky questions, so make sure you are comfortable with the types of puzzles and patterns.
3. Language Comprehension (LC)
Attempt: 18-20 questions
Accuracy: Aim for 80-90% accuracy in this section.
Reading Comprehension (RC) section is important. Focus on reading quickly but carefully.
4. General Awareness (GA)
Attempt: 16-18 questions
Accuracy: As General Awareness may have tricky questions, focus on high accuracy (around 70-80%).
Don't make random guesses - attempt questions that you feel confident about.
5. Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Attempt: 16-18 questions
Accuracy: Aim for 80-90% accuracy in this section.
Tips for Strategic Initiative to Score 90+ Percentile in CMAT
Focus on Accuracy
Start with Easy Questions
Skip Complex Questions
Time Management
Mock Tests
General Awareness (This section requires less time per question so try as many GA questions as you can but only those you are confident about)
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Listed below are the names of popular MBA colleges that accept CMAT percentile of 90 and above.
CMAT College | CMAT Percentile |
99.96+ | |
Sydenham Institute of Management Studies And Research And Entrepreneurship Education (SIMSREE) | 99.90+ |
99.2+ | |
95+ | |
K J Somaiya Institute of Management Studies and Research (SIMSR) | 95+ |
Savitribai Phule Pune University Department of Management Sciences (PUMBA) | 95+ |
95+ | |
95+ | |
90+ | |
90+ |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
If you want a tier 1 MBA college, a good score in CMAT is 85 percentile and above. If you want a tier 2 MBA college, a good score in CMAT is 70-85 percentile and for tier 3 MBA college, a score below 70 percentile in CMAT is good.
A raw score of 300 marks leads to 85+ percentile marks. It may vary based on the difficulty level of CMAT exam.
A 90 percentile is considered a good score in CMAT. All the popular MBA colleges accepting CMAT score such as GIM Goa, JBIMS, KJ Somaiya Institute of Management, GLIM Chennai, SIMSREE, PUMBA, and XISS Ranchi.
To score 90+ percentile in CMAT 2025, you should attempt around 80-85 questions from all sections with focus on accuracy.
About 320-330 score is equal to 90 percentile in CMAT 2025.
On Question asked by student community
Hello aspirant,
The CMAT 2026 exam is set for January 25, 2026, and registration began in October 2025. In two sessions, the computer-based CMAT 2026 will be administered in more than 120 Indian cities. The CMAT syllabus and exam format have not changed for 2026.
For more information you can
Yes, DSM DTU (Delhi Technological University, Department of Management Studies) does accept CMAT score for admission to its MBA programme. Many management institutes in India use CMAT as one of the valid entrance exams along with CAT, MAT, or GMAT, and DTU’s management department is among those that consider CMAT
Hello
You have scored 92 percentile in CMAT, which is a good score, and you have a higher chance of getting admission into a good college. But, if you're targeting only SVNIT Surat, then it's quite tough because SVNIT usually looks for a higher score for the PG course, like
Hello,
The link to the website of careers360, where the preferred colleges and percentiles are mentioned, is attached herewith. You can also get the details of colleges.
https://bschool.careers360.com/articles/mba-colleges-accepting-80-90-percentile-in-cmat-exam
Thank you.
Hello
With an 80 percentile in CMAT, you can get admission in decent Tier-2 MBA colleges.
Good options include Jaipuria Institute, IMT Nagpur/Hyderabad, SDMIMD Mysore, and XIME.
Top IIMs are not possible, but these colleges offer reasonable placements and exposure.
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