CMAT Passing Marks 2026: The NTA has not set any CMAT passing marks for MBA/PGDM admission. Meanwhile, the CMAT minimum mark of 120 out of 400 is considered the passing mark for the CMAT exam. Applicants with minimum passing marks in the CMAT exam will be shortlisted for the next level of the selection process by the colleges. Candidates with CMAT qualifying marks of 280 can apply for the management admissions offered by the top B-schools in India. A good CMAT score required to get admission to top management institutes is around 250 to 300 (out of 400). Read this article to know the minimum CMAT passing marks, the marking scheme of CMAT 2026 and the top colleges accepting CMAT scores.
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The CMAT passing marks required to join the management programmes can vary from one institute to another. Candidates with minimum passing marks of 120 can attend the interview or other selection rounds at the best MBA colleges accepting CMAT scores. Students who failed to achieve the minimum CMAT qualifying marks in 2026 cannot pursue their postgraduate in any of the best colleges in India.
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The important dates regarding the CMAT answer key release and CMAT results 2026 release date are mentioned in the table below.
Particulars | CMAT Exam Dates 2026 |
CMAT exam date 2026 | Last week of January 2026 |
CMAT 2026 answer key release date (Provisional) | Last week of January 2026 |
NTA CMAT answer key challenge last date | First week of February 2026 |
CMAT result date 2026 | Second week of February 2026 |
As per the CMAT marking schema, +4 marks will be awarded for each correct answer and -1 mark for each incorrect answer. The detailed CMAT marking criteria are mentioned in the table below.
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 |
Total | 100 | 400 |
Candidates must note that the CMAT cutoff can vary from year to year. Based on the information below table candidates who attended the CMAT exam can calculate their expected CMAT score and percentile.
CMAT Percentile | CMAT score 2026 (Expected) | CMAT score 2025 | CMAT score 2024 |
99.5 | 305 | 303 | 325 |
99 | 295 | 293 | 318 |
95 | 262 | 260 | 300 |
90 | 245 | 240 | 282 |
80 | 215 | 211 | 200 |
70 | 195 | 180 | 170 |
Check out: CMAT Score Normalization Process
Around 1000 institutes in India accept CMAT results both private and government. Some of the top institutes accepting CMAT scores are mentioned in the table below.
Top MBA Colleges | CMAT Score |
Prin. LN Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research, Mumbai | 244 Score |
280 Score | |
260 Score | |
KJ Somaiya Institute of Management Studies and Research, Mumbai | 246 Score |
200 Score | |
200 Score |
The expected college-wise CMAT cutoff percentile required to join the full-time PGDM/MBA/PGPM programmes is listed below. The cutoff can also vary after the release of the CMAT results.
CMAT colleges cut off | Accepting cutoff percentile |
97 | |
99.94 | |
99.95+ | |
70 | |
95+ | |
95 | |
99.99 | |
85 | |
90+ | |
80 |
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The minimum CMAT passing mark of 120 is necessary for the candidates to get admission to the top B-schools in India.
A CMAT score of 80 to 85 percentile in CMAT can get you a good B-school to pursue MBA course.
The CMAT qualifying mark required to apply for the management courses is around 120 out of 400.
A good score in the CMAT exam is between 250 to 300 out of 400. Candidates who achieved a score within this range can expect a CMAT percentile above 85.
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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