CMAT 2026 Total Marks: Section-wise Questions, Marking Scheme, Good Attempts & Score vs Percentile

CMAT 2026 Total Marks: Section-wise Questions, Marking Scheme, Good Attempts & Score vs Percentile

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Himanshu ShekharUpdated on 18 Sep 2025, 10:46 AM IST

Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) is a national level business aptitude test conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission to MBA/ PGDM programmes. CMAT is structured like any other MBA entrance exam, which means that a certain number of MCQs have to be answered within a certain time limit. The CMAT question paper has 5 sections, each with 20 questions carrying 80 marks. So 4 marks will be given for the correct answer. According to the marking scheme, the CMAT total marks is 400. Check this article to know more about CMAT total questions, section-wise total marks in CMAT exam, etc.

This Story also Contains

  1. CMAT Total Marks 2026
  2. Section-wise CMAT Maximum Marks 2026
  3. CMAT Marks vs Percentile
CMAT 2026 Total Marks: Section-wise Questions, Marking Scheme, Good Attempts & Score vs Percentile
CMAT Total Marks

CMAT Total Marks 2026

The CMAT exam typically has a total of 400 marks. Check below the key highlights of the latest exam pattern and total CMAT marks for each section.

ParticularsDetails

Total questions in CMAT

100

CMAT total questions per section

20

Section wise total marks in CMAT

80

CMAT marking scheme

  • 4 marks for right answer
  • -1 mark for wrong answer
  • Un-answered/un-attempted will be given no marks.

CMAT exam total marks

400

CMAT 2026 Total Marks: Section-wise

Check out the section-wise CMAT total marks. 80 marks are allotted for each section according to last year CMAT paper pattern.
1716640763251

Section-wise CMAT Maximum Marks 2026

CMAT generally consists of around 100 questions. The CMAT 2026 is divided into five sections, such as

CMAT SectionsCMAT Total QuestionsCMAT Total Score

Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation

20

80

Logical Reasoning

20

80

Language Comprehension

20

80

General Awareness

20

80

Innovation & Entrepreneurship

20

80

Difference Between CMAT Score and CMAT Mark

  • In the context of an examination like CMAT, ‘score’ generally refers to the total number of correct answers given by a candidate, which is converted into a final score based on a marking scheme.
  • On the other hand, 'mark' refers to the specific points awarded or deducted for each correct or incorrect answer.

Number of Good Attempts and Total Marks of CMAT Exam

Take a look at the table below to see the number of good attempts and the CMAT 2026 total marks for each section.

CMAT 2026 SectionsNumber of QuestionsNumber of Good AttemptsCMAT Paper Total Marks

Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation

20

16-17

64-68

Logical Reasoning

20

16-17

64-68

Language Comprehension

20

16-17

64-68

General Awareness

20

11-12

44-48

Innovation & Entrepreneurship

20

11-12

44-48

Total Marks in CMAT

100

70-75

280-300

Predict your probable percentile by using Careers360’s CMAT percentile calculator

CMAT Marks vs Percentile

Here is the expected percentile table that explains the expected CMAT percentiles for specific score ranges based on previous years' results:

CMAT Score vs Percentile

Score Range out of 400 CMAT Maximum Marks

CMAT Percentile Range after score Normalisation for both Shifts

345-350

100

281-340

90-99.99

201-280

81-89

171-200

71-80

141-170

61-70

116-140

51-60

Below 116

Below 51

Check out the detailed information of CMAT score vs percentile here

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Is 200 a good score in CMAT?
A:

 A score of 201-280 in the CMAT exam is equal to the 81-89 percentile. Some top MBA colleges accepting CMAT score of 200+ are Amrita School of BusinessInstitute of Public EnterpriseJaipuria Institute of ManagementMIT School of Business, etc.

Q: Is CMAT has negative marking?
A:

Yes, the CMAT exam has negative marking. 1 mark will be deducted for each wrong answer.

Q: How is CMAT score calculated?
A:

The CMAT score is calculated by assigning marks to the candidates according to their answers to the questions.

  • 4 marks for right answer
  • -1 mark for wrong answer
  • Un-answered/un-attempted will be given no marks.
Q: Is 100 a good score in CMAT?
A:

A good score in the CMAT exam can be between 295 and 345. A score of 100 in CMAT is less than the 50 percentile.

Q: What is a good score in CMAT?
A:

A score of 345-360+ in the CMAT exam can be considered a good score that can turn into 99-99.99+ CMAT percentile.

Q: What is the total marks for CMAT 2026?
A:

According to the latest marking scheme, the CMAT total marks is 400. 

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Questions related to CMAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CMAT ?

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 scores during the selection process. When you apply, your CMAT percentile will be used along with your academic record, group discussion or writing ability test and personal interview performance to decide your final merit for admission.

Nirma University also accepts CMAT scores for its MBA and related management programmes. Like most private and state universities, Nirma University uses multiple national and state level entrance exams as part of its eligibility and shortlisting criteria, and CMAT is commonly included in that list. After shortlisting based on the entrance score, institutes typically conduct further rounds such as group discussion or personal interview before final selection.

Because both DSM DTU and Nirma University consider CMAT, your preparation for CMAT can be beneficial if you want to keep your options open for MBA admissions. Make sure you check the latest admission brochure of each institute before applying so you know the exact cutoffs, weightage of different rounds and other requirements like work experience or minimum academic marks. All the best.

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 MBA. You should focus on the other top colleges.

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

https://www.careers360.com/university/sardar-vallabhbhai-national-institute-of-technology-surat/mba-course

I hope this information helps you.

Thank you

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.

Click on the link below to get access to all the information.

MBA Colleges accepting 60-80 percentile in CMAT 2026

CMAT Colleges accepting 80-90 percentile

Hello,

For a postgraduate management course (MBA/PGDM) at L.D. College, you will likely need to give the CMAT exam. As a final-year BCA student, you are eligible to appear for the exam. The registration for CMAT 2026 has already begun, and you must apply before the deadline to be eligible for the entrance test.

I hope it will clear your query!!