CMAT 2026 - Result (Out), Check Final Answer Key, Marks Vs Ranks, Cutoff and Top MBA Colleges

Senior Content Strategist | MBA Professional | Updated on - Mar 27, 2026

The NTA has released the CMAT Results and CMAT Final Answer Key 2026 on 17 February 2026 on its official website - cmat.nta.nic.in. You just need your application number and password to download the CMAT results. Approximately 53,453 candidates took the test who can now to download their CMAT 2026 scorecards.

Note: The NTA will not send the hard copy of the scorecard; you are required to download your CMAT 2026 scorecard by using your User ID and Password.

Direct link to download the CMAT 2026 Results - (Out)

Direct link to download the CMAT 2026 Final Answer Key - (Out)

Source: cmat.nta.nic.in/

As the results are declared, now each participating college will release its own cutoff based on factors like applicant numbers, seat availability, exam difficulty, and previous years’ trends.

Candidates who meet the cutoff criteria will be shortlisted for the next stages of selection, including GD/PI and WAT.

As per the discussion on Reddit among CMAT aspirants, in CMAT 2025, JBIMS and SIMSREE had cutoffs around the 99.9+ percentile, while tier-1 colleges closed at 95–99 percentile; CMAT 2026 cutoffs are expected to remain the same, with a possible 5–10 mark shift in raw scores.

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Key Summary

CMAT is a national-level MBA/PGDM entrance exam conducted by NTA for 1,000+ AICTE-approved institutes.
Sections: Quantitative & Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning, Language Comprehension, General Awareness, Innovation & Entrepreneurship.
Percentiles, not raw scores, determine shortlisting for top B-schools; a score of 300+ generally gives 99+ percentile.
Result expected on 13 February 2026; valid for 1 academic year.
Top colleges like JBIMS/SIMSREE require 99.9+ percentile; other good B-schools accept 85–95 percentile.
Preparation focus: mock tests, past papers, section-wise strategy, and accuracy.

Table of Contents

What is the CMAT Exam?
CMAT 2026 Important Dates
CMAT Answer Key 2026
CMAT Score vs Percentile 2026
CMAT Result 2026
CMAT Previous Year Cutoffs
Top Colleges accepting CMAT Scores
CMAT 2026 FAQs

What is CMAT?

The CMAT (Common Management Admission Test) is a national-level entrance exam in India conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). It is designed for admission to management programs like MBA and PGDM offered by over 1,000 AICTE-approved institutes across India.

CMAT is a business aptitude test of 3 hours, designed to test candidates on quantitative ability, logical reasoning, language skills, general awareness, and entrepreneurial thinking.

The exam is considered to be of a moderate difficulty level and can be cracked with basic to structured preparation, as reflected in the reference provided.

What it’s used for:

MBA (Master of Business Administration)
PGDM (Post Graduate Diploma in Management)
MMS and other AICTE-approved management programmes

Key highlights of the CMAT exam:

Fully online Computer-Based Test (CBT)
Conducted once a year by NTA
3 hours (180 minutes) exam duration
100 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
No sectional time limit

CMAT 2026 Important Dates

Official / Confirmed Date	Event
17 February 2026 (Out)	Final Answer Key
17 February 2026 (Out)	Result Declaration
25 January 2026 (Over)	CMAT 2026 Exam Date
31 January 2026 (Released)	Answer Key Release
31 January – 2 February 2026 (11:50 PM) (Closed)	Answer Key Challenge Window

Ques. What is the date of the CMAT exam in 2026?

Ans.The CMAT 2026 will be held on January 25, 2026.

Ques. How many times CMAT exam is held in a year?

Ans.The NTA conducts the CMAT exam once a years, usually in January, the candidates can register for the exam during the official window of registration which will start from 14^th November 2025.

Ques. When will the CMAT 2026 result be announced?

Ans.The CMAT 2026 result is expected to be declared in the second or third week of February 2026. In 2025 the CMAT result was released on 13 February 2025.

CMAT Answer Key 2026

The CMAT 2026 Answer Key is an official document released by NTA that contains all the correct answers to all the questions asked in the CMAT exam. It will be released in March 2026, before the results are released.

It will help you cross-check your responses, estimate their probable score, and understand where they stand compared to other test-takers.
Along with the Answer Key, the NTA will also release the Response sheet, which shows the answers marked by the candidates during the exam.

Ques. How to check CMAT answer key?

Ans. The candidates can check the CMAT Answer key by visiting the official website and logging inusing their User ID and password.

The NTA releases the provisional answer key along with the candidate response sheet, allowing aspirants to verify their answers and estimate their scores before the final result.

Ques. Is the CMAT 2026 answer key out?

Ans. Yes, the CMAT 2026 Answer key has been released on 17^th February 2026 on its official website.

CMAT Results

The NTA has released the CMAT 2026 Result on 17 February 2026 on the official website - exams.nta.ac.in/CMAT.

The candidates can check and download their results by using their Registration Number and Date of Birth. The CMAT 2026 score will be valid for only 1 academic year i.e, 2026.

Also Check: CMAT Merit List 2025: All India Rank (AIR), Toppers, and Cut off

CMAT Score vs Percentile 2026

A score difference of just 8–12 marks can shift the percentile by 3–5 points, especially in the 90+ percentile range, highlighting the importance of accuracy over attempts.

CMAT Score Range (Out of 400)	Expected Percentile
300 – 340	99.0 – 99.9
270 – 299	97 – 98.9
250 – 269	95 – 96.9
230 – 249	90 – 94.9
200 – 229	85 – 89.9
170 – 199	75 – 84.9
150 – 169	70 – 74.9
Below 150	Below 70

Ques. What is 150 marks in CMAT?

Ans. A raw score of 150 out of 400 is considered average, which can place you in the 60-70th percentile, providing you with an opportunity to get into Tier-3/ regional B-schools (e.g., some private colleges in Uttar Pradesh or mid-tier accepting CMAT).

Ques. Is 250 a good score in CMAT?

Ans. Yes, 250 is considered a very good score, placing you in the 90-95th percentile, with this percentile you have a strong chances at mid-to-good tier colleges like KJ Somaiya, Welingkar, BIMTECH, Jaipuria, IFIM, IPE Hyderabad, Alliance.

Also Read:

CMAT Previous Year Cutoffs

Institute Name	Category	Approximate Cutoff Percentile
All India Management Association (AIMA)	General	85 – 90
Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management (LBSIM), Delhi	General	90 – 95
Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Ghaziabad	General	85 – 90
Jaipuria Institute of Management	General	80 – 85
Christ University, Bangalore	General	70 – 80
Shiv Nadar University	General	70 – 75
SP Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR)	General	Usually requires CAT/XAT; CMAT not accepted

Check:

Top Colleges accepting CMAT Scores

College Name	Program	Expected CMAT Cutoff (Percentile)	Average Placement (₹ LPA)
JBIMS, Mumbai	MMS	99.9+	28
SIMSREE, Mumbai	MMS	99.9+	15–16
GIM, Goa	PGDM	95+	10–11
Great Lakes, Chennai	PGDM	95+	12–17
Great Lakes, Gurgaon	PGDM	96+	13-17
KJ Somaiya, Mumbai	MBA/PGDM	95–99	12–13
BIMTECH, Greater Noida	PGDM	90–95	10–11
NIBM, Pune	PGDM	95+	14
IMT Nagpur	PGDM	90–95	10–12
IMT Hyderabad	PGDM	91-94	11-12
IFMR, Krea University	MBA/PGDM	85–90	13

Also Read:

CMAT 2026 FAQs

Ques. Which are the best MBA colleges at the 97 percentile in CMAT?

Ans. Candidates scoring around 97 percentile in CMAT can be achieved by scoring marks around 265-280, which can place in the best MBA colleges like KJ Somaiya, Great Lakes, IMT, Welingkar and XIMR.

Ques. Which colleges should I apply to with an 86.1 percentile in CMAT?

Ans. An 86.1 percentile in CMAT will place you in the mid Tier -2 category collges, which can be achieved with score od around 215-225 out of 500 in CMAT.

Colleges to Apply at 86.1 Percentile in CMAT:

BIMTECH Greater Noida (Selected programs)
IFMR Graduate School of Business, Krea University
IMI Bhubaneswar
Welingkar (e-Biz / Retail / Healthcare Management)
XIME Bangalore / Kochi / Chennai
Jaipuria Institute of Management (Noida, Lucknow, Jaipur)

Ques. "If someone gets a 73 to 74 percentile in the CMAT, then which college will be the best pick in India for that person?"

Ans. A 73–74 percentile in CMAT will fall in the lower tier -2 ti tuer 3 range, translating to a score of around 180-190, with the best colleges options are,

Indira Institute of Management, Pune
IES Management College & Research Centre, Mumbai
SDM Institute for Management Development (SDMIMD), Mysuru (borderline cases)
PUMBA (University departments – category/home quota cases)
Regional AICTE-approved colleges with good placement records

Ques. I scored in the 52 percentile in the CMAT. Which college should I try now?

Ans. A 52 percentile in CMAT shows that you have scored around 140-150 marks in CMAT exam, which can limit the options of colleges to lower tier.

College Options at 52 Percentile:

Regional private MBA colleges (AICTE-approved)
New or emerging B-schools with CMAT acceptance
State-level colleges with vacant seats in later rounds
Institutes offering specialised MBA programs with low cutoffs

*The article might have information for the previous academic years, which will be updated soon subject to the notification issued by the University/College.

CMAT 2026 - Result (Out), Check Final Answer Key, Marks Vs Ranks, Cutoff and Top MBA Colleges

Key Summary

What is CMAT?

CMAT 2026 Important Dates

CMAT Answer Key 2026

CMAT Results

CMAT Score vs Percentile 2026

CMAT Previous Year Cutoffs

Top Colleges accepting CMAT Scores

CMAT 2026 FAQs

Previous Year CMAT Questions

Latest CMAT News

CMAT 2026 Result Live Updates

CMAT Colleges List Rank Wise

CMAT 2026 Results Out Download Your Scorecard Now

CMAT 2026 Final Answer Key Released

Top Government MBA Colleges Accepting CMAT Score

Colleges Accepting 99 Percentile in CMAT 2026

Colleges Accepting 95 Percentile in CMAT 2026

Colleges Accepting 90 percentile in CMAT 2026

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