NMAT
Admission to NMIMS (Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Indore, Navi Mumbai) MBA programmes and 50+ other B-schools in India and abroad.
Eligibility
A bachelor's degree in any discipline with at least 50% aggregate marks (as required by NMIMS; some accepting schools differ); final-year students may apply. There is no age limit. A candidate may take the test up to three times in a cycle — one first attempt plus two retakes, with a mandatory 15-day gap — and the best score counts.
Age limit: No age limit
Exam pattern
Computer-adaptive Computer-Based Test (CBT), taken at a test centre or online-proctored from home, self-scheduled within the window. 108 questions in 120 minutes across three sections, each with its own timer: Language Skills (36 questions, 28 minutes), Quantitative Skills (36 questions, 52 minutes) and Logical Reasoning (36 questions, 40 minutes). Candidates choose their section order. There is no negative marking; results are reported as a scaled score of 36–360.
Syllabus at a glance
Language Skills covers reading comprehension, grammar, vocabulary and para-jumbles. Quantitative Skills spans arithmetic, algebra, geometry, modern maths and data interpretation/sufficiency. Logical Reasoning includes arrangements, syllogisms, coding-decoding, input-output and critical reasoning. Difficulty is moderate — below CAT — but per-question time is tight.
Upcoming dates
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Notification (NMAT 2026) | Jul 2026 (expected) | expected |
| Registration opens | ~1 Aug 2026 (expected) | expected |
| Registration closes | ~10 Oct 2026 (expected) | expected |
| Testing window (self-scheduled) | ~5 Nov – 19 Dec 2026 (expected) | expected |
| Scorecard | Within ~48 hours of each attempt; final official scorecard in 2-3 weeks | expected |
Expected dates follow the usual calendar; confirm on the official notification before planning.
Free prep material
Standard books
- NMAT by GMAC Official Guide — GMAC (Wiley)
- How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT — Arun Sharma
- Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT — Nishit K. Sinha
- Word Power Made Easy — Norman Lewis
How toppers play it
- There is no negative marking — never leave a question blank; if a section timer is about to expire, fill in answers for everything remaining.
- You choose the section order and each section has its own clock (Language 28 min, Quant 52 min, Reasoning 40 min) — open with your strongest section and rehearse the same order in mocks.
- The test is adaptive, so early questions steer both difficulty and score — give the first 8-10 questions of each section extra care.
- Book your first attempt early in the window: that leaves room for up to two retakes with the mandatory 15-day gap, and only your best score counts.
- NMAT rewards speed over depth — questions are easier than CAT's but time per question is tight, so drill mental arithmetic and rapid option elimination.