Mistakes to Avoid on CMAT 2026 Exam Day

Mistakes to avoid on CMAT 2026 exam day often come from small insights that students often miss out until it’s too late. With CMAT 2026 to be conducted on January 25, 2026, it’s important to have a clear idea about what can affect your performance. With more than 1,00,000 aspirants expected to take the test, every mark gained or lost really matters. If you think about it, exam day is both about applying knowledge and also about staying organised… reading instructions properly, and managing those 180 minutes without panicking.

Forgetting an ID card, losing track of time, or rushing through instructions can make things complicated. And that’s exactly why staying calm, carrying the right documents, and sticking to a simple plan matters far more than memorising one more formula on the final morning. Making sure not to commit such small mistakes can make a big difference on the CMAT 2026 exam day and your overall performance.

Common Mistakes to Avoid on CMAT 2026 Exam Day

Here are some of the mistakes that should be avoided on the CMAT 2026 exam day.

Mistake #1: Not Keeping Your Admit Card and Other Documents Ready

One of the common mistakes that the aspirant makes on exam day is not keeping a hard copy of the CMAT admit card and other documents ready. You should avoid this mistake by keeping the printout of the admit card and other documents ready a day before the exam. You should note that you will have to carry one ID proof (Aadhar Card, Voter Card, or Driving license) on exam day.

Mistake #2: Reaching Late to the Exam Centre

Reaching the CMAT exam centre late is another common mistake made by test takers. You are advised to reach the exam centre at least one hour before the exam to avoid this mistake. You can check the exam timings, your exam centre address from the hall ticket.

Mistake #3: Not having an Exam Strategy

You are advised to have an idea about the total number of questions you are going to target. You should ensure that answering that number of questions will surely guarantee a good percentile in the exam. Besides this, you can also prepare a CMAT 2026 preparation strategy section-wise. If you are good at Logical Reasoning, then you should try to answer the maximum number of questions from this section, but if you are well-versed with some other section, then you should attempt the maximum number of questions from that section.

Mistake #4: Learning New Concepts on Exam Day

You should avoid learning new concepts or topics on exam day and only revise the notes prepared earlier on the exam day. You are advised to prepare a list of important formulas during your preparation so that you can go through them before taking the exam.

Also Read: Top 10 Colleges that Accept CMAT Scores In India

Mistake #5: Not Keeping an Eye on the Clock

You should note that the total duration of the exam is 180 minutes, i.e 3 hours. No extra time will be provided to any aspirant. You are thus advised to manage your time well, keeping in mind that you have to devote adequate time to each section of the exam.

Mistake #6: Not Reading the Question Carefully

You are advised to read the questions carefully before answering. Sometimes, students miss an important part of the question and that results in a wrong answer. Hence, it is important to go through all the statements and statistical data provided in the question carefully before answering it. If you are unable to understand the question, you should read it again.

Mistake #7: Not Reading the Instructions Provided on the Question Paper

You should read the important instructions provided on the question paper carefully. Those instructions will help you know about the marking scheme, CMAT exam pattern , and total marks. Besides this, it will also help you know how to answer the questions in the CMAT question paper .

Also Read: What After CMAT 2026 Result?

Mistake #8: Carrying Any Prohibited Items in the Exam Hall

Some of the items, such as watches, electronic gadgets, mobile phones, Bluetooth devices, cameras, and calculators, are prohibited inside the exam centre. You are advised not to carry any prohibited items inside the exam centre. If you have to carry your phone to the exam centre, make sure that the exam centre has a storage facility, or you can leave it in your vehicle.

Mistake #9: Attempting Doubtful Questions

You should note that there will be a negative marking of one mark for every wrong answer; hence, you should avoid attempting questions that you're unsure of.

Mistake #10: Not Following the Instructions Provided by Invigilator

You are advised to follow the instructions provided by the Invigilator since you might get disqualified if you do not follow the invigilator's instructions. Some of the important instructions that you should keep in mind are not roaming inside the examination hall unnecessarily, talking to other examinees while attempting the test, leaving the seat allotted to you, and reading the question aloud.

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You can check the exam guidelines of CMAT 2026 to know some last-minute tips for the CMAT 2026 examination. Apart from this, if you have more doubts related to the CMAT 2026 exam, you can ask questions through the QnA zone . For any help regarding admission to MBA colleges in India, make sure you fill out the Common Application Form (CAF) .

Stay tuned to CollegeDekho for more information on CMAT 2026 !