Updated By Debanjalee Sen on 07 Dec, 2025 19:04
Find the CMAT 2026 paper analysis for Slots 1 & 2 here! The overall difficulty level of Slot 1 can be expected to range from easy to moderate, while for Slot 2, it can range from moderate to high. For the entrance test, high accuracy with an accuracy of about 95% can be expected if the student manages to reach 75-80 correct answers.
Predict your Percentile based on your CMAT performance
Predict RankThe CMAT exam analysis 2026 for Slots 1 & 2 will be provided here and will provide insights into the exam's difficulty level, section-wise and topic-wise weightage, and other relevant aspects. The CMAT 2026 exam will be conducted from 9 AM to 12 PM on January 25, 2026. According to the CMAT question paper analysis from the past few years, the complexity level ranges from moderate to high in terms of difficulty.
A good CMAT 2026 score might range from 320 to 360 out of 400 marks.CMAT 2026 candidates can also review previous years' section-wise CMAT analyses to understand the topics and difficulty level of the exam better!
CMAT 2026 will be conducted in two shifts, unlike last year's trends. Given below are the shift timings for the test.
Shift | Reporting Time | Exam Timings |
|---|---|---|
Shift 1 | 8:00 AM | 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM |
Shift 2 | 1:30 PM | 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM |
The detailed CMAT 2026 exam analysis for Shifts 1 and 2 will be available after the exam has been conducted.
Take a look at the CMAT 2026 exam analysis for Slot 1.
Name of Section | Number of Questions | Marks Per Question | Maximum Marks | Good Attempts | Overall Level Of Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation | 20 | 4 | 80 | To be Updated | To be Updated |
Logical Reasoning | 20 | 4 | 80 | To be Updated | To be Updated |
Language Comprehension | 20 | 4 | 80 | To be Updated | To be Updated |
General Awareness | 20 | 4 | 80 | To be Updated | To be Updated |
Innovation and Entrepreneurship | 20 | 4 | 80 | To be Updated | To be Updated |
Total | 100 | - | 400 | To be Updated | To be Updated |
Below is the CMAT 2026 exam analysis for CMAT 2026 for Shift 2.
Name of Section | Number of Questions | Marks Per Question | Maximum Marks | Good Attempts | Overall Level Of Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation | 20 | 4 | 80 | To be Updated | To be Updated |
Logical Reasoning | 20 | 4 | 80 | To be Updated | To be Updated |
Language Comprehension | 20 | 4 | 80 | To be Updated | To be Updated |
General Awareness | 20 | 4 | 80 | To be Updated | To be Updated |
Innovation and Entrepreneurship | 20 | 4 | 80 | To be Updated | To be Updated |
Total | 100 | - | 400 | To be Updated | To be Updated |
The overall difficulty level of Slot 1 ranged from easy to moderate. DI can be considered to be a bit tricky. Maximum questions were asked from Arithmetic. Surprisingly, there was no question on Syllogism. According to the test-takers, questions from the Innovation & Entrepreneurship section were difficult to tackle. Slot 2 ranged from moderate to high in terms of difficulty. Statements-Assumptions based questions dominated the paper. QA questions were highly calculation-oriented and hence, the section turned out to be time-consuming. The detailed CMAT 2025 exam analysis has been made available below.
Name of Section | Number of Questions | Topic-wise Number of Questions | Marks Per Question | Maximum Marks | Good Attempts | Overall Level Of Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation | 20 |
| 4 | 80 | 17-18 | Easy but Time-consuming & lengthy |
Logical Reasoning | 20 |
| 4 | 80 | 17-18 | Moderate |
Language Comprehension | 20 |
| 4 | 80 | 17-18 | Moderate to Difficult |
General Awareness | 20 |
| 4 | 80 | 12-13 | Moderate |
Innovation and Entrepreneurship | 20 |
| 4 | 80 | 12-13 | Moderate |
Total | 100 | - | 400 | 90+ questions with 90% accuracy (81 correct answers and 10 incorrect answers approximately) | Easy to Moderate |
Name of Section | Number of Questions | Types of Questions Asked | Marks Per Question | Maximum Marks | Good Attempts | Overall Level Of Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation | 20 | Profit & Loss, Compound Interest, Simplification, Ratio, Proportion | 4 | 80 | 14-15 | Moderate to Difficult |
Logical Reasoning | 20 | Venn Diagram, Assumptions, Analogy, Coding-Decoding | 4 | 80 | 16 | Easy |
Language Comprehension | 20 | RC, Vocabulary, Basic Grammar | 4 | 80 | 15-16 | Easy to Moderate |
General Awareness | 20 | Mostly static GK | 4 | 80 | 14-15 | Moderate |
Innovation and Entrepreneurship | 20 | Statement, Assumptions | 4 | 80 | 15-16 | Easy to Moderate |
Total | 100 | - | - | 400 | 73-78 | Moderate |
The detailed CMAT 2024 exam analysis for Shift 1 and 2 will be available after the conclusion of the exam.
The CMAT 2024 shift 1 exam was easy to moderate in terms of overall difficulty level. There were no major changes in the exam pattern, marking scheme, or overall structure of the question paper from last year. Many students found the VARC section to be toughest while the QTDI section was easy to moderate. The Quantitative section for slot 1 had more statement-based questions and there were a total of 3 DI sets and all were in caselet format. The logical reasoning section was moderate and lengthy and the questions were evenly distributed among important topics like Statements & Assumptions, Statements & Conclusions, Arguments, Clocks, Arrangements, etc. As for General Awareness and Innovation & Entrepreneurship, the difficult levels for these sections were easy, although some students found the General Awareness section to be moderately tough.
Name of Section | Number of Questions | Marks Per Question | Maximum Marks | Good Attempts | Overall Level Of Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation | 20 | 4 | 80 | 16-17 | Easy to Moderate |
Logical Reasoning | 20 | 4 | 80 | 15-16 | Moderate & Lengthy |
Language Comprehension | 20 | 4 | 80 | 15-16 | Moderate to Difficult |
General Awareness | 20 | 4 | 80 | 10-11 | Easy to Moderate |
Innovation and Entrepreneurship | 20 | 4 | 80 | 10-11 | Easy to Moderate |
Total | 100 | - | 400 | 70-75 | Easy to Moderate |
The CMAT 2024 slot 2 paper was moderate to difficult with Logical Reasoning and English Language Comprehension section being easy. However, the Quantitative section for CMAT slot 2 2024 was tricky and challenging with the majority of questions being from Geometry. The General Awareness section was moderate to challenging in terms of difficulty level. The Innovation and Entrepreneurship section was similar to that of CMAT 2024 Slot 1 with 2 questions being common.
Name of Section | Number of Questions | Marks Per Question | Maximum Marks | Good Attempts | Overall Level Of Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation | 20 | 4 | 80 | To be Updated | Tricky & Challenging |
Logical Reasoning | 20 | 4 | 80 | To be Updated | Easy |
Language Comprehension | 20 | 4 | 80 | To be Updated | Easy |
General Awareness | 20 | 4 | 80 | To be Updated | Moderate to Difficult |
Innovation and Entrepreneurship | 20 | 4 | 80 | To be Updated | Easy to Moderate |
Total | 100 | - | 400 | To be Updated | To be Updated |
Apart from the overall paper analysis for CMAT 2024, candidates must also check out the section-wise exam analysis for CMAT 2024 mentioned below:
CMAT 2024 Shift 1 Analysis: Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation
The Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation was easy to moderate for most CMAT 2024 students. There were a high number of statement-based questions and the three Data Interpretation sets included were all in caselet form instead of any bar graphs or charts. There were also 3-4 questions in this section that were purely theoretical and had minimal geometry. The number of good attempts for QTDI for CMAT 2024 shift 1 was 16-17. Check out the topic-wise questions for this section mentioned below:
Topics | Area/Concept | Total Questions Asked |
|---|---|---|
Algebra | Quad equations, Quad inequality | 2 |
Arithmetic | Time-speed-distance, Ratio-Proportion, Profit & Loss, SICI, Average, Partnership | 6 |
Data Interpretation | Table (Set of 5 questions) | 5 |
Geometry | Triangles | 1 |
Modern Math | Probability | 1 |
Numbers | Surds, HCF, LCM | 5 |
Total | -- | 20 |
CMAT 2024 Shift 1 Analysis: Logical Reasoning
The Logical Reasoning section of CMAT 2024 shift 1 was moderate to challenging according to most students who appeared for this session. Some candidates found this section to be lengthy and time consuming. However, there were no major changes or surprises in this section and the questions were as expected. There were no questions asked on Blood Relations and there were also no Set Based Questions. Non-verbal reasoning questions were related to Direction sense, Cubes, Counting the number of triangles and squares, Linear Arrangements, Coding, etc. Verbal reasoning questions included topics like Syllogisms, strong and weak arguments, assertion-reason, analogy, odd one-out. Check out the topic-wise questions for this section mentioned below:
Topics | Total Questions Asked |
|---|---|
Coding | 1 |
Critical Reasoning | 6 |
Directions | 2 |
Family Tree | 3 |
Linear Arrangement | 2 |
Miscellaneous | 2 |
Series Completion | 1 |
Syllogisms | 2 |
CMAT 2024 Shift 1 Analysis: Language Comprehension
The Language Comprehension section of CMAT 2024 Shift 1 question paper was considered to be the toughest section out of all by many students. There were three Reading Comprehension passages of 70-100 words and the passages were easy to comprehend. The Reading Comprehension section was easier as compared to verbal ability which had a total of 18 questions with topics ranging from Fill in the blanks, Parts of Speech, Antonyms, One word substitution, Odd one out, Replace underlined phrase, Passive voice, Cloze passage, Jumbled paragraph, etc. Check out the topic-wise questions for this section mentioned below:
Topics | Total Questions Asked |
|---|---|
Reading Comprehension | 5 |
Vocabulary (Synonyms, Antonyms, Fill in the Blanks, Idioms, Match the Following) | 7 |
Grammar (Fill in the Blanks, Identify the Correct Statement, Direct/Indirect speech, Classify the sentence, Question Tag) | 7 |
Verbal Reasoning – Para jumbles ( 4 statements) | 1 |
CMAT 2024 Shift 1 Analysis: General Awareness
The General Awareness part of the CMAT 2024 shift contained twenty questions with easy to moderate difficulty level. Four questions dealt with current affairs, and sixteen questions focused on static general knowledge. Questions on history, athletics, politics, science, geography, and authors were among the subjects covered. In this part, around 10–11 correct tries will be deemed satisfactory. Check out the topic-wise questions for this section mentioned below:
Subject | Topics/Areas | Total Questions Asked |
|---|---|---|
Static GK | Constitution of India, Books & Authors, Historical Facts | 15 |
Current Affairs | Sports, Physics, Geography | 5 |
Total | - | 20 |
CMAT 2024 Shift 1 Analysis: Innovation and Entrepreneurship
This section of the CMAT 2024 shift 1 was also easy to moderate. 16 of the 20 questions in this section dealt with entrepreneurship, corporate and company issues, new investments, market dynamics, and the overall state of the economy. In this part, around 10–11 correct tries will be deemed satisfactory. Check out the topic-wise questions for this section mentioned below:
Subject | Topics/Areas | Total Questions Asked |
|---|---|---|
Business & Entrepreneurship | Nascent Entrepreneur; Reasons behind business failure, Phases of funding | 16 |
Business GK | National and International Business GK questions | 4 |
Total | - | 20 |
CMAT 2024 Shift 2 Analysis: Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation
The Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation for CMAT 2024 session 2 was relatively challenging as compared to session 1. There were a high number of geometry and arithmetic questions from various topics. Out of 20 questions in the section, 3 were on Data Interpretation and the remaining 17 were on Quantitative Technique. A set of 3 questions on Data Interpretation consisted of questions based on Table and Pie Chart. The number of good attempts for QTDI for CMAT 2024 shift 1 was 16-17 with good accuracy. Check out the topic-wise questions for this section mentioned below:
Topics | Area/Concept | Total Questions Asked |
|---|---|---|
Algebra | Linear equations | 1 |
Arithmetic | Percentages, Ratio-Proportion, Mixtures, Time & Work, Profit & Loss | 7 |
Data Interpretation | Table + Pie chart (Set of 3 questions) | 3 |
Geometry | Triangles, Mensuration, Circles | 4 |
Modern Math | Probability, Permutation - Combination | 3 |
Number System | Surds | 2 |
Total | -- | 20 |
CMAT 2024 Shift 2 Analysis: Logical Reasoning
The Logical Reasoning section of CMAT 2024 shift 2 was on the easier side as compared to previous year and Shift 1, according to students and CMAT experts. Out of the 20 questions in this section, 14 were on Non-Verbal Reasoning and 6 questions were on Verbal Reasoning. All the questions were standalone questions and there were no set based questions. There were no major changes or surprises in this section and the questions were as expected. Non-verbal reasoning topics included Directions, Series Completion, Counting the number of squares, Arrangements, Family Tree, Coding, etc. Verbal Reasoning included questions such as Syllogisms, strong/weak arguments, assertion-reason, analogy, odd one, etc. Check out the topic-wise questions for this section mentioned below:
Topics | Total Questions Asked |
|---|---|
Non-Verbal Reasoning | |
Arrangements (Linear & Circular) | 2 |
Calendars | 1 |
Clocks | 1 |
Coding | 1 |
Counting of numbers | 2 |
Counting the number of squares | 1 |
Directions | 2 |
Family Tree | 1 |
Series Completion | 2 |
Visual Reasoning | 1 |
Verbal Reasoning | |
Syllogisms, strong/weak arguments, assertion-reason, analogy, odd one, etc. | 6 |
CMAT 2024 Shift 2 Analysis: Language Comprehension
The Language Comprehension section of CMAT 2024 Shift 2 paper was easy. There were two Reading Comprehension passages and the rest of 18 questions were asked from Verbal Ability/Non-RC. An attempt of 16-17 questions in this section with around 80% accuracy will be sufficient for a good score as per many CMAT experts. Check out the topic-wise questions for this section mentioned below:
Topics | Total Questions Asked |
|---|---|
Reading Comprehension | 2 |
| 18 |
CMAT 2024 Shift 2 Analysis: General Awareness
The General Awareness part of the CMAT 2024 shift 2 question paper was moderately difficult and even challenging for some students. 18 questions belong to Static Gk while 2 questions were from Current Affairs. In this section, around 10–11 correct attempts will be a satisfactory number. Check out the topic-wise questions for this section mentioned below:
Subject | Total Questions Asked | |
|---|---|---|
Static GK | 18 | |
Current Affairs | 2 | |
Total | 20 | |
CMAT 2024 Shift 2 Analysis: Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Innovation and Entrepreneurship of the CMAT 2024 shift 2 was also easy to moderate like Shift 1. Two questions in this section were identical to that of CMAT 2024 shift 1. In this part, around 10–11 correct attempt will fetch a good score.
Also Read:
No sectional timing was there in the CMAT 2023 exam. 1 mark was deducted for every incorrect response. Find the overall analysis of the CMAT 2023 exam in the table below.

Name of Section | Number of Questions | Marks Per Question | Maximum Marks | Good Attempts | Overall Level Of Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation | 20 | 4 | 80 | 16-17 | Easy |
Logical Reasoning | 20 | 4 | 80 | 16-17 | Easy |
Language Comprehension | 20 | 4 | 80 | 16-17 | Easy |
General Awareness | 20 | 4 | 80 | 11-12 | Moderate |
Innovation and Entrepreneurship | 20 | 4 | 80 | 11-12 | Moderate |
Total | 100 | - | 400 | 70-75 | Easy to Moderate |
The CMAT exam analysis 2023 for shift 1 and shift 2 is available in the tables below.
According to students, the question paper was comparatively easier. There were a few mistakes in some questions. The General Knowledge section was on the easier side with 18 questions related to static GK. The VARC section was dominated by Vocabulary. Also, as per the CMAT exam analysis 2023 by experts, there was 1 question from syllogism and diffusion theory each. One of the RC passages was based on Bhopal Gas Tragedy and another was on Tepid Water. The overall difficulty level of the General Awareness section and the VARC section was moderate.
The Innovation & Entrepreneurship section was theory-based and was easy in terms of difficulty. The Quant section was dominated by Arithmetic and was time-consuming. There were 5 DI sets from the Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation section. There were many Match the Following questions across all sections. The Quant section was tougher with the DI section being tricky. Logical Reasoning was moderate and lengthy as compared to other sections. There were 2 questions on Blood Relations in the Logical Reasoning section.
CMAT 2023 Sections | No. of Questions | Difficulty Level | Topics with High Weightage | Expected No. of Good Attempts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
General Awareness | 20 | Easy | Static GK | 10-12 |
Logical Reasoning | 20 | Moderate and Lengthy | Number of Triangles, Square Counting, Critical Reasoning | 17-18 |
Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation | 20 | Moderate to Difficult | Correct Statements, Arithmetic, Numbers | 17-18 |
Language Comprehension & Verbal Ability | 20 | Moderate | Vocabulary, Sentence Correction | 16-17 |
Innovation and Entrepreneurship | 20 | Easy to Moderate | Theory-based questions, Questions related to startups | 17-18 |
Overall | 100 | Easy to Moderate | - | 80 |
The overall difficulty of the CMAT 2023 Slot 2 question paper was moderate to difficult according to candidates. The Slot 2 question paper was comparatively tougher than the CMAT 2023 Slot 1 question paper. The Slot 2 question paper was also tougher than the CMAT 2022 question paper. The VARC section was the easiest as compared to all the other sections. The Quantitative section had mixed reactions with some candidates finding the questions easy whereas others found it moderate and lengthy. The General Awareness section was difficult according to many candidates. The Innovation & Entrepreneurship section was moderate in terms of difficulty. There were no questions related to Blood Relations or Directions in the Logical Reasoning section. There were no DI sets and there was only one question for Data Interpretation related to pie charts.
There was a religion-based RC passage. There were two questions on Simple Interest/Compound Interest. The Innovation & Entrepreneurship section consisted of theory-based questions like Slot 1. Similar to Slot 1, the GK section of CMAT 2023 Slot 2 consisted of more static GK and current affairs questions. The cutoffs are expected to go down this year due to the increased difficulty level of the CMAT 2023 Slot 2 question paper.
CMAT 2023 Sections | No. of Questions | Difficulty Level | Topics with High Weightage | Expected No. of Good Attempts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
General Awareness | 20 | Difficult | Statik GK, Current Affairs | 12-14 |
Logical Reasoning | 20 | Easy to Moderate | CR | 16-18 |
Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation | 20 | Moderate to Lengthy | Data Sufficiency, Statements | 16-18 |
Language Comprehension & Verbal Ability | 20 | Easy | Parajumbles, Grammar, Vocabulary | 16-18 |
Innovation and Entrepreneurship | 20 | Moderate | Theory-based, Startups | 12-13 |
Overall | 100 | Moderate to Difficult | - | 75-85 |
Find the detailed analysis for each section of the CMAT 2023 section below.
Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation
Logical Reasoning
Logical Reasoning Topics | No. of Questions |
|---|---|
Directions | 1 |
Series Completion | 1 |
Counting the number of triangles and squares | 2 |
Linear Arrangement | 2 |
Family Tree | 3 |
Coding | 1 |
Miscellaneous | 2 |
Verbal Reasoning: Syllogisms, strong/weak arguments, assertion reason, analogy, odd one out | 8 |
Language Comprehension
General Awareness
Innovation and Entrepreneurship
The cutoff for the CMAT 2023 exam has been provided below.
Score | Percentile |
|---|---|
295 - 305 | 99.5+ |
275 - 285 | 99 |
255 - 265 | 95 |
235 - 245 | 90 |
CMAT exam analysis from previous years is an excellent source of information regarding exam patterns, syllabus, and expected difficulty levels. Here is the detailed section-wise CMAT 2022 exam analysis:
Name of Section | Total Number of Questions | Good Attempts | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|---|
Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation | 20 | 15-18 | Moderate |
Language Comprehension | 20 | 18-20 | Easy |
Logical Reasoning | 20 | 12-18 | Easy |
General Awareness | 20 | 18-20 | Moderate |
Innovation and Entrepreneurship | 20 | 12-20 | Moderate |
Overall | 100 | 85-96 | Moderate |
The CMAT 2022 memory-based question paper will comprise questions from 5 sections namely Language Comprehension, Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation, General Awareness, Logical Reasoning, and Innovation & Entrepreneurship.
NTA had revised the exam pattern for CMAT 2022. Earlier Innovation and Entrepreneurship was an optional section, but now it is a mandatory section.
CMAT Section | No of Questions | Marks per question | Sectional Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
Logical Reasoning | 20 | 04 | 80 |
Language Comprehension | 20 | 04 | 80 |
Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation | 20 | 04 | 80 |
General Awareness | 20 | 04 | 80 |
Innovation and Entrepreneurship | 20 | 04 | 80 |
Total | 100 | 04 | 400 |
CMAT 2021 Shift 1 was held on March 31 from 9 am-12 pm and CMAT 2021 Shift 2 was conducted from 3 pm to 6/ 6:30 pm. A detailed CMAT exam analysis for the 2021 question paper based on student reports from the exam centres has been updated here for Shift 1 and Shift 2. Candidates should check out the CMAT exam analysis 2021 to make comparisons and understand how the exam pattern has changed since.
The overall difficulty level of Shift 1 was reported to be moderate and the total number of questions was 125. The overall difficulty level of the CMAT Shift 2 was also recorded as moderate and a total of 125 questions were asked in the exam.
CMAT 2021 Shift 1 Question Paper Analysis, Answer Key, Solutions |
|---|
CMAT 2021 Shift 2 Question Paper Analysis (Available), Answer Key, Solutions |
The updated exam pattern for CMAT 2021 was as follows.
Section | No. of Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation | 25 | 100 | 3 hours |
Logical Reasoning | 25 | 100 | |
Language Comprehension | 25 | 100 | |
General Awareness | 25 | 100 | |
NEW: Innovation & Entrepreneurship (Optional) | 25 | 100 | 30 minutes |
TOTAL | 125 | 400 - 500 | 3 hours |
Changes in CMAT 2021 Exam Pattern - Key Points
A new section - 'Innovation & Entrepreneurship' has been added to the CMAT 2021 Exam Pattern.
The section will have 25 questions and 30 additional minutes are given to the candidates attempting this section.
The marking scheme of CMAT 2021 has remained unchanged so far and the total marks, duration, and the total number of questions will vary as per the candidate's choices.
Given below is the section-wise and overall level of difficulty of the CMAT 2021 question paper based on the CMAT paper analysis for 2021.
Section | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|
Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation | Moderate |
Logical Reasoning | Easy-Moderate |
Language Comprehension | Moderate |
General Awareness | Moderate to Difficult |
NEW: Innovation & Entrepreneurship (Optional) | To be Updated |
OVERALL | Moderate |
Given below are the number of good attempts in CMAT 2021 based on the CMAT paper analysis of 2021's question paper.
Section | Estimated Good Attempts |
|---|---|
Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation | 20 - 22 |
Logical Reasoning | 18 - 20 |
Language Comprehension | 22 - 24 |
General Awareness | 16 - 18 |
NEW: Innovation & Entrepreneurship (Optional) | 18 - 22 |
TOTAL | 94 - 106 (out of 125) |
One of the most sought-after national-level MBA entrance exams, the Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) was conducted successfully on 28th January 2020 by the National Testing Agency (NTA). The exam was conducted from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm (in a single session) online i.e. computer-based format. The CMAT paper analysis for 2022 has been provided below for candidates.
Taking note of the past years' trends, CMAT 2020 was moderately difficult in nature. In the exam, test takers had to attempt 4 sections consisting of Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning, Language Comprehension, and General Awareness carrying 25 questions each, and they were given the time duration of 3 hours to complete the entrance exam. All the questions in CMAT 2020 were Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) and negative marking was also prevalent in the paper. To gain in-depth and comprehensive knowledge about the exam, scroll below and find the CMAT exam analysis 2020.
Lets' check out some of the major highlights of the CMAT 2020 exam:
The difficulty level of CMAT 2020 was moderate as compared to last year's paper.
The National Testing Agency conducted the CMAT exam in a single session (From 9:30 am to 12:30 pm).
The exam had four sections - Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning, Language Comprehension, General Awareness.
There were 25 questions that candidates had to attempt in each section.
Each question was of 4 marks and negative marking was applicable in the exam. For each wrong answer, one mark will be deducted.
The CMAT score will be accepted by all recognised and approved Institutions/University Departments/Constituent Colleges/Affiliated Colleges
The CMAT paper analysis contains the overall analysis and section-wise analysis. Through CMAT section-wise exam analysis, candidates will get an overall idea about the type of questions, difficulty level, etc.
CMAT 2020 Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation Analysis:
The Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation section had a total of 25 questions.
In terms of the difficulty level, most of the candidates found this section easy. However, some of the test-takers found a few questions on Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation tricky to attempt.
In this section, most of the questions were based on Arithmetic, whereas only a few questions were based on Ratio, Percentage, Interest, Time, and work. The questions of Data Interpretation questions were a bit lengthy.
CMAT 2020 Logical Reasoning Analysis:
Considering the difficulty level, this section was moderately difficult.
According to the CMAT paper analysis, most questions were based on topics such as distribution, arrangement, comparison, coding/ decoding, blood relations, directions, cube, sequence, clock, and calendar, grouping, statement conclusion, word relationship, statement argument, reasoning & assertion, etc.
CMAT 2020 Language Comprehension Analysis:
The Language Comprehension section of CMAT 2020 had a total of 25 questions.
All the questions from the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section were moderate in terms of the difficulty level.
Here in this section, the Reading Comprehension covered a total of 6 questions and the rest of the questions were asked from the verbal ability. Some of the major questions from Verbal Ability were antonym and synonym, identify correct sentence, para jumble, idiom/ phrase, word analogy, fill in the blanks, etc.
CMAT 2020 General Awareness Analysis:
This section had 25 questions in total.
Just like in the previous years, the General awareness section was difficult to attempt. Candidates found a few questions ambiguous and tricky to attempt.
In the General Awareness section, questions were asked on topics such as the Indian Constitution, Recent Acts of Parliament, Appointments, Famous personalities, etc.
Considering the overall analysis of CMAT 2020, the exam was on predictable lines with a moderate difficulty level.Check out the overall CMAT paper analysis 2020 below:
Section | Total Number of Questions | Marks per Section | Difficulty Level of Exam |
|---|---|---|---|
Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation Analysis | 25 | 100 | Easy |
Logical Reasoning | 25 | 100 | Moderately Difficult |
Language Comprehension | 25 | 100 | Easy |
General Awareness | 25 | 100 | Difficult |
Overall | 100 | 400 | Moderate |
The detailed CMAT exam analysis 2019 for both Slot I and Slot 2 is available now. The first session of CMAT 2019 ended at 12.30 PM. As per the analysis of CMAT 2019 Slot-1, the test was on predictable lines. According to the CMAT paper analysis 2019, the overall difficulty level of the paper was easy, the Verbal section was slightly more difficult and Data Interpretation turned out to be time-consuming. GK was also quite twisted in terms of the difficulty level. The CMAT cut-offs may go high this year, considering the fact that students found the paper to be easy. In Srinagar, the exam was postponed to 29th January 2019. The CMAT exam analysis 2019 does not only contain the students' reaction after the CMAT 2019 exam but also the opinions of the experts have been included in the detailed CMAT exam analysis for the year 2019.

As compared to other management entrance exams such as CAT, XAT, and IIFT, CMAT was quite easy. The majority of candidates attempted around 75- 90% of questions within a time duration of 120 -150 minutes. Candidates did not face any technical glitches during the exam and most of them are quite confident about scoring high marks.
The CMAT examination comprises four sections including Language Comprehension, Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation, and General Awareness. All the sections had easy-to-solve questions. The section of Reading Comprehension comprised easy passages, which they were able to solve much ahead of time.
Out of all the sections, the GK section turned out to be a bit tricky because of the out-of-the-box questions.
According to the CMAT paper analysis 2019, candidates did not find any out-of-syllabus questions in the exam. There were 100 questions and each section comprised 25 questions. The paper had to be solved within 180 minutes and it carried 400 marks in total.
The examination conducted in the second slot was similar to that of the first slot. According to the analysis of CMAT 2019 conducted in the second slot from 2.30 PM to 5.30 PM, the exam was easy to moderate in terms of the difficulty level.
CMAT is an online management entrance exam conducted on a national level. As per the directions of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India, National Testing Agency (NTA) is responsible for conducting the CMAT from 2019 for management aspirants. The duration of CMAT is three hours and it is being conducted in two slots. NTA successfully conducted the exam in various test cities Pan-India.
CMAT basically tests candidates' knowledge and ability based on sections like Quantitative Technique, Logical Reasoning, Language Comprehension, and General Awareness. On the basis of CMAT scores, suitable graduate students are shortlisted for admission in MBA and PGDM courses offered at various AICTE-approved institutions. There is a long list of AICTE-Approved Institutions/University Departments/Constituent Colleges/Affiliated Colleges that accept CMAT scores. The CMAT paper analysis consists of the overall analysis and the section wise analysis. Go through the detailed section-wise CMAT 2019 exam analysis in the following sections.
According to the CMAT paper analysis, this section comprised of four passages, out of which three passages were short and had 3 questions each. The questions in these three passages were based on World Trade Organisation and who decides the status of developing countries; Endangered Languages (Eg: Greek and Latin); Parenting and culture-related value system. The passages were of easy difficulty level and consisted of factual questions except for one inference question. The fourth passage had a moderate length and it had 6 questions for the candidates to attempt. The questions were based on Steve Jobs, some little-known facts about him, and his views on life.
As per the CMAT paper analysis, the questions under the Verbal Ability section were easy to moderate in terms of the difficulty level. It comprised of 1 Sentence Correction question, 4 Vocabulary questions, 1 Grammar Part error question, 2 questions on Idioms, 1 Para Jumble (PJ) question, and 1 Sentence Completion question.
A candidate with around 22-24 attempts in this section, with 85-90% accuracy could score well in the exam.

Like all the CMATs conducted in the past, this particular section had no set-based ones. It had all single questions. As per the CMAT paper analysis, in terms of the difficulty level, there were 9 moderate questions, 2 difficult questions while the rest of the questions were easy. There were 13 questions, which were quite easy and just required the candidates to implement simple basic concepts.
As normally is the case, Arithmetic and Geometry based questions dominated this section. Other questions were equally distributed in the areas of Algebra, Modern Math, etc. There were 2 Data Interpretation questions, which were not set based.
A candidate could expect a good score with around 23-25 attempts with 90% accuracy.

According to the CMAT paper analysis, this section had an easy to moderate difficulty level. There were four Verbal Reasoning questions and two Analogy questions. Also, there were questions based on topics like sequence, Coding/Decoding, Blood Relation, etc.
A candidate could expect to score well with around 23-25 attempts in this section, with 90% accuracy.

According to the CMAT paper analysis, this section had around 8 questions based on Current Affairs. Those who read the newspaper daily or those who have a good knowledge of what’s happening across the world could have easily managed to attempt the questions. The paper was dominated by static GK questions and there were questions based on Science, Awards, Politics, etc.
A candidate could expect to score well with 13 to 15 attempts in this section with 80% accuracy.
Overall, a candidate would fetch around 99+ percentile for attempting around 85 to 87 questions with around 90% accuracy (net score of 305 to 310). Around 95 percentile could be possible with attempts of around 74-76 questions with around 90% accuracy (net score of 260 to 265). Around 90 percentile could be achieved with attempts of around 64-66 questions with around 90% accuracy (net score of 225 to 230).
CMAT was conducted in two slots - the first slot was from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm, for which the reporting time was 8:30 am.
The second slot is from 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm, for which the reporting time was 1:30 pm.
The CMAT 2019 Result will probably be released by 8th February 2019. Soon after the exam is conducted, test takers can predict their respective percentiles through our CMAT Percentile Predictor tool. There is a specific process to determine the percentile of candidates on the basis of the CMAT score. Check the detailed analysis of CMAT score vs percentile, CMAT rank vs percentile and CMAT scoring mechanism here
Source: IMS India
The Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) 2018 was conducted successfully on 20th January 2018 from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM. Candidates reported to their respective exam centres at 8:30 AM. According to students, the CMAT 2018 remained on predictable lines, and there were no surprise elements. The overall difficulty level of the paper was moderate but Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning (LR), and General Awareness were slightly on the difficult side. No major technical glitches were reported at the exam centres.
Students reported that they found Data Interpretation part in the Quant section difficult as well as lengthy. According to the test-takers, even the Logical Reasoning section turned out to be tricky and time-consuming. The General Awareness section was also on the tough side as compared to last year. Students hoped to score well in the Quant section and Language Comprehension sections as they found these topics doable.
Section | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|---|
Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation | 25 | 100 | Moderate |
Logical Reasoning | 25 | 100 | Moderate to Difficult |
Language Comprehension | 25 | 100 | Moderate |
General Awareness | 25 | 100 | Moderate to Difficult |
Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation (Quant & DI)
Total Questions | Difficulty Level | Major Topics | Good Attempt |
25 | Moderate | Arithmetic – Time and Distance, Time and Work, Profit & Loss, Percentage; Number System; Algebra; Geometry; Modern Math | 21 - 23 |
Language Comprehension
Total Questions | Difficulty Level | Major Topics | Share of RC passages – 15 questions | Question Type | Good Attempt |
25 | Moderate | RC Passages, Grammar, Fill in the blanks, vocabulary usage | 3 Short RC passages with 3 questions each 1 Long RC passage with 6 questions | Directly related to RC passage | 20 - 22 |
Logical Reasoning
Total questions | Difficulty level | Major Topics | Good Attempt |
25 | Moderate to Difficult | Individual questions not based on sets | 18-20 |
General Awareness
Total Questions | Difficulty Level | Major Topics | Good Attempt |
25 | Moderate to difficult | Current affairs, static GK | 14-17 |
Section | Total attempts | Percentile at 90% Accuracy | Percentile at 80% Accuracy | Percentile at 70% Accuracy |
Quant & DI | 21-23 | 99 | 98 | 95 |
Language Comprehension | 20-22 | 99 | 98 | 95 |
Logical Reasoning | 18-20 | 99 | 98 | 95 |
General Awareness | 14-17 | 99 | 97 | 95 |
Overall score | Cut-off percentile |
220-230 | 99 |
180-190 | 95 |
170-180 | 90 |
165-175 | 85 |
160-170 | 80 |
Want to know more about CMAT
Based on initial feedback and analysis, the CMAT 2024 exam generally stayed within expected patterns. Most reports state that there are no significantly unexpected or surprising questions that drastically deviate from the typical CMAT syllabus and question types. The exam has been rated overall as moderately challenging.
CMAT 2024 was relatively easy to moderate in terms of difficulty level. Quantitative Techniques, Logical Reasoning, and Language Comprehension were relatively easier. General Awareness and Innovation & Entrepreneurship were tougher comparatively, but General Awareness mostly is the most difficult because it is a static mix of GK and current affairs.
The CMAT 2026 exam is generally of moderate difficulty. Most sections are approachable with consistent preparation. Though some questions may be tricky, the overall exam is designed to assess a candidate's basic understanding and time management skills rather than highly complex problem-solving.
Some of the important topics in the reasoning section of CMAT are Series, Blood Relation, Coding-Decoding, Odd One Out, Statements Assumptions, Cause and Effects, Matrix Arrangements, Linear Arrangements, Statements and Conclusion, Ranking Tests, Analytical Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning and many more. Be sure to enhance your understanding and knowledge of these topics if you wish to score high in the section.
Since the logical reasoning section of CMAT exams consists of 20 questions in total, attempting anywhere between 15-18 questions will be considered good enough. As per experts, the section is expected to be easy to attempt, therefore, it should be relatively easy to accurately attempt 15-18 questions. However, it is better to attempt sample and mock tests for CMAT to improve your speed and accuracy.
There are 20 questions in total in the Language Comprehension section of CMAT, of which, attempting anywhere between 15-18 questions correctly will be considered good enough. Naturally, correctly answering as many questions as possible should be the ultimate goal in order to ensure a good score in the CMAT Language Comprehension section.
Determining the easiest section of CMAT will be subjective to the preparation level of each candidate. However, as per the previous years’ CMAT paper analysis, the Language Comprehension and Logical Reasoning sections were considered to be the easiest. Meanwhile, the Quant, General Awareness and Innovation & Entrepreneurship sections of CMAT were considered to have questions of moderate difficulty.
While the difficulty level of the CMAT exam will be subjective to the preparation level of each candidate taking the test this year, the paper analysis of the previous year’s CMAT exam determined that the test was of moderate difficulty. The difficulty level of CMAT exams previously has been consistently considered to be moderate difficulty with the inclusion of both easy and moderately difficult sections.
Studying CMAT paper analysis helps you fine-tune your exam preparation strategy. With a thorough understanding of the CMAT paper analysis, you will be able to judge which areas of the test to focus on more by looking at factors such as difficulty level or the number of questions from the topic. Further, you can also understand which questions are common across the years as well.
The CMAT paper analysis is a detailed examination of the CMAT question paper wherein a thorough analysis of each section and question is undertaken. The paper analysis will highlight various factors such as the difficulty level of the questions, the number of questions from each topic, the tricky parts/questions in each section and provide an in-depth understanding of how to attempt the test among other tips.
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