Vipra ShrivastavaSenior Manager - Content
CMAT preparation strategy 2025 - To prepare for CMAT exam you need not work too hard if you have already appeared for CAT, XAT, SNAP, etc. The syllabus of CMAT is similar to these MBA entrance exams so you would have already covered the main topics. All you need to do is practice CMAT sample papers and mock tests. You also need to prepare for the Innovation and Entreprenuership section which is unique to CMAT.
If you are planning to appear in CMAT 2025, which will be held on January 25, 2025 as announced by the NTA, make sure to prepare with the right resources and right guidance. We have provided here key CMAT exam preparation tips and study material that will help you score 99 percentile. Read further below for CMAT preparation 2025.Â
Q: Â What is the latest CMAT exam pattern?
Q: Â Is CMAT easier than CAT?
Yes, CMAT is much easier that CAT exam. Despite the fact that CMAT and CAT syllabus are same and that CMAT has two more sections than CAT the former is much easier than the latter. The CAT exam is usually of moderate to high difficulty level, whereas the CMAT exam is of easy to moderate difficulty level.
There are key differences between CMAT and CAT which make the former easier. There is no sectional time limit in CMAT so candidates do not face the pressure of completing a given section within certain time limit. In CAT there are 4-5 Reading Comprehension passages which are 500-600 words, and 12-14 question.
In CMAT there is usually, only one Reading Comprehension passage, having 4 questions. The Quantitative Aptitude questions of CMAT are also easier than CAT and so are Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation questions. It is easier to score high percentile in CMAT as the number of applicants is more than one Lacs less in CAT.
Q: Â Which is the lengthiest section in CMAT?
How to Prepare for CMAT 2025?
CMAT 2025 preparation can be done in two ways.
1. By joining coaching institute
2. By self-study
If you join a coaching institute to prepare for CMAT exam, you will be taken care of well. But if you prepare by self-study then make a focused plan. Make a preparation plan with time frames for completion of syllabus of CMAT, mock test practice and revision. A good CMAT preparation plan must have daily time-table, topic-wise distribution of hours, dedicated time for solving sample questions. Now that the CMAT 2025 has been preponed by four months, you have no time for elaborate preparation. You will need tp prepare for CMAT along with SNAP, MAT, NMAT and XAT exams. If you planned to appear for only CMAT 2025 then you must start now.Â
Keep the following in mind while making your CMAT 2025 preparation plan:
- Candidates must begin CMAT preparation by understanding CMAT syllabus
- CMAT 2025 syllabus includes:
-
- Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation
- Logical Reasoning
- Language Comprehension & Verbal Ability
- General Awareness and
- Innovation and Entrepreneurship
- Make a weekly CMAT exam preparation strategy for 2025.
- Get hold of recommended CMAT preparation books and study material.
- Join online study groups and download MBA entrance exam preparation apps.
Q: Â What is the CMAT Syllabus?
The Syllabus of CMAT exam includes all the important topics of English Comprehension, Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude General Awareness and Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Given below are important topics included in each of these subjects:
- Quantitative Aptitude Geometry, Algebra Alligation and Mixtures, Number System Pie Chart, Lines and Graphs, Quadratic and Linear Equations, Time-Speed-Distance, etc.
- Logical Reasoning, Linear Arrangements, Number Series, Matrix Arrangements, Blood Relationship Tests, Analytical Reasoning, Family Tree, Coding-Decoding, etc.
- Language Comprehension, Reading Comprehension, Verbal Ability, Fill in the Blanks Grammar, Word Meaning, English Usage Errors, Parajumbles, etc.
- General Awareness, Science, Technology, Inventions, Economy, Business, World, Politics, Sports, Culture, Society
- Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Questions related to innovation, entrepreneurship and start up business.
Q: Â How can I prepare for CMAT?
Q: Â Can I prepare for CMAT in 6 months?
Yes, 6 months are a decent time duration to prepare for CMAT exam, if one does it with dedication and discipline. Candidates who have appeared for CMAT or any other MBA entrance exam before, will find 6 months more than enough to prepare for the exam. Those, who are appearing in CMAT for the first time, can also prepare in 6 months but they will have to give extra time to it. If you plan a CMAT preparation in six months, make a three stage plan. In the first stage, which will be of 3 months, complete the CMAT syllabus, in the second phase, which will be of 2 months, practice sample papers and mock tests. In the third stage, which will be of 1 months, do revision of important topics and gain control over all that you have studied before. Keep in mind to solve enough number of CMAT mock tests (30-35) for better preparation in short time. Read More: CMAT preparation in 6 months
Explore subject-wise topics asked in CMAT
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CMAT 2025 Preparation Tips and Strategy
CMAT 2025 Preparation: Join online study groups
Since CMAT comprises Verbal Ability, Quantitative Aptitude, Logical Reasoning, Innovation & Entrepreneurship and General Awareness, you may need guidance from time to time. At times you’d be unable to understand a particular concept or unable to solve an equation. In such situations, being a member of online study groups will help you immensely. You can interact with other members of the group (mentors and students) and find a solution to the problem. Discuss other topics and concepts, learns tips & tricks of solving tough topics, get guidance on various other aspects and also encourage each other in CMAT preparation 2025.
CMAT Prepararation 2025: Download MBA entrance exam preparation apps
Today, candidates have the benefit of technology. With everyone owning a smart phone, exam preparation has moved from notebooks and classroom to mobile phone apps. Make the best of it. Download top MBA preparation apps on your phone. These apps have everything you need – topic wise tutorials, videos, blogs, sample questions, practice tests and exercises, etc. This mode of study allows you to prepare from anywhere, anytime. All you need is a good internet connection.
CMAT Preparation 2025: Take inspiration from CMAT toppers
Get in touch with previous years' CMAT toppers in student forums and social media groups to learn from them the appropriate prepararation strategy. What and when to do like - How to address tough topics, how to practice CMAT mock tests. It is important to understand how to and when to start CMAT preparation so that one is able to complete the syllabus on time.Â
Q: Â How many questions should I solve to get a good score in CMAT?
Q: Â Can I prepare for CMAT from CAT books?
Q: Â Is CMAT syllabus the same as that of CAT?
CMAT Exam Preparation Plan 2025
Now comes the most important part i.e. making a preparation strategy for CMAT 2025. Your exam strategy should be divided into three phases:
- First phase: Completing the CMAT syllabus 2025
- Second phase: Practicing CMAT mock tests and sample papers
- Third phase: Problem solving and topic-wise revision
First phase: Completing the CMAT Syllabus 2025
While studying for CMAT topics, you need to understand their uniqueness and prepare accordingly. For example, Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation is a concept driven section, so while preparing for it, your focus should be on understanding and memorising the concepts and theorems thoroughly. On the other hand, the Logical Reasoning section is practice-based, hence the requirement will be practicing a good number of sample questions and mock tests to master all types of logic and reasoning. Innovation & Entrepreneurship section is relatively new, so you need to have a different strategy for it. Go back to Busiess Studies books and revise the fundamentals of business and entrepreneurship. Read books on start-ups and entrepreneurs.
Some sections of CMAT Verbal Ability (Grammar and Verbal Reasoning) are concept driven, while some are practice based (reading comprehensions). General Awareness is memory based so memorise GK topics and events.
Our Advice:
- Start with the CMAT section that you find the toughest and then move to easier ones.
- Do not start a new topic without completing the previous one.
- Do not study more than one topic at the same time, you might end up confused at the end of the day.
- General Awareness is the easiest section to prepare, so prepare for it at the end of this phase.
Also Read:
- CMAT Preparation Tips: Cracking Logical Reasoning
- CMAT Preparation Tips: Cracking QA-DI
- CMAT Preparation Tips: Cracking Language Comprehension
- CMAT Preparation Tips: Innovation and Entrepreneurship
- How to prepare for CMAT in six months
- How to prepare for CMAT in three months
Second phase: Practicing Sample Papers and CMAT Mock Tests
The second phase of CMAT preparation 2025 should be dedicated to application of the concepts that you studied in the first phase. Get hold of previous years’ CMAT question papers, sample papers and mock test series. NTA, the CMAT conducting body, too will provide an official mock test to registered candidates.
CMAT mock tests and question papers will help you in improving your speed and accuracy while providing you opportunities to analyse to preparation level viz-a-viz CMAT syllabus and topics. Practice below Shiksha's free CMAT mock test:
CMAT_Mock_Test_1 | CMAT_Mock_Test_1_Solutions |
CMAT_Mock_Test_2 | CMAT_Mock_Test_2_Solutions |
Download:
CMAT questions with solutions Free PDF
Our advice:
- Don’t start solving sample questions before completing the CMAT syllabus.
- If you have prepared for or appeared in CAT, XAT, IIFT, SNAP, GMAT, etc. then you can prepare by only practicing CMAT mock tests.
- After appearing for each CMAT mock test, analyse your performance and take the next step accordingly.
- Behind practicing mock tests, your aim should be to increase speed and improve accuracy.
- It will help you understand the test structure so that you can prepare topics accordingly.
- Try to solve a variety of questions. This will give you an idea of all kinds of questions – tough, easy, tricky and lengthy.
Third phase: Topic-Wise Revision of Important CMAT Topics
Keep aside a fortnight for revision of CMAT syllabus. Devote more time on revision of topics that are your weak points or those which have high weightage in the exam, but do not ignore your strong points. Don’t be overconfident. Revise all the CMAT concepts, theorem, formulae, short cuts and tricks of solving questions with 100 per cent accuracy.
Our advice:
- Don’t start a new chapter in the last two days before the CMAT 2025 exam
- Finish revision a day prior to the exam and let your mind relax overnight
- Do not study or revise anything in the morning of the exam
Also Read:
- How to prepare for CMAT exam in one month
- Last month CMAT preparation tips
- Last week CMAT preparation tips
- 8 Pitfalls to Avoid in CMAT: Tips by Expert
Q: Â How many mock tests to attempt to score 99 percentile in CMAT?
Q: Â Does NTA provide CMAT mock test?
CMAT Preparation Books and Study Material
For a fruitful preparation, one needs to refer to the right books for CMAT. The Complete Reference Manual for CMAT by SK Sinha, S Satyanarayan and JS Rana is one of the highly recommended books for CMAT 2024 preparation. Check some of the highly recommended CMAT books below:
CMAT Books for Preparation |
Author Name/Publisher |
---|---|
How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT |
Arun Sharma (Mc Graw Hill Education) |
The Pearson Guide to Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning for the CAT |
 Nishit K Sinha |
A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning |
Dr R S Aggarwal |
Trishna’s Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning for the CAT and Other MBA Examinations |
TIME |
How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT |
Arun Sharma (Mc Graw Hill Education) |
Quantitative Aptitude Quantum CAT Common Admission Tests for Admission Into IIMs |
Sarvesh K Verma (Arihant) |
Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations |
Abhijit Guha (Mc Graw Hill Education) |
NCERT Mathematics Books for Class 8, 9 and 10 |
NCERT |
Quantitative Aptitude |
Dr RS Aggarwal |
How to Prepare for Logical Reasoning for the CAT |
Arun Sharma (Mc Graw Hill Education) |
Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT |
Nishit K Sinha (Pearson) |
Wren & Martin English Grammar |
H Martin & P.C. Wren |
Word Power Made Easy |
Norman Lewis |
Business English and Communication |
John O E Clark |
30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary |
Norman Lewis |
The Students’ Companion |
Wilfred D Best |
Refer to this list of best books for CMAT preparation 2025
Other than CMAT books, the best source of exam preparation is previous years’ CMAT question papers. The actual question papers help you in familiarizing with the test structure and type of questions asked. But solving only the question papers is not enough. You must also practice CMAT sample papers and online CMAT mock tests. While the sample papers give you an exposure of a variety of questions, the online mock test, help you increase your speed and accuracy.
Also read: CMAT exam pattern 2025
Q: Â What is the CMAT Innovation and entrepreneurship syllabus? Which books to study?
Q: Â Which are the best books for CMAT Quantitative Aptitude preparation?
Q: Â Which are the best books for CMAT Logical Reasoning preparation?
CMAT Preparation 2025: Last Week Preparation Tips
A lot of candidates fail to score well despite long hours of preparation, as they lose steam in the last few days before the exam. It is mostly either overconfidence or tiredness that leads to dropping the guards before exam. It is extremely crucial to keep working on the plan till last. Here are some last week tips for CMAT 2025 preparation:
- During the last phase of CMAT 2025 preparation, stick to practicing mock tests and devote a couple of hours to revision of important concepts and formulae.
- It is also the time to focus on General Awareness section of CMAT 2025 Get on to memorising static GK topics. If you have been following news, it will take care of current affairs section.
- While you are revising tough topics, make notes of key points. You can refer to these key point a day before CMAT 2025 exam to refresh your memory.
- If you have doubt on any topic or concept, reach out to your mentors or study group to get it cleared. Practice it at least twice to ensure you have understood it.Â
- Make a note of the types of questions that you are able to solve in CMAT mock tests with speed and accuracy. Target such questions in the exam to reduce the possibility of negative marking.
Also Read: Â CMAT exam day tips and guidelines
Free VARC Questions with Answers for Practice | Free DILR Questions with Answers for Practice | Free Quantitative Aptitude Questions with Answers for Practice |
FAQs on CMAT Preparation 2025
Check below Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on CMAT preparation 2025:
Q: Â Which section of CMAT question paper has the maximum weightage?
Q: Â Which is the lengthiest section in CMAT?
Q: Â How can I master Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation topics of CMAT?
Q: Â How many questions are asked in GK section of CMAT?
News & Updates
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CMAT Exam
Student Forum
Answered Yesterday
Top MBA colleges offering average CTCs above 12 LPA, with ST out-of-state reservations and accepting CMAT or XAT scores, include XLRI Jamshedpur (32 LPA, XAT), XIM Bhubaneswar (20 LPA, XAT), Great Lakes Institute of Management (15–17 LPA, CMAT/XAT), Goa Institute of Management (14–15 LPA, CMAT/XAT),
Answered 4 days ago
An 85 percentile in CMAT is considered a good score and can make you eligible for a PGDM scholarship at GIBS Business School. GIBS typically offers scholarships to students with strong academic records or good performance in entrance exams like CMAT. With an 85 percentile, you are likely to be consi
B
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 6 days ago
Yes, I can suggest colleges in Gujarat that accept CMAT score for admission to MBA
Colleges are :-Â
- Adani Institute of Infrastructure management
- Bk School of business managementÂ
- Amrut modi School of managementÂ
- Shanti Business School
- Indus UniversityÂ
- Graduate School of management studiesÂ
- Centre for manag
Answered a week ago
Depends on exam results, the CMAT cutoff for BLDEA's A S Patil College of Commerce changes depends on the admissions method. Two methods are available to candidates for admission: the Management Quota, which uses CMAT/KMAT scores, or the Government/Merit Quota, which uses CMAT scores through KEA cou
K
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
You can join BLDEA's A S Patil College of Commerce for MBA or PGDM programs even if you haven't taken the CMAT. The college also accepts other entrance exams like Karnataka PGCET and KMAT.
Admission Process:
- Students are primarily admitted based on merit through these exams, followed by a counseling p
S
Contributor-Level 9
Answered a week ago
Hii, The difficulty of XAT, CAT, or CMAT depends on individual aptitude and preparation, but generally:
- CAT: Considered the toughest, with high competition and emphasis on VARC, DILR, and Quant.
- XAT: Moderate, with an additional Decision-Making section and essay writing, testing analytical thinking.
- CM
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks ago
Indeed, CMAT results are accepted for admission to the MBA programme at the Best MBA college in Global Institute of Business Studies (GIBS), located in Bangalore. Candidates who have taken the CMAT may apply to GIBS's MBA programme as long as they fulfill the requirements. A group discussion and in-
G
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 3 weeks ago
No, you will not require giving the exam of CMAT for the course of mass communication and journalism from Gujarat University. The CMAT is basically an entrance examination that can be cleared by students who want to undergo an MBA course from one of the B schools. For courses in mass communication a
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
RKDF University accepts CMAT exam scores for admission to its MBA programme. The exam schedule for 2025 has not been released by NTA yet. However, this exam is usually conducted in the month of March or April.
However, in 2023 and 2024, it was held in May. Thus, CMAT 2025 is expected to be held in Ma
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
No, admission to RKDF University MBA is made based on performance in the accepted entrance exam, i.e., CMAT. Thus, it is essential that candidates seeking admission register and apply for the CMAT exam. It is a national-level exam that is accepted by many institutions for admissions to MBA programme
S
Contributor-Level 10
1401 Institutes accepting CMAT
- Total Fees: ₹ 6.00 Lakh
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- 2 years
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- Full Time
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- Total Fees: ₹ 8.00 Lakh
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- 2 years
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- Full Time
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- 2 years
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- Full Time
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- Total Fees: ₹ 15.75 Lakh
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- 2 years
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- Full Time
Can you guys make a list of good MBA colleges (above 12lakh CTC) has ST out of state reservations and accept CMAT or XAT.