The Common Management Admission test, also known as CMAT is a national level postgraduate entrance exam pertaining to management courses. Good CMAT scores are required for admission into more than 500 Business schools approved by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), as per the regulations of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. The CMAT exam date falls in January every year for all the states throughout the country.

Eligibility Criteria for CMAT:

The following are the eligibility criteria that are laid down for CMAT registration for all the students. All the candidates appearing for the exam should hold a graduate degree. Candidates who are pursuing a final year of graduation can also apply for CMAT. The Candidate must be a citizen of India and there is no age limit for appearing for the exam. The candidate can attempt the CMAT exam any number of times and the scores of the latest CMAT exam is considered valid for admission.

Along with CMAT Admit card, the candidate is required to carry a Photo ID issued by the Government of India such as Aadhar Card, PAN, Voter ID, etc. There are no minimum qualifying marks for CMAT, but the UG degree marks play a vital role in their college admission. As a general rule candidate should have a minimum of 50% aggregate marks in Graduation.

Reservation criteria for different categories:

CMAT does not fix any reservation criteria for MBA admission. Institutes that accept the CMAT exams follow the reservation criteria set for higher education by the Government of India. For Institutes run by Central Government, 15% of seats are reserved for Scheduled caste and 7.5% for Scheduled Tribes. 27% is reserved for OBCs belonging to the Non-creamy layer. Each category of CMAT registration will have a 5% reservation for a person with disabilities.

The registration process for CMAT:

The registration for CMAT 2020 will open by November 2019. For CMAT registration, the candidate should register on the official website as a new user. A login ID will be generated for all future communications. While filling up the form the candidate has to give academic and personal details. The test center will be allotted on the first-come first-served basis. The candidate has to upload his scanned signature and recent passport size photograph on a white background. The application fee is paid online and after completing the process successfully the student has to wait for the generation of CMAT admit card.

CMAT exam dates 2019:

All the registered candidates can download their CMAT admit cards till the day before the exam. The admit card is mandatory for appearing for the exam. The CMAT exam date falls in January every year. It is conducted in online mode across 75 cities in India. The duration of the exam is for 180 minutes and the candidate has to solve 100 questions given in MCQ format. The questions are from the English language, verbal ability, logical reasoning, quantitative aptitude, and general awareness. The candidate should appear on the CMAT exam date and at the center at least an hour before the commencement of the exam. No gadgets are allowed in the exam hall.

Selection procedure for CMAT:

 The CMAT exam for 2019 is completed by January and the results were announced in the month of February. Based on the marks of the students in the examination, the final list of the qualified individuals will be sent to each candidate in their email id given at the time of CMAT registration. The list is also available on the website. The selection process begins after each participating institute releases the list of their shortlisted candidate based on their scores.

 The final merit list is prepared based on the overall performance of the candidate based on their WAT, PI, and GD rounds and their academic records.

• Group discussion: the selected candidates are divided into small groups and are offered a topic to talk on. They are judged by their communication, managerial, leadership and negotiation skills.
• Apart from CMAT some colleges also have WAT (written ability test) round where candidates are given a topic to write on, preferably in current affairs. They are judged on their fluency in writing, clarity of thought and grammar skills.
• The last step of the selection process is Personal interview, where a panel of 3-4 seniors judge the candidate’s attitude, interest level, and their aspirations.

Verdict:

 We hope our reader gain clarity in the eligibility and selection process of CMAT for pursuing their MBA in top Business schools. Mark the CMAT exam date and registration date in your calendar and be sure to apply for CMAT 2020 by November ’19.