The NMAT is a national level management exam conducted for MBA/PGDM programs in top management colleges.
The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) had conducting this exam since 2015. The online exam usually takes place from October 4 to December 17 every year.
Eligibility criteria, as mentioned by GMAC:
- Indians and NRIs can apply
- While a 50% score in your graduation is the minimum qualification, those appearing in the final year exam may also apply
- The maximum age limit is 25
- A 2-years work experience adds to your candidature
The Registration for NMAT 2019 began on 2nd July 2019 on the official website: nmat.org.in. Candidates may make the most of the free MOCK TEST available on the official website.
Some of the key elements of NMAT are as follows:
- You can take the NMAT three times in one admission cycle
- There is no negative marking in NMAT
- You can prioritize your stronger sections and answer them first
- You will have chance to revise and rectify your answers
Important dates to remember for NMAT:
| Events | Date |
| Registration | 2nd July to 3rd October 2019 |
| Late Registration | 4th October to 14th October 2019 |
| Exam | 4th October to December 17, 2019 |
| Results | 3rd week of January 2020 |
| Last day to download mark sheet | 31st March 2020 |
| Registration for PI / CD begins | From March 2020 |
| GD / PI | From March 2020 |
Steps to apply:
- Online registration
- Form fill-up
- Payment of Fee (through online modes)
Scheduling is an important aspect of NMAT, where the following things take place:
1.Candidates pick their preferred time slot, date, and exam-centre
2. Candidates can choose the option of scheduling a single test attempt at a time
3. Post-scheduling, a confirmation email is sent to confirm details such as date, time, exam-centre
4. Candidates may retake NMAT after 15 days from their first attempt
GMAC generally releases the NMAT admit card in the first week of September on their official website. It takes place across 44 cities in India and at four international centres.
As per student discussions across NMAT groups on PaGaLGuY:
A computer-based test, it comprises of three sections which can be attempted as per your preference. The duration is two hours, within which 120 questions are to be attempted.
Three marks are awarded for every correct answer while there is no negative marking. Here is a section-wise exam pattern:
| Section | Questions | Time (in minutes) |
| Language Skills | 32 | 22 |
| Quantitative Skills | 48 | 60 |
| Logical Reasoning | 40 | 38 |
While there is no official syllabus released by GMAC, as observed from discussions by students who have appeared for NMAT in the first window of 2019, following are some of the important topics:
| Quantitative Skills | Logical Reasoning | Language Comprehension |
| Geometry | Critical Reasoning | Verbal Reasoning |
| Arithmetic Progression | Visual Reasoning | Syllogisms |
| Installment Payments | Assumption-Premise-Conclusion | Contextual usage |
| Ratios and Proportions | Assertion & reasons | Analogies |
| Arithmetic Mean | Statements & assumptions | Sentence completion |
| Logarithm | Matrix arrangements | Idioms |
| Work and Time | Coding & Decoding | Sentence Correction |
Candidates can check their scores from the official website of GMAC in the 3rd week of January 2019, using their user id and password. The cut off is released soon after the declaration of the results and is different for each college.
Your ticket to a top B-school through NMAT depends on the following:
- Scores
- Case Discussion
- Personal Interview
It is crucial to note that for the final merit list, work experience is considered. Candidates will be able to download their call letter from the official website.
As for a round-up of the first-hand experience of candidates in the 1st slot of 2019, the following are the most popular discussions:
- The different types of Scores including Scaled Score, Historical Percentile Ranking and Final Percentile Score The “safe” score which determines whether you should take a retest
- A preferred sequence of answering
To know more, visit the official NMAT thread and indulge in fruitful discussions with fellow NMAT-takers.
See you soon at your dream B-School, all the best!