Owned and administered by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), fresh graduates as well as working professionals can sit the NMAT by GMAC Exam to gain admission into business school MBA and master’s programs.
Each year, over 75,000 NMAT tests are taken in a test center or online, and 78 Indian and overseas MBA colleges accept the test.
If you’re considering applying to business school, read on or skip to your section of interest to find out everything you need to know about the NMAT Exam for the 2024 testing year:
NMAT Exam structure and scores
NMAT Exam registration and fees
NMAT Exam dates 2024-2025
NMAT accepting colleges
NMAT vs GMAT Focus Edition – Key differences
NMAT vs CAT – Key differences
NMAT Exam Structure And Scores
To understand what the NMAT exam is, you need to understand its core structure.
The NMAT Exam structure is designed to be competitive while being candidate-friendly. You can benefit from its various features.
The NMAT is made up of three equally weighted exam sections: Language Skills, Quantitative Skills, and Logical Reasoning, each consisting of 36 questions and scored from 12 to 120. You can choose your own section order.
You get your unofficial NMAT score immediately after taking the exam. The official score is sent to you within 48 hours. NMAT total scores range from 36 to a maximum score of 360.
You can take the NMAT Exam at your choice of date and time, and self-schedule your test as well. If you are based in India, you also have the choice to select between online and physical centers.
GMAC offers NMAT Exam centers spread across 42 cities in India. For NMAT test-takers outside of India, the NMAT exam is only available as an online proctored exam.
There is no negative marking in the NMAT Exam. This means that if you answer a question wrong or leave questions unanswered, no marks will be deducted.
NMAT Exam Registration And Fees
NMAT registration is easy and fast. Register at mba.com/exams/nmat. If you are new to the site, create your account and fill the registration form with all details.
Then schedule your exam and select your preferred MBA colleges where you want your NMAT Exam score sent. You can select five colleges; additional choices are available for an additional fee.
For all candidates, the NMAT Exam fees excluding taxes are:
NMAT registration fees: $65 (INR 5,400)
NMAT retake fee: $65 (INR 5,400)
Rescheduling: $30 (INR 2,490)
Fee to send your NMAT score to additional colleges: $5 (INR 420) per college
NMAT Exam Dates 2024-2025
India NMAT Exam Dates for the 2024-2025 testing year will likely be announced between July and August 2024. Typically, the NMAT test schedule for Indian candidates is as follows:
August – October 2024: NMAT registration and scheduling
October – December 2024: Expected examination schedule
October – December 2024: Retake scheduling
The last date to apply for the NMAT in 2024 is in October. NMAT exam dates 2024 also apply to candidates from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. See dates here.
You can take the NMAT Exam three times in a testing year. This means that you can retake the NMAT twice during that time to improve your score.
After taking the test, you have to wait at least 15 days before you can apply for a retake attempt.
However, your NMAT Exam score only lasts for one application cycle. If you want to apply with the NMAT again another year, you have to sit the NMAT again.
NMAT Accepting Colleges
Where is the NMAT accepted?
Leading NMAT-accepting colleges in India include the Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS), the Indian School of Business (ISB) (Advanced Management Program in Business Analytics), K J Somaiya Institute of Management (KJSIM), SP Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR) (PGMPW), and Flame University.
Many MBA colleges in South Africa, the Philippines, and Nigeria also accept the NMAT. Check the full list of NMAT colleges.
NMAT vs GMAT Focus Edition | Key Differences
GMAC administers both the NMAT and the GMAT Focus Edition. The NMAT is specifically designed for candidates applying to business schools in India and other emerging markets, whereas the GMAT Focus Edition is designed for applications to business schools globally.
You can therefore use the GMAT to apply to more business schools internationally—including all the top-ranked schools like Harvard, Stanford, and London Business School—while you can use the NMAT to apply to a select list of MBA colleges in India and some other emerging markets.
The other key differences between the NMAT vs GMAT Focus Edition are:
Cost. The NMAT is a much more affordable option. While the GMAT Focus Edition costs over INR 22,000 for Indian candidates ($275), the NMAT registration fee is INR 5,400.
Duration. The NMAT is a slightly shorter exam with a duration of 2 hours, while the GMAT Focus Edition is 2 hours, 15 minutes long, not including an optional 10-minute break.
Validity. Your NMAT score is valid for one testing year whereas GMAT Focus Edition scores are valid for five years. You can make three attempts within a testing year for the NMAT and five for the GMAT.
Structure. Both exams have three sections. The GMAT Focus Edition’s three sections assess Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, and Data Insights.
If you’re applying for international business schools, the GMAT Focus Edition is the better choice. However, if you’re applying to NMAT-accepting colleges in India, it makes sense to go for the more affordable NMAT Exam, which is equally valued by NMAT colleges.
Also see: GMAT vs GRE: What’s the difference?
NMAT vs CAT | Key Differences
The CAT, or Common Admission Test, is the biggest admission exam in India run by the Indian Institutes of Management. To apply for an IIM, you have to take the CAT.
Aside from the schools that accept the CAT and the NMAT, the main difference between the CAT vs NMAT is that you can only take the CAT once in a testing year, while you can take the NMAT three times.
If you get a bad CAT score, you would have to wait until the following year to try to improve that score.
The NMAT also has no negative marking, while the CAT has negative marking for multiple choice questions—if you get a question wrong, you’ll get one point deducted from your score. While you should prepare thoroughly for either test, some candidates therefore see the NMAT as the less difficult option.
Ultimately, taking the NMAT will allow you to apply for and stand out to some of the top MBA colleges in India and elsewhere in a flexible and affordable way.
So what can you achieve with your MBA after graduation?
Check out our MBA jobs section.
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