CMAT 2025 Exam Analysis, Cutoffs and Percentile Score
The CMAT 2025 exam, conducted on January 25, 2025, in two shifts, saw a moderate difficulty level overall. However, two sections—General Awareness and Innovation & Entrepreneurship—posed a challenge to many test-takers and are expected to significantly impact the score vs percentile calculation this year. As per student and expert feedback, while the core sections like Quant, Logical Reasoning, and Language Comprehension were manageable, static-heavy GK and business-centric Innovation questions raised the bar.
This detailed CMAT 2025 Exam Analysis brings you shift-wise insights, sectional difficulty levels, good attempts, expected score vs percentile, and cut-off predictions. Read below to get a complete understanding of both Shift 1 and Shift 2 papers.
CMAT Exam Analysis 2025 – Overview
CMAT 2025 maintained its traditional pattern—100 questions spread equally across five sections, each carrying 20 questions. Each correct answer was awarded +4 marks, and a wrong answer led to -1 mark. There was no change in exam structure this year.
Despite being largely predictable in terms of pattern, CMAT 2025 Shift 1 was slightly tougher than Shift 2, mainly due to a challenging General Awareness and Innovation section.
CMAT Exam Analysis 2025: Shift 1 Overview
The Shift 1 paper was conducted from 9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon. The paper followed the same pattern as the previous year, with a moderate to slightly difficult overall difficulty level. Candidates found the Quantitative Techniques and Logical Reasoning sections to be moderate, while GK and Innovation & Entrepreneurship posed more difficulty.
CMAT 2025 Shift 1 Question Paper: Key Highlights
| Details | CMAT 2025 Slot 1 |
|---|---|
| Total Questions | 100 |
| Number of Sections | 5 Sections with 20 Questions each |
| Section Names | Quantitative Technique, Logical Reasoning, Language Comprehension, General Awareness, Innovation and Entrepreneurship |
| Exam Difficulty Level | Moderate |
| Marking Scheme | +4 for each correct answer, -1 for each incorrect answer |
| Maximum Score | 400 Marks |
| CMAT Score Vs Percentile 2025 | To be updated |
CMAT Exam Analysis 2025 Shift 1: Exam Pattern & Difficulty Level
The CMAT 2025 exam for Shift 1 included the following sections:
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Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation
-
Logical Reasoning
-
Language Comprehension
-
General Awareness
-
Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Each section consisted of 20 questions totaling 400 marks.
CMAT 2025 Shift 1: Exam Pattern Table
| Exam Sections | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks (Section-wise) |
|---|---|---|
| Language Comprehension | 20 | 80 |
| Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation | 20 | 80 |
| Logical Reasoning | 20 | 80 |
| General Awareness | 20 | 80 |
| Innovation & Entrepreneurship | 20 | 80 |
| Total | 100 | 400 |
CMAT 2025 Marking Scheme (Shift 1)
The marking scheme remained unchanged:
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+4 marks for each correct answer
-
-1 mark for each incorrect answer
-
No negative marking for unattempted questions
CMAT Exam Analysis Shift 1: Difficulty Level and Good Attempts
As per expert opinion, an attempt of 65-70 questions with 85%+ accuracy should fetch a 90+ percentile in Shift 1.
Good Attempts and Difficulty Table for Shift 1
| Section | No. of Questions | Marks per Question | Maximum Marks | Good Attempts | Overall LOD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation | 20 | 4 | 80 | 16-17 | Easy |
| Logical Reasoning | 20 | 4 | 80 | 15-16 | Easy |
| Language Comprehension | 20 | 4 | 80 | 15-16 | Easy |
| General Awareness | 20 | 4 | 80 | 10-11 | Medium |
| Innovation and Entrepreneurship | 20 | 4 | 80 | 11-12 | Medium |
| Total | 100 | – | 400 | 70-75 | – |
CMAT 2025 Shift 1: Section-Wise Analysis
Here’s a detailed look at each section in CMAT 2025 Shift 1:
Section 1: Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation
This section was moderate in difficulty and included questions from arithmetic, number systems, geometry, algebra, and DI sets.
| Topics | Type and Number of Questions | Total Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Arithmetic | Time-Speed-Distance (3), Ratio-Proportion (2), Profit & Loss (2), SICI (1), Alligation and Mixtures (2) | 10 |
| Geometry | Triangles (1) | 1 |
| Modern Math | Probability (2) | 2 |
| Number System | Surds (1), Indices (1) | 2 |
| Algebra | Quadratic Equations (1), Linear Equations (1) | 2 |
| Data Interpretation | 2 Pie Charts (Set of 3 questions) | 3 |
| Total | – | 20 |
Section 2: Logical Reasoning
The reasoning section was fairly balanced and moderate, with questions on blood relations, series, coding-decoding, puzzles, directions, and analytical reasoning.
| Topics | Type and Number of Questions | Total Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Non Verbal Reasoning | Directions (1), Cubes (2), Counting Squares (1), Linear Arrangement (1), Family Tree (1), Clocks (1), Numerical Puzzle (1), Misc (1), Logical Venn Diagram (1), Set Theory (1), Number Series (1), Analogy-based Sequence (1), Alpha-Numeric (1) |
14 |
| Verbal Reasoning | Assertion-Reason, Strong/Weak Argument, Assumption, Conclusion, Word-based Analogy, Odd One Out | 6 |
| Total | All MCQ Type | 20 |
Section 3: Language Comprehension
Candidates found the section moderate. It included two RC passages and questions on grammar, vocabulary, para-jumbles, and idioms.
| Topics | Type and Number of Questions | Total Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Verbal Ability | Fill in the Blanks (FIB), Replace Underlined Phrase, Passive Voice, Cloze Passage [3 blanks], Para Jumbles, Jumbled Sentence, Grammar (Compound Sentence, Articles, Noun Types), Sentence Correction, Miscellaneous |
18 |
| Reading Comprehension | 1 Passage (62 words) Topic: Shivaji Capturing a Fort |
2 |
| Total | All MCQ Type | 20 |
Section 4: General Awareness
This section leaned towards Static GK. Topics included:
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Indian Constitution
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History & Culture
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Important National Events
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Sports
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Basic Science
There were very few questions on international events. The overall difficulty was medium but accuracy was challenging.
Section 5: Innovation and Entrepreneurship
This section was concept-heavy with 19 questions on core topics and 1 on Business GK. Topics included:
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Bootstrapping
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Angel Investment
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Lean Startup
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Startup Valuation
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Feasibility Analysis
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Trademark
-
Fabian Entrepreneur
The difficulty was moderate, but candidates unfamiliar with business terms found it tough.
CMAT Exam Analysis 2025: Shift 2 Overview
CMAT 2025 Shift 2, held from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM, was considered slightly easier than Shift 1. Most students found the GK and Innovation sections more manageable, while other sections remained on par with Shift 1 in difficulty.
CMAT Exam Analysis Shift 2: Exam Pattern & Difficulty
The paper was similar in format to Shift 1 with no changes in the number or type of questions.
CMAT Shift 2 Exam Pattern Table
| Exam Sections | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks Section-wise |
|---|---|---|
| Language Comprehension | 20 | 80 |
| Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation | 20 | 80 |
| Logical Reasoning | 20 | 80 |
| General Awareness | 20 | 80 |
| Innovation & Entrepreneurship | 20 | 80 |
| Total | 100 | 400 |
CMAT 2025 Marking Scheme (Shift 2)
Same as Shift 1:
-
+4 marks for each correct answer
-
-1 mark for each wrong answer
-
No marks for unanswered questions
CMAT Exam Analysis Shift 2: Good Attempts
An attempt of 70–75 questions with good accuracy in Shift 2 is expected to ensure 90–95 percentile.
Good Attempts and Expected Score Table – Shift 2
| Section | No. of Questions | Good Attempts | Level of Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation | 20 | 16–17 | Easy |
| Logical Reasoning | 20 | 16–17 | Easy |
| Language Comprehension | 20 | 16–17 | Easy |
| General Awareness | 20 | 11–12 | Medium |
| Innovation and Entrepreneurship | 20 | 11–12 | Medium |
| Total | 100 | 70–75 | – |
CMAT Exam Analysis Shift 1: Sectional Analysis
Here’s the section-wise analysis of the CMAT 2025 exam for Slot 2, offering insights into the question types, difficulty levels, and topic-wise distribution.
Section 1: Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation
This section was comparatively easy in terms of difficulty. Out of the 20 questions:
-
3 questions were from Data Interpretation, based on tables, and involved simple calculations.
-
17 questions were from Quantitative Techniques, largely focusing on Arithmetic topics such as percentages, profit and loss, and time-speed-distance.
| Area | No. of Questions | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Arithmetic | 8 | Percentages (2), Ratio-Proportion (1), Mixtures (1), Time & Work (1), Profit & Loss (2), SICI (1) |
| Geometry | 3 | Triangles (1), Mensuration (1), Circles (1) |
| Modern Math | 3 | Probability (2), Permutation – Combination (1) |
| Numbers | 3 | Surds (1), Indices (2) |
| Algebra | 0 | – |
| Data Interpretation | 3 | Bar Graph (Set of 3 questions) |
| Total | 20 | – |
Section 2: Logical Reasoning
The Logical Reasoning section consisted of:
-
12 questions from Non-Verbal Reasoning
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8 questions from Verbal Reasoning
All were standalone questions — no sets. Questions were spread across different LR topics and were generally short and straightforward, making this section relatively easy to moderate.
| Area | No. of Questions | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Directions | 1 | – |
| Series | 1 | – |
| Counting the number of triangles | 1 | – |
| Clocks | 1 | – |
| Set Theory | 1 | – |
| Family Tree | 1 | – |
| Coding | 1 | – |
| Arrangements (Circular) | 1 | – |
| Numerical Puzzle | 2 | – |
| Cube | 1 | – |
| Dice | 1 | – |
| Verbal Reasoning | 8 | Reverse Syllogisms, Logical Sequence, Strong/Weak Arguments, Assumptions, Conclusions, Assertion-Reason, Analogies |
| Total | 20 | All MCQ Type |
Section 3: Language Comprehension
This section included:
-
5 Reading Comprehension (RC) questions
-
15 Non-RC questions
The majority of the questions were easy to moderate in nature. The RCs were brief, with direct and factual questions.
| Area | No. of Questions | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 5 | – |
| Grammar Usage | 4 | Identify correct/incorrect usage (Active/Passive, Speech, Verb Usage) |
| Idioms and Meanings | 2 | – |
| Assertion-Reason | 2 | Grammar Based – Simple Sentences, Adjectives |
| Sentence Correction | 2 | Choose correct sentence (Adjectives, Verb Usage) |
| Match the Following | 1 | Types of Pronouns |
| Jumbled Sentences | 1 | – |
| Parajumbles | 1 | – |
| Synonyms | 1 | Match the following |
| Total | 20 | All MCQ Type |
Section 4: General Awareness
This section had:
-
15 questions from Static GK
-
5 questions from Current Affairs
The questions primarily focused on Indian topics such as sports, culture, awards, history, politics, books & authors, science, and the constitution. The overall difficulty level was moderate.
Section 5: Innovation and Entrepreneurship
All 20 questions in this section were based on business, management, economics, and entrepreneurship concepts. The difficulty was moderate, requiring conceptual clarity more than rote memorization.
CMAT Score Vs Percentile 2025
CMAT Score vs Percentile is a useful tool to estimate where a candidate stands in terms of overall competition. Based on past year trends, here’s a projected estimate for CMAT 2025:
| CMAT Score | CMAT Percentile |
|---|---|
| 295 – 305 | 99.5% |
| 275 – 285 | 99% |
| 255 – 265 | 95% |
| 235 – 245 | 90% |
| 225 – 230 | 80% |
CMAT Score Vs Percentile for Top CMAT Colleges (90–95 Percentile)
Top CMAT-accepting MBA colleges such as K J Somaiya Mumbai, Welingkar Mumbai, BIMTECH Greater Noida, IFMR Krea University, and IMI Bhubaneswar accept scores in the 90–95 percentile range.
| B-School | Program Fee (in Lakhs) | Avg. Placement (in Lakhs) | Admission Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| IFMR GSB, KREA University | Rs. 15.00 | Rs. 13.06 LPA | Open |
| K J Somaiya, Mumbai | Rs. 22.32 | Rs. 12.79 LPA | Closed |
| Welingkar, Mumbai | Rs. 14.00 | Rs. 12.53 LPA | Open |
| IMI Bhubaneswar | Rs. 12.99 | Rs. 12.02 LPA | Open |
| BIMTECH, Greater Noida | Rs. 14.00 | Rs. 11.10 LPA | Open |
CMAT Score Vs Percentile for Best CMAT Colleges Accepting 80 Percentile
Some of the best colleges accepting 80 percentile (approx. 220 score) include NIA Pune, Flame University Pune, and Jaipuria Noida.
| B-School | Program Fee (in Lakhs) | Avg. Placement (in Lakhs) | Admission Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Insurance Academy (NIA), Pune | Rs. 11.00 | Rs. 12.30 LPA | Open |
| Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida | Rs. 15.75 | Rs. 11.29 LPA | Open |
| FLAME University, Pune | Rs. 14.40 | Rs. 11.00 LPA | Open |
| XIME, Bangalore | Rs. 12.50 | Rs. 10.75 LPA | Open |
| JAGSOM, Bangalore | Rs. 14.90 | Rs. 10.58 LPA | Open |
| SDMIMD, Mysuru | Rs. 12.70 | Rs. 10.00 LPA | Open |
| SIES School of Business Studies, Navi Mumbai | Rs. 10.00 | Rs. 9.10 LPA | Open |
| Woxsen University, Hyderabad | Rs. 14.40 | Rs. 9.09 LPA | Open |
| Amrita School of Business, Coimbatore | Rs. 11.10 | Rs. 8.98 LPA | Open |
| Rajagiri Business School, Kochi | Rs. 7.50 | Rs. 8.00 LPA | Open |
| Indus Business Academy (IBA), Bangalore | Rs. 10.32 | Rs. 7.96 LPA | Open |
CMAT Score Vs Percentile for Good CMAT Colleges Accepting 60 Percentile
Colleges like Jaipuria Lucknow, NDIM Delhi, and Balaji University Pune accept students in the 60 percentile (approx. 180+ score) range.
| MBA College | MBA Fee (in Lakhs) | Avg. Placement (in Lakhs) | Admission Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jaipuria Institute of Management Lucknow | Rs. 14.75 | Rs. 11.29 LPA | Open |
| Welingkar Bangalore | Rs. 14.00 | Rs. 10.36 LPA | Open |
| NDIM New Delhi | Rs. 12.75 | Rs. 9.50 LPA | Open |
| Amrita School of Business Bengaluru | Rs. 12.00 | Rs. 8.98 LPA | Open |
| Sri Balaji University Pune | Rs. 12.45 | Rs. 8.75 LPA | Open |
| FIIB New Delhi | Rs. 11.55 | Rs. 8.50 LPA | Open |
| Thiagarajar School of Management Madurai | Rs. 12.00 | Rs. 8.44 LPA | Open |
| Jaipuria School of Business Ghaziabad | Rs. 8.20 | Rs. 7.50 LPA | Open |
| Apeejay School of Management | Rs. 9.35 | Rs. 7.45 LPA | Open |
| IPE Hyderabad | Rs. 8.00 | Rs. 7.02 LPA | Open |
| CIMP Patna | Rs. 7.65 | Rs. 7.00 LPA | Open |
| SCMS Cochin School of Business | Rs. 7.95 | Rs. 7.80 LPA | Open |
| Kohinoor Management School Mumbai | Rs. 10.50 | Rs. 7.50 LPA | Open |
| Jaypee Business School Noida | Rs. 8.50 | Rs. 7.39 LPA | Open |
| NSB Bangalore | Rs. 9.10 | Rs. 7.10 LPA | Open |
| SSN School of Management Chennai | Rs. 7.00 | Rs. 6.84 LPA | Open |
| GNIOT Greater Noida | Rs. 8.37 | Rs. 6.50 LPA | Open |
| IMS Unison University Dehradun | Rs. 5.87 | Rs. 6.00 LPA | Open |
CMAT Exam Analysis: Changes Over the Years
Over the past few years, the CMAT exam has seen some noteworthy changes:
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Innovation Section Added: Reflects the rising importance of creativity and entrepreneurial thinking in management education.
-
Balanced Difficulty Level: Most sections have stayed moderate, though DI and GK sections sometimes increase in difficulty.
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Application-Based Questions: Recent papers favor conceptual understanding over rote learning, especially in QT and LR sections.
CMAT Previous Year Exam Analysis
The CMAT 2024 exam was conducted in two shifts on May 15, 2024, by NTA. Key insights from that exam include:
CMAT 2024 Question Paper Highlights
| CMAT 2024 Exam Highlights | |
|---|---|
| Mode of Exam | Online Computer Based Test |
| Total Questions | 100 |
| Sectional Division of Questions | 5 Sections with 20 Questions in Each Section |
| Sections in the Question Paper | Quantitative Technique, Logical Reasoning, Language Comprehension, General Awareness, Innovation and Entrepreneurship |
| Medium of Question Paper | English |
| Exam Difficulty Level | Easy to Moderate |
| Marking Scheme for Right Answers | +4 Marks for each right answer |
| Negative Marking | -1 Mark for each wrong answer |
| Maximum Score | 400 Marks for 100 Questions |
CMAT 2024 Exam Pattern
| CMAT 2024 Exam Sections | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Language Comprehension | 20 | 80 |
| Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation | 20 | 80 |
| Logical Reasoning | 20 | 80 |
| General Awareness | 20 | 80 |
| Innovation & Entrepreneurship | 20 | 80 |
| Total (Sections – 5) | 100 | 400 |
Good Number of Attempts (Overall & Section-wise)
| Section | No. of Questions | Good Attempts | Overall LOD (Level of Difficulty) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation | 20 | 15-16 | Moderate |
| Logical Reasoning | 20 | 14-15 | Moderate to Difficult |
| Language Comprehension | 20 | 14-15 | Moderate |
| General Awareness | 20 | 11-12 | Moderate to Difficult |
| Innovation and Entrepreneurship | 20 | 10-11 | Moderate |
| Total | 100 | 64-69 | Moderate |
CMAT 2024 Section-Wise Analysis
Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation
| Topics | Type and Number of Questions | Total Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Arithmetic | Time-Speed-Distance (2), Ratio-Proportion (1), Profit & Loss (1), SICI (2), Time & Work (1) | 7 |
| Geometry | Mensuration (1) | 1 |
| Modern Math | Permutation & Combination (1), Probability (1) | 2 |
| Number System | Surds (3), Properties of Numbers (2) | 5 |
| Algebra | Quadratic Equations (1), Quadratic Inequality (1) | 2 |
| Data Interpretation | Set of three questions based on Caselet | 3 |
| Total | All MCQ Type | 20 |
Logical Reasoning
| Topics | Type and Number of Questions | Total Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Verbal Reasoning | Direction Sense (2), Cubes (2), Counting Number of Triangles (1), Linear Arrangement (1), Coding (2), Clocks (1), Numerical Puzzle (1), Others (1) | 11 |
| Verbal Reasoning | Syllogisms (1), Strong & Weak Arguments (1), Assertion-Reason (1), Analogy (1), Statement-Conclusion (1), Statement-Assumption (1), Statement-Assertion (1), Odd One Out (1), Arrange Words in Sequence (1) | 9 |
| Total | All MCQ Type | 20 |
Language Comprehension
| Topics | Type and Number of Questions | Total Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Verbal Ability | Fill in the blanks (1), Parts of Speech (1), Antonyms (1), One Word Substitution (1), Odd One Out (1), Replace Underlined Phrase (1), Passive Voice (1), Cloze Passage (3 blanks), Jumbled Paragraph (1), Grammar – Assertion Reasoning and True/False Statements (2), Match the Idioms with Their Meanings (2), Match the Foreign Words with Their Meanings (2), Synonyms (1) | 18 |
| Reading Comprehension | One RC Passage of 200 words on the topic – Impact of Diversity on Education | 2 |
| Total | All MCQ Type | 20 |
General Awareness
| Topics | Type and Number of Questions | Total Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Static GK | Constitution of India, Books & Authors, Historical Facts | 15 |
| Current Affairs | Sports, Physics, Geography | 5 |
| Total | All MCQ Type | 20 |
Innovation and Entrepreneurship
| Topics | Type and Number of Questions | Total Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Business & Entrepreneurship | Nascent Entrepreneur; Phases of funding; Reasons for failure | 16 |
| Business GK | National and International Business GK questions | 4 |
| Total | All MCQ Type | 20 |
The CMAT 2025 exam analysis reveals that the paper maintained a moderate difficulty level with a balanced section-wise distribution. Quantitative Techniques and Logical Reasoning were largely manageable, while the General Awareness and Innovation & Entrepreneurship sections required in-depth knowledge. Understanding the CMAT Score vs Percentile trends and analyzing top MBA college cutoffs will help candidates target the right institutes for admission. As CMAT continues to emphasize innovation and application-based learning, aspirants must adopt a strategic and conceptual preparation approach to excel in the exam.
