CMAT Merit List and Scorecard

NTA releases the CMAT result through the exam portal, cmat.nta.nic.in. For 2026, the result notice announced individual scorecards with marks and corresponding percentiles on 17 February 2026.

To download the CMAT scorecard, open the result link for the relevant exam year and enter the candidate details requested on the login screen. Keep the downloaded scorecard for the college application. A list of candidates shortlisted by one college is a separate document, issued through that institution's admission process.

An institution may publish its own shortlist or selection list, but there is no single NTA counselling list that allocates all CMAT seats.

How CMAT Merit Is Prepared

The 2026 CMAT rules based national merit ranking on the total score. Candidates with the same score received the same merit number. Their names were placed in date-of-birth order, with the older candidate first.

The next merit number skipped the positions occupied by the tie. The example below illustrates the rule; the scores and candidates are hypothetical.

Candidates B and C share merit 2. If B is older, B appears before C, but that ordering does not turn C's merit into 3. The candidate with 340 marks receives merit 4 because three candidates have already occupied the preceding positions.

These are the 2026 ranking rules. A college can apply a separate tie rule to its own admission merit, because that merit may include interview and academic marks as well as the entrance test.

CMAT Percentile, Marks and Rank

Your raw score comes from the marking scheme. Your percentile describes your score relative to the candidates who took the test. Your merit number places you in the ranking. The three values answer different questions.

Percentile =100 × candidates scoring equal to or below you ÷ total candidates who appeared in the relevant session.

For example, in a hypothetical session of 1,000 candidates, a student with 950 candidates scoring equal to or below them has a 95 percentile. The highest scorer can receive 100 percentile even without answering every question correctly.

NTA's percentile procedure uses up to seven decimal places. The total percentile is not the average of the five subject percentiles. Equal scores also mean that a simple calculation from percentile to an exact unique rank can mislead.

CMAT 2026 was held in one shift. The bulletin's separate multi-session normalization procedure applies when a paper has multiple sessions; it should not be described as a comparison between several 2026 CMAT shifts. The CMAT score-versus-percentile guide explains why a marks percentage is different from a percentile.

Final Answer Key and Merit Calculation

The 2026 paper carried 100 questions and 400 marks. NTA prepared the result using the final answer key, after reviewing valid challenges.

For ordinary questions, a student with 70 correct and 20 incorrect responses scores 260 marks:280 minus 20. The remaining 10 unanswered questions contribute zero. Any final-key change must be included before comparing that calculation with the scorecard.

The 2026 rules did not allow re-evaluation or rechecking of the result. Answer-key challenges belonged to the notified challenge window, not a new objection round after the result.

College Merit Lists After CMAT

Colleges decide whom to shortlist and how to prepare the final admission merit. A strong entrance score can secure consideration for selection, while the final list can place more weight on other parts of the application.

For its 2027 admission, NIA Pune lists expected CMAT shortlisting thresholds of 95 percentile for General/EWS and 90 for NC-OBC/SC/ST/PwD. Its PGDM Insurance and Risk Management merit calculation has the following distribution:

NIA converts CMAT and XAT percentiles to a CAT-equivalent level before calculating the entrance-test contribution. The academic component uses Class 10, Class 12 and graduation percentages. Work experience of more than one year is considered for the work-experience component.

For this intake, NIA requires at least 50% in a recognised bachelor's degree. Final-year students must furnish results by 30 June 2027. The upper age on 1 July 2027 is 28 years for General/EWS/OBC-NC and 30 for SC/ST/PwD. NIA's application deadline is 15 March 2027.

The CMAT college cutoffs must therefore be read with the programme, category and intake year. A college's final list is based on its own selection criteria, rather than simply reproducing the national exam order.

Shortlisted, Selected or Waitlisted?

NTA does not conduct a common CMAT counselling process. Apply to the chosen institution separately, attend its selection stages and follow the acceptance deadline attached to an offer. A CMAT exam application does not register you for every participating college.

If a college shortlist does not include your name, compare the submitted application with that programme's cutoff, accepted test year, category and qualification requirements. For an apparent omission, contact the college's admissions office with the application number and scorecard. NTA cannot add a candidate to an institution's shortlist.