The NTA Score in CMAT is a ranking given to the students based on their performance in the exam. Using this, the top CMAT score accepting colleges offer admission to students. It is the ranking matrix that is used by the MBA colleges.
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When the NTA gives out the results, they do not just give out the marks that people scored on the test. NTA also gives out the NTA score, which is a ranking that the MBA colleges use to decide who to accept into their programs. The NTA score in CMAT is the ranking metric that the MBA colleges use.
Understanding the NTA score is essential because all CMAT-participating colleges shortlist and rank candidates using this score, not raw marks. The Common Management Admission Test, which is also known as the CMAT, is a test that people take to get into MBA programs. This test is given by the National Testing Agency, or the NTA. It helps people get into MBA and PGDM programs that are approved by the AICTE all over India.
What is the NTA Score in CMAT Exam 2026?
The NTA score gives you an idea about what you have achieved in the test in relation to the candidates who appear for the CMAT exam during the same period as you. The score can be compared to a number that represents your performance in the CMAT exam. The reason to know the NTA score is to have an idea about how you are performing in the CMAT exam in relation to other candidates who have appeared for the test.
CMAT is given in shifts. Each shift can be a little different when it comes to how hard the questions are. This is not fair to everyone. So the National Testing Agency uses a way to make things fair. They call this way normalization. The National Testing Agency score shows where a candidate stands after they do this normalization.
The score is like a number that tells you what percentage of people you did better than. This is what the Common Management Admission Test is about. The Common Management Admission Test uses the National Testing Agency Score to see how well you did.
In simple words:
NTA Score = Your relative performance compared to all CMAT candidates, adjusted for exam difficulty.
Note: The score is expressed on a scale of 0 to 100.
Read More:
- List of Colleges Accepting 50-60 Percentile in CMAT 2026
- List of Colleges Accepting 70-80 Percentile in CMAT 2026
- List of Colleges Accepting 80-90 Percentile in CMAT 2026
Why Doesn’t CMAT Use Raw Marks Alone?
CMAT is conducted in shifts/slots with a dedicated CMAT 2026 syllabus and CMAT 2026 exam pattern for all of these shifts. The difficulty level can be a little different from one shift to another.
Care has to be taken when you are looking at the scores for the shifts. If you go by the scores directly, it would appear like the people who took the test are the ones who performed better compared to the people who took the test that was slightly harder. The reason this would appear so is that the tests are slightly different and therefore not comparable in reality. The people who took the test would have seemed to perform slightly better than those who took a slightly harder test.
This is done by NTA in a way that equalizes the work done in one shift compared to the other shifts to ensure fairness. This special way is called the normalization process. The result of this process is called an NTA score, which is like a percentile to illustrate one's performance. This score is used by NTA in comparing performance among shifts, therefore making it fair.
That is why colleges do not use raw marks for admitting students; they use percentile-based ranking so that it will be fair.
How Is the NTA Score Calculated?
Understanding how the NTA Score is calculated helps you appreciate its fairness.
Step-by-Step Explanation:
Step 1: NTA Raw Marks Calculation
Your total score is calculated using:
| Particulars | Details |
| Marks for Correct Answers | +4 |
| Marks for Incorrect Answers | -1 |
| Marks for Unattempted Questions | Nil |
The total maximum raw score is 400.
Step 2: NTA Normalisation Across Shifts
After all raw marks are recorded, NTA performs a normalization to adjust for difficulty variations between shifts. This ensures that someone in a harder shift isn’t unfairly penalized. While the exact statistical formula isn’t publicly disclosed by NTA, the core idea is,
- Raw marks are adjusted based on trends of scores from each shift before percentiles are calculated.
Step 3: NTA Percentile (NTA Score) Calculation
- The NTA score itself is essentially the percentile ranking:
- NTA Score= Number of candidates who scored equal to or less than you / Total Candidates x 100
This calculation ensures that your score reflects your relative position among all test-takers.
Also Check:
NTA 2026 Score vs Percentile vs Raw Marks
The difference between NTA score, NTA percentile, and NTA raw marks has been explained below.
|
Term |
Meaning |
Used For |
|
Raw Marks |
Your actual scored marks out of 400 |
Not directly used for admissions |
|
Percentile (NTA Score) |
How many candidates you scored better than |
Used by colleges for shortlisting |
|
Rank (Estimated) |
Your position among all candidates |
Used in some college ranking lists |
Note: For CMAT, the NTA score is the same as the percentile score used by colleges for admissions.
What Is a Good NTA Score in CMAT 2026?
The definition of a good score varies depending on which colleges you want to target. Here’s a practical breakdown based on percentile (NTA Score) trends and college expectations:
|
NTA Score (Percentile) |
College Tier |
Chances of Admission |
|
99+ |
Elite B-schools |
Outstanding chances |
|
95-98 |
Top-tier MBA colleges |
Very good chances |
|
90-94 |
Strong national B-schools |
Good chances |
|
80-89 |
Reputed MBA institutes |
Fair chances |
|
Below 80 |
Regionals & niche programmes |
Possible, depending on profile |
This aligns with recent cut-off trends among CMAT-accepting MBA colleges in India.
Top MBA Colleges Accepting CMAT Scores with Expected 2026 Cutoff
CMAT is accepted by over 1,000 AICTE-approved MBA colleges, offering options across India. Here’s a snapshot of leading institutes and the typical CMAT cut-offs (based on recent trends):
|
Percentile Range (NTA Score) |
College Name |
Location |
Total Fee |
|
98+ Percentile |
Mumbai |
INR 1.02 lakhs | |
|
Sydenham Institute of Management Studies, Research and Entrepreneurship Education (SIMSREE) |
Mumbai |
INR 1.34 lakhs | |
|
95–98 Percentile |
Goa |
INR 19.40 lakhs | |
|
PUMBA (Department of Management Sciences, Savitribai Phule Pune University) |
Pune |
INR 1.32 lakhs | |
|
Mumbai |
INR 19.53 lakhs | ||
|
90–95 Percentile |
Birla Institute of Management Technology (BIMTECH) |
Greater Noida |
INR 12.41 lakhs |
|
Nagpur |
INR 22.07 lakhs | ||
|
Hyderabad |
INR 14.27 lakhs | ||
|
Noida, Lucknow |
INR 16.50 lakhs | ||
|
80–90 Percentile |
Welingkar Institute of Management (WeSchool) |
Mumbai, Bangalore |
INR 14 lakhs |
|
Hyderabad |
INR 8.15 lakhs | ||
|
Bangalore, Chennai |
INR 12.90 lakhs |
The given information on what is total NTA score in CMAT, shared above, must have explained you its importance and relevance in the examination. The NTA score in CMAT is really important for people who want to get into an MBA program. It shows how you did on the test compared to everyone. It is like a ranking that tells you where you stand among all the people who took the CMAT test. It is a deal because it helps schools figure out who to accept into their MBA programs.
MBA colleges do not look at the marks you get. They only use the NTA score to decide who to select, who to rank high, and who to give admission to. They totally depend on the it for this. MBA colleges use it to shortlist people, and then they rank them. Finally, they admit the candidates based on it.
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