What is a Good Score in CMAT 2026? Score vs Percentile, Trends & Expected Cut Offs
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What is a Good Score in CMAT 2026?
CMAT is a national-level MBA entrance exam conducted across India, with nearly 75,000 candidates appearing every year. Competition is intense, especially for top B-schools where cut-offs are usually very high. If you are preparing for CMAT 2026, one of the most important questions is: What is a good score in CMAT?
More than 1,300 AICTE-approved MBA colleges in India accept CMAT scores. These include reputed institutions such as Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, SIMSREE, PUMBA, Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research, Great Lakes Institute of Management, NL Dalmia Institute of Management Studies and Research and IMT Nagpur. However, these institutes typically require very high percentiles-- often 99+.
In 2026, over 53,000 candidates appeared for the exam, but only a small fraction will score 99 percentile or above. Realistically, scoring above 85 percentile is considered a good and safe score if you are targeting reputed Tier 2 MBA colleges.
What is CMAT Score?
CMAT score refers to the raw marks obtained by a candidate in the exam. The total marks for CMAT are 400.
- Each correct answer carries +4 marks
- Each incorrect answer leads to-- 1 mark
- Unattempted questions carry no negative marking
A decent raw score generally falls between 200 and 250 marks, depending on the exam difficulty level.
How to Calculate CMAT Score?
Let's understand with an example:
- Total questions in CMAT: 100
- Questions attempted: 75
- Correct answers: 60
- Incorrect answers: 10
Score calculation:
( 60 × 4)-- (10 × 1) = 240-- 10 = 230 marks
Your raw score is then converted into a percentile for result preparation.
How is CMAT Percentile Calculated?
CMAT results are declared in percentile, not raw marks. The percentile indicates your performance relative to other candidates.
Percentile Formula:
Percentile (P) = 100 × (Number of candidates with marks equal to or less than yours ÷ Total number of candidates).
For example, if you scored higher than 99% of candidates, your percentile will be 99.
Since CMAT 2026 was conducted in a single shift, no score normalization will be required. Percentiles will be calculated directly from raw scores.
CMAT 2026 Score vs Percentile (Expected)
Below is an estimated score vs percentile range for CMAT 2026:
| CMAT Score | CMAT Percentile |
|---|---|
| 350+ | 100.00 |
| 340 | 99.99 |
| 330 | 99.70 |
| 300 | 99.55 |
| 270 | 99 |
| 265 | 97 |
| 245 | 95 |
| 205 | 90 |
| 180 | 80 |
| 175 | 70 |
A score of 205+ may fetch around 90 percentile, while 245+ can take you to approximately 95 percentile.
CMAT Score vs Percentile: Previous Years’ Trend
The score required for a particular percentile varies every year depending on:
- Difficulty level of the exam
- Number of candidates appearing
| Percentile | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99.99 | 340+ | 340+ | 350 | 360 |
| 99.70 | 330 | 326 | 335 | 330 |
| 99.5 | 300 | 310 | 306 | 303 |
| 99 | 270 | 280 | 296 | 293 |
| 95 | 245 | 250 | 265 | 260 |
| 90 | 205 | 225 | 250 | 240 |
| 80 | 180 | 195 | 220 | 211 |
| 70 | 175 | 190 | 190 | 180 |
This data shows that the score required for 99 percentile can fluctuate significantly each year.
CMAT 2026 Expected Cut Offs for Top B-Schools
Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies – 99.92
Goa Institute of Management – 99.85
K J Somaiya Institute of Management – 99.20
Great Lakes Institute of Management – 99.06
Xavier Institute of Social Service – 95
IFIM Business School – 85
Jaipuria Institute of Management Noida – 82
KIIT School of Management – 80
BIMTECH – 75
XIME Bangalore – 75
Christ University Institute of Management – 70
WeSchool Mumbai – 70
VIT Business School – 60
These cut-offs are indicative and may vary slightly during actual admissions.
Final Verdict: What is a Good Score in CMAT 2026?
- 99+ percentile: Required for top-tier institutes like JBIMS, GIM, and Great Lakes
- 90–95 percentile: Strong chance at reputed Tier 2 colleges
- 85+ percentile: Considered safe for many good MBA colleges
- 70–80 percentile: Suitable for emerging and mid-tier B-schools
If your target is a Tier 2 MBA college, scoring above 85 percentile should keep you competitive. However, if you aim for elite institutes, you must target 99 percentile or higher.
Prepare strategically, focus on accuracy, and aim for a score that aligns with your dream MBA college.
Read More
• Learn more about the CMAT exam pattern, syllabus, eligibility and important dates.
• Check the latest updates and live tracking at CMAT Result 2026 Live.
• Try the CMAT Percentile Predictor & Score Calculator 2026 to estimate your percentile.
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