NMAT is a computer-adaptive test conducted for admission to B-Schools especially for NMIMS. The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) publishes the NMAT exam pattern on its official website. Familiarity with the NMAT marks per question will help them allocate their time and effort more effectively. As per the latest NMAT exam pattern 2025 a new addition of competency test was made. in the exam. A total of 108 questions must be solved within 120 minutes during the NMAT 2025 exam. This section has the highest weightage of 50%. Recent updates confirm that the weightage of the NMAT examination has been reduced to 20%.The exam duration of NMAT is 120 minutes and there are a total of 108 questions in the exam. Continue reading to learn more about the NMAT exam pattern total marks, the latest changes, the marking scheme, and other details for reference purposes.
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NMAT Exam Pattern 2025
NMAT by GMAC is a national-level entrance test conducted for students seeking admission to MBA courses at NMIMS University and other prestigious B-schools across the country and abroad. The NMAT 2025 exam consists of three sections, i.e. Language Skills, Quantitative Skills, and Logical Reasoning. It assesses general aptitude for initial shortlisting, followed by a second-stage competency assessment to evaluate skills essential for MBA success. Candidates must check the NMAT exam pattern 2025 to get an idea of the exam mode, section-wise questions, overall weightage, exam duration, and much more. Each section of the question paper has a fixed time limit, and candidates must attempt the questions within that limit. So they must practice enough during their preparation to learn time management skills. In this article, we have compiled a detailed NMAT exam pattern and marking scheme to simplify the preparation of the candidates.
The NMAT exam consists of three sections, each with 36 questions:
1. Language Skills – 28 minutes
2. Quantitative Skills – 52 minutes
3. Logical Reasoning – 40 minutes
NMAT 2025 Important Dates
Let’s know the important NMAT 2025 dates as per the official notification from GMAC.
| Event | Date |
| Registration Start | Friday, 1st August, 2025 |
| Registration End | Friday, 10th October, 2025 |
| Scheduling Start | Friday, 1st August, 2025 |
| Scheduling End | Tuesday, 14th October, 2025 |
| Exam Delivery Start | Wednesday, 5th November, 2025 |
| Exam Delivery End | Friday, 19th December, 2025 |
NMAT Exam Pattern 2025 (Overview)
| Particulars | Details |
| Exam Name | NMAT by GMAC |
| Conducting Body | GMAC |
| Exam Mode | Computer-Based Test (at test centres) & Online Proctored (from home) |
| Exam Window (Tentative) | October to December 2025 |
| Number of Questions | 108 |
| Number of Sections | 3 |
| Sections | Language Skills, Quantitative Skills, Logical Reasoning |
| Questions per Section | Language Skills – 36 Quantitative Skills – 36 Logical Reasoning – 36 |
| Total Duration | 120 minutes (2 hours) |
| Sectional Time Limit | 28 minutes (LS) 52 minutes (QS) 40 minutes (LR) |
| Marking Scheme | +1 for each correct answer and no negative marking |
| Score Range | 36 to 360 (scaled score) |
| Medium of Exam | English |
| Exam Frequency | Once per year |
NMAT Exam Pattern for Quantitative Skills
| Particulars | Details |
| Section Name | Quantitative Skills |
| Total Questions | 36 |
| Time Allotted | 52 minutes |
| Question Type | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) |
| Syllabus Coverage | Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Modern Math, Number System, Data Interpretation, Data Sufficiency |
| Difficulty Level | Moderate |
| Marking Scheme | +1 for each correct answer |
| Negative Marking | No negative marking |
NMAT Exam Pattern for Logical Reasoning
| Particulars | Details |
| Section Name | Logical Reasoning |
| Total Questions | 36 |
| Time Allotted | 40 minutes |
| Question Type | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) |
| Syllabus Coverage | Analytical Reasoning, Critical Reasoning, Coding-Decoding, Blood Relations, Directions, Series, Puzzles, Syllogisms, Statements & Assumptions, Course of Action |
| Difficulty Level | Moderate |
| Marking Scheme | +1 for each correct answer |
| Negative Marking | No negative marking |
NMAT Exam Pattern for Language Skills
| Particulars | Details |
| Section Name | Language Skills |
| Total Questions | 36 |
| Time Allotted | 28 minutes |
| Question Type | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) |
| Syllabus Coverage | Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, Grammar, Para Jumbles, Fill in the Blanks, Error Spotting, Sentence Correction, Analogies |
| Difficulty Level | Moderate |
| Marking Scheme | +1 for each correct answer |
| Negative Marking | No negative marking |
NMAT Exam Pattern 2025 – 20% Weightage
Aspirants must check the weightage and number of questions prescribed in the NMAT exam pattern. The language skills section comprises 36 questions across error identification, prepositions, reading comprehension, paraphrasing, sentence completion, and analogies. The Quantitative Skills section consists of 36 questions across arithmetic, number properties, algebra and probability, data integration graphs and charts, data integration caselets and tables, and Data Sufficiency. The Logical Reasoning Section comprises 36 questions across analytical puzzles, critical reasoning, deductions, and other reasoning.
NMAT Exam Pattern Total Questions
| Subject | Number of Questions |
| Language Skills | 36 questions |
| Quantitative Skills | 36 questions |
| Logical Reasoning | 36 questions |
| Total | 108 questions |
NMAT Exam Pattern 2025- Sectional Time Limit
The overall time allotted for the NMAT exam is 120 minutes, with each section comprising a fixed time limit. The duration for Language Skills, Quantitative Skills, and Logical Reasoning will be 28 minutes, 52 minutes, and 40 minutes, respectively. Thus, aspirants must build a strategy to attempt a maximum number of questions in the stipulated period.
NMAT 2025 Sectional Time Limit
| Subject | Duration |
| Language Skills | 28 minutes |
| Quantitative Skills | 52 minutes |
| Logical Reasoning | 40 minutes |
| Total | 120 minutes |
NMAT Exam Pattern 2025- Sectional Weightage
Candidates must also check the weightage of each section mentioned in the NMAT exam pattern 2025. Each section has an equal number of questions and marks in this entrance exam. The overall score range is between 36 and 360 across all three sections. Check the sectional weightage of the NMAT 2025 exam shared below for reference purposes:
NMAT Exam Pattern 2025 Total Marks
| Subject | Number of Questions | Score Range |
| Language Skills | 36 questions | 12-120 |
| Quantitative Skills | 36 questions | 12-120 |
| Logical Reasoning | 36 questions | 12-120 |
| Total | 108 questions | 36-360 |
Latest Changes in NMAT 2025 Exam – Competency Test – 50% Weightage
Competency Test Highlights
| Section | Total Number of Questions | Marks Awarded for Each Correct Answer | Negative Marking for Each Wrong Answer |
| VA | 9 | 4 | -1 |
| Mental | 6 | 4 | -1 |
| Managerial | 5 | 4 | -1 |
The NMAT selection process has undergone a few changes in recent years. Aspirants must stay updated with these latest changes to avoid any confusion later on. In brief, all the NMAT-qualified candidates will have to appear for the competency assessment test. Check the complete details below:
- The NMAT exam weightage has been reduced to 20%.
- The Competency Assessment has replaced the Written Aptitude Test (WAT) and Watson-Glaser test. It offers a focused evaluation of management program-relevant skills beyond general aptitude.
- The 3 sections of the competency test are – verbal ability, managerial ability and mental ability and there is no sectional time limit.
- In the verbal ability section, the major focus is on critical reasoning.
- The major focus on the mental ability section is on arrangement kind of sets.
- In the managerial ability you will be asked basic commerce fundamentals.
- The newly introduced NMIMS competency assessment holds a 50% weightage. It will be held for 45 minutes.
NMAT Marking Scheme 2025
Candidates are encouraged to attempt maximum questions in the NMAT entrance exam as there is no negative marking for wrong answers. Familiarity with the NMAT marking scheme will help them create a section-wise strategy to maximise their scores. Let’s discuss the updated marking scheme of the NMAT 2025 exam below:
- Each question in the NMAT exam carries certain marks.
- There is no negative marking for incorrect/wrong answers.
- No marks are deducted for unattempted/unanswered questions.
- The NMAT exam scorecard includes scaled section scores and a total score.
NMAT Exam Pattern 2025 PDF Download
You can download the detailed NMAT exam pattern by GMAC 2025 PDF to get the complete overview of the NMAT 2025 including the section-wise questions distribution, time limits, syllabus coverage as well as marking scheme. Having the NMAT exam pattern 2025 helps you plan your preparation more in a strategic manner and track the progress properly. The official NMAT resources have been released by GMAC, you can visit the official portal.
NMAT Exam Pattern vs CAT Exam Pattern
| Particulars | NMAT by GMAC | CAT (Common Admission Test) |
| Conducting Body | GMAC | IIMs |
| Exam Mode | Computer-Based & Online Proctored at Home | Computer-Based Test (at centres) |
| Exam Window | October to December (Tentative) | Usually held once in November (single-day exam) |
| Number of Questions | 108 | 68 |
| Number of Sections | 3 | 3 |
| Sections | Language Skills, Quantitative Skills, Logical Reasoning | VARC, DILR, QA |
| Questions per Section | 36 each | VARC – 24 DILR – 22 QA – 22 |
| Total Duration | 120 minutes | 120 minutes |
| Sectional Time Limit | LS – 28 mins QS – 52 mins LR – 40 mins | VARC – 40 mins DILR – 40 mins QA – 40 mins |
| Question Type | MCQs | MCQs & TITA (Type in the Answer) |
| Marking Scheme | +1 for correct answer and no negative marking | +3 for correct answers and -1 for incorrect MCQs |
| Score Range | 36–360 | 0–198 |
| Attempts Allowed | Up to 3 attempts | Only 1 attempt |
| Difficulty Level | Moderate | High |
NMAT Syllabus 2025
| Section | Key Topics |
| Language Skills | Reading Comprehension (RC), Vocabulary, Synonyms & Antonyms, Cloze Test, Para Jumbles, Sentence Completion, Fill in the Blanks, Error Detection, Grammar Usage, Analogies, Idioms & Phrases |
| Quantitative Skills | Arithmetic (Percentages, Profit & Loss, SI & CI, Time-Speed-Distance, Time & Work, Ratio & Proportion, Averages, Mixtures & Alligation), Algebra, Geometry, Mensuration, Number System, Modern Math (Progressions, Permutations & Combinations, Probability, Set Theory), Data Interpretation (Tables, Graphs, Charts), Data Sufficiency |
| Logical Reasoning | Analytical Reasoning, Critical Reasoning, Coding-Decoding, Blood Relations, Directions, Series, Puzzles, Syllogisms, Statements & Assumptions, Statements & Conclusions, Course of Action, Decision Making |
How to Register for NMAT 2025: Know Step-by-Step Process
Registering for the NMAT 2025 is a simple online process through the official GMAC portal. Follow the below-mentioned steps to complete your NMAT 2025 registration.
- Visit the official website of NMAT.
- Create an account/sign in:
- If you are a new user, click on “create account” and enter your basic details.
- Existing users can simply log in using their GMAC credentials.
- Fill in the NMAT Application Form:
- Enter all required information: academic, personal, and contact details correctly. Select the management schools you want your score to be sent to.
- Upload your recent passport-size photograph as per the specifications mentioned on the website.
- Choose the Exam Mode:
Select whether you want to take the NMAT exam at a test center or via the online proctored home-based option.
- Pay the NMAT Registration Fee, Rs. 3000/-, online.
- Schedule Your Exam:
- Once the NMAT registration fee is paid , you’ll receive a scheduling link. Use it to book your preferred exam date, time, slot, and location.
- Download the Admit Card:
- After scheduling, your admit card will be available for download within 24 hours. This is mandatory for appearing for the NMAT 2025 exam.
Top Colleges Accepting NMAT Scores
| S.No. | College Name |
| 1 | SVKM’s Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies |
| 2 | K. J. Somaiya Institute of Management |
| 3 | Indian School of Business (AMPBA) |
| 4 | S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research (GMP) |
| 5 | XIM University |
| 6 | Great Lakes Institute of Management |
| 7 | T.A. Pai Management Institute |
| 8 | SDA Bocconi Asia Center |
| 9 | ICFAI Business School |
| 10 | SOIL Institute of Management |
NMAT Exam Pattern: Section-Wise Preparation Strategy
Here are the section-wise preparation strategy for NMAT 2025:
- Language Skills Section: This section strengthens grammar as well as vocabulary skills along with the consistency of RCs practice.
- Quantitative Skills Section: This completely focuses on arithmetic as well as algebra focused with solving times practice sets regularly.
- Logical Reasoning Skills: With practice of pattern based questions and the puzzles helps to build speed as well as accuracy.
Conclusion: NMAT Exam Pattern 2025
Covering the NMAT exam pattern 2025 is very crucial for the students who are targeting NMIMS and other colleges who are accepting the NMAT scores. The information about the important NMAT exam dates, eligibility criteria, registration fees, section-wise preparation strategy and more are important to cover in detail.
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NMAT Exam Pattern 2025 – FAQs
The NMAT 2025 exam comprises a total of 108 questions. It involves sections like Language Skills, Quantitative Skills, and Logical Reasoning.
No. There is no negative marking for wrong/incorrect responses in the NMAT 2025 exam.
The overall test duration of NMAT 2025 is 120 minutes. The duration for Language Skills, Quantitative Skills, and Logical Reasoning will be 28 minutes, 52 minutes, and 40 minutes, respectively.
