CMAT is a national-level entrance exam conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admissions to management courses in AICTE-approved universities and institutes. It is typically conducted once a year, with recent exams shifting to January (e.g., CMAT 2026 was in January), though exact dates for CMAT 2027 will be announced by NTA (expected in the last week of January 2027 based on trends).
The CMAT exam consists of 100 multiple-choice questions across 5 sections, with 20 questions in each section. The total duration is 180 minutes, each question carries 4 marks, and there is -1 mark for each wrong answer (no penalty for unattempted questions). There is no sectional time limit, allowing flexible time management. Test takers generally have about 1.5–1.8 minutes per question on average.
In CMAT, the verbal section is named Language Comprehension. The marking scheme remains uniform across all sections.
Analysis of Language Comprehension Section
- Usually 1 RC passage (sometimes 2 short ones), with 2-6 questions per passage; passages are short to medium length.
- RC questions are of easy to moderate difficulty.
- Questions also cover vocabulary (synonyms, antonyms, contextual meanings), idioms/phrases, and similar concepts.
- Grammar-based questions (1-3) include error spotting, sentence correction, etc.
- 1-2 questions on parajumbles/sentence rearrangement and 1-2 on sentence completion/fill-in-the-blanks.
- Overall breakdown: Around 10-15 questions from RC and 5-10 from verbal ability/grammar/vocabulary.
- The section is generally easy to moderate in difficulty, with a focus on grammar and direct comprehension in recent years.
It is advisable to attempt at least 15-18 questions in this section with high accuracy. Avoid spending more than 35-40 minutes on Language Comprehension to leave sufficient time for other sections.
A strong vocabulary is essential to excel in CMAT Language Comprehension. Be well-versed with grammar fundamentals, and invest time in improving reading speed and comprehension skills through regular practice of passages, editorials, and vocabulary-building exercises.
Consistent practice with previous year papers and mocks will help you handle the mix of RC and verbal ability questions effectively. Good luck with your CMAT 2027 preparation!
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