MAT 2026: Exam Date, Feb Session Registration (Ongoing), Eligibility, Syllabus, and More

The exam dates for MAT 2026 are scheduled on 1st March 2026 (PBT mode) and 8th March 2026 (CBT mode). The registrations for the MAT 2026 has started for both PBT and CBT modes. Students can fill-in the application form till 23rd February 2026 (for PBT mode) and 2nd March 2026 (for CBT mode). Moreover, every year, AIMA conducts the MAT exam in four sessions..

The Management Aptitude Test is commonly known as MAT which is a National-level entrance examination for MBA and Allied Programmes. The exam is conducted by AIMA i.e., the All India Management Association.

This article comprises all the MAT 2026 updates including the information regarding exam schedule, eligibility criteria, registration, syllabus, exam pattern, test centres, results, cut-off, selection process, and more.

Management Aptitude Test (MAT) is a National-Level entrance exam which is conducted in four sessions every year which are in February, May, September, and December. To register for the September session, students can visit the official website of MAT 2026 that is ‘mat.aima.in’.

There are multiple modes available for the MAT exam such as CBT (Computer-based Test), and PBT (Paper-based Test). Students can attempt the MAT exam as PBT or CBT or PBT + CBT. The registration deadlines and exam dates for available modes are different.

Refer to the below-given table that includes the major highlights of MAT 2026 exam for September session:

MAT 2026 which will be conducted in September has a specific schedule for all available exam modes. The below-given table contains the information regarding MAT 2026 exam dates & schedule for related important events:

Aspirants who are looking forward to getting admissions in MBA and allied Management programs in the top Universities & educational Institutions through the MAT scores must know that they need to satisfy the exam eligibility criteria before registration.

As per the MAT Eligibility Criteria 2026, the candidates must have qualified Graduation in any stream. Moreover, there is no minimum or maximum age limit prescribed by the authorities to apply for the exam.

* The students who are pursuing their final year of Graduation degree and those awaiting results can also apply for MAT 2026.

Check: MAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria

For MAT Registration 2026 (February session), the students need to register and fill the application forms before the specified last dates. The last date to register / apply for PBT is 23^rd February 2026. For CBT, the registration deadline is 2^nd March 2026. The exam for all sessions i.e., CBT and PBT will be conducted on different dates.

To register for any of the sessions mentioned above, the students must visit the official website and follow the registration / application process as specified. Moreover, the registration fee of Rs. 2200/- needs to be paid by the candidates. However, the fee is Rs. 3800/- if any aspirant wants to appear for two modes.

* Applicants who have opted for additional test will be benefitted with the option for sending their MAT scores to 2 extra Management Institutions instead of 5.

Check: MAT 2026 Registration

Aspiring students are suggested to go through the entire MAT Syllabus 2026 to understand the complexity of the entrance test. According to the MAT syllabus, it includes five major sections / subjects in which there are various important topics. The sections of the MAT Syllabus are listed below:

• Language Comprehension
• Intelligence & Critical Reasoning
• Mathematical Skills
• Data Analysis & Sufficiency
• Economic & Business Environment

Check: MAT 2026 Syllabus

The MAT Exam Pattern 2026 for all the sessions will comprise 5 sections including Language Comprehension, Intelligence & Critical Reasoning, Mathematical Skills, Data Analysis & Sufficiency, and Economic & Business Environment. As per the paper pattern, all the five sections will include 30 questions each which will make a total of 150 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) in the whole exam paper.

The candidates will get 120 minutes (2 hours) to answer all 150 questions from five sections included in the MAT exam. Regarding the marking criteria, the students will get 1 mark for every correct answer. Moreover, there will be -0.25 negative marking for wrong-answered questions.

* In case the number of seats for the students opting for CBT mode is limited in any city then, such applicants will be allowed to attempt the MAT entrance test via paper-based mode.

Note: Appearing candidates can switch between the questions & sections, and also change the marked answers, if required. Additionally, there is no section-wise time limit for answering the questions.

Check: MAT 2026 Exam Pattern

The MAT Admit Card 2026 will be released by the authorities on the official website. Students need to know that the MAT Admit Cards will be released specifically for the modes such as PBT and CBT mode. Applicants will be able to check and download their exam Admit Card 3 days before the exam day. For PBT, the authorities will release the MAT admit card 2026 on 26th February 2026. Whereas, for CBT, it will be issued on 5th March 2026.

To download the hall ticket, candidates can visit the Applicant Dashboard. Each Admit Card will contain crucial details such as student’s name, roll number, test time, test date, the exam centre / test centre, etc.

* The Admit Card will not be sent by the authorities personally to candidates on mail or through post.

The exam centres are the test cities where the authorities will conduct the MAT 2026 exam. Students need to list their preferred exam centres while filling the application form. For MAT 2026 Paper Based Test – PBT and Computer Based Test – CBT, the exam centres will be different.

Before selecting the preferred test centre, students must check the below-given table which comprises the list of MAT Exam Centres 2026 for all the test modes:

For PBT mode

 The following table comprises the test centres for the MAT 2026 exam for PBT mode:

For CBT mode

The below-outlined table contains the MAT 2026 exam centres for CBT mode:

The aspirants of the MAT exam need to prepare effectively for the exam in order to obtain the desired scores and ultimately attain admission in their desired Institute or University. The students can refer to the below-mentioned tips for their MAT Preparation 2026:

• Refer to the best study resources and make a preparation strategy accordingly.
• Check the exam syllabus and pattern in order to clearly understand the type of questions, weightage of every section, etc.
• For effective exam preparation, create a study schedule and allot time to all the sections of the MAT syllabus.
• Solve the previous year question papers of the MAT exam in order to understand what kind of questions can be expected for the actual paper.
• Enhance the time management skills as the students will get only 120 minutes to solve 150 questions of the MAT 2026 exam paper.

The authorities have prescribed some guidelines for MAT 2026 which students need to follow who are planning to appear for the exam. The exam-day instructions include:

• Students are required to report to their allotted exam centre / test centre at least 90 minutes prior the time of the commencement of the MAT 2026 exam. Entry inside the test centre will be allowed only 30 minutes before the exam timing.
• On the exam day, candidates must carry with them a printed copy of their Admit Card, and a valid ID proof.
• Applicants need to bring their own writing material such as black / blue ballpoint pen; exchanging of material inside the exam hall is not allowed.
• Devices such as mobile phones, calculators, smart watches, or any other electronic gadgets are strictly prohibited to carry inside the examination hall.
• Students need to stay inside the test room until the exam time gets completed; they will not be allowed to leave the examination hall without the permission of the invigilator.
• In case candidates are found to be involved in unfair practices such as impersonation / cheating / talking with the fellow applicants then, their candidature shall be cancelled. Also, legal action can be taken against such students.
• Aspirants who have applied for the PBT mode will be given an OMR sheet & a question booklet containing the rough sheet. No other sheets will be provided for rough work.
• Appearing candidates are not allowed to scribble / tear / crumble the question booklet & the OMR sheet. Also, they are not allowed to carry the same outside the exam hall or else, criminal / civil proceedings will be initiated against them.
• In the rare and unlikely event of a technical failure during the test, the candidate may be required to attempt the test again.
• Students who are appearing for the exam via CBT mode will be provided blank sheets for rough work, if required. In case of technical failure, the applicants may have to attempt the entrance test again.

* There are separate and more specific guidelines prescribed by the authorities for the Paper Based Test (PBT) and the Computer Based Test (CBT) of MAT 2026; students need to visit the official website to go through such instructions in detail.

The MAT Sample Papers are the past year question papers which the aspiring students can download and solve in order to make their preparation more effective. The MAT Previous Year Question Papers need to be downloaded by the candidates in order to practise with the same. The students can also visit the official website to check the previous year papers uploaded by the exam authorities. 

Practising with the previous year papers can benefit the candidates in enhancing their understanding of the exam and the overall paper pattern including the MAT exam marking scheme. It also assists the students with analysing where they are doing their best and in which section they need to make improvement.

Mock tests are designed to make the students’ exam preparation better and to boost their confidence level. Candidates are suggested to attempt the MAT Mock Test 2026 in order to enhance their time management skills as the mock tests are designed as a replica of the actual exam day experience.

Taking the mock tests for the MAT exam can also allow the students to analyse their preparation level for the exam and their strengths & weaknesses related to the same. It aids the students in improving their exam preparation and in enhancing their chances of scoring well in the MAT 2026 exam.

The MAT Result 2026 will be released by the conducting authority after the completion of the exam. The MAT 2026 results for all the exam modes such as CBT and PBT will be released together on the exam’s official website i.e., ‘mat.aima.in’.

Once the results are out, candidates can visit the official website and download the scorecard by entering their login credentials (User ID & Password) on the dashboard. The MAT exam results will be in the form of percentile which will be reflected on the scorecard; it will also indicate whether the student has passed the exam or not.

* It is to be noted that the validity of the MAT 2026 scores is 1 year. Also, if the candidates have attempted the test multiple times then the best score out of all the attempts will be considered.

The MAT Cut Off 2026 list will be released after the exam; it will reflect the minimum marks / percentile candidates need to score in order to pass the MAT 2026 exam. The participating Institutes will release their cut-off lists separately and the admissions in the particular MBA programs will be based on the same along with considering other parameters.

The educational Institutions will release the cut-off lists for the MAT 2026 exam on their official websites. Students are advised to visit the official website of the respective Institute to check the list and ensure whether they are eligible for admission or not.

The MAT Counselling Process 2026 will be started once the exam results are released by the authorities. AIMA, the conducting body of MAT will not be responsible for the counselling / selection process. Instead, it will be done by the Participating Institutes of the MAT exam 2026.

MAT Seat Allotment 2026 is an important part of the counselling process as the students are allotted seats in different Colleges for their chosen programs. The seat allotment will be done after the cut-off lists will be released by the Institutes individually. Students who clear the cut-off can attain seats in the opted Institutes / Universities after going through their further admission process.

The MAT 2026 score has wide acceptability as the Management Institutes / Universities across the country offer admission in the MBA and allied programs through this entrance test. The authorities of the exam i.e., AIMA have listed the participating Institutes / Universities under the zones such as East, North, South, West.

As per these, some of the MAT Participating Colleges 2026 / participating Universities include:

* There are many more participating Institutes / Universities under each zone. Students can visit the official website to check the detailed list of the same.

Check: Colleges Accepting MAT