MAT 2026: Your Complete Guide to India's Flexible MBA Entrance Exam (mat-exam)

Since 2026, the MAT, organized by the All India Management Association (AIMA), has provided candidates the opportunity to pursue India’s top MBA programs. For candidates looking for MAT exams for MBA, this examination opens the gates to more than 800 B-schools such as BIMTECH Greater Noida, JAGSoM Bangalore, and XIME Bangalore. Having 5 years of experience as a content writer, designing exam info as a blueprint towards achieving exam success, I designed this main page to include the fundamentals, the MAT MBA Syllabus, to MBA Colleges Accepting MAT Score and Top MBA Colleges Accepting MAT Score. For more precise information, look into the Syllabus, Results, and Dates tabs. MAT is conducted four times a year in February, May, September, and December. Candidates aiming for an elite admit can take target attempts, where achieving a score of 600+ is the goal. Looking to get started?

MAT 2026 Registration and Exam Overview

The MAT MBA entrance exam registration for February 2026 is expected to open in late January 2026 on mat.aima.in—fill the online form, pay INR 2,100 (or INR 3,600 for both PBT and CBT modes), and select up to five colleges for score sharing.

The exam consists of a 120-minute-long session in which a candidate is required to answer 150 questions, which are of multiple choice format and are split in to five different sections—Language Comprehension, Mathematical Skills, Data Analysis & Sufficiency, Intelligence & Critical Reasoning, and Indian & Global Environment. 

The exam does not have any sectional time limits. Each question answered correctly scores 1 point and each question answered incorrectly results in a score of 0.25 points. The exam is much easier than the CAT and suitable for working professionals. For more details, refer to the syllabus for topic coverage and the dates tab for the full schedule.

MAT 2026 Key Highlights

For a better Idea, use the table below, which outlines the most important elements of the mat exam for MBA in terms of eligibility and scoring.

Overview and Getting Started with MAT 2026

Attaining a score of over 600 (top 20th percentile) on the MAT exam will help in gaining admission to MBA colleges like PSGIM Coimbatore or IPE Hyderabad, which have average salaries between 7-10 LPA. Studying for the MAT exam is advantageous as it opens up career opportunities in finance, marketing, and HR. 

The MAT exam has no age limit and is available to all graduates, regardless of their field of study. Begin by taking a few mock exams, as the format of the exam is designed for evenly spaced preparation. The MAT syllabus for MBA is comprised of the fundamentals of the business and basic mathematics from grades 10-12, which is not challenging. Although the registration period is for 6 weeks, it is advised to do so as soon as possible as registration for later sessions is usually much longer.

What to Expect on the MAT 2026 Application Form

Completing the MBA MAT form is simple. Fill in personal details (name, date of birth, category), academic information (marks in 10th/12th/ graduation), work experience, and select five colleges from the AIMA list. You need to upload a photo in JPEG format (20-50 kB) and a signature (10-20 kB). Choose the test mode (PBT for pen and paper, CBT for online) and select up to three test cities. Payment through card or net banking is accepted, and keep in mind, the payment is NON-REFUNDABLE. You won’t have to look for a correction window, as there isn’t one—make sure you get it right the first time. Choose colleges based on the percentile you are targeting. The Full timelines are in the Dates tab.

MAT Exam Pattern 2026: A Sneak Peek

Forget your worries about the MAT MBA entrance exam pattern: it has 150 questions and lets you switch freely between 5 sections, and it is designed so you won’t need a calculator. In the Language sections, you will find RC and vocabulary questions. In the Mathematics section, you will encounter more arithmetic questions, and in the Data section, you will find chart and graph questions. The Reasoning section will contain puzzles and number series, while the Environment section will have General Knowledge questions that pertain to business news. The difficulty level is reasonable, so you will need to concentrate on speed to reach 120 questions. You are a lot better off compared to XAT because there is no essay writing. The more popular books that will help you prepare include RS Aggarwal (Quant) and Arun Sharma (LR). More detailed information is available in the Syllabus section on the website.

MAT Hall Ticket 2026: Download and Essentials

Admit cards are available 2-3 days before the exam (ex, the end of January for the February PBT exam) and include a login facility from mat.aima.in. This will generate a ticket containing your photo, the exam center (40+ cities), and the exam instructions. The ticket must be printed on A4 size, and you must carry your Aadhaar and PAN. You must be there at least 30 minutes before the exam starts: the PBT takes place with the use of a pen, and the CBT streamed exam requires a stable system on which you will police paper. You cannot enter with any gadgets: if you forget, you can use the ticket reset facility on your account to change your password. 

MAT 2026 Syllabus Snapshot

The mat syllabus for MBA is pretty basic. 

Language: Passages, idioms, grammar.

Math: Percentages, algebra, mensuration.

Data: Tables, pie charts, sufficiency.

Reasoning: Analogies, coding, assumptions.

Environment: Current affairs, economy, and awards. 

You can get a PDF from AIMA that contains more information. You will find preparation tips in the Syllabus section. 700+ scores are possible in 3 months of consistent study from the syllabus.

MAT 2026 Dates: Tentative Timeline

We will share the expected MAT exam dates: February PBT (early March), February CBT (late March), May (late May/early June), September (September 20/27), and December (early/mid-December). Results will be available 15-20 days after the exam. Direct CAP? No–colleges will be notified directly. A detailed calendar is available in the Dates tab.

MAT Result 2026: What to Expect

MAT scores (200-800 scale) will be available online after the exam, with scores 600+ likely to gain admission to the top MBA colleges accepting MAT scores. Scorecards can be downloaded from AIMA, which will be sent to your five chosen colleges. Cutoffs range 80 to 95 percentile for elite colleges. The next step in the admissions process is the GD/PI calls. For trends and processes, refer to the Results tab.

MAT 2026 Exam Day Guidelines

PBT: OMR sheet, black pen; CBT: Mouse only and no copy-paste, water is allowed but no other drinks, and submerged in a transparent pouch with the other documents. Mobiles and other notes are banned. Report 45 minutes for the biometrics, and no skipping is allowed. After the exam, self-score your mocks. It is designed to be taken multiple times, so no composure is required. Preparation Tips for Achieving Success in MAT 2026

Consider allocating 30% of your time for preparation to the Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation section, 25% for each of the Language Comprehension and Logical Reasoning sections, and 20% for the General Knowledge section. For preparation, use Norman Lewis for vocabulary, the Manorama Yearbook for General Knowledge, and the 20+ mock tests available from TIME and Career Launcher. Keep track of your weekly performance percentiles. Aim for at least 85% as a goal in each week. For any questions, visit the Pagalguy forums.

Why MAT for Your Future?

MAT MBA colleges can be found from metropolitan to Tier-2 cities, and the program costs between INR 5-15 lakhs. The ROI is phenomenal, with over 90% placement during and after the program. The exam is also score-inflation friendly as one can retake it. For the top MAT MBA colleges like SIES Mumbai or NDIM Delhi, all it takes is a strong profile to get in. Your MBA prep starts now!

This main page is designed for your MAT MBA prep. Other tabs provide additional features like the Syllabus for mastery, Results for action plans, and Dates for announcements. For questions, please comment below. Last updated October 4, 2025—please verify at mat.aima.in.