NMAT Exam Pattern 2025: Know Latest Pattern, Marking Scheme; Download PDF
NMAT exam pattern 2025 consists of 108 questions, which are equally divided into three sections: Language Skills, Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Skills. NMAT exam duration is 120 mins. NMAT marking scheme awards +3 for correct answers. There is no NMAT negative marking for wrong answers. Check section wise NMAT Pattern 2025, question topics and more details. The NMAT exam pattern 2025 PDF download link is also given below. The NMAT 2025 exam will be held from November 5 to December 19, 2025.
NMAT 2025 Overview
NMAT (NMAT by GMAC) is a national-level MBA entrance test that leads to admission in many top MBA colleges, including NMIMS Mumbai, TAPMI, XIMB, KJ Somaiya, and SDA Bocconi, among others. The NMAT exam is conducted by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), the body that also conducts the GMAT Exam across the world. Based on previous year’s trends, the NMAT 2025 exam will be held from November 5 to December 19, 2025.
What is the NMAT Exam Pattern?
NMAT Paper Pattern is similar to other exams like CAT and XAT, but NMAT has a lower difficulty level and does not have negative marking. The NMAT exam paper has 3 sections covering Language Skills, Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Skills. Based on the previous year’s trends, the NMAT exam pattern 2025 will have 108 questions, which are equally divided into three sections. The NMAT 2025 exam duration is 120 mins only. Check details in the table below.
NMAT 2025 Exam Pattern
| Exam Sections | Number of Questions | Allotted time in Minutes |
| Language Skills | 36 | 28 |
| Quantitative Skills | 36 | 52 |
| Logical Reasoning | 36 | 40 |
| Total | 108 | 120 |
What is NMAT Marking Scheme 2025?
The NMAT 2025 exam pattern follows a simple marking scheme. NMAT exam awards +3 marks for each correct answer. NMAT exam pattern negative marking is zero (0). There is also no negative marking for unattempted questions. This allows candidates to attempt questions without fear of losing marks. NMAT 2025 Marking Scheme is summarized below:
- Marks awarded for Correct Answer: +3
- Marks deducted for Incorrect Answer: None. (NMAT negative marking is not applicable).
- Marks deducted for Un-attempted Question: None. There is no penalty for un-attempted questions.
NMAT Total Marks
NMAT total marks are 360. Each section, Quantitative Skills, Language Skills, and Logical Reasoning, consists of 36 questions, each worth 120 marks.
NMAT Exam Pattern for Quantitative Skills
While the total number of questions that appear in a section is fixed, there are minor changes in the NMAT 2025 exam pattern for each day of the exam. Further, since NMAT is an “adaptive exam”, there are minor vvariationsin the topic-wise breakup of the questions asked to different students. Below is an overview of the NMAT exam pattern 2024, as reported by students on day 1 of the exam.
NMAT 2024 paper had 36 questions in the Quantitative Skills section. Out of these, 8 questions were on Data Interpretation, and 28 questions were on Mathematics (4 questions on Data Sufficiency). Out of the 28 questions on Mathematics, 8 questions were on Modern Math, 4 questions were on Numbers, 2 questions were on Algebra, and the rest were on Arithmetic. There were two setofon Data Interpretation. Both sets involved lengthy calculations. One set of 4 questions was on a caselet, and the other set of 4 questionswase on a combination of a bar graph and a line graph.
NMAT Exam Pattern and Questions Topics for Quantitative Skills
Mathematics (28 questions)
| Topic | Number of questions | Question Topics with Number of Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Arithmetic | 14 | Profit & Loss (3), Percentages (3), Ratio-Proportion (2), SICI (1), Averages (1), Calendars (1), Time & Work (1), Mixtures & Alligations (1), Time-Speed-Distance (1) |
| Modern Math | 8 | Permutation & Combination (3), Probability (3), Logarithms (2) |
| Algebra | 2 | Quadratic Equations |
| Numbers | 4 | Factors & Multiples |
Data Interpretation (8 questions)
| Topic | Number of questions |
|---|---|
| Caselet | 4 |
| Bar graph + Line graph | 4 |
NMAT Exam Pattern for Logical Reasoning
NMAT 2025 exam pattern for the logical reasoning section includes questions on Verbal Reasoning and Nonverbal Reasoning. NMAT Verbal reasoning part included topics such as Statement Assumption, Statement Conclusion, Course of Action, Syllogisms and Critical reasoning questions such as Inference, Main Point, and Strengthen the Argument. NMAT Nonverbal Reasoning past includes topics such as Puzzles, Arrangements, Coding, and Input-Output.
NMAT Exam Pattern and Questions Topics for Logical Reasoning
Verbal Reasoning (20 Questions)
| Topics | No of Questions |
|---|---|
| Implicit Statements (Assumption/Conclusion) | 3 |
| Strong argument/ Weak argument (1 paragraph – 3/4 arguments) | 2 |
| Course of Action | 2 |
| Decision Making | 2 |
| Critical Reasoning (Strengthen, Weaken, Assumption, Conclusion /Inference) | 8 |
| Syllogisms (3 statements) | 1 |
| Miscellaneous | 2 |
Non-verbal Reasoning (16 Questions)
| Topics | No of Questions |
|---|---|
| Linear Arrangement | Total 4 (A set of 4 questions) |
| Sequential Output | Total 8 (Two sets of 4 questions each) |
| Standalone questions (Logical Puzzles, Numerical puzzles, Venn Diagram) | 4 |
NMAT Exam Pattern for Language Skills
NMAT Exam Pattern for the language skills section includes 3 passages with 4 questions each. The passage’s word length is about 450-500 words. Based on the contents of the passage, question types included inference, tone and attitude, specific detail questions, and central idea. The topics/themes of RC passages include gene silencing, modern communication, and circadian rhythm.
Grammar and vocabulary questions inthe NMAT exam include questions on Spot the Error; Fill in the Blanks (single, double, prepositions-based); Sentence Completion, Jumbled Paragraphs; Word Analogies and similar topics.
NMAT Exam Pattern and Questions Topics for Language Skills
| Topics | No of Questions |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension (3 passages with 4 questions each) | 12 |
| Paragraph Jumbles (4/5 sentences) | 4 |
| Analogies | 5 |
| Fill in the Blanks (vocabulary-based, 2-blanks) | 2 |
| Fill in the blanks with 3 Prepositions | 5 |
| Spot the error in the underlined parts | 5 |
| Sentence Completion | 3 |
NMAT Exam Pattern 2025 PDF Download
You can download NMAT Exam Pattern PDF from the link below. NMAT 2025 exam pattern pdf contains the complete exam pattern. After downloading it, you can save it in your NMAT preparation folder and refer to it without wasting time.
NMAT Test Taking Tips
- Required Documents for NMAT Exam: Candidates must carry Primary ID, Secondary ID, Admit Card, and Confirmation Email. The admit card is stamped and must be retained for future attempts.
- Test Navigation & Completion: Candidates can choose the order of sections. If time runs out, a pop-up appears. The test can be ended anytime in the final section by clicking ‘End Test.’
- User Interface (UI): NMAT UI features three buttons – Help (instructions), Zoom (font size options), and Next (to proceed). No Flag for Review option is provided.
- Scrolling Required: Test-takers must scroll to the bottom of long text questions. If not, a pop-up alert appears stating, “Unseen Content.”
- Scorecard Display: At the end of the test, candidates receive a scorecard with Name, Test Date, GMAC ID, Registration ID, Section Scores (QS, LS, LR), and Total Score (36-360).
NMAT Exam Pattern Vs CAT & XAT: A Comparative Analysis
NMAT exam pattern, as compared tothe CAT and XAT, has many similarities. A comparative analysis of NMAT Vs CAT and NMAT Vs XAT is shared below:
NMAT V/s CAT Exam Pattern
| Component | NMAT Eam Pattern 2024 | CAT 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Total questions | 108 | 68 |
| The overall time limit to attempt the exam | 2 hours | 2 hours |
| Type of Questions | All MCQs | 48 questions are MCQs, Rest 18 Non-MCQs |
| Answer options for MCQs | 5 | 4 |
| Marks awarded for each correct answer | 1 | 3 |
| Negative marking | No negative marking | MCQs with 1/3 negative marking; No negative marking for Non-MCQs |
| Name of section-1 with number of questions | Language Skills (36 Questions) | Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (24 Questions) |
| Name of Section-2 with the number of questions | Logical Reasoning (36 Questions) | Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (20 Questions) |
| Name of Section-3 with the number of questions | Quantitative Skills (36 Questions) | Quantitative Ability (22 Questions) |
| Facility to choose the order of sections | Yes, but once chosen has to follow | No choice |
| Individual Sectional time limit | Yes, varying time limit of 28 minutes to 52 minutes | Each section with 40 minutes time limit |
CAT 2025 Exam Pattern
CAT Exam pattern is divided in three sections: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Ability. Each section can be further divided into sub-sections. Since CAT exam is held in three slots, there are minor changes in the exam pattern for each slot. Also, from year to year, there are minor changes in CAT pattern, but the overall structure has remained the same.
Overall, the exam pattern has become more focused on conceptual clarity, time efficiency, and reasoning ability. Over the last five years, the CAT pattern has undergone several notable changes in its pattern, number of questions, and difficulty level. Check key changes in exam pattern below.
1. Total Number of Questions:
- In 2019 and 2020, CAT had 100 questions (VARC: 34, DILR: 32, QA: 34).
- From 2021 onwards, the number of questions was reduced to 66 (VARC: 24, DILR: 20, QA: 22), making the test shorter but more intense.
- This pattern has continued through CAT 2023 and is expected to remain in CAT 2025.
2. Time Duration:
- Until 2019, CAT had a 3-hour duration (60 minutes per section).
- From 2020 onwards, the exam duration was reduced to 2 hours, with 40 minutes per section, which increased the pressure on time management.
3. Sectional Pattern & Difficulty Level:
- The VARC section has seen a greater emphasis on Reading Comprehension, with fewer Verbal Ability questions like Odd One Out and Para Summary.
- DILR has become more reasoning-focused, with tougher logic-based sets and fewer straightforward data interpretation questions.
- QA has shifted towards Arithmetic, making it more accessible for non-engineering background candidates.
4. Question Types – MCQ vs. TITA:
- The TITA (Type in the Answer) questions have fluctuated but generally make up 25-30% of the total paper.
- The number of MCQs has reduced, making the paper more unpredictable, as TITA questions do not have negative marking.
5. Slot-wise Variations & Normalization:
- Since CAT is conducted in multiple slots, the level of difficulty has varied across different slots, requiring score normalization to ensure fairness in percentile calculations.
CAT 2025 Exam pattern (expected) and CAT previous year paper pattern is given below.
NMAT Exam Pattern 2025 Vs XAT 2026
NMAT exam and XAT exam patterns have some similarities and a few differences. Check details in the table below.
| Component | NMAT Exam Pattern 2025 | XAT 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Total questions | 108 | 95 |
| OThe overalltime limit to attempt the exam | 2 hours | 3 hours |
| Type of questions | All MCQs | All MCQs |
| Answer options for each MCQ | 5 | 5 |
| Marks awarded for each correct answer | 1 | 1 |
| Negative marking | No negative marking | 75 MCQs with 1/4 negative marking; No negative marking for 25 MCQs on GK |
| Exam difficulty level | Moderate | High |
| Number of sections | 3 | 3 Main sections, 1 GK Sections |
| Section 1 and Number of questions | Language Skills-36 | Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning (VALR) – 26 |
| Section 2 and Number of questions | Logical Reasoning-36 | Decision Making (DM) – 21 |
| Section 3 and Number of questions | Quantitative Skills-36 | Quantitative Aptitude & Data Interpretation (QA & DI) – 28 |
| Section 4 and Number of questions | None | General Awareness – 20 MCQs |
| Facility to choose the order of sections | Yes, but once chosen has to follow | Any question from any section within the overall time limit of 170 mins for the first 3 sections. Then attempt the GK section. |
| Individual Sectional time limit | Yes, varying time limit of 28 minutes to 52 minutes | No |
| Top MBA colleges accepting exam scores | NMIMS, VIT, XIMB | XLRI, MICA, IMT, IMI, FORE, TAPMI, XIMB |
Conclusions
In conclusions, NMAT by GMAC Exam Pattern 2025 consists of 108 questions, equally distributed across three sections: Language Skills, Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Skills. NMAT by GMAC Pattern and syllabus is given above. Check section wise NMAT Exam Pattern 2025, question topics and above article.
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