Why are CMAT Exam Registrations Dropping?

CMAT registration numbers have fallen significantly in the last decade. In contrast, other exams like CAT and XAT have grown their registrations. This constant drop in number of candidates taking CMAT exam has had a negative impact on most Business Schools in India. This MBAUniverse.com analysis brings forth key facts, and key reasons for CMAT losing its credibility, resulting into drop in CMAT Registrations.

It may be noted that National Testing Agency (NTA) conducts CMAT on behalf of AICTE for admission to AICTE approved PGDM programmes in 1000 B-schools in India. CMAT 2024 registrations are closing on April 18, 20204.

Let’s now review key facts related to CMAT and other exams.

CMAT Vs CAT & XAT: Last 3 Years Registration Numbers
CMAT used to be the second largest MBA entrance test after CAT a few years ago when AICTE used to conduct it with up to 1.25 lakh candidates registering for the exam. However, its glory has faded after it was taken over by National Testing Agency (NTA) while registrations for other exams like CAT, XAT are consistently going up. Let us analyze the key facts:

Exam	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24
CAT	2.3 Lakhs	2.55 Lakhs	3.30 Lakhs
XAT	79,843	98,242	1.35 Lakhs
CMAT	71,490	58,956	75,209

Source: MBAUniverse.com Analysis

As is evident from the table above, while CAT and XAT numbers have grown significantly in last three years, CMAT registration numbers are virtually stagnant. 

Why CMAT Registrations are Dipping? Key Reasons
Let’s now analyze the key reasons behind the dip in CMAT registration numbers during last few years:

1. Uncertainty in Conduct of CMAT Exam
During last few years, NTA has been delaying the conduct of CMAT 2024 exam and has been refraining from announcing test date announcement for a long time. Last year also, NTA announced the CMAT 2023 exam date at the eleventh hour after consistent follow up by MBAUniverse.com. NTA has made it the practice not to announce the CMAT exam date while releasing the exam notification. This is not the first time that CMAT exam is delayed and is not announced. In 2023 and 2021 NTA created panic among the candidates with similar tactics:

CMAT Exam Year	CMAT Exam Date	CMAT Result Date
CMAT 2019	January 28, 2019	February 6, 2019
CMAT 2020	January 28, 2020	February 4, 2020
CMAT 2021	March 31, 2021	April 9, 2021
CMAT 2022	April 9, 2022	April 29, 2022
CMAT 2023	May 4, 2023	May 31, 2023
CMAT 2024	Exam Date Yet to be Announced	--

Read More: NTA delays CMAT 2024 Exam Date Announcement; Ministry of Education & AICTE Should Step In

2. NTA Not Following Best Practices like CAT/XAT
The dates for IIM CAT exam, XLRI-XAT and other exams are announced along with the release of their notification many months before the exam. NTA, however, remains shy of announcing the CMAT exam date in its notification nor has announced it so far, even after its registration process is going to close soon. During the last few years, CMAT exam has consistently been delayed. Surprisingly, no other national level MBA entrance exam, delays or changes its exam date even if the registration is extended for them. Let’s review CMAT exam date announcement Vs other exams:

MBA entrance Exam	CAT	XAT	CMAT
Notification Release	July last week (July 30/31) every year	July 3rd Week	Jan/Feb/March (Unpredictable)
Exam Date Announcement	July last week/August first week	July 3rd week	Just a few days before the exam date
Change in Exam Date	No Change, Fixed as Last Sunday of November	No Change, Fixed as the first Sunday of January	Changed every year without any prior announcement
Latest Exam Dates for Admission 2024	November 26, 2023	January 7, 2024	Not Yet Announced; Expected in May 2024
Last Year Admission 2023 Exam Date	November 27, 2022	January 8, 2023	May 4, 2023
Trends in Registrations	Consistently going up. 3.30 lakhs registered for CAT 2023	Consistently going up. 1.35 lakhs applied for XAT 2024	Gone down during last three years from 1+ lakh to 50-60 thousand

A few years back, when AICTE used to conduct CMAT twice a year, its dates were fixed as the exam was held in February and September every year. But after the reins of CMAT were handed over to the National Testing Agency (NTA), the CMAT has become an unpredictable exam

3. CMAT 2024 Discouraging Aspirants from Applying for CMAT
Delay in CMAT exam is adversely impacting the aspirants’ preparation plan as they are not aware about the date and time for CMAT exam and have to keep on hold their admission plans. Due to all this delay, CMAT aspirants who wish to apply and explore MBA/PGDM admission 2024 in AICTE approved B-schools are unable to figure out their admission chances. Candidates who have applied to appear in CMAT 2024 are in a dilemma now and are worried on following counts:

• What will happen due to a delayed CMAT 2024 exam?
• Since most top PGDM colleges accepting CMAT score like Great Lakes, GIM, K J Somaiya, IMT, Welingkar among hundreds of others close their admission process by the time CMAT exam is held and result is declared, how the candidates would apply for admission.
• If the candidates miss the opportunity, they will lose one precious year and next year many questions would come up about their loss of one year in getting admission.

4. Top PGDM Colleges Drop CMAT Scores from their Admission Process
Most of the top PGDM colleges accepting CMAT score close their admission process in March/April and commences session in June/July. With CMAT exam date not available, how these institutes like Great Lakes, GIM, K J Somaiya, Welingkar, IMT Nagpur, BIMTECH and hundreds of others, will accommodate the candidates as they have announced to commence their academic session in June/July 2024. They can neither keep their admission process open indefinitely nor can close it as they have to accept CMAT score. These B-schools have to follow AICTE guidelines for admissions and session commencement also, but are unable to decide when to conduct PI round based on CMAT score and how much delay will be caused in their academic session commencement for 2024-26 batch.

As such some of the top MBA colleges have dropped or have changed their CMAT score accepting criteria as below:

MBA/PGDM College Offering AICTE Approved Program	Announcement Made Dropping CMAT 2024 for Admission 2024
Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai	For PGDM 2024 Intake, Great Lakes Institute of Management will accept scores of GMAT taken after 1st January 2021, CAT taken in 2022/2023, XAT taken in 2023/2024 or CMAT taken in 2023. CMAT 2024 Scores will only be accepted if CMAT results are declared before the final admission deadline.
Goa Institute of Management (GIM) Goa	GIM admissions committee has decided that CMAT Exam scores will not be considered for admissions to the Batch of 2024-26

Read More: Why Are Top MBA Colleges Dropping CMAT?

5. NTA Creating Confusion due to Bizarre Changes in CMAT
NTA also makes bizarre changes in the CMAT exam every now and then, with anomaly of information between NTA CMAT official website and in the notification released by it. All this puts CMAT aspirants and CMAT score accepting top PGDM institutes in a dilemma as the inordinate delay will cause adverse impact on various admission activities, and the students may find it difficult to find admission opportunity with their CMAT score in one of the top B-schools as the admission process will be closed by then.

To revive the pristine glory of CMAT exam, both AICTE and NTA must work together and need to follow a transparent approach. If CAT 2023 and XAT 2024 could be conducted hassle free on time even during the Covid times, CMAT 2024 can also be conducted in time to save the candidates as well as the B-schools from any admission related or delayed session commencement problem.

Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more updates on CMAT 2024