CMAT 2027 is scheduled for February 7, 2027, as per the NTA examination calendar. The exam will be held in CBT mode for 180 minutes.
The paper will have 100 questions carrying 400 marks, divided equally across five sections.
Under the CMAT 2027 marking scheme, a correct answer earns 4 marks, while an incorrect response results in a 1-mark deduction.
Unattempted questions carry no marks. This makes accuracy important because four wrong answers can reduce the score by 4 marks, equivalent to losing one correct answer.
CMAT 2027 Marking Scheme at a Glance
Check the overview of the CMAT marking scheme shared below;
| Particular | CMAT 2027 Details |
| Exam mode | Computer-Based Test (CBT) |
| Exam duration | 180 minutes |
| Total questions | 100 |
| Maximum marks | 400 |
| Number of sections | 5 |
| Marks per question | 4 marks |
| Correct answer | +4 marks |
| Incorrect answer | -1 mark |
| Unattempted question | 0 marks |
| Question paper language | English |
| Section-wise questions | 20 |
| Maximum marks per section | 80 |
CMAT 2027 Section-Wise Marks Distribution
Each section contains 20 questions. Since every question carries 4 marks, every section contributes a maximum of 80 marks to the overall score.
| CMAT Section | Questions | Marks per Question | Maximum Marks |
| Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation | 20 | 4 | 80 |
| Logical Reasoning | 20 | 4 | 80 |
| Language Comprehension | 20 | 4 | 80 |
| General Awareness | 20 | 4 | 80 |
| Innovation & Entrepreneurship | 20 | 4 | 80 |
| Total | 100 | — | 400 |
This structure means that no single section accounts for more than 20% of the total questions or maximum score.
How CMAT 2027 Marks Are Calculated
The final score depends on the number of correct and incorrect responses.
CMAT score = (Correct answers × 4) – (Incorrect answers × 1)
Unattempted questions are not included in either part of the calculation.
For example:
| Correct | Incorrect | Unattempted | Score |
| 80 | 10 | 10 | 310 |
| 70 | 15 | 15 | 265 |
| 75 | 5 | 20 | 295 |
| 60 | 20 | 20 | 220 |
| 50 | 10 | 40 | 190 |
The table shows why the number of correct answers alone does not determine the final score. Incorrect attempts also affect the total through negative marking.
CMAT Negative Marking 2027
CMAT has a -1 marking rule for every wrong answer. A candidate therefore needs to consider the probability of getting a question right before making a blind attempt.
For instance, if a candidate answers 10 questions incorrectly, 10 marks are deducted. If the candidate gets 10 questions right, those responses add 40 marks.
The combined effect is:
- 10 correct = +40 marks
- 10 incorrect = -10 marks
- Net score = 30 marks
So, 20 attempted questions can contribute either positively or negatively depending on accuracy.
What Happens If You Leave a CMAT Question Unanswered?
An unanswered question carries 0 marks. There is no penalty for leaving a question blank.
For example, if a candidate has:
- 65 correct answers
- 10 incorrect answers
- 25 unattempted questions
The score will be:
65 × 4 = 260
10 × 1 = 10 deducted
Final score = 250 marks
The 25 unattempted questions neither add nor subtract marks.
CMAT Score Examples Based on Accuracy
Accuracy can create a sizeable difference even when two candidates attempt a similar number of questions.
| Attempted | Correct | Incorrect | Score |
| 100 | 100 | 0 | 400 |
| 100 | 90 | 10 | 350 |
| 90 | 80 | 10 | 310 |
| 80 | 70 | 10 | 270 |
| 80 | 60 | 20 | 220 |
| 70 | 60 | 10 | 230 |
| 60 | 50 | 10 | 190 |
For example, attempting 80 questions with 70 correct answers gives 270 marks. Reducing the correct responses to 60 while increasing wrong answers to 20 brings the score down to 220 marks, even though both candidates attempted 80 questions.
Does CMAT Have Sectional Negative Marking?
The negative marking rule applies to each incorrect response. Since every section contains 20 questions and each wrong answer costs 1 mark, the maximum negative impact from getting all 20 questions in a section wrong is 20 marks.
At the same time, scoring all 20 questions correctly gives 80 marks.
Therefore, within a single section:
- Best possible score: +80
- Penalty from 20 incorrect answers: -20
The difference between these two outcomes is 100 marks at the section level.
What If the CMAT Answer Key Is Changed?
The score calculation can be affected if NTA changes an answer after the answer-key challenge process.
If a question has multiple correct options or the final answer key is changed, marks are awarded according to the revised answer key. Candidates who selected the answer considered correct under the revised key receive the applicable marks.
This means the provisional answer key should not always be treated as the final basis for calculating the score.
What If a CMAT Question Is Dropped?
If a question is removed because of a technical error, full marks are awarded to all candidates for that question, regardless of whether they attempted it.
Therefore, a dropped question is treated differently from an unanswered or incorrectly answered question.
The distinction is:
| Situation | Score Treatment |
| Correct response | +4 marks |
| Incorrect response | -1 mark |
| Not attempted | 0 marks |
| Question dropped due to technical error | Full marks to all candidates |
| Revised answer key | Marks based on the final/revised key |
CMAT 2027 Exam Pattern and Its Link With Marking
CMAT 2027 will test candidates across five areas:
- Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation
- Logical Reasoning
- Language Comprehension
- General Awareness
- Innovation and Entrepreneurship
There are 20 questions in each area, giving a total of 100 questions. With 4 marks assigned to every question, the paper carries 400 marks.
The complete paper is to be attempted within 180 minutes, and the question paper will be available in English only.
How to Avoid Losing Marks in CMAT 2027
The -1 penalty makes accuracy a key part of score management. A practical approach is to:
- Attempt questions where the answer can be identified with reasonable confidence.
- Avoid random guessing when there is no clear basis for selecting an option.
- Recheck calculation-based questions before submitting them.
- Keep track of accuracy instead of focusing only on the number of attempts.
- Use the 180-minute window according to your strengths across the five sections.
- Leave doubtful questions temporarily if they are consuming too much time.
- Return to marked questions after completing the questions you can solve confidently.
Conclusion
The CMAT 2027 marking scheme is straightforward: +4 for a correct answer, -1 for an incorrect answer and 0 for an unanswered question. With 100 questions carrying 400 marks, accuracy can have a direct impact on the final score.
Candidates preparing specifically around the scoring pattern can use the MBA Karo CMAT Course to practise section-wise questions, improve accuracy and work on mock-test performance.
A focused preparation plan can help candidates make better use of the 180-minute exam window without taking unnecessary risks on low-confidence questions.
