Yes, the score of 220 is good and competitive for NMAT 2026, but is 220 a safe score for all colleges? As per the expert analysis, the score of 220 lies in the lower end of the 220-240 score bracket.
At this level, candidates may have a fair shot at several good NMAT-accepting colleges. However, aiming higher at 225-230+ can be advantageous for those targeting institutes with higher expected cutoffs.
In the case of NMAT 2026, the more relevant question than “is 220 a good score?” is “is 220 a safe score given the expected cutoff of the college one wants to target?”
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Is 220 a Good NMAT Score 2026?
An NMAT score of 220 can be considered a good score for candidates eyeing a wide range of colleges that accept NMAT scores.
However, 220 should not be considered an ideal score to stop preparing for NMAT, as per expert opinion.
The experts suggest that since there are a number of colleges with expected cutoffs in the 220-225 range, aspirants must understand that a score of 220 is a competitive score and not a safe score.
| NMAT 2026 College | Expected Cutoff | How 220 Compares |
| K J Somaiya Institute of Management, Mumbai | 220–230+ | At the lower end of the expected range |
| T A Pai Management Institute (TAPMI), Manipal | 220–225 | Meets the expected cutoff range |
| SDA Bocconi Asia Centre, Mumbai | 210–220+ | Meets the expected range |
| Xavier University Bhubaneswar | 220–225+ | At the lower end of the expected range |
| Great Lakes, Chennai & Gurgaon | 220–225+ | At the lower end of the expected range |
Our expert opinion: While a score of 220 keeps several colleges on the table, candidates must understand that this score will not be a safe score for all colleges.
Hence, aspirants must either prepare to aim higher or prepare to compete harder if they wish to target colleges with expected cutoffs of 220+.
What does a 220 score in NMAT mean?
As per the analysis done by our expert, an approximate percentile for the score band of 220-240 falls between 77th-94th percentile.
Our expert analysis highlights that the score of 220 falls at the start of this competitive band. Thus, this score is substantially better than a score between 200-219.
However, there is a noticeable jump in percentile between the scores of 220-229 and 230-239.
An interpretation of the score bands is highlighted below:
| NMAT Score | Approx. Percentile Range | MBA KARO Expert Interpretation |
| 200–219 | 50th–76th | Borderline/transition zone |
| 220–229 | 77th–85th | Competitive shortlist zone |
| 230–239 | 85th–94th | Stronger competitive band |
| 240+ | 94th+ | High-score zone |
Note: These are the expert approximated percentiles and not an officially published percentile.
Which colleges can one target with a 220 score?
A score of 220 is particularly relevant for those targeting institutes with an expected cutoff in the range of 220-225. Look at NMAT-accepting colleges that can be targeted with a score of 220:
T A Pai Management Institute (TAPMI)
TAPMI’s expected cutoff for NMAT 2026 is 220-225. Thus, a score of 220 in NMAT 2026 would be right at the lower end of the expected cutoff.
Expert opinion: While a score of 220 would keep TAPMI on the table, it would be safer to aim for a 225+ if one wishes to increase the chances of selection.
K J Somaiya Institute of Management
The expected cutoff of K J Somaiya for NMAT 2026 is 220-230+. Thus, a score of 220 would be on the lower end of the expected NMAT cutoff.
Expert opinion: A score of 220 would be considered a good but borderline score for K J Somaiya. Hence, if K J Somaiya happens to be one’s priority institute, a score of 220 must not be considered a safe score.
Xavier University Bhubaneswar
Xavier University Bhubaneswar’s expected cutoff for NMAT 2026 is 220-225+. Thus, a score of 220 would be right at the lower end of the expected cutoff.
Expert opinion: As with K J Somaiya, a similar expert opinion applies for Xavier University Bhubaneswar. That is, a score of 220 would be considered a competitive score and not a safe score for Xavier University Bhubaneswar.
Great Lakes
Great Lakes Chennai & Gurgaon’s expected cutoff for NMAT 2026 is 220-225+. Hence, similar to the institutes mentioned above, a score of 220 would be right at the lower end of the expected cutoff.
Expert opinion: A score of 220 can be considered competitive for Great Lakes but one might want to aim higher if one expects the cutoff to rise past 220.
SDA Bocconi Asia Center
SDA Bocconi Asia Center does not publish an official cutoff for NMAT. However, a good score for this institute usually falls anywhere between 210-220+.
Expert opinion: While the score of 220 would be a good score for this institute, it is always advisable to consider one’s overall profile before applying.
Is 220 a safe score for NMAT 2026?
While a score of 220 can be considered good by several colleges, one must not consider it to be a safe score.
This is evident by the comparison of the score of 220 with the expected cutoff of the colleges mentioned below:
- TAPMI – 220 fits within the expected cutoff range
- SDA Bocconi Asia Centre – 220 fits within the expected cutoff range
- K. J. Somaiya Institute of Management – 220 falls at the lower end of the expected cutoff
- Xavier University Bhubaneswar – 220 falls at the lower end of the expected cutoff
- Great Lakes – 220 falls at the lower end of the expected cutoff
The score of 220 is good; it must not be considered a safe score. It must instead be used as a competitive score with room for improvement.
As such, if one’s target list of colleges consists of institutes with expected cutoffs ranging from 220-225+ or 220-230+, it would be better to aim for 225-230+ than to stop at 220.
220 vs 230 vs 240 in NMAT 2026
The difference between the scores of 220, 230, and 240 in NMAT 2026 is that each score places the candidate in a different percentile band:
| Score | Approx. Percentile Band | Expert Interpretation |
| 220 | 77th–85th | Good competitive score; several options remain open |
| 230 | 85th–94th | Stronger position with a larger cutoff buffer |
| 240 | Around 94th percentile | High-score zone for competitive NMAT programmes |
Expert opinion: According to our expert opinion, the score of 240-241 falls around the 94th percentile. Thus, moving from 220 to 230 and 240 can put a candidate in a substantially better percentile band as compared to the analysed percentile bands.
Should you stop preparing after scoring 220?
A candidate shouldn’t stop preparing for NMAT after scoring 220 if their target institutes have expected cutoffs above 220.
The score of 220 is already quite a competitive score. At this point, the candidate must not focus on how much they can improve but instead on how they can utilise this competitive score to improve their overall percentile.
Experts recommend that one focus on the following areas:
- Reducing avoidable errors
- Balancing out sections
- Learning to skip time-consuming questions
- Improving accuracy
- Tracking performance across mocks
- Working towards getting scores of 225-230+
Key takeaway: The aim must not be to get a single mock score of 220 but instead to get consistent mock scores of 220 or higher. For example, a candidate scoring 220-225 is at a better position as compared to a candidate scoring 205-220.
What should one do if their NMAT mock score is 220?
If one’s latest NMAT mock score is 220, they must take a step back and analyse this score before taking another mock.
One must track the following aspects:
| What to Analyse | Why It Matters |
| Overall score | Shows your current score band |
| Sectional scores | Identifies an unbalanced section |
| Incorrect answers | Helps identify accuracy issues |
| Avoidable mistakes | Shows marks that can be recovered |
| Difficult questions taking too much time | Helps improve question selection |
At a score of 220, it would be counterproductive to study new topics. Instead, one must focus on improving their performance in one’s weakest section and converting avoidable mistakes into correct answers.
What is the next target after 220 in NMAT?
One’s next target after a score of 220 should be a score of 225 followed by a score of 230, and finally a score of 240. This is because of the following reasons:
- At this point, 220 is already a good score, and one should focus on utilising this score to improve their percentile.
- Getting a score of 225 would make one better prepared for NMAT 2026.
- A score of 230 would put one in a stronger percentile band than a score of 220.
- A score of 240 would place one at around the 94th percentile, according to the analysis.
However, it must be noted that one’s target should depend on the colleges they wish to apply to as well as how much effort they can put in.
Our Expert Verdict: Is 220 a good score in NMAT?
Yes, a score of 220 can be considered good for NMAT 2026. However, one must not consider it to be a safe score. At 220, one is already competing at the lower end of the 220-240 score bracket.
Thus, this score can be considered good for colleges like TAPMI, SDA Bocconi Asia Centre, Xavier University Bhubaneswar, Great Lakes, and K. J. Somaiya Institute of Management.
However, for institutes with expected cutoffs extending to 225+, 230+, and beyond, one would need a score higher than 220 to stand a better chance against other candidates.
Our expert recommendation: If one is already scoring 220 in mocks, they must not restart their preparation afresh. They must utilise the score to determine where the next 10-20 marks can come from and focus on getting consistent mock scores of 225-230+.
Conclusion
A score of 220 in NMAT 2026 can be considered good; however, the college-wise expected cutoff data highlights that this score will not be good enough for all colleges.
While a score of 220 can get one shortlisted at institutes like TAPMI and SDA Bocconi Asia Centre, it will only get one competitive admission at institutes like K. J. Somaiya, Xavier University Bhubaneswar, and Great Lakes.
Thus, if one is already scoring 220 in NMAT mocks, it would be better to utilise this score to determine how one can improve rather than to stop preparing for NMAT.
In other words, if one wishes to improve their percentile, they can utilise a score of 220 as a base to target a score of 225-230+.
To improve from 220 to 230+ in NMAT with expert guidance, consider MBA KARO NMAT Online Coaching.
FAQs
Q. Is 220 a good score in NMAT 2026?
A. Yes, a score of 220 can be considered good for NMAT 2026 as it falls within the competitive 220-240 score band. Moreover, a score of 220 has the potential to get one shortlisted at several good NMAT-accepting institutes.
Q. What percentile is 220 in NMAT?
A. According to the expert analysis, 220 falls approximately between the 77th-85th percentile band. This is an estimated percentile and not an officially published percentile.
Q. Is 220 enough for TAPMI?
A. Yes, a score of 220 can be considered sufficient for TAPMI as the expected cutoff for TAPMI falls between 220-225 for NMAT 2026. However, if one wishes to increase their chances of selection, one can aim to score higher within this range.
Q. Is 220 enough for K J Somaiya?
A. A score of 220 can be considered sufficient for K J Somaiya, as the expected cutoff for K J Somaiya falls between 220-230+ for NMAT 2026. However, if one wishes to increase their chances of selection, one should aim higher within this range.
Q. Should I target 230 after scoring 220?
A. If one is consistently scoring 220 in NMAT mocks, one should aim to target 225 followed by 230 if one wishes to increase one’s percentile and improve one’s overall standing against other candidates.
Q. Is 240 a much better NMAT score than 220?
A. Yes, according to the expert analysis, 220-229 falls approximately between the 77th – 85 percentile band, while a score of 240 falls approximately between the 94th percentile. Thus, 240 is substantially better than 220.
