Following the conclusion of CMAT 2026 on January 25, candidates have transitioned into a critical phase of self-assessment and performance evaluation.Aspirants are currently utilizing memory-based answer keys and expert analysis to estimate their raw scores across the five core management sectionsAs of February 2, 2026, the focus has shifted toward mapping these estimated marks against previous year percentile trends for top B-school admissions.The process involves a careful review of sectional difficulty, particularly in the Quantitative Techniques and Innovation sections, to gauge potential cut-offs.Official response sheets and the provisional answer key are expected shortly on the NTA portal to finalize these individual performance reviews.

As of February 2, 2026, the initial wave of post-exam activity for the Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) is in full swing. Following the test conducted on January 25, thousands of management aspirants are now focused on a detailed evaluation of their performance. While the National Testing Agency (NTA) prepares to release official documents, students are actively using preliminary data to determine their standing in the 2026-27 admission cycle. Updates and resources for this process are available on the official NTA CMAT website.

Tools for Initial Performance Assessment

In the absence of the official response sheet, aspirants are relying on a variety of unofficial resources to conduct an early evaluation. These tools provide a tentative baseline for score calculation before the final results are processed.

• Memory-Based Keys: Educational portals have released compiled question sets based on student feedback to help verify answers in the Quantitative and Logical sections.
• Sectional Difficulty Mapping: Many aspirants are comparing their experience with expert reviews, which categorized the 2026 paper as "moderate" overall.
• Score Predictors: Online calculators are being used to perform a rough evaluation of percentiles based on the number of correct versus incorrect attempts.
• Peer Discussion Forums: Digital communities are serving as a space for students to cross-reference complex questions from the Innovation and Entrepreneurship section.
• Accuracy Checking: The focus for most students is currently on identifying "silly mistakes" in the Language Comprehension and General Awareness segments.

CMAT 2026 Sectional Overview for Evaluation

A successful evaluation requires students to understand the weightage and expected "good attempts" for each of the five segments. The following table provides a breakdown based on early 2026 exam analysis:

• Most aspirants found the Logical Reasoning section to be the most scoring part of the 2026 paper.
• The General Awareness section has triggered a more cautious evaluation due to its unpredictable mix of static and current affairs.
• A total raw score of 280+ is currently being viewed as a benchmark for those aiming for a 95+ percentile.
• Accuracy is proving more critical than the total number of attempts in the 2026 marking scheme.

Mapping Raw Scores to Percentiles

The ultimate goal of this post-exam evaluation is to predict the NTA percentile, which determines admission into AICTE-approved institutes. Aspirants are looking at the 2026 normalization process to understand how their raw marks will translate into a final rank.

• Historical data suggests that a 100 percentile usually requires a raw score exceeding 350 marks.
• For aspirants targeting top-tier colleges like JBIMS or SIMSREE, an evaluation showing a score above 310 is typically required.
• The 2026 session involved a single shift, which simplifies the evaluation by removing the need for complex inter-session normalization.
• Candidates are also checking the National Testing Agency (NTA) for updates on when the official "Challenge Window" will open for the answer key.

Conclusion

The post-exam period for CMAT 2026 is a time of intense self-reflection as aspirants utilize every available resource to perform a preliminary evaluation of their scores. By comparing their attempts against expert analysis and historical trends, students are gaining a clearer picture of their potential admission prospects. While these early estimates provide a valuable guide, the final validation will only occur once the NTA releases the official response sheets and final answer keys. As of early February, the management testing community remains in a state of high anticipation, awaiting the official data that will define the next steps in their academic journey.