By the Online Coaching 4u team
Last updated: 10 August 2026.
NMAT by GMAC has confirmed its full 2026 testing-cycle schedule, with registration and exam-slot booking opening 20 August 2026 and the exam delivery window running from 2 November to 20 December 2026, per the official schedule table published on mba.com.
What's actually confirmed
GMAC's official NMAT page lists registration opening Thursday, 20 August 2026, and closing Saturday, 10 October 2026. Slot scheduling runs on a similar but slightly longer window: it also opens 20 August but stays open until Thursday, 22 October 2026, so candidates can register first and lock in a preferred test date, time and centre afterward. The exam itself is delivered across a 45-day window, from Monday, 2 November to Sunday, 20 December 2026, at test centres spread across 70-plus Indian cities. NMAT remains a computer-adaptive test with no negative marking, equal weightage across sections, and candidates get to choose their own section order on exam day โ none of that has changed from prior cycles. Per GMAC, NMAT scores are currently accepted by 58-plus B-schools in India, including NMIMS, SDA Bocconi Asia Center and VIT, among others.
What this means for aspirants
Registration opens in ten days from today, and slot booking works on a first-come, first-served basis โ GMAC's own guidance is to schedule as early as possible, since booking early materially improves the odds of getting your preferred test date, time and centre, particularly in high-demand cities. The exam allows up to three attempts to improve a score within the testing window, and candidates get an unofficial score preview immediately after finishing the test, with the full scorecard available for download within 48 hours โ useful for anyone weighing whether to reattempt before the window closes on 20 December. Aspirants juggling both CAT and NMAT this cycle should note the two run mostly in parallel: CAT 2026 registration (already open since 3 August) closes 15 September, while NMAT registration opens 20 August and its test window runs well into December, giving more flexibility on exact test dates than CAT's single exam day.
Important pointers
- [20 Aug 2026] NMAT 2026 registration and exam-slot scheduling both open on mba.com, per GMAC's official schedule.
- [10 Oct 2026] NMAT 2026 registration window closes.
- [22 Oct 2026] Last date to book or reschedule an NMAT 2026 exam slot for this cycle.
- [2 Nov โ 20 Dec 2026] NMAT 2026 exam delivery window โ a 45-day period across 70-plus Indian test cities.
- Myth check: NMAT is not solely "the NMIMS entrance test" โ GMAC lists it as accepted by 58-plus B-schools across India, not NMIMS alone.
Last updated: 10 August 2026. Source: mba.com/exams/nmat (official GMAC schedule and exam format details).
