The official announcement about NMAT 2020 has been released. The registration starts on 14 September 2020 (Monday). As with any other examination, there are going to be questions and doubts, especially given the COVID-19 scenario. The dates, deadline, examination pattern and fee – the list goes on. We will look to answer all of them, one by one.
NMAT 2020: What exactly is it?
NMAT 2020 (NMIMS Management Aptitude Test 2020) is a management entrance examination conducted by the Global Management Admission Council (GMAC).
Which are the B-schools that would consider your NMAT scores?
NMAT 2020 scores will be considered as the eligibility criteria for admissions in B-schools across four countries, namely India, Philippines, South Africa and Nigeria. In India, there are about 38 B-schools that are part of the list, starting with NMIMS, obviously. The full list can be viewed from the official NMAT website.
NMAT 2020 examination pattern
The examination consists of three sections – Language Skills, Quantitative Skills and Logical Reasoning.
| Section | Number of questions | Time allotted (minutes) | Score Range |
| Language Skills | 36 | 28 | 12 – 120 |
| Quantitative Skills | 36 | 52 | 12 – 120 |
| Logical Reasoning | 36 | 40 | 12 – 120 |
| Total | 108 | 120 | 36 – 360 |
The candidates will not be able to switch sections even if they finish one particular section earlier than the time allotted for it.
Important dates and deadlines
The registration for NMAT 2020 starts on 14 September 2020 (Monday). The following table gives a brief overview of all the important dates and deadlines pertaining to the examination.
| Process | Start Date | End Date |
| NMAT 2020 Registration | 14 September 2020 | 20 November 2020 |
| Late Registration | 21 November 2020 | 30 November 2020 |
| Scheduling | 14 September 2020 | 2 December 2020 |
| Re-scheduling | 14 September 2020 | 17 January 2021 |
| Exam Delivery | 4 November 2020 | 30 January 2021 |
| Registration for Retake | 5 November 2020 | 17 January 2021 |
| Re-take Scheduling | 5 November 2020 | 17 January 2021 |
Hey, what is with all these clustered dates? I am slightly confused.
Fret not, we got you covered. Let us go one step further to see how NMAT scheduling works.
1) The number of attempts
You can attempt NMAT 2020 thrice in the time window specified. Retakes are usually utilized to improve scores from an earlier attempt.
The retake attempt can be scheduled only after an earlier attempt is completed. Also, there must be a minimum gap of 15 days between any two attempts.
2) Registration
You have to register for for your re-takes. Each of your re-take attempts should follow the same registration process as that for your first attempt.
The examination mode
Once you register for NMAT 2020 and pay the fee, you will have the option to schedule the examination on a particular date and time slot. There are two ways you can appear for the examination.
1) At the examination centers
This is the conventional method. However, this year, nothing has been conventional, thanks to COVID-19.
NMAT 2020 is going to be conducted across 66 test centers in 52 cities of India. There are also four international centers – Kathmadnu (Nepal), Thimphu (Bhutan), Dhaka (Bangladesh) and Colombo (Sri Lanka).
You can give your preferences for examination center and take the exam at the specified venues you get in the test city. The detailed precautionary measures to be taken on the day of the exam can be seen, here.
2) From home
WFH has become an abbreviation that we have all come to hate now. Keeping with the times, NMAT 2020 offers the option to take the examination from your confines. You can choose to take NMAT 2020 from the confines of your home as a proctored test as well.
The NMAT scores and submissions
Immediately after the exam ends, the unofficial scores will be displayed on the screen. The official scorecards of every attempt will be available 48 hours after completion of that attempt.
You can choose to submit your NMAT scores to five B-schools (from among those that consider NMAT scores, that is). Beyond that, submission of NMAT scores to every additional B-school from the list costs a fee.
Which takes us to the next and most important aspect – the FEE.
The fee details for NMAT 2020
| Event | Fee (in INR) |
| Test Registration (Early) | 2,000 |
| Test Registration (Late) | 2,500 |
| Retake | 2,000 |
| Reschedule | 1,100 |
| Additional Score Reports (beyond the five B-schools chosen) | 200 per school |
Final note
Keep an eye open for all the examinations. Register early; do not wait for the eleventh hour. CAT registration ends on 16 September, and XAT registrations have begun.
Saty safe, and best wishes!
Written by Giridharan Raghuraman
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