The MBA aspirants wondering how is the NMAT exam different from the CAT exam can conclude their queries by checking the syllabus, exam pattern, section weightage for each subject to choose the exam and college that fits their requirements.
NMAT and CAT are the two standard MBA entrance examinations that aspirants attempt every year for admission to MBA/PGDM programmes in prestigious Management and Business Schools across the country. Candidates planning to appear for both the exams should be aware of how is the NMAT exam different from the CAT exam.
NMAT is for candidates who seek admission to NMIMS University and other institutes, whereas the CAT exam is for admission into IIMs and other premier business schools. Another major difference between NMAT and CAT is that the former allows a candidate three attempts while for the latter, they can appear only once a year.
NMAT vs CAT: Similarities
The syllabus of both NMAT and CAT is more or less the same which can be a boon to aspirants planning to attempt both tests. The basic similarities between NMAT and CAT are tabulated in the following table.
| Components | Details |
| Course for Admission | MBA/PGDM |
| Exam Mode | Online Computer-Based |
| Sectional Timing | Yes |
| Total Time Duration | 120 Minutes |
| Level of Exam | National |
| Exam Medium | English |
NMAT vs CAT: Differences
NMAT is an adaptive examination meaning the questions asked in the second/third attempts will be based on the candidate’s performance in the first attempt. Also, the difficulty level of CAT is higher than NMAT. More details on how is the NMAT exam different from the CAT exam is given below.
| Components | NMAT | CAT |
| Full-Form | NMIMS Management Aptitude Test | Common Admission Test |
| Conducted by | Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) | IIMs |
| Application Fees | INR 2300/- | INR 2200/- for the general category (INR 1100/- for the reserved category) |
| Question Paper Pattern | Only MCQs | Both MCQ and descriptive questions |
| Negative Marking | No | Yes |
| Marks per Question | 1 | 3 |
| Number of Attempts | 3 attempts in the same test window of 75 days (October to December) in a particular year | Once every year in November |
NMAT vs CAT: Syllabus
Both the syllabus and exam pattern are a little different for NMAT and CAT examinations. CAT is relatively difficult when compared to NMAT. The sectional time for all the CAT components is the same i.e. 40 minutes whereas in NMAT all three sections namely Language Skills (28 minutes), Logical Reasoning (40 minutes), and Quantitative Skills (52 minutes) have different sectional times. More details about the NMAT vs CAT syllabus can be found below.
| NMAT | CAT |
| Language Skills | Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) |
| Logical Reasoning | Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) |
| Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation | Quantitative Ability (QA) |
NMAT Syllabus
NMAT consists of 3 sections- Language Skills, Quantitative Aptitude & Data Interpretation, and Logical Reasoning. Some of the core topics covered under each section are as follows.
Language Skills
The students can check the language skills syllabus from the table mentioned below.
| English Grammar and Usage | Fill the Blanks |
| Cloze Test | Reading Comprehension |
| Analogies | Verbal Reasoning |
| Para-Jumbles | Sentence Correction |
| Vocabulary Questions (Synonyms and Antonyms) |
Quantitative Aptitude & Data Interpretation
The students can check the Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation syllabus from the table mentioned below.
| Time and Work | Ratios and Proportions |
| Simple and Compound Interest | Surds and Indices |
| Number Series | Permutations and Combinations |
| Mensuration | LCM and HCF |
| Number Systems | Percentages |
| Mixtures and Alligations |
Logical Reasoning
The students can check the logical reasoning syllabus from the table mentioned below.
| Tables | Pie Charts |
| Line Charts | Clocks’ Questions |
| Blood Relations | Syllogisms |
| Numbers and Letter Series | Bar Graphs |
| Caselets | Seating Arrangements |
Read More: NMAT 2023 Syllabus
CAT Syllabus
The CAT examination consists of three sections- Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (QA). A few core topics covered under these sections are as follows.
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)
The students can check the VARC syllabus from the table mentioned below.
| Fill the Blanks | Cloze Test |
| Verbal Reasoning | Reading Comprehension |
| Sentence Correction | Analogies |
| English Grammar and Usage | Vocabulary Questions (Synonyms and Antonyms) |
| Para-Jumbles |
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)
The students can check the DILR syllabus from the table mentioned below.
| Blood Relations | Seating Arrangements |
| Numbers and Letter Series | Tables |
| Caselets | Clocks’ Questions |
| Bar Graphs | Syllogisms |
| Pie Charts | Line Charts |
Quantitative Aptitude (QA)
The students can check the QA syllabus from the table mentioned below.
| Time and Work | Number Systems |
| Simple and Compound Interest | Ratios and Proportions |
| Permutations and Combinations | LCM and HCF |
| Surds and Indices | Number Series |
| Mixtures and Alligations | Percentages |
| Mensuration |
Read More: CAT 2023 Syllabus
NMAT vs CAT: Exam Pattern
The exam pattern of both NMAT and CAT examinations consists of MCQs and the aspirants have to choose the correct option. But, there is a difference in the marking scheme of NMAT and CAT as there is no negative marking in NMAT. Some important points below show the difference between CAT and NMAT exam patterns:
| Components | NMAT | CAT |
| Total Number of Questions | 108 Questions | 66 Questions-MCQs: 48, Non-MCQs: 18 |
| Number of Sections | 3 Sections- Language Skills, Logical Reasoning, Quantitative skills | 3 Sections- VARC, DILR, QA |
| Sectional Timing | Language Skills: 28 Minutes, Logical Reasoning: 40 Minutes, Quantitative Skills: 52 Minutes | 40 Minutes for each section |
| Total Marks | 360 | 198 |
Read More: CAT 2023 Exam Pattern
NMAT vs CAT: Section-wise Weightage
It is required for aspirants to know about the NMAT vs CAT sectional weightage before attempting the entrance examinations. Check out the tables below to understand the section-wise weightage for both NMAT and CAT exams.
NMAT Sectional Weightage
NMAT consists of 3 sections namely Language Skills, Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation, and Logical Reasoning. There are a total of 108 questions divided equally among the three sections.
| Exam Sections | No. of Questions | Section-wise Time Limit |
| Language Skills | 36 | 28 Minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation | 36 | 52 Minutes |
| Logical Reasoning | 36 | 40 Minutes |
| Total | 108 | 120 Minutes |
CAT Sectional Weightage
The CAT examination consists of three sections and a total of 100 questions. Candidates need to solve the CAT question paper in a duration of 180 minutes.
| Exam Sections | Total Questions | Number of MCQ Questions | Number of TITA Questions | Section-wise Time Limit |
| Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 24 | 19 | 5 | 40 |
| Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) | 20 | 15 | 5 | 40 |
| Quantitative Aptitude (QA) | 22 | 14 | 8 | 40 |
| Total | 66 | 48 | 18 | 120 |
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