CAT vs NMAT

Which should you prepare for?

1. Both test English, Quantitative Aptitude / Maths, Reasoning, so preparing for one covers much of the other. Most aspirants in this bracket sit both.
2. CAT has negative marking and NMAT does not: guessing costs you in one and not the other.
3. Speed: NMAT gives 67 seconds a question against 106 in CAT. Practise NMAT with a stricter clock.
4. Dates: CAT 29 Nov 2026, three sessions; admit card around 4 Nov; NMAT 2 Nov – 20 Dec 2026; retakes until 17 Dec registration. If they are weeks apart, prepare the shared sections first and the exam-specific ones in the last weeks before each.

Neither is "easier": cut-offs move with vacancies and candidates every year. Take a free mock of each and compare your two reports; the gap to each exam's last cut-off is the honest answer.

FAQ

Can I prepare for CAT and NMAT together?

Yes. Both test English, Quantitative Aptitude / Maths, Reasoning. Prepare those once, then the sections only one of them has.

Which has negative marking, CAT or NMAT?

CAT: +3 for a correct answer. −1 for a wrong MCQ, no negative marking for a wrong TITA (type-in-the-answer) question. About a third of the questions are TITA. NMAT: No negative marking. The real NMAT is computer-adaptive and reports a scaled score of 36–360.

What are the age limits for CAT and NMAT?

See each exam's official notification; the age-limit calculator on RankVyuh checks your date of birth against it.