AIMA’s December 2026 Management Aptitude Test (MAT) schedule is split by mode. Candidates choosing the Paper Based Test (PBT) and those choosing the Computer Based Test (CBT) have different registration deadlines, admit-card release dates and test dates. The schedule currently published by AIMA is: PBT registration closes on 14 December 2026, its admit card is available from 5 pm on 17 December, and the test is on 20 December. CBT registration closes on 21 December, its admit card is available from 5 pm on 24 December, and the test is on 27 December. AIMA expects the December score by the first week of January 2027. The result window is an estimate, not a fixed declaration date.
December 2026 milestones by mode
The table is drawn from AIMA’s current December 2026 candidate notice. The MAT site’s test-dates page independently repeats the PBT and CBT registration closing, admit-card and test dates. AIMA’s main candidate notice provides the 5 pm availability time and the result window. Check the notice and applicant dashboard again before making travel or school-application plans, because the issuing authority can revise a schedule. The sources checked on 27 October 2026 do not show a later revised December date or a 2027 calendar.
Which deadline applies to you
The relevant closing date depends on the mode selected in the application. The PBT deadline is seven calendar days before its test date; the CBT deadline is six calendar days before its test date. These intervals are simple calculations from AIMA’s schedule, not additional grace periods. A candidate who wants the paper test cannot rely on the later CBT deadline. Similarly, registering for PBT does not automatically register the candidate for CBT. The current portal should show the selected option before payment; confirm it carefully and save the submitted form and payment confirmation.
Candidates opting for PBT+CBT should plan against both test dates and satisfy the PBT deadline if they intend to take both. AIMA lists this as a separate combined registration choice. The later CBT closing date does not extend the PBT registration period. If a candidate misses the PBT deadline, the available official information does not say that a later CBT registration can be converted into the combined option retrospectively. Check the current portal or contact AIMA before payment if the desired mode combination is unclear.
AIMA’s December candidate information says the result is expected by the first week of January 2027. This is useful for planning but should not be treated as an appointment or a guaranteed school deadline. The institute’s admission calendar may have a separate form closing date, interview or selection round. Check that school’s current application notice and ask how it handles a score that becomes available after its application deadline. MAT registration and school applications are separate tasks.
Registration, admit card and test-day actions
Use the official MAT application portal, mat.aima.in, and the active December 2026 registration form. AIMA’s current candidate page says a valid email address, scanned photograph of 10–50 KB, scanned signature of 5–20 KB and payment details should be ready. The page lists credit or debit card, net banking, UPI and Paytm wallet as payment methods. Follow the live portal’s file-format and field instructions, because a short checklist does not cover every form control. Submit early enough to resolve an upload or payment issue before the relevant deadline.
AIMA’s candidate notice says the admit card is downloaded from the applicant dashboard and contains the candidate’s name, form number, roll number, test date, time and venue address. The 5 pm dates in the schedule are the availability times. The assigned venue and time on the admit card are the instructions to follow; a city preference or an earlier saved schedule is not a substitute. Download the correct card for each mode if registered for both, and check the name, date, reporting details and venue as soon as it is available. If a discrepancy appears, contact AIMA using the official contact details rather than waiting until test day.
The current December notice does not list a correction window or promise that every submitted field can be changed. Do not assume that a correction period exists because another examination offers one. If AIMA announces a correction window or revises a milestone, use only the dates and instructions in that official notice. The current candidate page also does not establish a refund entitlement for a missed deadline or a change in plans; review the portal’s current refund terms before completing payment.
For test-day logistics, plan around the admit-card venue rather than the city list alone. AIMA publishes test cities separately, and availability can differ between PBT and CBT. Candidates should confirm the selected mode’s city during registration and check the final venue once the card is released. The exam is held at a test centre for both listed December modes. References elsewhere to a remote internet-based test should not be assumed to apply to this December administration, for which AIMA identifies PBT and CBT.
Dates that belong to schools, not the exam form
AIMA’s schedule controls MAT registration, card release, test and expected score availability. It does not set the admission application deadlines of each MBA or PGDM programme. AIMA advises candidates to select institutes where they have applied or are applying and to reconfirm score acceptance directly with the institution. Before choosing a score recipient, record the programme and campus, the institute’s own form deadline, the MAT administrations it accepts and the next selection stage. A listed institute’s participation does not mean that its application remains open until the MAT test date or result date.
This distinction can affect which administration a candidate chooses. For example, an institute may close its application before the December MAT result is available; the current AIMA calendar alone cannot answer whether it will accept a later score or allow an update. Check the institute’s official admissions notice and seek a written clarification when the rule is unclear. Do not interpret the first-week-of-January result estimate as a guarantee that every school will accept a December score.
Future cycle status
The schedule above is for MAT December 2026 only. AIMA’s current candidate information page, checked on 27 October 2026, gives no 2027 exam date, registration deadline, admit-card date, fee or future result date. A calendar rollover does not announce a new cycle. Candidates planning for a later intake should wait for AIMA’s next official schedule and then check whether their target programmes accept that administration. Older MAT calendars can help explain how earlier tests were arranged, but they cannot be used to fill in an unannounced date.
For immediate action, choose the mode first, note its own closing date, register through AIMA’s current portal, retrieve the appropriate admit card at the published time, and then follow the assigned test-day details. Keep a separate calendar for the target school’s application and selection steps. Recheck both sources as the dates approach: AIMA for the exam administration and each institution for admissions.