NMAT 2026 dates and schedule: registration, exam window and retakes
NMAT by GMAC’s 2026 first-attempt registration window ended on 25 October 2026. As of 27 October, candidates who registered are preparing for an exam appointment in the published 2 November–20 December delivery window; candidates who did not register should not assume the 2026 registration portal will accept a new application. GMAC has not announced a separate 2027 NMAT testing calendar on the official exam page as of this review date. The 2026 test may be relevant to a later admission cycle only if each target programme accepts that testing year and score.
Official 2026 calendar
These dates come from the official NMAT Important Dates & Fees page, checked 27 October 2026. They describe the 2026 testing window only. Do not relabel the 2026 exam period as “NMAT 2027” because it may be used in some 2027 admissions; the exam cycle and the college admission cycle are separate. A school’s 2027 admission deadline, acceptance policy and score-report cutoff must be confirmed from that school’s own admissions page.
What a candidate should do now
If you have a 2026 appointment, sign in to the candidate dashboard and verify the appointment date, time, test mode and centre or home-test instructions. The dashboard is the practical source for your individual booking. Download the admit card when it becomes available; the registration guidance says it is available seven days before the appointment. Check the photo and name details early so you have time to use official support if something is wrong.
If you have not registered, the official first-attempt registration close date has passed. The presence of an exam delivery window into December does not mean new first-attempt registration stays open until December. Likewise, the later retake-registration dates are for eligible candidates who already have a first attempt, not a second opportunity for an unregistered applicant to enter the cycle. Do not pay an unofficial intermediary that claims it can reopen the closed application.
If you already sat the exam and are considering a retake, first wait for the current attempt’s status and scorecard. The official registration page says a valid-score candidate can book the next attempt immediately, but the new exam date must be at least seven days after the previous attempt. A status such as No Show, NDA Refused or Exam Incomplete has a different rescheduling path: the page allows booking a new slot 24 hours later. The available attempt must still occur within the published 2026 retake dates and a slot must be available. Check the candidate dashboard because older official FAQ text continues to show a 15-day interval; this conflict should be resolved against the current instructions shown for your attempt before you make a booking.
Registration, scheduling and delivery are different steps
The calendar separates three actions that applicants sometimes treat as one. Registration is the account and application form, followed by payment. Scheduling is the appointment selection after registration, where the candidate chooses an available date, time and test mode. Delivery is when the exam is actually administered. Completing registration without booking a slot does not establish a test appointment, while a school application is a separate process altogether.
In the 2026 window, registration and initial scheduling shared the same closing date, 25 October. The exam itself begins on 2 November. The short gap means an applicant who waited until the final days had little room to resolve payment, account or scheduling problems. The official page warns that slots are limited and first-come, first-served, and recommends booking early. For future cycles, a sensible sequence is to register when the official window opens, schedule as soon as payment is accepted, and leave enough time before the appointment to check documents and mode requirements.
Rescheduling has its own deadline and fee. The 2026 calendar lists rescheduling through 17 December, while the registration guidance requires advance notice and availability. A deadline on the calendar does not guarantee that a new date is available or that every same-day change is permitted. Check the live rescheduling screen for the cutoff applicable to your appointment and the fee shown before confirming a change.
Fees tied to the 2026 dates
The official 2026 fee table lists the first test registration at ₹3,000 plus applicable taxes. A retake is also ₹3,000 plus taxes. Rescheduling costs ₹1,200 plus taxes. The registration fee includes sending scores to five schools; additional score reports cost ₹400 plus taxes per school. The amount charged in the candidate portal is authoritative for the transaction. Fees are cycle-specific and should not be carried forward as 2027 prices.
The additional score-report fee makes it useful to decide the first five recipients carefully. Before selecting schools, confirm that each one accepts NMAT for the relevant programme and admission cycle. The exam’s score-sending option is not the same as submitting an application. If a candidate later adds a school beyond the included five, the published additional-report charge applies for 2026. Budget for taxes and any paid practice material separately; they are not part of the listed test fee.
Planning retakes against the remaining window
The current guidance allows up to three attempts in one testing year, including the first attempt and two retakes. The testing year runs from 1 July to 30 June. The practical limit for a 2026 candidate is narrower than the theoretical three attempts: there must be an available appointment date, the applicable interval after the last attempt must be observed, and the retake window closes on 17 December while exam delivery ends on 20 December.
For example, a candidate whose first valid-score attempt is very late in the window may be unable to fit both permitted retakes before the cycle ends. Counting backward from the end date is not enough because the retake registration deadline and seat availability also matter. Treat the three-attempt rule as a maximum, not a promise that three seats will be available. Before paying for a retake, check (1) the next eligible test date in the dashboard, (2) the retake registration deadline, (3) available slots, and (4) the admissions policy of the schools receiving that score.
Schools do not all necessarily use attempts in the same way. GMAC directs candidates to check each accepting school for its score policy. One programme could specify a highest score, another could consider a particular attempt, and a later cycle may impose its own score-report deadline. Do not assume the exam administrator’s three-attempt allowance means every school will consider all three results or the highest result.
Calendar checklist for an already registered candidate
Before the appointment, confirm the dashboard booking and check the official exam-day identification and technical rules for your test mode. The registration page says the candidate’s name and date of birth must match the photo ID, and the uploaded photograph should be recent and resemble the candidate. Download the admit card when the seven-day release point arrives. For a centre test, verify the venue and travel time; for a home test, review the current system and room requirements in the official instructions.
After completing the exam, note the preliminary score shown on screen and watch for the scorecard notification. The official structure page says the scorecard is usually available within 48 hours. An exam under a security audit may take longer; the page says those results may be published within ten working days. If considering a retake, do not infer eligibility from the on-screen score alone. Confirm the status and allowed booking date in the dashboard, especially if the result shows a no-show or incomplete status.
What is known about 2027—and what is not
As of 27 October 2026, the official NMAT page publishes the 2026 dates and does not show a new 2027 testing schedule. No 2027 first-attempt registration window, test delivery dates, retake deadlines or fees should be presented as confirmed. The current window may still be useful for a student applying in a later academic intake, but that depends on the chosen business school’s policy. Confirm whether a programme accepts a score from the 2026 testing year and by when it must receive the score.
For applicants planning ahead, use the current exam pattern and topic guidance for preparation only as the presently published format, then recheck the official NMAT site when the next cycle is announced. Do not rely on copied dates from an earlier cycle or search snippets. A safe calendar decision has three independent confirmations: the exam administrator’s current test dates, the candidate dashboard’s available appointment and retake rules, and the target school’s application and score acceptance deadlines.
Frequently asked questions
When does NMAT 2026 registration close?
The official first-attempt registration window ended on 25 October 2026. As of 27 October, it has passed. Retake registration is a separate later window for candidates with an earlier attempt; it is not a way for a new candidate to register for the first time.
What are NMAT 2026 exam dates?
The official exam delivery window is 2 November through 20 December 2026. Each candidate must use the dashboard to confirm their exact booked appointment.
What is the 2026 NMAT fee?
The official page lists ₹3,000 plus taxes for registration and for a retake, ₹1,200 plus taxes for rescheduling, and ₹400 plus taxes for each score report beyond the first five included reports.
Can I retake NMAT after a valid score?
Current registration guidance allows a valid-score candidate to book another attempt, provided the appointment is at least seven days later and a slot remains within the retake window. Confirm the exact date offered in the dashboard; older FAQ text contains a different interval.
Has NMAT 2027 registration opened?
No 2027 testing schedule is published on the official exam page as of 27 October 2026. Watch the official NMAT site for an announcement, and do not treat prior-year dates as current.
Does the exam date determine the MBA admission year?
No. Exam testing year and a school’s admission cycle are separate. A 2026 NMAT score may be accepted for a later intake only where the relevant school says so. Confirm the accepted score year and application deadline for each programme.