MAT September 2026 Question Paper Analysis (Sep 13, PBT) Out: Difficulty Level, Expected Cutoffs, Top B-Schools
MAT September 2026 PBT: The All India Management Association (AIMA) conducted the MAT September 2026 PBT on September 13 across 20+ cities. Candidates reported an Easy to Moderate paper under the MAT 2.0 pattern. Mathematical Skills required more time, while Reasoning was scoring. Combined September CBT and PBT results release on mat.aima.in by late September.
MAT September 2026 PBT: The MAT September 2026 Paper Based Test (PBT) of All India Management Association (AIMA) was successfully organized on September 13, 2026, in various test centers in more than 20 cities across India. The test-takers who appeared in this test rated the difficulty level of this test as Easy to Moderate and continued with the standard pattern of updated MAT 2.0 format. According to the MAT 2.0 format, this test comprised a total of 150 multiple choice questions split evenly into five sections namely; Language Comprehension, Intelligence & Critical Reasoning, Data Analysis & Sufficiency, Mathematical Skills, and Economic & Business Environment to be attempted within a period of 120 minutes without sectional timers.
Although the Language and Critical Reasoning sections were relatively scoring and easy, but the Mathematical Skills and Data Analysis sections required more time due to heavy calculations involved in these questions. The Economic & Business Environment section was simple though its score does not count in the composite percentile provided to the participating B-schools.
MAT September 2026 PBT: Section-Wise Paper Analysis & Good Attempts
There were 150 questions in total in the MAT PBT 2026 which was split into 5 different sections, 30 questions in each, and the time allotted for this test was 120 minutes.
| Section | Difficulty Level | Recommended Good Attempts |
| Language Comprehension | Easy to Moderate | 18 – 22 questions |
| Intelligence & Critical Reasoning | Easy to Moderate | 21 – 23 questions |
| Data Analysis & Sufficiency | Moderate | 14 – 17 questions |
| Mathematical Skills | Moderate (Time-Consuming) | 15 – 18 questions |
| Economic & Business Environment | Easy | 15 – 20 questions |
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Mathematical Skills & Data Interpretation: These topics have been ranked highest among the time-consuming ones, involving extensive calculations in Arithmetic (percentages, profit/loss, ratio and proportion) along with data interpretation through charts.
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Reasoning & Language: Smooth and scoring, involving easy questions on coding-decoding, series, and simple RC passages.
MAT September 2026 PBT: Expected Composite Scores vs Percentile
| Expected Composite Score | Expected Percentile Range | Target Status |
| 750+ | 95+ Percentile | Excellent (Tier-1 B-Schools) |
| 650 – 700 | 90+ Percentile | Very Good |
| 600 – 650 | 80 – 90 Percentile | Good |
| 500 – 600 | 70 – 80 Percentile | Average |
Top Colleges Accepting MAT September 2026 Scores & Cutoffs
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Amity Business School, Noida: 90+ percentile
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Christ University, Bengaluru: 80 - 90 percentile
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BIMTECH, Greater Noida: 80 - 90 percentile
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SIESCOMS, Navi Mumbai: 80 - 90 percentile
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JIMS Rohini, Delhi: 80 - 90 percentile
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Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow: 80 - 90
Also Read:
NEET to Shift to Computer-Based Test (CBT) Soon, Says NTA Chief
UPSC NDA 2 2026 Exam Today LIVE: Exam Day Guidelines, Shift Timings & Paper Analysis
Siddhi Sharma is an education journalist at Jagran Josh. A Journalism and Mass Communication graduate from IP University, she brings sharp newsroom instincts developed during her previous stint at Zee News. At Jagran Josh, Siddhi specializes in decoding the educational updates. Her coverage is highly exam-centric, ranging from curated news blogs for competitive exams to crucial school board and university news. Combining her strong media foundations with a research-driven approach, she creates reliable, high-utility content that helps students and aspirants stay ahead of the curve. Her writing is factual, engaging, and tailored to meet the fast-paced needs of modern learners and exam aspirants.
