The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) on 15th Dec 2011 declared dates for the first computer based Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) 2012. Online registration of applicants starts on December 9 for the entrance test which will be conducted from February 20 to 28 next year across 61 cities.

The AICTE is holding this national-level common admission test for the first time following a Supreme Court ruling.

The move will decrease the saddle of students who have to emerge in multiple entrance examinations while helping institutions to choose appropriate students for admission in all management programs approved by the Council for the academic year 2012-13.

The initiative will take care of the physical, mental and financial stress on students keen on admission into management programmes.

Secretaries dealing with technical education in the states and vice chancellors of universities have been requested to advise competent authorities in their respective states or under their jurisdiction to use the scores of CMAT-2012 for admitting students in the AICTE approved management institutions for academic year 2012-13.

The institutions and state governments are required to register online free of charge for opting to use CMAT-2012 scores for admissions for academic year 2012-13. The minority institutions shall effect admissions as per the provision available for such categories.

The national level test will be conducted for nine days in two shifts. CMAT will be a computer-based test of three hours duration. CMAT scores will help students seek admissions in all management programmes (4 lakh seats) in AICTE approved institutions/university departments.

The question paper will comprise Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning, Language Comprehension and General Awareness with 25 questions in each section. While each correct answer carries four marks, each wrong answer will carry one negative marking.

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The last date for registration is January 9, 2012, while the printouts of hall tickets will be available from January 30, 2012. The test for the first shift starts from 9.30am to 12.30pm, while the second shift starts from 2.30pm to 5.30pm. The results will be declared on March 11, 2012 and the printout of the scorecards will be available from March 11, 2012 to April 11, 2012.