MAT September 2026 Exam Dates, Registration and Fees

MAT September 2026 at a glance

The dates for the MAT September 2026 session are out, and registration is open on mat.aima.in. As per the AIMA schedule, the Paper-Based Test (PBT) is on 13 September 2026 and the Computer-Based Test (CBT) is on 20 September 2026.

That puts the first deadline much closer than most people realise. Registration for the PBT closes around 7 September, and for the CBT around 14 September. If you are planning to write this session, the decision you make this month — which mode, and when you start preparing — shapes everything that follows.

Key dates for the September session

Notice the pattern. The admit card comes only three days before each exam, and registration closes about a week before. So there is no long buffer anywhere in this schedule. Register early, and you remove one worry from your final weeks.

Fees, and whether to write both modes

As per the AIMA schedule, the fee is ₹2,300 for one mode. If you register for both PBT and CBT together, the combined fee is ₹4,000 — cheaper than paying for the two separately.

Writing both modes gives you two attempts in the same session, one week apart. If your first attempt goes badly — a tough paper, a bad day, an exam-hall surprise — you get another chance seven days later, and you can put your better score forward. For a candidate whose mocks are hovering just under their target, this is a sensible use of ₹1,700 extra.

If your preparation is steady and your mock scores are consistent, one mode is enough. Spend the money on a good mock series instead. That improves the score itself, not just the number of chances.

PBT or CBT: how to choose

Neither mode is easier. The paper standard is the same, and the score is on the same 800-point scale. The real difference is how you work.

• Pick PBT if you think better on paper, like to circle and skip questions visually, and want the earlier date so the wait ends sooner.
• Pick CBT if you are comfortable reading on a screen, have done most of your mocks online, and want the extra week of preparation the later date gives you.

One practical point: do your mocks in the same format you will write the exam in. A student who practises only on paper and then sits a CBT is meeting the screen for the first time on exam day. We have written a fuller comparison in our PBT vs CBT guide if you are still undecided.

How to use the weeks you have left

From late July, you have roughly seven weeks to the PBT and eight to the CBT. That is enough time for a proper preparation cycle, not just revision. The shape of it is simple.

• Start with one full diagnostic mock. Know your real starting score before you plan anything.
• Spend the middle weeks on your two weakest sections, with timed sectional practice and an error log you actually review.
• Close with full-length mocks scored out of 800, two or three a week, each followed by a proper review day.
• Taper in the final week. Lock your section order, sort your admit card and ID, and arrive rested.

We have laid this out day by day in our 8-week plan for the September session. And if you need a mock series to run this on, our online MAT mocks and e-books are on our books and mocks page — you can buy them directly on elearning.learncrew.org, the same platform where our live classes run.

After the exam: result and score validity

The result for the September session is expected in the last week of September 2026 — confirm the exact date on mat.aima.in closer to the exam. Your composite score is out of 800, and it stays valid for one year, so a good September score covers most admission cycles you are likely targeting.

And if September does not go your way, remember that MAT runs four times a year. The December session follows soon after, and everything you built for September carries forward. One weak attempt is a delay, not a dead end.

How Learn Crew fits in

Learn Crew runs online-only live MAT batches — evening classes on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, so working candidates and final-year students can attend without rearranging their day. You can join from anywhere in India. Every class is recorded, and the batch includes e-books, a full mock test series and mentorship. The live batch is ₹14,000; a recorded-only option is ₹5,000 if you prefer to study at your own pace.

On results: our highest MAT score so far is 771 out of 800, and 9 of every 10 of our students cross 600. You can see the details on our results page.

The one thing to do this week

Register. Everything else in your preparation can flex — your mock schedule, your section order, even your mode choice if you pay for both. But the registration deadline does not flex. Once that is done, take a diagnostic mock and start closing the gap to your target score. If you want help with the closing part, we are easy to find.