The question many students are asking this week
The MAT September 2026 form gives you a choice. You can sit the paper test, the computer test, or both. Many students see the “both” option, see that it costs less than two separate forms, and wonder if it is a smart move or a waste of money.
Short answer: taking both modes is worth it for some students, not for all. The real value is not the small fee saving. The real value is that you get two real attempts, one week apart, in the same session. This post explains what “both” actually gives you, who should pick it, and how to use the week in between.
The September 2026 dates, side by side
As per the schedule on the AIMA website when we checked, the two modes run one week apart in September 2026.
| Step | PBT (paper) | CBT (computer) |
|---|---|---|
| Registration closes | 7 September 2026 | 14 September 2026 |
| Admit card | 10 September 2026 | 17 September 2026 |
| Test date | 13 September 2026 | 20 September 2026 |
AIMA can move a date. Open mat.aima.in and confirm the dates and the fee on the day you fill the form. Do not plan around a screenshot from a friend.
Notice one thing in the table. The PBT registration closes on 7 September, but the CBT registration stays open till 14 September. So if you want both, you must decide before 7 September. After that, only the CBT is left.
What you actually get when you choose both
Three things change when you tick both modes on the form.
- One fee for two tests. On the AIMA site, a single mode was listed at Rs 2,300 and both modes together at Rs 4,000 when we checked. So the second test costs you Rs 1,700, not Rs 2,300. Confirm the current figure on mat.aima.in.
- Two extra college choices. Normally you pick 5 management institutes to receive your score. AIMA states that a candidate who opts for the additional test can pick 2 more, so 7 in total. If you are still deciding between many colleges, this matters.
- Two attempts in one session. You sit the paper test on 13 September and the computer test on 20 September. Both are full MAT papers with the same five sections.
Students often assume that when you take both tests, only the better score is sent to colleges. The public pages we checked on the AIMA site do not spell this out. Before you count on it, confirm on mat.aima.in how the two results are reported and what a college will see.
If you are still deciding which institutes to list on the form, our guide to colleges accepting MAT score walks through a simple way to shortlist and use the five free choices.
The real benefit: a real exam one week before your real exam
Mocks are good. But no mock feels like the real thing. The centre, the invigilator, the OMR sheet, the nerves in the first ten minutes. You only learn how you behave in that room by sitting in that room.
When you take the PBT on 13 September, you find out things a mock cannot show you. Did you freeze in the first section? Did you spend too long on data sets? Did you finish with ten minutes to spare and a lot of blank answers? Every one of those lessons can be fixed before 20 September. That is what you are paying Rs 1,700 for. Not a discount. A rehearsal with a real score attached.
It also covers you against bad luck. A cold on exam day, a late bus, a bad night’s sleep. If one attempt goes wrong for a reason that has nothing to do with your preparation, the second one is already booked. Otherwise your next chance is the December session, which is about three months away.
Who should take both modes
- You are close to your target but not safely above it. If your mocks land between 520 and 600, a second attempt after a real rehearsal can be the push that gets you over.
- This is your first competitive exam at a centre. Exam-hall nerves hit hardest the first time. Spend them on the PBT, and go into the CBT calmer.
- You are equally comfortable on paper and screen. If neither mode feels alien to you, two attempts are pure upside. If you are unsure which mode suits you, read our guide on MAT PBT versus CBT and whether paper is really tougher first.
- You need more than 5 college choices. The 2 extra institutes alone can justify the “both” option if your shortlist is long.
Who should not
- Your mocks are far below your target. If you are at 400 and need 600, a second attempt one week later will not close that gap. The money is better spent on preparation for December. Our post on MAT September versus December 2026 helps you make that call honestly.
- You strongly prefer one mode. If a paper test makes you anxious, do not sit one just because it is cheap. A bad experience on 13 September can shake you before 20 September instead of helping.
- Money is tight. Rs 1,700 is real money. If it competes with buying a mock series or a book set, the preparation buys you more marks than the extra attempt.
How to use the seven days between the two tests
If you do take both, the week between 13 and 20 September is the most useful week of your whole preparation. Do not waste it waiting. Here is a simple plan.
- Same evening, 13 September: write down everything you remember while it is fresh. Which section felt slow. Which question types you left. Where you guessed. Do this before you talk to anyone about the paper.
- 14 and 15 September: go back to the two or three topics that hurt you most. Not the whole syllabus. Just those.
- 16 and 17 September: take one full mock on a computer, at the same time of day as your CBT slot. Practise reading passages and data tables on a screen, because that is the part that changes between modes.
- 18 September: one light sectional practice, then stop. Download the CBT admit card and check the centre.
- 19 September: rest. Read your notes from 13 September once. Sleep early.
For what to carry and how the reporting works on the day itself, our MAT September 2026 exam day guide covers it step by step.
Want a mentor to read your 13 September notes with you?
Live evening classes, a full mock series scored out of 800, and someone who tells you what to fix in the week between.
A simple decision rule
Ask yourself two questions. First, are my mocks within about 80 marks of my target? Second, am I fine with both paper and screen? If the answer to both is yes, register for both modes before 7 September. If either answer is no, pick the one mode that suits you, put the saved money into preparation, and keep December as your backup.
Whatever you choose, do not let the form decide your plan. Decide your plan first, then fill the form to match it.
Where to go next
If you want a structured run to 600 with live classes four evenings a week, e-books, mocks and a mentor, see our MAT online coaching for 600+. To see what past students have scored, including a MAT high of 771 out of 800 and 9 of 10 students crossing 600, our results page is here.
MAT books, e-books and mock tests
The MAT book set covers Logical, English, Mathematics and Data Interpretation, printed A4 and couriered across India. The e-book and the scored mock series are on the same store, so you can pick print, digital, or both.