CMI Entrance Exam Pattern 2026 will be released by the exam authority on the official website or in the information brochure of the exam. Candidates who are planning to appear for the CMI entrance exam 2026 need to thoroughly understand the exam pattern, like the type of questions asked, marking scheme, time duration and other details.
As per the information available, the CMI entrance exam pattern 2026 for the UG courses will have both objective and Subjective types of questions. For master's degree and PhD degree courses, some courses will have questions that are screening-based, also.
Students with exceptionally good performance in the National Olympiads in Mathematics, Physics and Informatics are exempted from writing the BSc entrance examination.
CMI Exam Pattern 2026: Highlights
Check out the CMI entrance exam pattern highlights from here:
Particulars | Details |
Exam Name | Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI) Entrance Exam 2026 |
Conducting Body | Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI) |
Exam Level | National-level entrance examination |
Mode of Exam | Offline (Pen and Paper-based) |
Medium of Exam | English |
Duration | 3 Hours |
Type of Questions | Part A: Objective (Multiple Choice)Part B: Subjective (Descriptive/Proof-based) |
Total Marks | Varies by program (generally 100–120 marks) |
Sections/Parts | Part A (Compulsory for all) Part B (Based on chosen program – Mathematics/Computer Science/Data Science/Physics) |
Subjects Covered | Mathematics, and depending on program – Computer Science / Physics |
Programs Offered Through Exam | B.Sc. (Hons.) in Mathematics & Computer ScienceB.Sc. (Hons.) in Mathematics & PhysicsM.Sc. in Mathematics / Computer Science / Data SciencePh.D. in Mathematics / Computer Science / Physics |
Negative Marking | No negative marking (for most programs) |
Difficulty Level | Moderate to High (concept and proof-based) |
Exam Frequency | Once a year |
Official Website |
CMI Entrance Exam Pattern 2026: UG Courses
The exam pattern for UG courses is dynamic. There will be a set of 2 sections, Part A and Part B, where Part A will have Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions, problems, MCQ and true and false statements. Part B will be subjective questions.
Check out the number of questions in each section from here.
Part | Number of Questions | Marks |
Part A | 21 Questions | 40 Marks |
Part B | 6 Questions | 80 Marks |
Total Marks | 120 Marks |
NOTE: Candidates must note that in Part A, the number of questions and type of questions will vary, but the total marks of Part A will remain the same. Based on the previous year's trends, it has been observed that the NAT and True/False are types of questions that are usually asked by exam officials for Part A.
CMI Entrance Exam Pattern 2026: MSc/PhD in Computer Science
Candidates who want to appear in the MSc/PhD in Computer Science course can check out the exam pattern for the same here:
Section A | Number of Questions | Marks |
Part A | 10 | 3 Marks each |
Part B | 7 questions | 10 Marks each |
Total Marks | 100 Marks |
Candidates must know that Section A will have multiple-choice questions, while Section B will be of a Descriptive type.
CMI Entrance Exam Pattern 2026: MSc/PhD Mathematics
Candidates who are applying for MSc/PhD in Mathematics can check out the exam pattern below:
Part A will be screening-based and will have 10 Questions. Each question will carry 4 marks, and the maximum marks awarded to the candidate will be 40 Marks. Since the exam pattern will be screening-based, a candidate needs to score a minimum of not more than 20 marks. Also, candidates need to note that Part A will have more than 1 correct answer.
Part B will have 10 questions, where the candidate needs to attend to only 6 questions. Each question will carry 10 marks, and the maximum marks that can be awarded to the candidate will be 60 marks.
Time Duration: 3 hours of 180 minutes
The scores in both sections will be taken into account while making the final decision. You are advised to spend at least 90 minutes on Part B. To qualify for the PhD interview, you must obtain at least 15 Marks from among the starred questions.