Exam Pattern
ATMA Exam Pattern
AIMS Test for Management Admissions
Six locked sections in a fixed order, half an hour each, no carryover anywhere. ATMA splits its three skills into two parts apiece, Analytical Reasoning I and II, Verbal I and II, Quantitative I and II, and runs them in that order with every window closing for good, so a candidate cannot bank time from an easy section against a hard one later. Thirty questions in 30 minutes is a flat minute a question, six times over. With 0.25 deducted against 1, break-even sits at one in five.
Analytical Reasoning Skills, Verbal Skills, and Quantitative Skills
Official 2026 pattern| Questions | 180 |
| Total marks | 180 |
| Duration | 180 minutes |
| Negative marking | 0.25 per wrong answer |
| Sections | Analytical Reasoning Skills I, Analytical Reasoning Skills II, Verbal Skills I, Verbal Skills II, Quantitative Skills I, Quantitative Skills II |
| Test | Qs | Marks | Min |
|---|---|---|---|
| Analytical Reasoning Skills I | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| Analytical Reasoning Skills II | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| Verbal Skills I | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| Verbal Skills II | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| Quantitative Skills I | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| Quantitative Skills II | 30 | 30 | 30 |
Timing: Six separately timed 30-minute sectional locks, in fixed order (Analytical Reasoning Skills I and II, then Verbal Skills I and II, then Quantitative Skills I and II): once a section ends there is no carryover, so you cannot return to it.
The official ATMA (conducted by AIMS, the Association of Indian Management Schools) has 180 questions for 180 marks in 3 hours, +1 for each correct answer and -0.25 for a wrong one, across six equal 30-question sections: Analytical Reasoning Skills I and II, Verbal Skills I and II, and Quantitative Skills I and II. Each of the six sections has its own fixed 30-minute time limit with no carryover: once a section ends, you cannot return to it. This mock covers all six sections in equal proportion, scaled down to 10 questions per section (60 questions total) with the same six 10-minute sectional locks and the same +1/-0.25 marking scheme. All six sections are skill-based (logical reasoning, vocabulary and comprehension, calculation), not fact-recall, so no section needed excluding for content-risk reasons.
Official source · checked 17 August 2026The ATMA Analytical Reasoning Skills, Verbal Skills, and Quantitative Skills exam pattern is 180 questions carrying 180 marks, to be answered in 180 minutes. That works out to about 60 seconds per question on average, before any time spent reading instructions or revisiting marked answers. The 6 sections are Analytical Reasoning Skills I, Analytical Reasoning Skills II, Verbal Skills I, Verbal Skills II, Quantitative Skills I and Quantitative Skills II. All 6 sections carry 30 marks each, so none of them repays disproportionate preparation and a weakness anywhere costs the same. All 6 sections are separately timed, so time saved in one cannot be carried into another. You cannot bank minutes by rushing an easy section.
ATMA Analytical Reasoning Skills, Verbal Skills, and Quantitative Skills marking scheme
- Each correct answer is worth 1 mark.
- A wrong answer deducts 0.25 marks; an unattempted question scores zero.
- A guess therefore breaks even at 20% accuracy: above that it gains you marks on average, below it loses them. A blind guess between four options is right 25% of the time, which is already above that line, so an educated guess is worth making rather than leaving the question blank.
- Worked example: attempt 144 of the 180 questions and get 108 right and 36 wrong, and you score 99 out of 180.
Practising against the same clock is the point of a mock test: at 60 seconds a question, the difference between a good score and an average one is usually pacing rather than knowledge. Attempt a free ATMA mock test to see where your time actually goes.
ATMA exam pattern: frequently asked questions
Is there negative marking in ATMA?
ATMA deducts 0.25 marks for a wrong answer. An unattempted question always scores zero, so the choice is only ever between guessing and leaving it blank.
How many questions are there in ATMA?
ATMA has 180 questions. That leaves about 60 seconds per question in ATMA.
What are the total marks in ATMA?
ATMA is out of 180 marks, which works out at 1 mark a question.
How long is the ATMA exam?
ATMA runs for 180 minutes.
Does ATMA have a sectional time limit?
Yes. ATMA times its sections separately, so time left over in one section cannot be spent on another. Plan a per-section budget before you sit it.