CAT 2026 registration is open until September 15, 2026, at 5 PM. The exam will be held on November 29 in three sessions. Check CAT 2026 dates, eligibility, fees, syllabus, pattern, admit card, result and latest official updates here.
The Common Admission Test (CAT) 2026 will be conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management on November 29, 2026, in three sessions. Registration is currently open and candidates can submit the CAT 2026 application form until September 15, 2026, at 5:00 PM. The officially announced schedule also places the admit-card window from November 4 to November 29, 2026, while the result is tentatively expected in the first week of January 2027.
CAT scores are used for admission to postgraduate and fellow/doctoral management programmes of the IIMs and may also be used by listed non-IIM institutions.
CAT 2026 Latest Updates
- CAT 2026 registration is currently open.
- The last date to register is September 15, 2026, at 5 PM.
- CAT 2026 will be held on November 29, 2026.
- The exam will be conducted in three sessions.
- Admit cards will be available from November 4, 2026.
- The CAT 2026 application fee is ₹2,700 for General, EWS and NC-OBC candidates and ₹1,350 for SC, ST and PwBD candidates.
- Around 170 test cities are planned for CAT 2026.
- Candidates can select five test-city preferences while applying.
- No official change to the September 15 registration deadline has been announced at the time of verification.
CAT 2026 Overview
| Particular | CAT 2026 Details |
|---|---|
| Exam name | Common Admission Test 2026 |
| Commonly known as | CAT 2026 |
| Conducting institutions | Indian Institutes of Management |
| Exam level | National level |
| Exam mode | Computer-Based Test |
| Registration status | Open |
| Registration start date | August 3, 2026, 10 AM |
| Last date to apply | September 15, 2026, 5 PM |
| Admit card | November 4–29, 2026 |
| CAT 2026 exam date | November 29, 2026 |
| Exam sessions | 3 |
| Test cities | Around 170 |
| Result | First week of January 2027 (Tentative) |
| Official website | iimcat.ac.in |
The dates above are from the official CAT 2026 advertisement. Candidates should rely on the CAT website for any subsequent changes.
CAT 2026 Important Dates
The complete CAT 2026 schedule announced so far is:
| CAT 2026 Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Registration start date | August 3, 2026, 10 AM |
| Last date to register | September 15, 2026, 5 PM |
| Admit card available from | November 4, 2026 |
| Admit card download ends | November 29, 2026 |
| CAT 2026 exam date | November 29, 2026 |
| Result declaration | First week of January 2027 (Tentative) |
The official advertisement does not currently specify dates for the correction window, response sheet or answer key. Those dates should not be treated as confirmed until CAT authorities announce them.
CAT 2026 Registration
CAT 2026 registration opened on August 3 at 10 AM and will close on September 15 at 5 PM. Candidates have to register and submit the application online through the official CAT website.
The application process broadly involves:
- Creating a CAT candidate account.
- Verifying the registered mobile number and email.
- Logging in with the generated credentials.
- Entering personal details.
- Filling academic qualifications.
- Entering eligible work experience, if applicable.
- Uploading the required documents.
- Selecting IIM programmes.
- Choosing five preferred CAT test cities.
- Reviewing the application.
- Paying the CAT registration fee.
- Submitting the final form.
Candidates who need the complete portal workflow should read How to Fill CAT 2026 Application Form: Step-by-Step Registration Guide.
Also check CAT 2026 Registration Last Date for the current deadline, fee and registration-status updates.
CAT 2026 Application Fee
| Category | CAT 2026 Fee |
|---|---|
| General / EWS / NC-OBC | ₹2,700 |
| SC / ST / PwBD | ₹1,350 |
Candidates pay the registration fee only once, irrespective of the number of IIM programmes selected. The fee is non-refundable.
CAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria
Candidates should check their eligibility before submitting the CAT application. Meeting CAT’s minimum eligibility criteria allows a candidate to appear for the examination but does not guarantee shortlisting by an IIM.
The main CAT 2026 eligibility requirements are:
- General, EWS and NC-OBC: Bachelor’s degree with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA.
- SC, ST and PwBD: Bachelor’s degree with at least 45% marks or equivalent CGPA.
- Candidates appearing in the final year of their bachelor’s degree can also apply.
- Candidates who have completed their degree requirements but are awaiting results can apply subject to the prescribed conditions.
- Candidates holding recognised professional qualifications such as CA, CS, ICWA/CMA or FIAI can also qualify under the applicable rules.
A separate CAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria page should cover degree recognition, CGPA conversion, professional qualifications, final-year rules and category-specific requirements in detail.
CAT 2026 Exam Pattern
CAT 2026 is officially confirmed as a computer-based examination conducted in three sessions on November 29.
The detailed 2026 question distribution has not been specified in the official CAT advertisement. Candidates should therefore avoid treating an exact question count as final until CAT authorities provide further test-format information or release the official mock.
For preparation, the recent CAT structure provides the most useful reference:
| Particular | Recent CAT Pattern |
|---|---|
| Sections | VARC, DILR and QA |
| Duration | 120 minutes |
| Sectional duration | 40 minutes each |
| Question types | MCQ and non-MCQ/TITA |
| CAT 2025 questions | 68 |
| CAT 2025 maximum marks | 204 |
| Correct answer | +3 |
| Wrong MCQ | -1 |
| Wrong TITA/non-MCQ | No negative marking |
CAT 2025 had 68 questions across VARC, DILR and QA, with a 120-minute duration. This should be treated as the latest pattern reference, not a guaranteed CAT 2026 question count.
Our dedicated CAT 2026 Exam Pattern page will track any official change to question count, marking scheme or sectional structure.
CAT 2026 Syllabus
The IIMs do not publish a detailed chapter-by-chapter CAT syllabus in the manner of many academic entrance examinations. Preparation is generally organised around the three established CAT sections:
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension — VARC
Important preparation areas include:
- Reading comprehension
- Para summary
- Para completion
- Sentence arrangement
- Verbal reasoning
- Vocabulary and language understanding in context
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning — DILR
Common areas include:
- Tables
- Charts and graphs
- Caselets
- Arrangements
- Games and tournaments
- Selection and distribution
- Venn diagrams
- Logical sets
- Data-based reasoning
Quantitative Ability — QA
Major preparation areas include:
- Arithmetic
- Algebra
- Geometry
- Number system
- Mensuration
- Modern mathematics
These topics should be treated as a preparation framework derived from recent CAT papers, rather than an official exhaustive syllabus.
Our dedicated CAT 2026 Syllabus article will provide the topic-wise syllabus, recent-question trends and section-wise preparation priorities.
CAT 2026 Test Cities
CAT 2026 is planned across approximately 170 test cities.
While completing the application form, candidates can select five different test cities in order of preference. The final list of test cities may change at the discretion of CAT authorities.
Candidates should choose their preferences carefully because test-centre allocation ultimately depends on availability.
CAT 2026 Admit Card
CAT 2026 admit cards are scheduled to be available from:
November 4 to November 29, 2026.
Candidates will need to access the CAT candidate login to download the admit card.
The admit card is expected to contain details such as:
- candidate information;
- CAT test date;
- allotted test centre;
- session/reporting information; and
- examination instructions.
CAT 2026 Answer Key and Response Sheet
The official CAT 2026 advertisement does not yet provide a release date for the response sheet or provisional answer key.
These generally become important immediately after the examination because candidates can use their recorded responses and the official answer key to estimate their raw CAT score.
Once released, CollegeShastra should maintain separate resources for:
- CAT 2026 response sheet;
- CAT 2026 answer key;
- answer-key objection process; and
- CAT score calculation.
Until CAT authorities issue the relevant notice, any exact release date should be treated as unconfirmed.
CAT 2026 Result
The official CAT 2026 advertisement states that the result is tentatively expected in the first week of January 2027.
Candidates will be able to use their CAT score for the selection processes of participating IIMs and other institutions that accept CAT scores.
Once the result is released, the key next-step resources will include:
- CAT 2026 result and scorecard;
- CAT score vs percentile;
- CAT percentile calculator;
- IIM cutoffs;
- IIM shortlists; and
- colleges accepting CAT by percentile.
CAT 2026 Cutoff
There is no single CAT cutoff applicable to every IIM or MBA college.
Each institute can specify its own:
- minimum overall percentile;
- sectional percentile requirement;
- category-wise qualifying criteria;
- academic-score weightage;
- work-experience weightage; and
- interview or final-selection process.
Students should also distinguish between an institute’s published minimum qualifying cutoff and the percentile actually required to receive a shortlist in a competitive admission cycle.
Colleges Accepting CAT 2026
CAT scores are used by the IIMs and may also be used by listed non-IIM member institutions for management admissions. The IIMs have no role in the selection process followed by non-IIM institutions.
Our CAT college-selection cluster will help students compare options according to:
- CAT percentile;
- course fee;
- expected/official cutoff;
- placement outcomes;
- ROI;
- institute type; and
- admission criteria.
Check:
How to Prepare for CAT 2026
Preparation should be built around three activities:
Concept building: strengthen fundamentals in VARC, DILR and QA.
Question practice: solve section-wise questions and CAT previous-year papers to understand the nature of the test.
Mock analysis: take timed mock tests and review accuracy, question selection, weak concepts and time utilisation rather than judging preparation only by the mock percentile.
As the exam approaches, the CAT 2026 preparation cluster will include:
- CAT 2026 syllabus
- CAT 2026 exam pattern
- CAT previous-year question papers
- CAT 2026 mock test
- VARC preparation
- DILR preparation
- QA preparation
- 60-day and 30-day CAT study plans
- last-minute preparation strategy
CAT 2026: What Candidates Should Do Now
With registration closing on September 15, 2026, at 5 PM, candidates who intend to appear for CAT 2026 should prioritise completing the application rather than waiting for the final day. Registration is active as of September 8.
After submitting the form:
- verify that the application has been successfully submitted;
- retain the confirmation details;
- continue CAT preparation;
- watch the official CAT website for any correction-window notice;
- download the admit card once it becomes available on November 4; and
- rely on official notices for changes to dates or procedures.
CAT 2026 FAQs
Is there an age limit for CAT 2026?
CAT does not prescribe an age restriction for appearing in the examination. Candidates of any age can apply as long as they satisfy the applicable academic eligibility requirements. The absence of an age restriction has also been a longstanding CAT rule and remains a frequently searched candidate query.
Is work experience mandatory for CAT 2026?
No. Work experience is not required to appear for CAT 2026. Candidates who meet the academic eligibility criteria can apply as fresh graduates as well. However, individual IIMs may later give weightage to work experience during shortlisting or final selection.
Can I change my category after submitting the CAT 2026 application?
Candidates should select their category very carefully while registering. CAT rules do not allow category changes after registration is completed, so the category and supporting certificate details should be verified before final submission.
Is there a limit on the number of times I can attempt CAT?
CAT does not have a fixed attempt limit. A candidate can take CAT in different years as long as they satisfy the eligibility requirements applicable to that examination cycle.
Do I need to apply separately to non-IIM colleges that accept CAT scores?
Usually, yes. Registering for CAT does not automatically submit an application to every non-IIM institution accepting CAT scores. Non-IIM institutions run their own admission and selection processes, so candidates should check and apply separately to the colleges they are interested in. The CAT authority explicitly states that the IIMs have no role in the selection process of non-IIM institutions.
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