The CAT 2026 examination will be conducted by IIM Indore on Sunday, 29 November 2026 (expected) across approximately 170 test cities in India. The official CAT 2026 notification is expected in the last week of July 2026 at iimcat.ac.in, with registration starting around 1 August 2026. The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a prestigious National level Management entrance exam organised by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) on a rotational basis. The CAT 2026 score is crucial for admission to MBA / PGDM / PGP and other postgraduate management programmes at the 22 IIMs and 1,000+ participating B-schools across India.
Latest: – CAT 2026 will be conducted by IIM Indore on Sunday, 29 November 2026 (expected). Notification awaited in late July 2026 at iimcat.ac.in. CAT 2025 admissions (conducted by IIM Kozhikode on 30 Nov 2025) final selections are wrapping up.
CAT 2026
What is CAT Entrance Exam?
The CAT stands for Common Admission Test. In 2026 the exam will be organised by IIM Indore (rotating IIM). It is the National level Management entrance exam for admissions to MBA, PGDM, PGP and other postgraduate management programmes in 22 IIMs and 1,000+ participating B-schools across India for the 2027–29 academic session. CAT 2026 is conducted as a Computer Based Test (CBT) in three sessions on a single day, with around 2.95 lakh+ aspirants registering annually for a chance to secure admission to top IIMs and B-schools.
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CAT 2026 Exam Dates
When will IIM Indore conduct the CAT entrance exam? What is the final date to submit applications? When will candidates be able to download the CAT admit card? When can we expect the CAT result to be released? All these crucial questions are comprehensively addressed in the CAT 2026 exam date calendar below.
| Exam Event | Event Date |
|---|---|
| CAT 2026 notification release | 26 – 29 July 2026 (Expected) |
| Start of online registration | 01 August 2026 (Expected) |
| Last date to apply | 20 September 2026 (Expected) |
| Application form correction | 23 – 25 September 2026 (Expected) |
| Issuance of CAT admit card 2026 | 12 November 2026 (Expected) |
| CAT 2026 exam date | 29 November 2026 (Sunday, Expected) |
| Release of CAT answer key 2026 | First week of December 2026 |
| Announcement of CAT result 2026 | Second week of January 2027 (Expected) |
Important Downloads and Official Links
- CAT Official Website (iimcat.ac.in)
- IIM Indore Official Website (iimidr.ac.in)
- CAT 2026 Notification PDF (To be released)
- CAT 2026 Information Brochure (To be released)
CAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria
Before filling the application form, candidates must check the eligibility criteria set by the IIMs. The key requirements for CAT 2026 are:
- Graduation: Candidates must hold a Bachelor’s degree with at least 50% marks (45% for SC/ST/PwD candidates) from a recognised University or Institution.
- Professional Degrees: Holders of CA, CS, ICWA (CMA), or Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of India (FIAI) with the required marks are also eligible.
- Final Year Students: Candidates in the final year of their Bachelor’s degree can also apply. If selected, admission will be provisional until degree completion.
- Age Limit: There is no upper age limit for appearing in CAT 2026.
- Work Experience: Not mandatory for the application, but beneficial for IIM selection during WAT-PI rounds.
- Number of Attempts: No limit on the number of CAT attempts.
CAT 2026 Application Form & Registration – Apply Online
The CAT 2026 application form will be released by IIM Indore at iimcat.ac.in around 1 August 2026 and the last date is expected to be 20 September 2026. Candidates must complete the registration, fill the application form, upload scanned documents (photograph, signature), select up to 5 preferred test cities, and pay the application fee online to successfully apply for the Common Admission Test 2026.
CAT 2026 Application Portal – Click here to access the CAT application portal at iimcat.ac.in (active from 1 August 2026).
CAT 2026 Application Fee
The expected CAT 2026 application fee (based on CAT 2025 pattern) is as below. The official fee will be announced in the CAT 2026 notification.
| Category | Application Fee (Expected) |
|---|---|
| General / EWS / NC-OBC | ₹ 2,600 |
| SC / ST / PwD | ₹ 1,300 |
CAT Exam – An Overview
The key details about this entrance exam are as follows.
| Exam Aspect | Aspect Information |
|---|---|
| Name of Exam | CAT |
| Full Form | Common Admission Test |
| Exam Conducting Body (2026) | IIM Indore (Rotating) |
| Level of Exam | National Level |
| Mode of Exam | Computer Based Test (CBT) |
| Duration | 2 hours (120 minutes) |
| Sessions | 3 sessions on a single day |
| Number of Test Cities | Approximately 170 |
| Official Website | iimcat.ac.in |
| Courses Where Admission Is Through This Test | MBA, PGDM, PGP and other PG management programmes |
| Colleges Accepting CAT Score | 22 IIMs and 1,000+ B-schools |
| Type Of Exam | Management Entrance Exams |
CAT 2026 Exam Pattern
If you have chosen to take the Common Admission Test, it’s essential to understand the test structure. IIM Indore will release the official CAT 2026 exam pattern in the notification, but based on the post-2020 format the pattern is expected to be:
- Mode: Computer Based Test (CBT)
- Duration: 2 hours (120 minutes); 40 minutes per section
- Total Questions: 68 questions across three sections
- Sections: VARC (24 Q), DILR (22 Q), QA (22 Q)
- Marking Scheme: +3 for each correct MCQ, –1 for each wrong MCQ; no negative marking for non-MCQ (TITA) questions
- Question Type: Mix of MCQs and TITA (Type In The Answer) questions
- Sectional Time Limit: Candidates cannot switch between sections during the exam
CAT 2026 Admit Card
Then once you apply, you need the CAT 2026 admit card. Most important details:
- Release Date: The CAT 2026 admit card will be released by IIM Indore on 12 November 2026 (expected) at iimcat.ac.in.
- Download Link: Candidates will find the official download link on the homepage of iimcat.ac.in. Bookmark our CAT Admit Card page for instant updates.
- How to Download: Visit iimcat.ac.in, log in with your CAT User ID and password, click on the admit card download link, and take a printout.
- Documents to Carry: Printed admit card, a valid government-issued photo ID, and the original photograph used in the application.
CAT Answer Key 2026
Appeared for the Common Admission Test and now eager to know your marks? Read the following to know all about the answer key.
- The CAT 2026 answer key will be released by IIM Indore at iimcat.ac.in shortly after the 29 November 2026 exam.
- The answer key is released along with the CAT response sheet, allowing candidates to view their attempted responses.
- Candidates can challenge the answer key during the prescribed objection window by paying a per-question fee.
- After considering all valid objections, IIM Indore will release the final answer key, which is used to compute the result.
CAT 2026 Result
As soon as the CAT exam ends, you immediately get curious about the result. Here are the most important points:
- Result Date: IIM Indore will announce the CAT 2026 result in the second week of January 2027 (expected) at iimcat.ac.in.
- Result Link: You can find the direct link to view your CAT result at iimcat.ac.in using your User ID and password.
- How to Check: Visit iimcat.ac.in, click on the result link, log in with your credentials, and download your scorecard PDF.
- What the Result Indicates: The CAT scorecard contains your sectional and overall raw scores, scaled scores, sectional percentiles, and overall CAT percentile.
- Validity: CAT 2026 score is valid for one year, applicable for admission to the 2027–29 academic year.
- 100 Percentilers: In CAT 2025, 12 candidates scored 100 percentile; on average, 10–15 candidates achieve a 100 percentile each year.
CAT Cut Off & Selection Process
After the result, IIMs and other B-schools release their respective CAT cut offs and shortlist candidates for the Written Ability Test (WAT) / Group Discussion (GD) / Personal Interview (PI) rounds.
- Top IIMs (A, B, C, L, K, I): Generally require 99+ percentile in CAT for shortlisting.
- Mid-tier IIMs: Typically require 95–97 percentile.
- Newer / Baby IIMs: Generally require 90–94 percentile.
- Other top B-schools: SPJIMR Mumbai, MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad, FMS Delhi, NITIE – cut offs vary from 85–98 percentile based on the institute.
- Final Selection: Based on composite score – CAT percentile + academic record + work experience + WAT/PI performance + diversity factors.
CAT Previous Year Question Papers
Preparing for the Common Admission Test? Then you should download previous year question papers of CAT to strengthen your preparation. Important points are as follows.
- The CAT question papers are actual sets of exams from previous years (2017–2025).
- By practicing with these papers, you’ll understand the types of questions, sectional difficulty, and time management required for the CAT 2026 exam.
- Solve at least 10 – 15 previous year papers along with sectional mocks in actual 2-hour CBT mode.
- IIM Indore is expected to release the official CAT 2026 mock test on iimcat.ac.in in late October / early November 2026.
CAT 2026 Syllabus
A key aspect of CAT exam preparation is to know the syllabus. Here is what you should note:
- The CAT 2026 syllabus covers three main sections: VARC, DILR, and QA.
- VARC: Reading Comprehension, Para-Jumbles, Para-Summary, Sentence Correction, Vocabulary, Critical Reasoning.
- DILR: Tables, Bar Graphs, Line Charts, Pie Charts, Caselets, Seating Arrangement, Puzzles, Sets, Routes & Networks.
- QA: Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry & Mensuration, Number Systems, Modern Maths (P&C, Probability, Set Theory).
- IIM does not release an “official syllabus”; the pattern is derived from previous CAT papers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ans. CAT 2026 will be conducted by IIM Indore as per the rotational system among the older IIMs. The CAT 2026 notification is expected to be released in the last week of July 2026 at iimcat.ac.in.
Ans. CAT 2026 is expected to be held on Sunday, 29 November 2026, in three sessions across approximately 170 test cities. The official date will be confirmed in the CAT 2026 notification.
Ans. The official website for CAT 2026 is iimcat.ac.in. All notifications, application form, admit card, answer key, response sheet, and result will be published on this portal.
Ans. Candidates must hold a Bachelor’s Degree with at least 50% marks (45% for SC/ST/PwD) from a recognised university. Final-year students can also apply provisionally. There is no upper age limit and no restriction on the number of attempts.
Ans. Expected fee (based on CAT 2025): Rs. 2,600 for General/EWS/NC-OBC and Rs. 1,300 for SC/ST/PwD candidates. The official fee will be announced in the CAT 2026 notification at iimcat.ac.in.
Ans. CAT 2026 is a 2-hour Computer Based Test with 68 questions across three sections: VARC (24 Q), DILR (22 Q), and QA (22 Q). Marking scheme: +3 for each correct MCQ, -1 for each wrong MCQ, no negative marking for TITA (non-MCQ) questions. Each section has a 40-minute sectional time limit.
Ans. There is no limit on the number of attempts for CAT. Candidates can appear in the exam as many times as they wish, provided they meet the eligibility criteria. CAT score is valid for one year for IIM admissions.
Ans. A 99+ percentile is generally required for shortlisting at top IIMs (Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Lucknow, Kozhikode, Indore). Mid-tier IIMs typically require 95-97 percentile, and newer/baby IIMs require 90-94 percentile. Final selection also depends on academic record, work experience, WAT-PI performance, and diversity factors.
If you have any questions about CAT 2026, then please ask in the comments below. And if you found this page to be useful, please share!
