CAT 2026 exam date is 29 November 2026, conducted by IIM Indore. Registration is open from 3 August to 15 September 2026 on iimcat.ac.in. Full dates, fee and pattern.
CAT 2026 exam date is Sunday, 29 November 2026, and the test is conducted by IIM Indore through the official portal iimcat.ac.in. Registration is open from 3 August 2026 (10:00 AM) to 15 September 2026 (5:00 PM), so this is the window in which you must submit your application. The Common Admission Test (CAT) is the national MBA entrance to the IIMs and over 1000 B-schools for admission to PGP and equivalent management programmes.
This guide gives you every confirmed CAT 2026 date, the registration steps and fee, the eligibility rules, and the exact exam pattern with marking, all in clean tables. It also draws on how our CAT mock series at Quiz4Exam mirrors the live paper, so your practice matches the real constraints from day one.
The CAT 2026 exam date is Sunday, 29 November 2026. It is a Computer Based Test (CBT) held in three sessions on the same day, morning, afternoon and evening, across roughly 170 test cities in India. IIM Indore released the official notification on 26 July 2026, and the admit card is expected in the first week of November 2026.
Here are all the key CAT 2026 dates you should lock into your calendar. Treat the admit card and result dates as expected until IIM Indore confirms them on iimcat.ac.in.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification released | 26 July 2026 |
| Registration opens | 3 August 2026 (10:00 AM) |
| Registration closes | 15 September 2026 (5:00 PM) |
| Admit card (expected) | First week of November 2026 |
| Exam day | Sunday, 29 November 2026 |
| Result (expected) | First week of January 2027 |
IIM Indore is conducting CAT 2026. The convening IIM rotates each year among the older IIMs, and for the 2026 cycle IIM Indore owns the entire process: the notification, registration, admit cards, the test on 29 November 2026, and the result. The only official website is iimcat.ac.in, so ignore any other portal claiming to sell CAT forms or scores.
Because IIM Indore runs the test, all queries, corrections and grievances go through the iimcat.ac.in helpdesk during the registration window. Your CAT scorecard is then accepted by all IIMs and by more than 1000 non-IIM B-schools that use the CAT score for their MBA and PGDM admissions.
CAT 2026 registration is open from 3 August 2026 (10:00 AM) to 15 September 2026 (5:00 PM) on iimcat.ac.in. You register once, create a unique ID and password, fill in academic and work details, upload a photo and signature, choose test cities, and pay the fee online. The application fee is Rs 2,700 for General, EWS and NC-OBC candidates and Rs 1,350 for SC, ST and PwD candidates.
| Category | Application fee |
|---|---|
| General / EWS / NC-OBC | Rs 2,700 |
| SC / ST / PwD | Rs 1,350 |
The registration steps are straightforward: (1) create your account with a valid email and mobile number, (2) log in and complete the personal, academic and work-experience sections, (3) upload your photograph and signature in the required format, (4) select your preferred test cities in order, (5) pay the fee, and (6) download the confirmation page. Do not wait for 15 September, since last-day traffic and payment failures are the most common reason serious aspirants miss the form. Fill it early, review every field, and submit with days to spare.
CAT 2026 eligibility requires a Bachelor's degree with at least 50 percent marks, or 45 percent for SC, ST and PwD candidates, or an equivalent CGPA. Candidates in the final year of graduation are eligible and can apply on the basis of expected completion. There is no upper age limit and no cap on the number of attempts, so you can appear as many times as you wish.
The percentage or CGPA is calculated as per the awarding university's rules, and reserved-category candidates must hold a valid certificate. Since final-year students are allowed, a large share of the CAT pool is fresh graduates, but the open age and attempt rules also make CAT a genuine option for working professionals who want to move into an IIM or another top B-school.
The CAT 2026 exam pattern is unchanged: 68 questions in 120 minutes, split into three sections of 40 minutes each with a sectional lockout, meaning you cannot move back to a previous section once its time ends. The three sections are Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) with 24 questions, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) with 22 questions, and Quantitative Ability (QA) with 22 questions.
| Section | Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 24 | 40 minutes |
| Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) | 22 | 40 minutes |
| Quantitative Ability (QA) | 22 | 40 minutes |
| Total | 68 | 120 minutes |
Marking is +3 for every correct answer and -1 for a wrong MCQ answer, while TITA (Type In The Answer, non-MCQ) questions carry no negative marking, so you should always attempt a TITA question you can reasonably estimate. An on-screen calculator is provided in the test interface. The sectional lockout is the feature most candidates underestimate: if you leave easy marks behind in VARC because you rushed, you cannot return to grab them once DILR begins, so per-section time discipline is the whole game.
With the exam on 29 November 2026, you have a focused block from August to build accuracy and then sharpen speed. Split your day across VARC, DILR and QA, take full-length mocks under the exact 40-minute sectional lockout, and review every mock to fix the two or three error patterns that cost you the most marks. TITA no-negative marking means your attempt strategy per section must be deliberate, not random.
Practising on a paper that behaves like the real one matters, because the sectional lockout and TITA rules change how you allocate time. Our CAT full mock test series mirrors the exact live format, the 68-question paper, the 40-minute sectional lockout and TITA no-negative marking, so you rehearse under real constraints. If you are just starting, try the free CAT starter mocks first, and for a full study plan read our CAT 2026 preparation strategy guide.
When is the CAT 2026 exam date? CAT 2026 is on Sunday, 29 November 2026, as a Computer Based Test in three sessions across about 170 cities.
Which IIM is conducting CAT 2026? IIM Indore conducts CAT 2026 through the official portal iimcat.ac.in.
What is the last date for CAT 2026 registration? Registration closes on 15 September 2026 at 5:00 PM; it opened on 3 August 2026 at 10:00 AM.
What is the CAT 2026 application fee? Rs 2,700 for General, EWS and NC-OBC, and Rs 1,350 for SC, ST and PwD candidates.
What is the CAT 2026 exam pattern? 68 questions in 120 minutes, three 40-minute sections (VARC 24, DILR 22, QA 22) with sectional lockout, marking +3 correct and -1 wrong MCQ, and no negative marking on TITA questions.
CAT 2026 is on Sunday, 29 November 2026. It is a Computer Based Test held in three sessions on the same day, morning, afternoon and evening, across roughly 170 test cities in India. IIM Indore is the conducting institute, and the admit card is expected in the first week of November 2026.
IIM Indore is conducting CAT 2026 through the only official portal, iimcat.ac.in. The convening IIM rotates each year among the older IIMs, and for 2026 IIM Indore owns the notification, registration, admit card, exam and result. Your CAT score is accepted by all IIMs and over 1000 B-schools.
CAT 2026 registration closes on 15 September 2026 at 5:00 PM. It opened on 3 August 2026 at 10:00 AM on iimcat.ac.in. Fill the form early, since last-day traffic and payment failures are the most common reason serious aspirants miss the deadline. Review every field before you submit.
The CAT 2026 fee is Rs 2,700 for General, EWS and NC-OBC candidates and Rs 1,350 for SC, ST and PwD candidates. Eligibility needs a Bachelor's degree with at least 50 percent marks, or 45 percent for SC, ST and PwD, or equivalent CGPA. Final-year students are eligible, with no upper age limit and no attempt cap.
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CAT 2026 has 68 questions in 120 minutes, three 40-minute sections with sectional lockout: VARC 24, DILR 22 and QA 22. Marking is +3 for a correct answer and -1 for a wrong MCQ answer, while TITA questions carry no negative marking. An on-screen calculator is provided in the test interface.
