CAT Exam 2026: Dates, Registration (Ongoing) and Expected Cutoff

CAT 2026 registration will end on September 15, 2026, at 5:00 PM. Candidates can submit their applications online at iimcat.ac.in. CAT exam 2026 is scheduled to take place on 29 November 2026 by IIM Indore. The application process began on August 3 and the notification was released on 26 July 2026. CAT Exam will be conducted in three slots across approximately 170 cities in India. Slot 1 will be conducted from 8:30 am to 10:30 am, Slot 2 from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm, and Slot 3 from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm. Most MBA aspirants appear for CAT 2026 with the aim of securing admission to the top IIMs, especially IIM Ahmedabad. For the 2025 admission cycle, IIM Ahmedabad set the minimum qualifying CAT cutoff at 95 percentile for the General category, with 85 percentile in each section.

• The CAT exam 2026 Registration Fee has been updated to INR 1350 for SC, ST, and PwBD candidates and INR 2700 for General, EWS, and NC-OBC candidates.
• Candidates can download the CAT admit cards 2026 from November 4 to November 29, 2026, from the CAT 2026 official website at iimcat.ac.in, by entering their application number and password.
• A bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognized university with at least 50% marks for General and 45% marks for the reserved categories is required.
• As per the CAT entrance exam 2026 official information bulletin PDF, the CAT result date 2026 is likely in the First week of January 2027, and the scorecard will remain valid until December 31, 2027.

• CAT 2026 Mock Test
• CAT College Predictor 2026
• Top Colleges In India Accepting CAT Score 2026

CAT Exam 2026 Highlights

The major CAT exam details are provided in the table below.

Is CAT held twice a Year?

No, CAT is not held twice a year. It is conducted only once a year by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) in a single day in three slots. CAT 2026 will be conducted as a Computer-Based-Test on November 29, 2026, in three slots. Slot 1 timings are from 8:30 am to 10:30 am, Slot 2 from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm, and Slot 3 from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm.

CAT 2026 Dates

The CAT exam date 2026 is November 29, 2026. The CAT notification 2026 was officially released on July 26, 2026. The CAT 2026 registration dates are from August 3 to September 15, 2026. Find the CAT exam dates for 2026 in the table below.

Check CAT Exam Dates 2026

Can I Crack CAT in 20 Days?

Yes, a candidate can crack CAT in 20 days, but only if he follows a smart preparation strategy and stays consistent. If a candidate already has a basic understanding of the syllabus, the last 20 days can be enough to improve their score significantly. However, if he is starting from scratch, aiming for a 99+ percentile may not be realistic, but a candidate can still achieve a competitive percentile with focused preparation.

• Prioritize high-weightage topics such as Reading Comprehension, Arithmetic, Algebra, and Logical Reasoning sets.
• Attempt one full-length mock test every day or every alternate day and spend time analyzing your mistakes.
• Solve Previous Year CAT Question Papers (PYQs) to understand the exam pattern, difficulty level, and question trends.

A Reddit User Asked

If you’ve completed a BBA with a specialization, you should generally select the discipline/stream that best matches your specialization from the options provided in the CAT application form.

 

For the degree name, enter it exactly as it appears on your degree certificate/official academic records. If your certificate says “Bachelor of Business Administration” and the specialization is mentioned separately, keep the degree name as BBA and select the relevant specialization/discipline where the form asks for it.

 

If the exact specialization isn’t listed, choose the closest applicable option rather than entering a completely different stream. If you're unsure between two options, check the CAT application form's dropdown carefully or contact the official CAT helpdesk before submitting.

 

CAT Exam Eligibility 2026

Candidates must have a Bachelor's degree of at least three years in any discipline from a recognized university or institution. Final-year students and candidates awaiting their results are also eligible to apply.

• General, EWS, and NC-OBC candidates must have at least 50% aggregate marks, while SC, ST, and PwBD candidates require a minimum of 45% aggregate marks in their qualifying degree.
• Degrees awarded by universities recognized under the UGC Act, 1956, or qualifications recognized by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, including professional qualifications such as CA, CS, CMA/ICWA, and FIAI, are accepted.
• Work experience is not mandatory for CAT 2026. However, relevant full-time work experience may provide an advantage during the MBA admission process at several IIMs and other top B-schools.
• There is no upper age limit to apply for the CAT 2026 exam. Any candidate meeting the educational eligibility criteria can appear for the examination.

Check CAT Eligibility Criteria 2026

Can I Give CAT Directly after 12th?

No, candidates cannot appear for the CAT exam directly after Class 12th. They must have obtained a Bachelor's Degree in any discipline, like BA, B.Com., or B.Sc, over a minimum of three years from a recognized university approved by UGC/ AICTE/ MHRD with 50% aggregate (for General/ EWS/ OBC) and 45% aggregate (for SC/ ST/ PwD). If they are in the final year of their Bachelor's degree, they are still eligible to apply. There is no restriction on the number of attempts in the CAT exam once they obtain a Bachelor’s degree.

CAT Registration 2026

CAT Registration 2026 is being conducted online through the official website iimcat.ac.in from August 3, 2026, onwards. The CAT exam 2026 registration last date is September 15, 2026 (5:00 PM). Candidates must first register to receive their User ID and Password, then complete the application by entering their personal, academic, and work experience details, selecting their preferred programmes and exam cities, and paying the CAT registration fees of INR 2,700 for General/EWS/NC-OBC and INR 1,350 for SC/ST/PwD candidates.

How to Apply for CAT Exam 2026?

Documents Required for CAT Registration 2026

The documents required for CAT registration 2026 can be segregated into mandatory and optional documents:

CAT Reservation 2026

CAT Reservation 2026 policy has been prescribed by the Government of India in the CAT 2026 Information Bulletin. Candidates from the SC, ST, OBC-NCL, EWS, and PwD categories can avail themselves of reservation benefits by uploading their valid category certificates in the prescribed format. Mentioned below are the percentages of the category-wise reservation of seats for the CAT exam 2026:

CAT Admit Card 2026

CAT Admit Card 2026 will be released on November 4, 2026. It will remain available for download on the CAT admit card 2026 official website at iimcat.ac.in 2026 till November 29, 2026.

How can I Download CAT Admit Card 2026?

CAT admit card 2026 will be made available for download only for those candidates who have successfully registered for the CAT exam 2026. Follow the steps mentioned below to download CAT admit card 2026:

Note: It is important to note that the CAT 2026 admit card will not be sent via email or post. Candidates must download it from the official CAT website and carry a printed copy of the admit card along with a valid original photo ID proof to the CAT 2026 exam centre.

CAT Previous Year Question Paper

Below are the last 5 year CAT Question Papers along with CAT 2026 Sample Paper.

CAT Exam Pattern 2026

CAT exam pattern 2026 has been officially provided by the IIMs in the CAT 2026 Press Release. The CAT paper pattern remains the same as that of previous years'. While answering questions in a section, candidates will not be allowed to switch from one section to another. A mock exam will be made available on the CAT 2026 official website to familiarize the candidates with the format of the exam. The overall difficulty level is expected to range from moderate to high.

• The CAT 2026 exam will have a sectional time limit of 40 minutes for each section. The question paper will consist of three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA).
• Based on the analysis of previous years' CAT question papers, the CAT 2026 exam is expected to have 68 questions in total, including 24 questions from VARC, 22 questions from DILR, and 22 questions from QA. The exam is expected to carry a total of 204 marks.
• The CAT 2026 question paper will include both Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) and Type in the Answer (TITA) questions. Candidates will be awarded 3 marks for every correct answer, while 1 mark will be deducted for every incorrect MCQ response. There will be no negative marking for unattempted questions or incorrect TITA responses. The CAT 2026 exam has been officially provided by the IIMs.

Check CAT Exam Syllabus 2026

CAT Exam Preparation 2026

• Start Early with Mocks: Begin taking mocks early instead of waiting to complete the syllabus, and analyze each mock thoroughly to identify and improve weak areas.
• Follow a Phased Preparation Strategy: Build concepts first, focus on quality practice, gradually increase question volume, and move to full exam simulations closer to CAT 2026.
• Focus on All Three Sections: Strengthen concepts in QA, develop a daily reading habit for VARC, and consistently practice DILR sets to improve selection and time-management skills.
• Use the Right Study Material: Stick to one reliable primary source and prioritize quality study material over using multiple resources or relying solely on coaching.

• Maintain Consistency and Exam Temperament: Follow a 10–13 month preparation plan if possible, increase study hours closer to the exam, practice under real exam conditions, and avoid skipping mock analysis or practicing randomly.

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CAT Result 2026

CAT result 2026 is expected to be made available in the first week of January 2027 as a PDF on the CAT official website, iimcat.ac.in, as per the official CAT entrance exam 2026 Information Bulletin. The scorecard will remain valid for a maximum of 1 year, up to December 31, 2027. Candidates must log in using their CAT User ID and Password to download their CAT exam result 2026.

The scorecard will contain the candidate’s overall CAT scaled score, section-wise CAT scaled score, section-wise CAT percentile score, and overall percentile score. The CAT score is not the only basis for being shortlisted at the top IIMs and CAT participating institutes. Each IIM will conduct its own selection process and consider several components to calculate the final composite scores. The final selection of candidates for MBA/ PGDM admission will be done after considering CAT exam score (50-60%), Written Ability Test (15-20%), Personal Interviews (20-30%), Academic performance or marks obtained in Classes 10th & 12th (10-20%), Professional Experience (7-10%), and Gender/ Academic Diversity (5-10%).

Can I Get IIM with 97 Percentile in CAT?

At around 97 percentile in CAT 2026, candidates can expect opportunities at several newer and baby IIMs. For General category candidates, IIM Bodh Gaya, IIM Jammu, and IIM Sirmaur can be among the more realistic options, while IIM Amritsar, IIM Sambalpur, IIM Nagpur, IIM Visakhapatnam, IIM Udaipur, IIM Trichy, IIM Raipur, and IIM Ranchi may also be possible depending on the candidate’s academic profile, sectional percentiles, work experience, and performance in the selection process. However, 97 percentile is generally not considered a safe percentile for the older IIMs such as IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, or IIM Calcutta, particularly for General category candidates, as their actual shortlisting percentiles are much higher than the minimum eligibility cutoffs.

Read Colleges Accepting 60 percentile

CAT Cut-off 2026 (Expected)

The expected CAT 2026 cutoff for IIM Ahmedabad is around 95 percentile, IIM Bangalore is around 85 percentile, and IIM Calcutta is expected to be above 85 percentile.

Check CAT Score Vs Percentile

CAT Exam 2026 FAQs