CAT Exam 2026, Eligibility, Online Form, Exam Date

CAT (Common Admission Test) is a national-level exam held every year for admission to various postgraduate and Fellow/Doctorate programs of IIMs. The CAT Exam will be conducted by one of the top six IIMs on a rotation basis. The official notification will be released in August 2026, and the CAT exam will be conducted on 29th November 2026. CAT score is valid for admission to 21 IIMs and other MBA colleges in India, and the validity of the score is for 1 year only.  

CAT Notification 2026

The official notification for the CAT 2026 Exam will be released in August 2026. Students who are planning to apply for admission to various postgraduate and Fellow/Doctorate programs of IIMs & some of the Non-IIM institutes should go through the article for detailed information regarding the CAT Exam 2026.

CAT Exam Notification PDF  (Previous Year) - Click to Download 

CAT 2026 Exam Summary

Graduates who have been looking for admission to various Post Graduate and Fellow/Doctorate programs at various IIMs & Non-IIM institutes have to mandatorily qualify for the CAT Exam, which is one of the top MBA Entrance Exams.  Interested candidates for the CAT Exam should check the overview table for the exam.  

CAT 2026- Important Dates

The important dates for the CAT entrance exam will be released along with its official notification. Common Admission Test CAT 2026 will be conducted on  29th November 2026. Check all the important dates for the exam from the table below.

CAT Exam 2026 Registration Link

Interested graduates who have been looking for admission to B-schools must submit their registration form for the Common Admission Test. The online registration process for CAT Exam 2026 will start after the release of the notification. The application forms will be accepted only in online mode; applications from any other mode will not be accepted under any circumstances. 

CAT Exam 2026 Application Fee

 During the process of CAT Registration Form, the candidate has to pay the required application fee, which is to be paid through online mode only (Credit/Debit Card or Net Banking).

How to Register for CAT 2026 Exam?

1. Log in to the IIM CAT official website of IIM or register from the above link.
2. Click on “Register” mentioned under New Candidate Registration and create a user ID by entering details such as name, date of birth, email ID, and phone number.
3. Click on ‘Generate OTP,’ and the OTP will be sent to the registered mobile number.
4. Enter the OTP and verify your CAT registration.
5.  Now click on ‘Login’ as mentioned under Registered Candidate Login and enter the registration number generated in the previous step.
6.  Enter all the information in the application form, including personal and academic details, work experience (if any).
7.  Upload scanned signature and photograph in the prescribed format.
8.  Select a minimum of test cities and preferred IIM campuses for WAT-PI shortlisting
9. Pay CAT application fees online via debit/credit card or net banking and click on “Submit”.
10.  Download your CAT Application Form for future reference.

CAT Exam Eligibility 2026

The courses offered through CAT are of Post Graduate and Fellow/Doctorate programmes; therefore, holding a graduation degree is mandatory. Check the detailed CAT Eligibility Criteria, including educational qualifications, from the section below

IIM CAT Academic Qualification 

• Candidates who have scored 50% marks (aggregate) or equivalent CGPA in a bachelor’s degree (General) and 45% for SC/ST/people with disabilities are eligible to register.
• The candidates who are in the final year of their Graduation or waiting for results are also eligible to appear in the CAT entrance exam.
• Candidates who have completed their professional degree in CA/CS/ICWA with 50% marks (45% for SC/ST/PwD) can also apply for CAT exam.

Note: Candidates appearing for the final year of the Bachelor’s degree/equivalent qualification examination and those who have completed degree requirements and are awaiting results can also apply.

CAT Exam Pattern 2026

Before beginning with the preparation for the CAT Exam, the candidates must be aware of the detailed CAT Exam Pattern which is followed by IIM to conduct the entrance test. 

• The CAT exam will be conducted through Online Computer Based and the duration of exam has been revised to 2 hours.
• There will be three sections in the exam:

1. Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension
2. Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
3. Quantitative Ability

• The number of Questions will be 66 for 198 marks, and the per-section distribution is as follows

1. VARC - 24 Questions
2. DILR - 20 Questions
3. QA - 22 Questions

• Each correct answer will be awarded +3 marks and a penalty of 1 mark for each incorrect answer.

Click For Detailed CAT 2026 Exam Pattern

CAT 2026 Syllabus 

Unlike the Exam pattern, the CAT syllabus has not been changed over the years; the topics covered in the CAT syllabus are as follows:

Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension: Reading Comprehension, Verbal Ability, Para jumbles, Para summary, Sentence Completion, Inferences, and more.

Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation: Tables, Graphs, Data Caselets, Blood Relation, Seating Arrangement, Syllogism, and more

Quantitative Aptitude: Geometry, Algebra, Number System, Arithmetic, Mensuration, and others

CAT Syllabus 2026 - Click to Check

CAT 2026 Cut Off

The CAT cut-off marks will be released after the CAT exam. Till then, the candidates can have a look at the previous year "CAT Cut Off for 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016 from the table below.

Universities Accepting CAT Scores

The following IIM & Non-IIM universities accept admissions to Postgraduate & doctorate programs through CAT Scores.  

IIM Universities Accepting CAT Scores

Check the list of IIM Universities that accept CAT scores for admission to postgraduate and doctorate programmes. 

1. IIM Calcutta
2. IIM Ahmedabad
3. IIM Bangalore
4. IIM Lucknow
5. IIM Kozhikode
6. IIM Indore
7. IIM Shillong
8. IIM Rohtak
9. IIM Ranchi
10. IIM Raipur
11. IIM Udaipur
12. IIM Nagpur
13. IIM Tiruchirappalli
14. IIM Kashipur
15. IIM Visakhapatnam
16. IIM Bodh Gaya
17. IIM Amritsar
18. IIM Sambalpur
19. IIM Sirmaur
20. IIM Jammu

Non-IIM Universities Accepting CAT Scores

Check the list of Non-IIM Universities that accept CAT Scores for admission to postgraduate and doctorate programmes. 

1. FMS, Delhi University
2. SPJIMR, Mumbai
3. MDI, Gurgaon
4. IMT, Ghaziabad
5. IIT Kanpur-IME
6. IMI, Delhi
7. IIT Delhi - DoMs
8. IIT Bombay-SJMSOM
9. IIT Madras-DoMs
10. IIT Roorkee-DoMs
11. IIT Kharagpur-VGoSM
12. IIT Dhanbad-ISM
13. Great Lakes Institute of Management
14. IMT, Nagpur
15. IMI, Kolkata
16. IPE, Hyderabad
17. ITM, University
18. Institute of Management, Nirma University
19. IIITM, Gwalior
20. Goa Institute of Management (GIM), Goa

CAT 2026 Exam Centre 

The candidates can choose a minimum of 6 cities for the option of Exam centre.