Registration for the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2026 opened today on the official website, iimcat.ac.in. The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Indore will conduct the exam on November 29, 2026. It will be held across three sessions at test centres nationwide.
Who Can Apply
Candidates need a bachelor’s degree from a recognised university or educational institution, with at least 50 percent marks or an equivalent CGPA. The bar drops to 45 percent for candidates in the Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Persons with Disability (PwD) categories. Candidates still in their final year of a bachelor’s degree, or waiting on their results, can also apply provisionally. There’s no age limit for CAT 2026.
How to Apply
Applying involves a few straightforward steps. Candidates start by visiting iimcat.ac.in and registering as a new user with a valid email ID and mobile number. They then create login credentials. Once logged in, they fill out the application form with their personal, academic and other required details. Applicants also select their preferred test cities along with other exam-related choices.
After that, candidates upload the required documents and pay the application fee online. The final steps involve submitting the form and checking the confirmation page. Next, candidates must download a copy of both the completed application and the confirmation page for future reference.
Application Fee
General, Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and Other Backward Classes – Non-Creamy Layer (NC-OBC) candidates need to pay Rs 2,600. SC, ST and PwD candidates pay a reduced fee of Rs 1,300. Candidates can pay through the online payment options available on the CAT 2026 portal.
Exam Pattern
CAT 2026 will run as a 120-minute computer-based test with 68 questions split across three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA). Each section gets a fixed 40 minutes. Candidates won’t be able to switch between sections while attempting the test.
Where the Score Gets Used
IIMs use CAT scores for admission to their postgraduate and fellow/doctoral programmes. A number of other institutions also accept CAT scores for their own admission processes. However, each sets its own eligibility and admission criteria.
The CAT 2026 admit card is scheduled to be released in November, giving candidates a narrow window before the exam itself. Results are expected in December 2026. That is when this year’s cycle of admissions decisions across IIMs and other B-schools will really begin.
Curated news reports, in-depth analysis, and special features by India’s Opinion editorial team.
