The Common Admission Test (CAT) is the most prominent MBA exam which is conducted by the Indian Institute of Management each year. The IIM CAT exam is a gateway to take admission in the IIMs as well as several top B-schools. As per the past year trend and speculation, it is expected that IIM Indore is going to conduct the CAT 2026 exam.
There are 6 oldest IIMs that are entrusted with the responsibility of conducting the CAT exam. Each year, one of these IIMs gets the responsibility of conducting the exam. This includes managing everything of the examination process, i.e. from registration to declaration of the result.
As CAT 2026 registration usually begins from the first week of August, therefore, lakhs of candidates are eager to know which IIM is going to conduct this year’s CAT exam. In this blog, we have speculated about the IIM which is going to conduct the CAT 2026 exam. Know more about this year’s CAT conducting IIM here.
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How is the CAT 2026 Conducting IIM Selected?
The IIM CAT exam is conducted each year by one of the old IIMs on a rotational basis. The six of the oldest IIMs include the following:
- IIM Ahmedabad
- IIM Bangalore
- IIM Calcutta
- IIM Lucknow
- IIM Kozhikode
- IIM Indore
Responsibilities of CAT 2026 Conducting IIM
The conducting institute will be responsible for each and every stage of the CAT 2026 examination process. These include the following:
- Releasing the CAT 2026 notification
- Managing CAT 2026 Registration process
- Design the CAT 2026 exam pattern and question paper
- Conduct the examination across all the test centers
- Publish answer keys and CAT 2026 result.
Is IIM Indore Expected to Conduct CAT 2026?
Well, there has not been any official information or update regarding which IIM will conduct this year’s IIM CAT 2026 exam, however, based on the past few years data, it is being expected that IIM Indore will conduct the CAT 2026 exam.
The last time that IIM Indore conducted CAT was in 2020. It successfully managed the examination during the challenging COVID-19 pandemic. This IIM is well established and is known for its strong academic reputation, robust administrative capabilities, and a good deal of experience in conducting large-scale entrance tests.
All the CAT exam aspirants must note that the final decision to conduct CAT 2026 exam rests with the IIM authorities. An official information will be made prior to releasing the information bulletin.
CAT Exam Conducting IIMs: Previous Year Trends
As per the rotation pattern observed among the IIMs, it is speculated that IIM Indore will expected to be conducting the CAT 2026 exam. However, it has not been made official yet. The responsibility of conducting the IIM CAT exam generally rotates among the older and more established IIMs. The following table displays the CAT conducting IIM over the years. That will help the aspirants to learn about the exam conducting body.
| Year | CAT Conducting IIM |
| 2025 | IIM Kozhikode |
| 2024 | IIM Calcutta |
| 2023 | IIM Lucknow |
| 2022 | IIM Bangalore |
| 2021 | IIM Ahmedabad |
| 2020 | IIM Indore |
| 2019 | IIM Kozhikode |
| 2018 | IIM Calcutta |
| 2017 | IIM Lucknow |
| 2016 | IIM Bangalore |
| 2015 | IIM Ahmedabad |
| 2014 | IIM Indore |
| 2013 | IIM Indore |
| 2012 | IIM Kozhikode |
| 2011 | IIM Calcutta |
| 2010 | IIM Lucknow |
| 2009 | IIM Ahmedabad |
| 2007 | IIM Bangalore |
Does the Conducting IIM Affect CAT Difficulty?
The most common question that is often asked by the MBA exam aspirants is whether the conducting IIM influences the difficulty level of CAT examination or not? Well, if we go by the past year trend, there is no guarantee whether a particular IIM will set an easier or tougher paper. The entire difficulty level of the examination depends upon how a CAT aspirant has prepared for it.
CAT is designed to assess a candidate’s skills based on the following sections:
- Quantitative Aptitude (QA)
- Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)
- Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)
The sections remain the same as well as the CAT exam pattern, marking scheme, and evaluation standards. Thus, one must keep up their preparation in high spirits when appearing for the CAT exam.
CAT 2026 Exam Dates & Schedule
Based on the previous year trends, CAT 2026 notification is expected to be released on July 26, 2026. The exam is expected to be conducted on November 29, 2026. The complete schedule is expected to be released by the IIM CAT conducting body which is IIM Indore. The dates shall be updated in the table below once an official notification is released. In the meantime, aspirants can check out the following tentative dates.
| CAT 2026 Events | Date (Tentative) |
| CAT 2026 Notification Release Date | July 26, 2026 |
| CAT 2026 Registration Start Date | August 01, 2026 (10:00 am) |
| CAT 2026 Registration Last Date | September 20, 2026 (5:00 pm) |
| CAT 2026 Form Correction Window | September 24 – 27, 2026 |
| CAT Admit Card 2026 Release Date | November 12, 2026 |
| CAT Exam Date 2026 | November 29, 2026 (Expected) |
| CAT Answer Key 2026 Release Date | December 3, 2026 (Expected) |
| CAT Result 2026 Release Date | December 21, 2026 (Expected) |
Expected CAT 2026 Exam Pattern
The official CAT 2026 exam pattern will be released in the official notification. If any changes are made to it, the same shall be notified in the notification. Candidates must note that the following CAT exam pattern is expected based on past year exam trend.
| Particulars | Expected Details for CAT 2026 |
| Conducting IIM | IIM Indore |
| Exam Duration | 120 minutes (2 hours) |
| Sections | 3 (VARC, DILR, QA) |
| Sectional Time Limit | 40 minutes per section |
| Total Questions | 68 |
| VARC Questions | 24 |
| DILR Questions | 22 |
| QA Questions | 22 |
| Question Types | MCQ & TITA |
| Exam Mode | Computer-Based Test (CBT) |
| Exam Slots | 3 |
| Marking Scheme | +3 for correct, -1 for wrong (no negative for TITA) |
What Changes to Expect in IIM CAT 2026 Exam?
While the CAT 2026 exam official notification is yet to be released, aspirants should keep up with their preparation for the examination. Minor tweaks are expected to be there in the examination such as number of questions, section wise distribution, etc. However, the three sections i.e. VARC, DILR, and QA will remain unchanged. Possible changes in CAT 2026 exam are as follows:
Changes in the Number of Questions
The overall number of questions in CAT 2026 exam ranges from 66 to 68 questions in recent years of the examination. This year’s CAT exam might see slight adjustment in the questions.
Variation in TITA Questions
The number of TITA questions may change. An increase in non-MCQ questions would place greater emphasis on conceptual clarity since TITA questions eliminate the possibility of guessing through options
Exam Fee and Registration
The fee may or may not change this year for CAT exam. Even if there is a change, then it will be a slight change in the fee.
Test Cities and Slots
As a large number of candidates appear for CAT exam each year from every city of India, therefore, the number of test centres and cities may increase.
Conclusion: CAT 2026
As CAT is the only exam to get admissions to IIMs, therefore, candidates should focus on preparing for the examination in the best possible manner. They should practice the mock tests, solve previous year papers to stay updated with the syllabus. Candidates should emphasize on accuracy to maximise their score of getting a 99 percentile. No matter which IIM conducts the CAT 2026 exam, aspirants should stay updated with the syllabus, exam pattern and mock tests to be able to qualify the exam.
