CAT 2026 exam is expected to be held on 29 November 2026 and the registration will expected to begin from the first week of August 2026. Filling the CAT examination form is a long process and requires time as well as patience because it is important to fill exact information or details so that you will avoid any hassle related to the application rejection. The CAT 2026 application form consists of various fields such as personal details, academics, work experience, test city and declaration.
Among all the information, there are some essential documents which are required to carry for filling the CAT registration form such as category certification, personal information and more. Along with there are some technical specifications required for uploading documents in a CAT 2026 application form.
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What is CAT 2026 Registration Form?
CAT registration form is the online application process which is required to complete before appearing for the Common Admission Test. Every year, this application form is started in the first week of August and this year, the CAT 2026 registration form will expected to begin in the August 2026 (first week). This form contains various fields such as personal details, academic information, work experience, test city and final declaration. The form is quite long and requires patience to fill with accurate information so that you will not face any application rejection later in the process.
The CAT 2026 registration form filling will act as a eligibility criteria to appear for one of the top entrance examination in the country.
Documents Required for CAT 2026 Registration
There are several information which are really required to prepare initially before starting filling the CAT 2026 registration form.
CAT Registration: Personal Identification Information
- The very first section of the CAT application form 2026 is to filling the personal information such as father’s name, mother’s name, mobile number, email address and more.
- Apart from this, some valid ID proof such as Aadhar card, Driving License, PAN Card, etc.
CAT Registration 2026: Category Certifications (If Applicable)
CAT 2026 application form asks for the category certification if applicable as per the candidate. If you belong to the EWS/NC-OBC/SC/ST category, then you have to keep ready with these documents if belong to the specific category (in a scanned PDF format).
The same applicable for the candidates who belong to SC/ST category.
CAT Registration 2026: Technical Specifications to Upload Documents
- While doing your CAT 2026 registration, make sure your photo is a recent one (not older than 6 months), has a plain white background, and is sized 1200×1200 pixels. Save it as JPG or JPEG, keep it under 80KB, and don’t go below 150 px/inch resolution.
- You’ll also need to upload your signature during CAT registration, scan it at 80mm x 35mm, save as JPG/JPEG, and keep the file size under 80KB too.
- Don’t throw away the photo after uploading it for CAT 2026 registration. You’ll need physical copies of the exact same photo to stick on your admit card when you show up for the exam on November 29, 2026 (expected).
- If you fall under EWS, NC-OBC, SC, or ST category, keep your certificate ready as a PDF scan — this has to be uploaded separately during registration.
- Same goes for PwD candidates as your certificate needs to be uploaded as a PDF, not an image file, so get that scanned in advance to avoid last-minute issues with your CAT registration.
CAT Registration Trends Over Years
Candidates should check the CAT registration trends over the years. It helps them understand the competition level and plan their preparation better. In CAT 2025, 2.95 lakh candidates registered, and 2.58 lakh candidates appeared for the exam. Below are the CAT registration trends over the years for reference purposes.
| Year | Number of Candidates Registered | Number of Candidates Appeared (Test Takers) |
| 2010 | 2,04,000 | 1,85,000 |
| 2011 | 2,05,000 | 1,86,000 |
| 2012 | 2,14,000 | 1,95,000 |
| 2013 | 1,94,516 | 1,73,714 |
| 2014 | 1,96,988 | 1,70,000 |
| 2015 | 2,18,664 | 1,79,602 |
| 2016 | 2,32,434 | 1,95,679 |
| 2017 | 2,31,067 | 1,99,632 |
| 2018 | 2,40,338 | 2,09,405 |
| 2019 | 2,44,169 | 2,09,926 |
| 2020 | 2,27,835 | 1,90,144 |
| 2021 | 2,29,969 | 1,91,660 |
| 2022 | 2,55,501 | 2,22,184 |
| 2023 | 3,23,000 | 2,88,000 |
| 2024 | 3,29,000 | 2,93,000 |
| 2025 | 2.95 lakh | 2.58 lakh |
Mistakes to Avoid During CAT Registration 2026
There are a few pointers which candidates should keep in mind while filling the CAT 2026 registration form.
- Check Internet Connection Properly: Internet connectivity should be stable while filling out the CAT registration form so that you will not get stuck anywhere.
- Fill Personal Information Correctly: Candidates should fill in the personal information, such as name, category, mobile number, and other details properly.
- Cross-Check Information Before Submission: Candidates should check all the fields of personal details, academics, work experience, programmes, test city and more before final submission of a CAT registration form.
- Download Payment Receipt for Future Reference: If you are doing the payment process after checking all the information and if it gets stuck, then wait for some time before going back to the page. And if it is successfully processed, then download the payment receipt for future considerations.
Conclusion: CAT Registration 2026
The CAT 2026 registration is expected to begin in the first week of August 2026 and it is quite important that candidates should get ready with all the essential documents required to fill CAT application form. This blog cover the detailed information about what all documents required with technical specification to upload documents such as passport-sized photograph, signature and more as per the standards.
