The CAT exam date is recently out with the notification PDF for CAT 2026. It is mentioned over there that the examination is scheduled for the 29 November 2026 (Sunday). Apart from the CAT examination date, the notification PDF covers the registration start date, registration end date, admit card date and other important details.
The CAT exam date 2026 is 29 November 2026 (Sunday). The examination is conducted in three sessions, morning, afternoon and evening, by the Indian Institute of Management Indore. Now, till the CAT exam date, candidates have approximately 4 months left to structure the preparation journey with revision of important topics that carry high weightage in the Common Admission Test 2026. This blog gives you a clear edge about the CAT exam date 2026, registration dates, admit card release date, application window correction date and more. So, let’s discuss all the latest updates in a detailed manner.
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CAT Exam Date 2026: Important Dates
The CAT exam date 2026 is out now, and it is scheduled for 29 November 2026 (Sunday) across three sessions: morning, afternoon and evening. The slot timing for the morning session of the CAT 2026 exam will be 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM, whereas for the afternoon session it is 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM, and for the evening session, the slot timings are 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM.
Along with the CAT exam date, the official notification PDF has covered other important dates such as the CAT 2026 registration start date, end date, admit card release date, result date and more.
| CAT 2026 Events | Important Dates |
| CAT Notification 2026 Release Date | 25 July 2026 (Saturday) |
| CAT Registration 2026 Start Date | 03 August 2026 (Monday), 10:00 AM |
| CAT Registration 2026 Last Date | 15 September 2026 (Tuesday), 5:00 PM |
| CAT Admit Card 2026 | November 04, 2026, until November 29, 2026 |
| CAT Exam Date 2026 | 29 November 2026 (Sunday) |
| CAT Result 2026 | December 2026 (Tentative) |
CAT Exam Date 2026: Check Registration Start & End Date
The CAT 2026 exam date is out with the notification, and the exam is finally scheduled for 29 November 2026 (Sunday). Apart from the CAT examination date, the event covers important timelines such as registration, admit card, correction window and more. The CAT registration is the initial process for the candidates to complete before sitting for the CAT examination. The CAT 2026 registration will begin on 03 August 2026 (Monday) around 10:00 AM, and the last date to register is 15 September 2026 (Tuesday) at 5:00 PM. As per the information on the official CAT notification PDF, candidates can download the admit card from November 04, 2026 until November 29, 2026 (CAT exam date).
CAT Exam Date 2026: Last 10-Year Trend Analysis
This section covers the detailed last 10-year trend analysis of the CAT exam date along with the exact date of the CAT 2026 examination, which is 29 November 2026 (Sunday).
| Year | CAT Exam Date | Day |
| 2026 | 29 November 2026 (CAT 2026 Exam Date) | Sunday |
| 2025 | 30 November 2025 | Sunday |
| 2024 | 24 November 2024 | Sunday |
| 2023 | 26 November 2023 | Sunday |
| 2022 | 27 November 2022 | Sunday |
| 2021 | 28 November 2021 | Sunday |
| 2020 | 29 November 2020 | Sunday |
| 2019 | 24 November 2019 | Sunday |
| 2018 | 25 November 2018 | Sunday |
| 2017 | 26 November 2017 | Sunday |
CAT Exam Date 2026 & Slot Timings
The official date for the CAT 2026 exam is 29 November 2026. The CAT examination is conducted across three different sessions, which are specified in the table given below.
| CAT Exam Date 2026 | Exam Slot | Exam Timing |
| November 29, 2026 (Sunday) | CAT 2026 Slot 1 | 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM |
| November 29, 2026 (Sunday) | CAT 2026 Slot 2 | 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM |
| November 29, 2026 (Sunday) | CAT 20256 Slot 3 | 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM |
CAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria
Along with tracking the CAT exam date, candidates should well know about the eligibility criteria to sit for the CAT 2026 examination.
- Candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA or 45% marks in the case of a candidate belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Person with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) categories awarded by any recognized university or educational institution.
- Candidates appearing for the final year of their bachelor’s degree/equivalent qualification examination and those who have completed degree requirements and are awaiting results can also apply. The condition is that candidates can only join the programme if they submit the certificate from the principal/registrar of their university/institution (issued on or before the date as stipulated by the respective IIM) stating that they have completed all the requirements for obtaining the bachelor’s degree/equivalent qualification on the date of issue of the certificate.
- Completed a professional degree (CA/CS/ICWA (CMA)/Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of India (FIAI)) with the required percentage which is mentioned above.
CAT 2026 Admit Card Release Date
The CAT 2026 admit card will release before the CAT 2026 exam. As per the official notification, the candidates can download the admit cards from November 04, 2026 until November 29, 2026 (CAT exam date 2026).
CAT Exam Date 2026: What To Do Before Exam Day?
There are some important things that candidates should need to complete before appearing for the CAT 2026 examination.
- As per the official CAT notification, the CAT exam date is 29 November 2026, but before appearing for the exam, candidates should fill out the CAT registration form so that they can’t miss any deadline.
- It is important that candidates revise all the important concepts across VARC, DILR and QA before the CAT examination so that they can’t get stuck while solving any question.
- Solving the CAT mock test series is really helpful for you to evaluate overall performance and simulate the exam-like conditions.
- The CAT admit card is an important asset for students, which allows them to sit in the CAT 2026 exam hall. So candidates have to download it from the official website (iimcat.ac.in).
CAT Exam Date 2026: Application Correction Window
The CAT 2026 application correction window date is not officially out, but it is expected to be out in the fourth week of September 2026.
How To Cover Preparation Till the CAT Exam Date 2026?
Approximately 4 months are left till the CAT exam date (29 November 2026, Sunday). The remaining months are really crucial for aspirants to do revision across important concepts which carry high weightage in the previous year’s papers. One of the best ways to judge your performance for the CAT 2026 exam is by giving the CAT mock test series rigorously.
Candidates will easily be able to evaluate a basic difference around the weak and strong areas across the sections. In this way, you will not only evaluate your overall performance but also evaluate it properly till the CAT exam date 2026.
CAT Exam Date 2026: Result Declaration Timeline
The CAT 2025 result is expected to be announced in the last week of December 2026. The official CAT exam date 2026 is 29 November 2026 (Sunday).
CAT Exam Date 2026: Registration Form Fee
CAT 2026 exam conducting authority (IIM Indore) has increased the registration form fees.
For SC/ST/PwBD: Rs 1350
For all other categories: Rs. 2700
Conclusion: CAT Exam Date
The CAT 2026 exam is scheduled for Sunday, 26 November 2026. In the official notification PDF, there are other important timelines, such as CAT 2026 registration date, which will begin from 03 August 2026 (10:00 AM) and the last date for registration is 15 September 2026 (Tuesday) at 5:00 PM.
Candidates should prepare well till the CAT exam date so that they will score maximum in the CAT 2026 examination.
Important FAQs on CAT Exam Date 2026
The CAT 2026 exam is officially scheduled for 29 November 2026 (Sunday).
The CAT 2026 registration will begin from 03 August 2026 (10:00 AM) on Monday.
The last date to register for the CAT 2026 examination is 15 September 2026 (Tuesday) at 5:00 PM.
Candidates can download the CAT 2026 admit card from 04 November 2026 until 29 November 2026.
The CAT 2026 registration form fees is Rs. 1350 for SC/ST/PwBD whereas Rs. 2700 for all other categories.
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