CAT 2026 Registration Extended: Check New Registration Last Date, Fees & How to Apply

Filling out the CAT 2026 registration form is an important step to sit for the Common Admission Test. As per the new update, the last date to register for the CAT 2026 examination is now extended. Now candidates can fill out the CAT registration 2026 form till 22 September 2026 at 5:00 PM.

Candidates shouldn’t have to wait for the last date to complete the registration process now; instead, they have to start filling out the form now so that they will not face any last-minute hassle. The CAT 2026 exam is scheduled for 29 November 2026 (Sunday). This blog will cover all the latest updates related to the CAT registration 2026, detailed steps to apply, form fees, common mistakes to avoid and more.

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CAT 2026 Registration Date Extended

The CAT 2026 registration date is extended now, and the last date to register for the exam is 22 September 2026 (5:00 PM). The CAT examination 2026 is now scheduled for 29 November 2026 (Sunday).

Events	Date
CAT 2026 Notification Release Date	July 25, 2026
Registration Start Date	August 03, 2026 (10:00 am)
CAT 2026 Registration Last Date	September 22, 2026 (5:00 pm)
Form Correction Window	September 2026
Admit Card Release Date	November 4, 2026
CAT Exam Date 2026	November 29, 2026 (Confirmed)
Answer Key Release Date	December 2026
CAT Result Date	December 2026

CAT Registration 2026: Detailed Steps To Apply

Candidates who have not yet registered for the CAT 2026 exam must do so before 22 September 2026 by 5 PM. Those who fail to do online registration for the CAT 2026 exam and pay the application fee online will be eligible to appear for the exam. The detailed procedure for CAT registration 2026 has been explained below. 

CAT Registration Step 1: Register for CAT 2026

Students will have to first register for the CAT 2026 exam online by visiting the official website, which is iimcat.ac.in. The steps for CAT exam registration have been stated below here. 

1. Visit iimcat.ac.in and click on Register under the New Candidate Registration section.
2. Enter the name as stated in the Class 10/SSC certificate.
3. Enter the date of birth, active and valid email address, country and active mobile number.
4. Click on Generate OTP.
5. Enter the CAPTCHA and submit it to receive the OTP.
6. Enter the OTP received on the registered mobile number and click on Validate the OTP.

Click on ‘proceed’ to move to the next step. 

CAT Registration Step 2: IIM CAT Login for Online Registration

1. Visit the CAT website and click on Login under Registered Candidate Login.
2. Enter CAT 2026 User ID, Password and CAPTCHA that was sent to your registered email ID and mobile number and click on Login. 
3. Verify the Applicant Details and proceed to fill out the complete application form for the CAT 2026 exam. 

CAT 2026 Registration Step 3: Fill Personal Details and Upload Documents in CAT Registration Form

CAT 2026 registration has to be completed by filing the personal details, communication details, address and other details. Once the details are filled in, the next step is to upload the relevant documents.

• Photograph: The passport-size photograph must be in JPEG format of 1200 × 1200 pixels and not more than 80 KB.
• Signature: The signature should be in JPEG format of 80 mm × 35 mm up to 80 KB in size.
• Upload the applicable category or disability certificate in PDF format, wherever required.

Once these are done, click on ‘Save and next’. 

CAT Registration Step 4: Enter Academic Details during CAT 2026 Registration

Candidates will have to enter their Class 10, Class 12, diploma, Bachelor’s degree and other applicable academic details.

After completing the academic details, click on Save & Next.

Step 5: Enter Work Experience

Candidates have to enter their full-time, post-graduation work experience in completed days up to July 31, 2026. If one does not have any work experience, then he or she should proceed further. 

Note: Part-time jobs, internships, articleships, academic projects and work experience gained before graduation are not counted as valid work experience.

Step 6: Select Programmes and Interview Cities

Candidates must select the management programmes offered by the participating IIMs from the programme selection section

Step 7: Select CAT Test Cities 2026 

Candidates have to select five different test cities in order of preference.

Step 8: Preview, Submit and Pay the CAT Application Fee

Before making the payment, candidates should check the complete application form and verify all the details entered.

CAT Registration 2026: Application Form Fees

The CAT 2026 registration form date has now been extended to 22 September 2026 (5:00 PM). After filling out all the important information, candidates have to pay CAT form fees to sucessfully submitting the CAT registration form. Please have a look at the category-wise CAT application form 2026 fees below.

Category	CAT Exam Fee
General, EWS and NC-OBC	Rs. 2,700
SC, ST and PwD	Rs. 1

What Should I Do if the Payment Fails During CAT Registration 2026?

Approximately 300,000+ aspirants every year for the CAT exam. The online registration process of the CAT exam is simple but consumes a lot of time. Thus, you should prioritise staying updated about the entire registration procedure, the CAT Exam Fees, etc. So far, we have given you an update about the registration fees for all the categories, i.e., General/EWS/NC-OBC/SC/ST/PwD, modes of payment and payment procedure. If by chance, you face a payment error, then here is the complete list of solutions for your understanding and reference. Candidates can follow the respective steps mentioned below in case they face issues during the CAT 2026 registration form filling.

• Try again after 30 minutes: If no money is deducted, i.e., it is for at least 30 minutes before the next attempt. Carefully enter the card details and follow the on-screen instructions to make the payment. 
• Re-check your internet connection: Cross-check if there’s any kind of network issue. Staying connected to a poor network will disrupt your CAT exam fee payment procedure. During such errors, you can also try with other modes of payment. 
• Reach Out to Bank/CAT Helpdesk: If the transaction is complete and you still haven’t received any confirmation, then connect with the bank authorities. Also, address this issue to the CAT Helpdesk. 
• Collect Necessary Evidence: Take a screenshot if the payment was complete, but there was no confirmation message on the screen. This will act as a valid proof of support. Send an email to the CAT Helpdesk and the respective bank with supporting evidence. 
• Don’t Try Multiple Times: Trying to pay the fees multiple times despite initial failures can lead to double deductions. If you ever come across such instances, then you must wait for some time and try again. 
• Opt for a Different Payment Method: Prefer switching to a different payment method if there’s a constant error with the existing payment mode. The second time, enter the payment details carefully, cross-verify and then try to pay the fees for the CAT exam online. 

New CAT 2026 Registration Last Date

The new CAT 2026 registration last date is 22 September 2026 at 5:00 PM. The CAT exam 2026 is now scheduled for 29 November 2026 (Sunday) by the Indian Institute of Management Indore.

Conclusion: CAT 2026 Registration Date Extended

The CAT registration 2026 date is now extended from 15 September 2026 to 22 September 2026 till 5:00 PM. Candidates now don’t have to wait for the deadline to fill out the application form; instead, they should gather all the necessary information which is required to fill out the CAT registration form.

FAQs: CAT 2026 Registration Date Extended