The CAT 2026 exam is very near, and the structured preparation is really important for the students to succeed with top percentile scores. The official notification for the CAT exam 2026 has not been released, but it is expected to be released in the last week of July. The CAT 2026 exam is expected to be conducted on 29 November 2026, and every year one of the old IIMs will take care of the entire process of conducting the examination. So, as per the past-year trend analysis, the CAT 2026 exam will be expected to be handled by the Indian Institute of Management Indore (IIM Indore).
The Common Admission Test is one of the main national entrance examinations in India for targeting top management colleges like IIMs, FMS Delhi, SPJIMR, and more. Last year, approximately 2.95 lakh aspirants registered to sit for the exam, which proves the competitive nature of registered candidates vs. 5,000 seats available in IIMs. This blog is a comprehensive guide for you, which provides all the updates about the CAT 2026 examination, taking from the official notification, registration process, eligibility criteria, exam syllabus, exam pattern, and more. Let’s cover all the latest updates regarding the CAT 2026 exam on this page.
Join iQuanta’s diversified student community for free and prepare with other 4.1L+ peers. Get access to 24*7 doubt-solving, mentorship, free webinars, etc., all at one single platform.
CAT 2026: Overview
We are heading towards the month of July, and there are approximately 5 months left to the CAT 2026 examination. The Common Admission Test 2026 is expected to be held on 29 November 2026 by IIM Indore. As per the detailed analysis of this examination, it is expected that there will be three sections appearing in CAT 2026, namely, the VARC, DILR, and QA with a total of 68 questions, which will be further divided as 24 questions in Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension, 22 questions in Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning, and the remaining 22 questions in Quantitative Ability.
As per the past year’s trend analysis, it is expected that the CAT 2026 examination is going to be handled by the IIM Indore with all the respective processes, which are important for scheduling the CAT exam 2026.
| Particulars about CAT 2026 (Tentative) | Details |
| CAT Full Form | Common Admission Test |
| Who will conduct CAT 2026? | Indian Institute of Management Indore |
| CAT 2026 Exam Pattern | 3 sections VARC DILR QA |
| Total Number of Questions Asked in CAT 2026 exam | 68 |
| Expected Difficulty level of CAT 2026 | Moderate – Difficult |
| When will the CAT 2026 exam be conducted? | 29 November 2026 |
| Number of Questions Across CAT 2026 sections | VARC – 24 DILR – 22 QA – 22 |
| CAT 2026 official notification | Last week of July 2026 |
| CAT 2026 Registration | First Week of August 2026 |
CAT 2026 Exam (Latest Updates)
This section will cover all the important updates related to CAT 2026.
- It is expected that the official notification for CAT 2026 is expected to be out in the last week of July 2026.
- As per the past year’s trend analysis, this year IIM Indore is going to conduct the CAT exam in 2026.
- Candidates can expect the overall difficult level of questions to be moderate to difficult, which needs a focused strategy across the solving of DILR sets or caselets more.
- The CAT 2026 exam date will be expected to be 29 November 2026, and the answer key will be released around December 2026.
CAT 2026 Important Dates
| CAT 2026 Events | Dates |
| CAT Notification 2026 Release Date | Last Week of July 2026 |
| CAT Registration 2026 | August – September 2026 |
| CAT 2026 Application Form Correction | September 2026 |
| CAT 2026 Admit Card | November 2026 |
| CAT 2026 Exam | November 30, 2026 |
| CAT 2026 Answer Key Challenge | December 2026 |
| CAT 2026 Result Announcement | December 2026 |
Which IIM Will Conduct CAT 2026?
The official notification for CAT 2026 is not yet out, as per the detailed evaluation of the exam-conducting cycle by IIMs. It is expected that IIM Indore is going to conduct the CAT exam 2026. You can check the table mentioned below for a better idea.
| Year | CAT Conducting IIM |
| 2026 (Expected) | IIM Indore |
| 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 |
CAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria
CAT eligibility criteria are an important aspect to understand whether you are eligible to sit for the CAT 2026 exam or not. Although, the detailed informational PDF of the same will be available by IIM Indore on the official website i.e, iimcat.ac.in, once the official CAT notification is released.
CAT eligibility criteria are an important aspect to understand whether you are eligible to sit for the CAT 2026 exam or not. Although, the detailed informational PDF of the same will be available by IIM Indore on the official website i.e, iimcat.ac.in, once the official CAT notification is released.
Every year one of the old IIMs conduct the Common Admission Test on a rotational basis. As per the basic CAT exam eligibility, a minimum of 3 years of a bachelor’s degree is required from a recognized institution (UGC/AICTE/MHRD-approved).
If you are a candidate belonging to a General/OBC/EWS category, then 50% marks or equivalent CGPA is required, whereas 45% marks or equivalent CGPA is required in the case of SC/ST category candidates. As a final-year student, you can easily apply to the CAT 2026 examination only if you are carrying valid proof from the university authorities.
| CAT 2026 Exam Eligibility | Details |
| Exam Conducting Body | One of the IIMs on a rotational basis. |
| Academic Qualifications | A minimum of 3 years for a bachelor’s degree from a recognised institution or a UGC/AICTE/MHRD-approved one. |
| Minimum Marks (For General/EWS/OBC) | 50% marks or equivalent CGPA is required |
| Minimum Marks (For SC/ST/PwD) | 45% marks or equivalent CGPA is required |
| Final Year Students | Eligible for provisional admission if carrying valid proof from the university authorities. |
| Work Experience | Not mandatory (if you have it, then it will be advantageous during the admission process at IIMs). |
| Age Limit | No age limit |
| No. of CAT Attempts Allowed | No limits on giving CAT attempts |
CAT 2026 Exam Pattern & Marking Scheme
The CAT exam pattern involves three main sections, those are the Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Ability. According to the past year analysis, there were total 68 questions in the CAT exam that candidates need to attempt with 24 questions in VARC, 22 questions in DILR and 22 questions in QA. The detailed overview about the CAT 2026 exam pattern is specified below.
| Mode of CAT 2026 Exam | Computer Based Test |
| CAT 2026 Exam Duration | 120 minutes 40 minutes per section |
| CAT 2026 Slot Timings | Morning: 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM Afternoon: 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM Evening: 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM |
| Total Questions in CAT 2026 (expected) | 68 |
| Total marks in CAT 2026 | 204 |
| Language of CAT question paper 2026 | English |
| Number of Options in CAT 2026 | 4 |
| Type of Question in CAT 2026 | MCQ and non-MCQ |
The CAT 2026 marking scheme is expected as +3 marks for correct answers, -1 mark for incorrect answers, and 0 marks for an unattempted marked answer.
CAT 2026 Detailed VARC Syllabus
The CAT 2026 VARC section will be covering two important parts such as Reading Comprehension and second is the verbal ability section. You can prepare for this section by widely understanding the CAT 2026 syllabus for Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension. Its preparation strategy required the in-depth reading habits of long passages of various genres. The detailed CAT 2026 VARC syllabus is specified below.
| Reading Comprehension Genre | Verbal Ability |
| Science & Technology | Para Summary |
| Business & Economics | Para Completion |
| Arts, Society & Culture | Odd One Out |
| History & Politics | Para Jumbles |
| Philosophy & Psychology | – |
| Mixed | – |
CAT 2026 Syllabus: Questions Trend Analysis in VARC
You must analyze question trends in the CAT VARC section over the years. It provides a clear picture of different themes asked over the years. Passages asked in the CAT RC sections are from topics like philosophy, sociology, economics, history, technology, environmental issues, etc. To excel in CAT RC passages, candidates should build reading habits and solve previous year papers regularly. Consistency in your practice can make your preparation productive. Check the CAT syllabus for VARC in terms of question trends from 2017 to 2025. Candidates would practice these RC passages to prepare for CAT 2026 exam.
| Year & Slot | Name / Title |
| CAT 2017 Slot 1 | Map Making and Human Perception |
| Printed Text to iPhone: Evolution of Reading | |
| American Shopping Malls | |
| Evolutionary Diversity and Species Survival | |
| The Economics of the Olympics | |
| Tradition and Innovation in Culture | |
| Genetic Mutation Repair in Embryos | |
| Origins of the Plague | |
| Visual Turn in Social Media | |
| What Defines a Classic | |
| Translation and Cultural Understanding | |
| Global Warming and Storm Patterns | |
| Studying Children’s Language | |
| Exercise and Brain Function | |
| Mars and Loss of Water | |
| CAT 2017 Slot 2 | Creativity and the Social Process |
| The Subnivium: Life Beneath the Snow | |
| The Age of Electric Vehicles | |
| The Return of Typewriters | |
| The Early Trade Networks of the Vikings | |
| Nitrogen Cycle and Lightning | |
| The Placebo Effect and Healing | |
| Samuel Johnson and the English Language | |
| Retelling Indian Stories | |
| The Whistling Caterpillar | |
| Socrates and Bacon: Questioning as Method | |
| Wittgenstein and the Meaning of Language | |
| Communication and Listening Skills | |
| Roger Federer and Timelessness | |
| Branding and Hidden Meanings in Logos | |
| CAT 2018 Slot 1 | Plastic Pollution |
| Human–Elephant Conflict | |
| India and the World War | |
| Economy and Happiness | |
| Acquired Characteristics | |
| Algorithmic Transparency on Twitter | |
| Story of the Viola Player’s Cancer | |
| Swifts and Forest Canopy | |
| Inequality and Democracy in the US | |
| Artificial Embryo Twinning | |
| Sociology of Professions Approach | |
| Conceptualization of Landscape | |
| Displacement in Bengal | |
| Time Inconsistency and Immunization | |
| Translators and Bumblebees | |
| CAT 2018 Slot 2 | E-Governance |
| White-lipped Grove Snails | |
| Meritocracy | |
| Metric Fixation | |
| Rings of Saturn | |
| Phoenixing in Australia | |
| Self-management in Chronic Disease | |
| Business Elites and Virtue Signalling | |
| Universal Basic Income and Automation | |
| Sports and Delinquency | |
| Bad Samaritan Laws | |
| Genome Editing in Japan | |
| Urban Planning and Natural Disasters | |
| Bird Songs and Learning | |
| Sleep Tracking and Orthosomnia | |
| CAT 2019 Slot 1 | Tale of Aladdin |
| Choice Fatigue | |
| Emperor Penguins | |
| Folk Music | |
| Topophilia | |
| Mind-Reading and Print-Reading | |
| Collaborative Filtering Algorithms | |
| Social Media and Online Criticism | |
| Carpe Diem and Metaphors | |
| Hidden Persuaders and Advertising | |
| Displaced Reference in Language | |
| Physics vs Engineering | |
| Deafness and Sign Language | |
| Organizational Identity | |
| The Suffix “Tron” and Modernism | |
| CAT 2019 Slot 2 | Bureaucracy |
| Preservation | |
| Urban Settlements | |
| Linguistics | |
| British Colonial Policy | |
| Women’s Time | |
| Cognitive Categorisation | |
| Atonal Music | |
| Balance of Nature | |
| Language as Human Trait | |
| Hybrid Social Movements | |
| Open-Plan Offices | |
| Single-Panel Comics | |
| Illeism and Self-Reflection | |
| Ocean Plastic | |
| CAT 2020 Slot 1 | Anarchism and the State |
| Elephant Seal Dialects | |
| Tang Dynasty Currency System | |
| Grammar and Sentence Structure | |
| Southeast Asian Security and China’s Rise | |
| Intelligence and Heredity | |
| San Folktales and Shamanism | |
| Forensic Phonetics and the CSI Effect | |
| Evolution of Modern Europe | |
| Biological Weapons and Treaties | |
| Feminist Critique of Reading | |
| Slave Talk and Resistance | |
| CAT 2020 Slot 2 | Visual Culture and Seeing |
| History and Logic of Piracy | |
| Renewable Energy and Extractivism | |
| Theories of Aggression | |
| Atomic Energy and Radiation | |
| Change Blindness | |
| Theory of Sovereign States (Hobbes) | |
| Intuition vs Information in Decision Making | |
| Urban–Rural Continuum and Measurement | |
| Information Capitalism | |
| Narratives of Sexual Assault | |
| Very Large Telescope (VLT) | |
| CAT 2020 Slot 3 | Travel Writing and Empire |
| Human Nature — Hobbes vs Rousseau | |
| Screen Time and Class Divide | |
| Financial Crisis and Public Understanding | |
| Metabolic Theory and Ecology | |
| Aesthetic Political Representation | |
| Antitrust Law and Consumer Welfare | |
| Seven Gods of Fortune | |
| Feminine Beauty and Media | |
| Evolution of Language | |
| Exaptation and Central Nervous System | |
| Hate Speech Detection and Algorithms | |
| CAT 2021 Slot 1 | A Thirst for Empire (History of Tea) |
| Maya Personhood | |
| Utopia and Dystopia | |
| Cuttlefish and Self-Control | |
| McGurk Effect | |
| Asteroid Mining and Space Law | |
| Literary Work and Reader Interaction | |
| Global Warming and Trees | |
| Neuron Regeneration in Zebrafish | |
| Predatory Academic Journals | |
| Innovation in Developing Economies | |
| Foreign Peacekeepers and Local Trust | |
| CAT 2021 Slot 2 | The Scandal of Knowledge |
| Linguistic Diversity and Monolingualism | |
| Nationalism and Gender Roles in Colonial India | |
| Truth and Power | |
| Genetic Engineering and Moral Questions | |
| Industrialist–Worker Alliance | |
| Northwest Passage Dispute | |
| Vision of Development as Shared Responsibility | |
| Neuromarketing and Advertising | |
| Scientific Method and Invention | |
| Digital Preprints and Peer Review | |
| Creativity and Economic Progress | |
| CAT 2021 Slot 3 | History of the Unconscious |
| Accuracy, Entropy, and Time | |
| The Language Instinct (Chomsky–Pinker) | |
| Nano-Sentinels and Soft Robots | |
| Automation and Jobs | |
| Chinese Business Schools | |
| Relationships and Regimes of Truth | |
| Restitution of Artefacts | |
| Gender Bias in Technology | |
| Work, Leisure, and Idleness | |
| Brazilian Economic Growth | |
| Intuition and Decision-Making | |
| CAT 2022 Slot 1 | The Idea of the Copy in China and the West |
| Stoicism, Epicureanism, and Emotion | |
| Critical Theory of Technology | |
| The Undead and Human Imagination | |
| Petitioning and Democracy | |
| Animate vs Inanimate in Quantum Physics | |
| Office Commutes and Innovation | |
| Internet and Knowledge | |
| Creative Industries and Global Trade | |
| Secret Weddings and Modern Relationships | |
| Ethiopia and Medieval Diplomacy | |
| Fish Skin Collagen for Healing | |
| CAT 2022 Slot 2 | Camouflage in Cephalopods |
| Philosophy of Social Sciences | |
| Engineering Ethics and Social Justice | |
| Evolution of Musicking | |
| History of Cheerfulness | |
| Egalitarian Ancient Cities | |
| Aage Badhein App and Financial Literacy | |
| Environmental Collapse and Political Solutions | |
| Behavioural Control in the Age of Big Data | |
| Revival of Ghee and Slow Food Movement | |
| Inherent Vice in Artworks | |
| Food Choices, Neoliberalism, and Gender | |
| CAT 2022 Slot 3 | Human-Centered Automation |
| Logic of Bios and Technos | |
| Orientalism and the Indian Past | |
| Chicago School and Crime | |
| Beacon Technology and Retail Communication | |
| Comedy, Cancel Culture, and Free Expression | |
| Meritocracy and Luck | |
| Cultural Appropriation in Fashion | |
| Return to Office Post-Pandemic | |
| Dual-Inheritance and Social Learning | |
| History of Alphabetical Order | |
| Childhood, Freedom, and Parental Expectations | |
| CAT 2023 Slot 1 | Geographic Determinism and Human Phenomena |
| Indian Ocean Novels and Postcolonial Literature | |
| The Original Affluent Society – Marshall Sahlins | |
| Return of Wolves in France | |
| Reading Philosophy and Self-Doubt | |
| Genetic Link between Native Americans and Japanese | |
| Naming of Numbers in English | |
| Theory of Mind and Human Cognition | |
| Algorithmic Bias and Human Bias | |
| True Crime and Public Fascination | |
| Weaponization of Information | |
| European Colonialism and Navigation | |
| CAT 2023 Slot 2 | Second-Hand Fashion and Sustainability |
| Why Liberalism Failed – Patrick Deneen | |
| Positivism and the Nature of Historical Facts | |
| Netflix and the Cultural Integration of Europe | |
| Origins of Human Kissing | |
| Productive Dualism and Modern Economies | |
| Children in Self-Care | |
| Banning of Books and Moral Censorship | |
| African Writing and Cultural Conflict | |
| Human Consciousness and Emergence | |
| Heatwaves, Media, and Public Awareness | |
| Counterfactual Thinking and Human Reasoning | |
| CAT 2023 Slot 3 | The Nutmeg’s Curse – Amitav Ghosh |
| Rationality – Steven Pinker | |
| Cultural Property Laws and Archaeology | |
| Romantic Aesthetics and the Problem of Definition | |
| Definition of Arguments and Human Communication | |
| Linkages between Crime, Arms, and Conflict | |
| Soft Skills in Hiring | |
| Extinction of the Bo Language | |
| Recycling E-Waste through Microfactories | |
| The Printing Press and Universal Literacy | |
| Ecological Recovery on the Island | |
| Evolution of Perfectionism and Media Culture | |
| CAT 2024 Slot 1 | The Western Barred Bandicoot Revival |
| Economics, Human Behaviour, and Interdisciplinary Borrowing | |
| Crafts, Creativity, and the Modern Labour Market | |
| Streaming, Cultural Memory, and Digital Ownership | |
| Naturalization of Linguistic and Visual Codes | |
| Renaissance Music and Emotional Balance | |
| The Brain’s Evolutionary Architecture | |
| Animal Emotions and Shared Brain Structures | |
| Public Transport Decline in Western Cities | |
| The Silk Roads and Global Connectivity | |
| Peter Singer and Animal Rights | |
| usability | |
| CAT 2024 Slot 2 | Interdisciplinary Collaboration between Physicists and Other Scientists |
| The Ethics and Transparency of Peer Review in Academia | |
| Medieval Spice Trade and European Colonial Expansion | |
| Unintended Consequences of Technological Innovation | |
| Drivers of Carnivore–Human Conflicts | |
| Creativity and Freedom in Comedy | |
| Early Globalization before European Exploration | |
| Information Warfare and the DIME Model | |
| Louis Kervran and Elemental Transmutation in Chickens | |
| The Superiority of Night Owls | |
| The Biological and Social Basis of Gender | |
| Cultivated Meat and Innovation in Food Production | |
| CAT 2024 Slot 3 | Lyric Poetry and Marxism |
| The Napalm Girl Photograph | |
| Regulating Biotechnology | |
| Planetary Protection and Human Exploration of Mars | |
| Somalia’s Drought and Humanitarian Crisis | |
| Language Extinction and Liberal Arts Education | |
| Return-to-Office Costs and Inflation | |
| Moutai’s Marketing and Chinese Nationalism | |
| Synaptic Pruning and Visual Development | |
| Forecasting Accuracy and Intelligence Analysis | |
| The Tradwife and Cultural Performance | |
| AI, Language, and the Future of Democracy | |
| CAT 2025 Slot 1 | Complex Systems, Tail Events and Nonstationarity |
| The Bayeux Tapestry as Immersive Space | |
| Display Silver, Electric Light and Markets | |
| Zombie Cells, Inflammation and Aging | |
| Women, Anger and Socialisation | |
| Electronic Music, Communication and Inhumanity | |
| Mexican Instrument Making and Tradition | |
| Panoptic Mechanism and Power in Functions | |
| Freedom over Death and Assisted Dying | |
| Cultural Inspiration versus Appropriation | |
| Income Inequality and Economic Growth | |
| Insanity, Alienists and Criminal Responsibility | |
| CAT 2025 Slot 2 | Taste, Judgment and Early Modern Aesthetics |
| Literary Geography and Human Experience of Place | |
| Julio Torres, Colour Comedy and Taste | |
| Mexican Tetra Cavefish and Evolutionary Adaptations | |
| The Smell of Old Books and Paper Chemistry | |
| Dhaka Muslin and Woven Air | |
| Human Landscapes and Biodiversity Mosaics | |
| Elizabeth Magie, Monopoly and The Landlords Game | |
| PFAS Forever Chemicals and Gene Activity | |
| Big Tech, AI Language and Trust | |
| Instruments, Technoscience and Scientific Cultures | |
| Literature on Screen and Adaptation Studies | |
| CAT 2025 Slot 3 | Music, Brain Resources and Emotion |
| Deep Sea Oxygen and Polymetallic Nodules | |
| Tribal Imagination, Time and Hallucinatory Art | |
| Memory Beliefs and Knowledge of the Past | |
| AI, Formalised Ethics and Moral Judgment | |
| Latinx, Latina and Xicana Identities | |
| MAOA Mutation and Aggression | |
| Mindful Indian Shoppers and Return to Tailors | |
| Wealth, Inequality and Productivity Gains | |
| Photography, Candidates and Electoral Image | |
| Indian Forest Acts and State Monopoly | |
| Dams, Sacrifice Zones and Modernity |
CAT 2026 Detailed QA Syllabus
The CAT 2026 QA syllabus covers various topics across Arithmetic, Algebra, Modern Maths, Number System, and Geometry. Among all the topics, Arithmetic and Algebra possess high weightage in the overall section. To get high scores in the Quantiative Ability section, one has to study CAT 2026 QA syllabus properly. Find the detailed syllabi for QA section below.
| Most Important QA Topics for CAT 2026 | Quantitative Aptitude Sub-Topics |
| Arithmetic | Percentages Profit and Loss Simple Interest and Compound Interest Ratio and Proportion Averages Mixture and Alligations Time and Work Pipes and Cisterns Time, Speed and Distance Races Trains and Boats |
| Algebra | Linear Equations Quadratic Equations Polynomials Indices and Surds Logarithms Inequalities Modulus Sequence & Series Functions Graphs |
| Geometry and Mensuration | Triangles Quadrilaterals Polygons Circles Mensuration – 3D Co-ordinate Geometry |
| Number System | Properties of Integers Divisibility Remainder Theorem Factors LCM & HCF Factorial Trailing Zeroes Last Digits |
| Modern Maths | Set Theory Probability Permutation and Combination |
CAT 2026 Detailed LRDI Syllabus
| DI & LR Topics | Key Topics Covered |
| Tables and Charts | Tabular Data Mixed Sets Bar Charts Line Charts Pie Charts |
| Games and Tournaments | Scoring-System Round-Robin Knockout |
| Scheduling and Blood Relations | Direct Reasoning Task Allocation Family Trees |
| Venn Diagrams & Hybrid Sets | Logical Deduction Set Theory |
| Puzzle and Seating Arrangements | Linear Arrangements Circular Arrangements Grid-Based Arrangements Complex Arrangements |
CAT 2026 Registration Process
The complete CAT 2026 registration process will be done by following the detailed steps mentioned below.
CAT 2026 Registration for User ID & Password
Once the official notification will be out for the CAT 2026 exam registration, the candidates should follow this first step to start filling the form. This step covers the registration for generating the User ID and Password. On the official website (iimcat.ac.in), the aspirant first have to click on the “Register” button appears on the window for the new candidate registration.
Generating the User ID & Password for New User Registration covers fields such as Name of Candidate, Date of Birth, Email Address (then candidate have to confirm its email again for the authentication process), select country, mobile number (you have to again confirm the mobile number for the authentication process and then select confirm. Candidates will get the respective User ID and password on the mail which they’ve entered during the CAT registration. Along with mail, candidates will get the login details as an SMS too.
Following are the specifications for using browsers:
1. Microsoft Edge (version 114 to 137)
2. Mozilla Firefox (version 122 to 141)
3. Google Chrome (version 114 to 138)
CAT 2026 Registration: Login To Official CAT 2026 Website
Candidates now have to click on the “Login” button for the registered candidate login and enter the generated USER ID and Password. Once filled the captcha, now you have to click the login button for successfully entering in the application form.
CAT Registration 2026: Fill Application Form
This step is a little time-taken and crucial step too. It is indispensable for the candidates that they should keep the important document ready while sitting for filling the CAT 2026 registration form along with a stable internet connection. After successfully logged in to the form candidates have to proceed with these important fields respectively.
- Personal Details
- Academics
- Work Experience
- Programmes
- Test City
- Declaration
CAT 2026 Registration: Information To Fill Under Each Step
| Step | Fields |
| Personal Details | Candidate First Name, Middle Name, Last Name, Date of Birth, Father’s/Guardian’s Name, Mother’s/Guardian’s Name, Spouse’s Name, Gender, Nationality, Category, Certificate Issue Date, Certificate Serial/Entry Number, State/UT of Caste/Tribe, Caste/Tribe Name, PwD Status, Disability Measurable, Percentage of Disability, PwD UDID Number, PwD Category, Wheelchair Support, Scribe Requirement, Present Address, Permanent Address, Alternate Email Address, Emergency Mobile Number, Emergency Contact Name, Emergency Contact Relationship, Emergency Contact Mobile Number, Emergency Contact Address, Passport Size Photograph Upload, Signature Upload, EWS Certificate Upload, NC-OBC Certificate Upload, SC/ST Certificate Upload, PwD Certificate Upload |
| Academics | 10th Board Name, 10th School Name, 10th Year of Passing, 10th Marks/CGPA, 10th Aggregate Percentage, 10th Promotion/Pass Without Marks, 12th/Diploma Course Type, 12th Board/University, 12th Institution Name, 12th Stream, 12th Year of Passing, 12th Marks/CGPA, 12th Aggregate Percentage, 12th Promotion/Pass Without Marks, First Bachelor’s Degree Name, Discipline/Specialization, University/Institute Name, Year of Joining, Year of Completion, Final Year Status, Current Year, Current Semester, Aggregate Percentage, Promotion/Pass Without Marks, Second Bachelor’s Degree Details (if applicable), Master’s Degree Details (if applicable), Professional Degree Type, Completion Status, Year of Completion, Aggregate Percentage |
| Work Experience | Work Experience Status, Total Full-Time Work Experience, Break in Experience (Days) |
| Programmes | Programme Selection, Interview City for Each Selected Programme |
| Test City | Test City Preference 1, Test City Preference 2, Test City Preference 3, Test City Preference 4, Test City Preference 5 |
| Declaration & Payment | Application Preview Confirmation, Declaration Acceptance, CAPTCHA, Payment Mode, Payment Details, Payment Transaction Number |
CAT 2026 Exam Date
The CAT 2026 exam date is expected to be confirmed once the official notification is out from the exam authority. This year, CAT examination will expected to be happening on 29 November 2026, and you will receive the complete detailed about the same on an official PDF or through advertisement of CAT 2026 exam notification.
CAT 2026 Application Form Fees
This section covers the category-wise CAT 2026 exam fees with the detailed evaluation of past-year trends. In case there is any change notified in the CAT exam fees 2026, you will get notified here on this page.
| Reservation Category | Amount (Rs) |
| CAT Exam Fees for General | Rs 2600 |
| CAT Exam Fees for EWS | Rs 2600 |
| CAT Exam Fees for NC-OBC | Rs 2600 |
| CAT Exam Fees for SC | Rs 1300 |
| CAT Exam Fees for ST | Rs 1300 |
| CAT Exam Fees for PwD | Rs 1300 |
CAT 2026 Preparation Strategy (Overall)
The CAT 2026 exam will be able to be cracked with the 99+%ile if the detailed strategy to prepare all the sections in a better way is followed. The CAT examination is widely categorized into three main parts, such as VARC, DILR, and QA. The overall preparation strategy works like:
CAT 2026 VARC Preparation Strategy
Honestly, the biggest mistake students make with VARC is treating it like a sprint when it’s actually more of a slow burn habit you build over months. If you want to crack CAT 2026 Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, pick up a newspaper or a good magazine, AEON essays, every single day and just read, not for marks, but to get comfortable with dense, unfamiliar writing. Editorials work great because they force you to follow an argument from start to finish. Once that habit kicks in, start timing yourself on RC passages from old CAT papers and notice where you slow down or lose the thread of what the author is actually saying. For para jumbles and the odd sentence questions, there’s no real trick beyond doing loads of them and paying attention to how sentences connect through pronouns, transitions, and logical sequence. Keep a small list of new words or ideas you bump into while reading, and look back at it occasionally. Most people who do well in VARC for CAT 2026 aren’t naturally gifted readers, they just stuck with the habit long enough for it to pay off.
CAT 2026 DILR Preparation Strategy
DILR is the section that tends to scare people the most going into CAT 2026, mainly because it doesn’t follow a fixed syllabus the way QA does. One day you might get a seating arrangement, the next a weird puzzle about scheduling flights or comparing exam scores across years. The only real way through this is exposure, so work through as many different types of sets as you can get your hands on, arrangements, distributions, network and route based puzzles, data caselets, all of it. What separates a decent score from a great one in this section is usually not raw intelligence but the skill of picking which sets are actually worth attempting in the first eight or ten minutes. Practice that skill deliberately during mocks instead of just diving into whatever set appears first. Try to sit with one full set every day, and when you check your answer, don’t just confirm if you got it right, actually study a faster or cleaner way to solve it if there was one. Mocks matter a lot here because CAT 2026 will likely throw in a few unfamiliar formats, and the only defense against that is having seen enough variety beforehand.
CAT 2026 QA Preparation Strategy
Quant for CAT 2026 rewards people who go back to basics rather than those who jump straight into tricky problems. Spend real time on arithmetic, percentages, ratios, time and work, algebra, and geometry until the core concepts feel automatic rather than something you have to think hard about. A lot of students skip this step and regret it later when they hit a wall on slightly twisted questions. Once your fundamentals feel solid, shift toward topic wise practice and then mix things up with full length sets so you’re not just getting good at one type of question in isolation. Previous year CAT papers are genuinely the best resource you have, since they show you exactly how questions are framed and how much depth is actually expected. Push yourself to calculate things mentally instead of reaching for rough work every time, since speed in quant often comes down to comfort with numbers rather than knowing more formulas. Keep revisiting your mock test mistakes, not just to fix them but to understand the pattern behind why they keep happening, and that consistent feedback loop is really what will get you ready for the quant section of CAT 2026.
CAT 2026 Exam Difficulty Level (Expected)
By analyzing the past year’s CAT exam paper difficulty, it is expected that CAT 2026 exam paper will be moderate to difficult.
| CAT Conducting IIMs Over the Years with CAT 2026 Paper Difficulty | ||
| Year | IIM | CAT Difficulty Level |
| 2026 | IIM Indore (tentative) | Moderate – Difficult |
| 2025 | IIM Kozhikode | Moderate-Difficult |
| 2024 | IIM Calcutta | Moderate to Difficult |
| 2023 | IIM Lucknow | Difficult |
| 2022 | IIM Bangalore | Moderate to Difficult |
| 2021 | IIM Ahmedabad | Moderate to Difficult |
CAT 2026 Exam Centres (Expected)
CAT 2026 is expected to be conducted across multiple test centers and spread throughout India to ensure the flexibility for the CAT aspirants. While the official list will be released with the CAT 2026 notification, based on the previous year trends, the expected centers for the CAT exam 2026 are listed below in a table.
| State / UT | Test Centers (Expected) |
| Andaman & Nicobar | Port Blair |
| Andhra Pradesh | Guntur, Kurnool, Rajahmundry, Visakhapatnam, Nellore, Kakinada, Tirupati, Vizianagaram, Vijayawada |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Itanagar |
| Assam | Dibrugarh, Guwahati, Jorhat, Silchar, Tezpur |
| Bihar | Arrah, Darbhanga, Patna, Aurangabad, Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur |
| Chandigarh | Chandigarh, Mohali |
| Chhattisgarh | Bilaspur, Bhilai Nagar, Raipur |
| Delhi | New Delhi (multiple centres) |
| Dadra & Nagar Haveli & Daman & Diu | Silvassa |
| Goa | Panaji |
| Gujarat | Ahmedabad, Anand, Gandhinagar, Mehsana, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara |
| Haryana | Ambala, Panipat, Gurugram, Hisar, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Rohtak |
| Himachal Pradesh | Hamirpur, Shimla |
| Jammu & Kashmir | Jammu |
| Jharkhand | Bokaro Steel City, Dhanbad, Hazaribagh, Jamshedpur, Ranchi |
| Karnataka | Belagavi (Belgaum), Bengaluru, Hubli‑Dharwad, Kalaburagi (Gulbarga), Mangaluru (Mangalore), Mysuru (Mysore), Shivamogga (Shimoga), Udupi |
| Kerala | Trivandrum, Kannur, Kollam, Ernakulam, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Thrissur |
CAT 2026 Score vs Percentile (Tentative)
| CAT Percentile | Expected Overall Score (2026) |
| 99.90%ile | 105 – 115 |
| 99.50%ile | 90 – 100 |
| 99%ile | 85 – 90 |
| 98%ile | 65 – 85 |
| 95%ile | 60 – 65 |
| 90%ile | 50 – 55 |
Best Books for CAT 2026 Preparation
iQuanta books are widely chosen as the popular choice among candidates for CAT 2026 exam preparation. These books are aligned as per the latest CAT exam pattern with relative difficulty level of questions.
iQuanta are widely know for providing the best books for CAT 2026 preparation with widely available for all the sections such as VARC, DILR and QA. These books covers good variety of questions for practice and also enough to crack the CAT exam. iQuanta books for CAT 2026 preparation is cost-efficient for the aspirants to pursue in their preparation journey without any difficulty.
CAT 2026 Answer Key
The answer key for CAT 2026 will be released after the CAT exam. The way you calculate your CAT scores that is +3 for correct answer and -1 for incorrect MCQs and there is no negative marking for TITA questions. There are several ways to access your CAT answer key.
- Visit the official CAT website.
- Login using your CAT credentials.
- Download your response sheet and the official key.
- Match you scores and calculate.
CAT 2026 Admit Card
CAT admit card is very important when you are going to sit for the CAT Exam. The CAT 2026 admit card is expected to release in the last week of October. Those aspirants who have filled out their CAT application form properly will get their admit cards, which are downloaded from the official site. It is necessary for every CAT aspirant to have their admit card with them because without it you are not allowed to sit for the CAT 2026.
Best CAT Mock Test for CAT 2026
iQuanta is widely popular among candidates for providing the best CAT 2026 mock test series for a streamlined preparation journey. The CAT mock tests are based on the latest CAT exam pattern and same level of question difficulty, which are widely asked in the CAT examination. These are the several features which candidates find while solving the best 2026 CAT mock test.
- Error Tracker Analysis
- Goal Tracker with AI-powered features
- Comparison of All CAT Mocks
- B-School Predictor
- You Can Resume Mock and Saved Questions
- Flexible Interface for Giving the CAT 2026 Mock Tests
Reservation Criteria for CAT 2026 (Expected)
This section covers the expected reservation criteria for CAT 2026.
| Category | Reservation Percentage |
| Scheduled Caste (SC) | 15% |
| Scheduled Tribe (ST) | 7.50% |
| Other Backward Classes – NC-OBC | 27% |
| Economically Weaker Section (EWS) | 10% |
| Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwD) | 5% |
Will I Get IIMs with CAT 2026 Scores Only?
No, CAT scores are one of the factors for the admission criteria, but IIMs consider your work experience, academic scores, gender diversity, and more to evaluate the composite scores.
What Top IIM MBA Colleges I Get With CAT 2026 Scores?
Here are some of the top B-schools in India accepting CAT 2026:
List of IIMs Through CAT 2026
- IIM Ahmedabad
- IIM Bangalore
- IIM Calcutta
- IIM Indore
- IIM Kozhikode
- IIM Lucknow
- IIM Trichy
- IIM Raipur
- IIM Bodh Gaya
- IIM Rohtak
- IIM Ranchi
- IIM Nagpur
- IIM Sambalpur
- IIM Sirmaur
- IIM Jammu
- IIM Amritsar
- IIM Shillong
- IIM Udaipur
- IIM Kashipur
- IIM Visakhapatnam
- IIM Ropar
- IIM Mumbai
Courses Offered Through CAT at IIMs
| Institute Name | Programmes Offered through CAT |
| IIM Ahmedabad | PGP, PGP-FABM, ePGD-ABA (ePost Graduate Diploma in Advanced Business Analytics) |
| IIM Amritsar | MBA, MBA-Business Analytics, MBA-HRM, EMBA, M.Sc. in Data Science (MSDSM) jointly offered with IIT Ropar |
| IIM Bangalore | PGP, PGPEM, PGPBA |
| IIM Bodh Gaya | MBA, MBA (Digital Business Management), MBA (Hospital and Healthcare Management) |
| IIM Calcutta | MBA |
| IIM Indore | PGP, PGP-HRM, MSDSM (Master of Science in Data Science and Management) |
| IIM Jammu | MBA, MBA (Hospital Administration & Healthcare Management), Executive MBA |
| IIM Kashipur | MBA, MBA (Analytics), EMBA, EMBAA (Executive Master of Business Administration Analytics) |
| IIM Kozhikode | PGP, PGP-BL, PGP-F, PGP-LSM, EPGP-IL, EPGP Kochi |
| lIM Lucknow | MBA, MBA-ABM, MBA-SM, PGPWE |
| IIM Mumbai | MBA, MBA (Operations and Supply Chain Management), MBA (Sustainability Management) |
| IIM Nagpur | MBA, E-MBA |
| IIM Raipur | MBA |
| IIM Ranchi | MBA, MBA-HRM, MBA (Business Analytics) |
| IIM Rohtak | PGP, EPGDSM, PGPx |
| IIM Sambalpur | MBA, Executive MBA, MBA for Working Professionals |
| IIM Shillong | PGP, PGPEX, PGP (WE) |
| IIM Sirmaur | MBA, MBA (Tourism Management), MBA (Travel, Tourism and Hospitality), ExMBA, ExMBA (Digital Transformation & Analytics), MBA (Family Business) |
| IIM Tiruchirappalli | PGPM (MBA), PGPM-HR (MBA-HR), PGPBM (MBA for Working Executives in Chennai) |
| IIM Udaipur | MBA, MBA- DEM (Digital Enterprise Management), MBA-GSCM (Global Supply Chain Management), Executive MBA (Online) |
| IIM Visakhapatnam | PGP, EMBA, PGPMCI |
| IIM Ahmedabad | Doctoral Programme in Management |
| IIM Amritsar | PhD |
| IIM Bangalore | PhD |
| IIM Bodh Gaya | PhD |
| IIM Calcutta | Doctoral Programme (PhD) |
| IIM lndore | Doctoral Programme in Management |
| IIM Jammu | PhD, PhD (Working Professionals) |
| IIM Kashipur | PhD |
| IIM Kozhikode | PhD, Fellow Programmes in Management, PhD (PT) |
| lIM Lucknow | PhD |
| IIM Mumbai | PhD, PhD (Executive) |
| IIM Nagpur | PhD, E-PhD |
| IIM Raipur | PhD, PhD (Practice Track) |
| IIM Ranchi | PhD, EPhD |
| IIM Rohtak | PhD |
| IIM Sambalpur | PhD, Executive PhD |
| IIM Shillong | Doctoral Program, Doctoral Program (WP) |
| IIM Sirmaur | PhD, PhD (Executive) |
| IIM Tiruchirappalli | PhD, Executive PhD |
| IIM Udaipur | PhD |
| IIM Visakhapatnam | PhD, Executive PhD |
Conclusion: CAT 2026
The CAT 2026 examination is quite important for the candidates who are willing to take admission in top MBA colleges in India, like IIMs, SPJIMR, FMS Delhi & more. This page covers all the latest updates of the CAT 2026 examination, and you will be notified for all the further details, which will be announced later by the CAT 2026 exam-conducting authority.
CAT 2026 FAQs
The official notification for the CAT 2026 exam has not been released yet. But it is expected that CAT exam 2026 will be held on 29 November 2026.
The CAT 2026 official notification will expected to be out in the last week of July 2026
The CAT 2026 registration is expected to start from the first week of August 2026.
