The CAT answer key is expected to be released in the month of December 2026. Candidates will find the CAT answer key 2026 in PDF format for all CAT questions and answers. It will be released on the official IIM CAT website.Â
CAT applicants who will going to appear for the CAT 2026 exam should successfully submit their responses on the assigned computers and may download the CAT 2026 answer key from the official website once it is released. To download the CAT answer key, simply log in through your official CAT credentials, which include a user ID and password.Â
The CAT answer key is a crucial document that serves as the basis to verify exam answers and check the overall or sectional percentile. Along with the CAT answer key, students must download their online response sheet that they will going to submit during the exam to cross-check the answers with the final key.
The CAT answer key is subject to verification and cross-check by the students through the objection window. The window for raising objections against errors in the CAT answer key is open for a brief period (typically 2-3 days). During this time, students must check that the answers that are marked correct on the answer sheet are justified and true. Once the window closes, a final answer key shall be made public. This document will be the basis for the calculation of final scores before the release of the CAT results. This blog covers the expected details of the CAT 2026 answer key by past-year analysis; candidates will follow the official notifications by the exam authority once it is released for CAT 2026.
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CAT Answer Key Important Dates
The CAT answer key shows all the correct answers. The response sheet will also be displayed with the answer key to help cross-check the answers against the correct option. Students can file objections against the correctness of the provisional CAT answer keys with supporting documents. You can download the CAT slot-wise answer key for previous exams via the official website.Â
| CAT Answer Key 2026 (Expected Dates) | |
| Events | Expected Dates |
| Release of Provisional | December 2026 |
| Objection Window Opens | December 2026 |
| Objection Window Closes By | December 2026 |
| CAT Result 2026 | December 2026 to early January 2027 |
CAT Answer Key Release Date Slot Wise (Expected)
The CAT answer key is expected to be released in the month of December. The table given below shows the CAT answer key expected release date slot-wise. It will be updated once the notifications are out.
| CAT Answer Key Release Date Slot Wise (Expected) | |
| Events | Dates |
| Slot 1 | December 2026 |
| Slot 2 | December 2026 |
| Slot 3 | December 2026 |
Steps to Download CAT Answer Key 2026
The steps to download the CAT answer key are essential for students who are planning to give the CAT 2026 exam. The answer key PDF is important to analyze mistakes and estimate the CAT 2026 percentile. Know the step-wise procedure to download the CAT answer key 2026.
- Open the official website
- Click on the candidate login option
- Submit user ID and password
- Download CAT answer key PDF and response sheet online
Expected Colour Scheme for CAT Answer Key
The below table marks the colour scheme of the CAT answer key. Students must know what colours are present on the answer key and what they mean before proceeding with cross-checking their answers. The CAT conducting authority has made a simple colour scheme for the CAT answer key to assist students with the cross checking process.
| Answer Key Red and Green Colour Meaning | |
| Condition | Colour Marked |
| Rights Answer | Green |
| Wrong answer | Red with a cross mark |
How to Calculate Scores From CAT Answer Key?
It is important for students to log into the official website and download the CAT answer key to estimate your scores before release of the official results. Use the marking scheme provided below to calculate your raw CAT exam marks.
| Steps to Calculate CAT Scores from Answer Key | |
| Condition | Marks Allotted |
| Correct Answer | Add 3 marks for each correct answer |
| Incorrect Answer | Subtract 1 mark for each incorrect MCQ (does not apply to non-mcqs) |
| Unattempted Answer | 0 marks to add or subtrack |
Why Estimating CAT Score From CAT Answer Key is Important?
It is important to estimate your CAT score from the CAT answer key as it helps students to understand what colleges they can target. This step comes after successful completion of the CAT exam. Students must check their eligibility for different management courses on the official website of respective universities to help understand which colleges they can apply to based on their CAT scores. You may use a percentile predictor which helps simplify the score calculation and college prediction process.
All about CAT Answer Key Objection
Students are not allowed to raise any objection to the final answer key. You may raise an objection against the interim CAT answer key. The steps to raise objections on the CAT answer key are as follows.
- Open the CAT official website.
- Login with the help of the credentials.
- Open objection window.
- Mark the question number, objection type and section on which you want to raise an objection.
- Identify the issue from the options such as incorrect response, multiple answers or incorrect solution key.
- Jot down your remarks in around 500 words for clarification of the issue.
- Pay the objection fee of ₹1200 per question. Cost excludes GST and bank service fees.
- Click the submit button to send the form for review.
