CAT Application Form 2026: Registration Begins from 3 August, Eligibility, Documents & More

The CAT Application Form 2026 has been officially released by the Indian Institutes of Management Indore. More than 1300 B-schools are participating in the CAT 2026 exam. The CAT application form can be filled up online at iimcat.ac.in from 3rd August to 15th September 2026. Candidates who have completed/are appearing for their graduation and have atleast 50% are eligible to apply for the CAT 2026 exam. 

A major change in the CAT application fee has been made this year, where the fee has been increased by Rs. 100 for General/OBC/EWS candidates, while an increase of Rs. 50 has been made for the SC, ST, and PwBD candidates. In this blog, we have shared the detailed steps for filling out the CAT online form. Know the complete details about the CAT application form 2026, important dates, how to fill out the form, eligibility criteria to fill out the online form, application fees and more.

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CAT Application Form 2026 Highlights 

The table below displays the major highlights for CAT application form 2026. 

Particulars (CAT 2026)	Details
Exam Name	Common Admission Test (CAT) 2026
Conducting Institute	IIM Indore
Official Website	iimcat.ac.in
Notification Release	25 July 2026
CAT Registration Start Date	3 August 2026, 10:00 AM IST
Last Date to Apply	15 September 2026, 5:00 PM IST
CAT Application Mode	Online only
CAT Application Form Fee (General/EWS/NC-OBC)	Rs. 2,700
CAT Application Form Fee (SC/ST/PwD)	Rs. 1,350
CAT Exam Date	29 November 2026 (Sunday)
CAT Exam Mode	Computer-Based Test (CBT)
CAT Exam Duration	120 minutes (40 minutes per section)
CAT Exam Sections	VARC, DILR, Quantitative Ability (QA)
CAT Eligibility Criteria	Bachelor’s degree with at least 50% marks (45% for SC/ST/PwD). Final-year students can also apply.
Test Cities	Around 170 cities across India
Documents Required	Passport-size photo, signature, graduation details, category/PwD certificate (if applicable), photo ID, email ID, mobile number
CAT Admit Card	04 November 2026 until November 29, 2026
CAT Result	Expected in late December 2026

CAT Application Form 2026 Important Dates

The CAT 2026 application form can be filled out online from 10:00 AM on August 3, 2026 (Monday). The last date to fill out the form is September 15, 2026 (Tuesday), till 5:00 PM. Once the CAT application form is filled up, then candidates have the option to make corrections in it if there are any. The CAT application form correction window is expected to be opened in September 2026. Those who fill out the CAT exam online form will be eligible to appear for the exam on November 29, 2026, in multiple test cities through a computer-based test (CBT) mode. The table below has the important dates associated with the CAT application form 2026. 

CAT 2026 Exam Events	Dates
CAT 2026 Notification Release Date	July 25th, 2026
CAT Registration 2026 Start Date	03 August 2026, 10:00 AM  (Monday)
Last Date for CAT Application Form 2026	15 September 2026, up to 5:00 PM  (Tuesday)
Form correction date	Expected in September 2026
CAT 2026 Exam Date	29 November 2026 (Sunday)

Complete List of Documents Needed for CAT 2026 Application Form

Before filling out the CAT 2026 application form, candidates must ensure that they have the following documents ready. The given documents will help you save time and reduce the chances of making mistakes while filling out the CAT application form. 

Document Type	Accepted Documents	Format	Purpose
Passport-size Photograph	Recent coloured photograph with light/white background	JPG/JPEG	Registration and Admit Card
Signature	Black ink signature on white paper	JPG/JPEG	Identity Verification
Class 10 Marksheet/Certificate	CBSE, ICSE or State Board	PDF	Date of Birth Verification
Class 12 Marksheet	Any Recognized Board	PDF	Academic Details
Graduation Mark Sheets	Semester-wise or Consolidated	PDF	Graduation Information
Degree Certificate (If Available)	Graduation Certificate	PDF	Educational Qualification
Category Certificate (If Applicable)	SC/ST/OBC-NCL/EWS	PDF	Reservation Benefits
PwD Certificate (If Applicable)	Government Medical Authority	PDF	Disability Benefits
Work Experience Certificate (If Applicable)	Employer Documents	PDF	Work Experience Details

How to fill CAT Application Form 2026 Online? 

The CAT application form 2026 has to be filled out through online mode only. The steps to fill out the CAT application form are given below here. 

Step 1: CAT Registration 2026

Visit the official website of CAT, which is iimcat.ac.in. Click on ‘New Registration’ and register yourself using your name, email, mobile number, and date of birth. 

Step 2: Verify OTP

An OTP will be sent to your registered email address and mobile number. Enter it to verify. 

Step 3: Log In

With the help of the generated user ID and password, access the application portal and complete the CAT application form 2026 process. 

Step 4: Fill Personal Details

Fill up your personal details, which include your personal information, communication address, academic qualifications, and work experience (if any). 

Step 5: Select Programmes and IIM Preferences

The next step is to choose the preferred IIM and management programmes you wish to apply for.

Step 6: Select Test Cities

Select up to the five cities where you would like to take the CAT exam. The CAT test city must be chosen as per your convenience. 

Step 7: Upload Documents

Upload your recent photograph, signature, and category/PwD certificates (if applicable) in the specified format.

Step 8: Pay Application Fee

Pay the required amount of the CAT application fee as per your category in online mode. As per the official notification, the CAT exam form fees have been changed. The new CAT application form fee is mentioned below:

SC/ST/PwBD: Rs. 1350
For all other categories: Rs. 2700

Step 9: Download Confirmation

Once all the steps are completed, take a printout of the confirmation page and payment receipt for future reference.

CAT Application Form 2026: Eligibility Criteria

Candidates need to fulfil the basic eligibility criteria for filling out the CAT application form 2026.

1. Candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 50% in the case of general/NC-OBC/EWS category, whereas a minimum of 45% marks is required in the case of SC/ST/PwBD category candidates from a recognized institution.
2. If you are a final-year student, then again you are eligible to sit for the exam. Final-year students are eligible for the provisional admission if carrying valid proof from the university authorities.
3. Candidates who have completed professional courses such as Chartered Accountant (CA), Company Secretary (CS), and Cost Accountant (ICWA) are also eligible to appear for the CAT exam, provided they have scored the minimum percentage required, which is 50% marks or equivalent CGPA for General/EWS/OBC category students and 45% marks or equivalent CGPA for SC/ST/PwD category students.

So, these are some basic eligibility criteria for aspirants who sit for the CAT 2026 exam. Following any one of the conditions will make one eligible to fill out the CAT application form 2026.

CAT 2026 Application Form Correction Window

After the completion of the CAT application form 2026, the candidates are given the option to make corrections in the application form, if any. The CAT application form correction window gives an opportunity to edit certain details, such as: 

• Photograph
• Signature
• Test city preferences (subject to availability)

Other details such as personal information, including name, date of birth, and category, generally cannot be changed after final submission. Hence, candidates should review all details carefully before submitting the application.

CAT Application Form 2026: Documents to Upload

Candidates need to upload the following given documents while filling out the CAT application form. The documents must be uploaded in the given size and format only.

Documents	Details
Scanned Passport Size Photograph	Dimensions: 1200 pixels x 1200 pixels Format: .jpg or .jpeg format. Resolution: 80 KB and less than 150 px/inch in resolution.
Scanned Signature	Dimension: 80mm X 35mm Format: .jpg or .jpeg. Resolution: Not be more than 80 KB and less than 150 px/inch

CAT Application Form Fee 2026 (Updated)

The application fee for the CAT 2026 exam has been changed this year. An increase of Rs. 100 has been made for the General, EWS, and NC-OBC candidates, while an increase of Rs. 50 has been made for the C, ST, and PwBD candidates. The fee needs to be paid in online mode only. The updated CAT application form 2026 fee is given in the table below. 

CAT Application Form 2026 Fees

Category of the candidate	CAT 2026 Registration Fee
SC, ST, and PwBD Candidates	Rs. 1,350
General, EWS, and NC-OBC Candidates	Rs. 2,700

Common Mistakes to Avoid While Filling the CAT Application Form 2026

The CAT 2026 registration will begin on 03 August 2026 (Monday) at 10:00 AM and end on 15 September 2026 (Tuesday) at 5:00 PM. The final submission of the CAT application form 2026 requires final attention for cross-checking the details, whether they are correctly filled or not. Let’s check the common mistakes to avoid while filling the CAT 2026 application form.

1. The very first pointer is to fill in the correct name, mobile number during the registration process. Because the same name and other personal details shall be continued further while filling out the CAT application form 2026. 
2. Next, while adding the marks in fields such as 10th percentage, 12th percentage and graduation marks, candidates should cross-check the numerical terms across the subjects which appear on your respective marksheet/gradesheet. 
3. The very third point is mentioning the work experience while filling the CAT registration form 2026. The part-time project, internship, articleship and more are not considered the full-time work experience, and you are not going to rewarded with any points during the filling out of the CAT 2026 application form. Only full-time work experience is considered. Candidates should keep in mind that the exam authority is quite strict during the IIM admission process or selection of candidates for MBA/PGDM programmes.
4. You should select a city preference in the CAT application form 2026 as per your comfortability so that you will not find any difficulty on an exam day.

CAT Registration 2026: CAT Exam Form Dates & Deadlines

CAT Registration 2026	Important Date(s)
CAT Registration 2026 (Start Date)	03 August 2026, 10:00 AM (Monday)
CAT Registration 2026 (End Date)	15 September 2026, 5:00 PM (Tuesday)
CAT Exam Date 2026	29 November 2026 (Sunday)

CAT Application Form: Changes in CAT 2026 

The major changes that have been observed in the CAT 2026 exam have been illustrated in the following table. Candidates can refer to it to note down the major changes. 

Feature	CAT 2025	CAT 2026	Change
Conducting IIM	IIM Kozhikode	IIM Indore	Changed
Exam Date	30 November 2025	29 November 2026	New schedule announced
CAT Registration Fee (General/EWS/NC-OBC)	Rs. 2,600	Rs. 2,700	Increased by Rs.100
CAT Registration Fee (SC/ST/PwBD)	Rs. 1,300	Rs. 1,350	Increased by Rs. 50
CAT Registration Date	Different every year	3 Aug – 15 Sept 2026	New dates
Exam Pattern	68 Questions	68 Questions	No change
Exam Duration	120 Minutes	120 Minutes	No change
Sections	VARC, DILR, QA	VARC, DILR, QA	No change
CAT Marking Scheme	+3, -1 (MCQs); No negative for TITA	Same	No change
Syllabus	Same topics	Same topics	No change

Conclusion: CAT Application Form 2026

The CAT application form 2026 is the first step for the aspiring MBA aspirants to secure admission to the top IIMs and other B-schools of the country. Candidates must ensure that they meet the eligibility criteria while filling out the application form. As the registration fee is non-refundable, therefore, the candidates should make sure that they do not make any errors. The form must be received before making the final submission. Though there is a provision for CAT application form 2026 correction, not every detail can be corrected. The CAT application form must be filled out before the deadline to avoid a last-minute rush. 

CAT Application Form 2026 FAQs