CAT 2026 exam is expected to be held on 29 November 2026 and the registration will expected to begin from the first week of August 2026. Filling the CAT examination form is a long process and requires time as well as patience because it is important to fill exact information or details so that you will avoid any hassle related to the application rejection. The CAT 2026 application form consists of various fields such as personal details, academics, work experience, test city and declaration.
Among all the information, there are some essential documents which are required to carry for filling the CAT registration form such as category certification, personal information and more. Along with there are some technical specifications required for uploading documents in a CAT 2026 application form.
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What is CAT 2026 Registration Form?
CAT registration form is the online application process which is required to complete before appearing for the Common Admission Test. Every year, this application form is started in the first week of August and this year, the CAT 2026 registration form will expected to begin in the August 2026 (first week). This form contains various fields such as personal details, academic information, work experience, test city and final declaration. The form is quite long and requires patience to fill with accurate information so that you will not face any application rejection later in the process.
The CAT 2026 registration form filling will act as a eligibility criteria to appear for one of the top entrance examination in the country.
CAT Registration 2026: Step-By-Step Breakdown
The CAT registration process is expected to start in the first week of August 2026, and the application form covers various fields such as personal details, academics, work experience, test city, programme and the final declaration for final submission.
Before starting to fill out the CAT 2026 application form, candidates have to first register on the portal to generate the credentials, such as the user ID and password. Once generated, candidates should use these credentials for logging in to the portal for filling out the CAT registration form.
CAT 2026 Registration: Personal Details
The first field that appears in the CAT registration form is ‘personal details’, and there candidates have to enter multiple information such as 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, etc.
CAT Registration 2026: Academic Details
Academic details in the CAT 2026 registration form ask for the major details such as 10th and 12th marks, and other important fields such as 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, etc.
CAT Registration 2026: Work Experience
In the work experience field of a CAT registration 2026 form, candidates have to enter details such as work experience status, total full-time work experience, and break in experience (days).
Note: Candidates should keep in mind that internships, traineeships, part-time jobs, articleships, pre-graduation experience, apprenticeships, and volunteering/freelancing/NGO work are not considered as full-time work experience.
CAT Registration 2026: Test City & Declaration
Here you have to enter your preferred test city centre and post-declaration after cross-checking information, candidates can submit the form. Candidates can fill out up to 5 preferred test city centres.
Documents Required for CAT 2026 Registration
There is some information which is really required to prepare initially before starting to fill out the CAT 2026 registration form.
CAT Registration: Personal Identification Information
- The very first section of the CAT application form 2026 is to filling the personal information such as father’s name, mother’s name, mobile number, email address and more.
- Apart from this, some valid ID proof such as Aadhar card, Driving License, PAN Card, etc.
CAT Registration 2026: Category Certifications (If Applicable)
CAT 2026 application form asks for the category certification if applicable as per the candidate. If you belong to the EWS/NC-OBC/SC/ST category, then you have to keep ready with these documents if belong to the specific category (in a scanned PDF format).
The same applicable for the candidates who belong to SC/ST category.
CAT Registration 2026: Technical Specifications to Upload Documents
- While doing your CAT 2026 registration, make sure your photo is a recent one (not older than 6 months), has a plain white background, and is sized 1200×1200 pixels. Save it as JPG or JPEG, keep it under 80KB, and don’t go below 150 px/inch resolution.
- You’ll also need to upload your signature during CAT registration, scan it at 80mm x 35mm, save as JPG/JPEG, and keep the file size under 80KB too.
- Don’t throw away the photo after uploading it for CAT 2026 registration. You’ll need physical copies of the exact same photo to stick on your admit card when you show up for the exam on November 29, 2026 (expected).
- If you fall under EWS, NC-OBC, SC, or ST category, keep your certificate ready as a PDF scan — this has to be uploaded separately during registration.
- Same goes for PwD candidates as your certificate needs to be uploaded as a PDF, not an image file, so get that scanned in advance to avoid last-minute issues with your CAT registration.
CAT Registration Trends Over Years
Candidates should check the CAT registration trends over the years. It helps them understand the competition level and plan their preparation better. In CAT 2025, 2.95 lakh candidates registered, and 2.58 lakh candidates appeared for the exam. Below are the CAT registration trends over the years for reference purposes.
| Year | Number of Candidates Registered | Number of Candidates Appeared (Test Takers) |
| 2010 | 2,04,000 | 1,85,000 |
| 2011 | 2,05,000 | 1,86,000 |
| 2012 | 2,14,000 | 1,95,000 |
| 2013 | 1,94,516 | 1,73,714 |
| 2014 | 1,96,988 | 1,70,000 |
| 2015 | 2,18,664 | 1,79,602 |
| 2016 | 2,32,434 | 1,95,679 |
| 2017 | 2,31,067 | 1,99,632 |
| 2018 | 2,40,338 | 2,09,405 |
| 2019 | 2,44,169 | 2,09,926 |
| 2020 | 2,27,835 | 1,90,144 |
| 2021 | 2,29,969 | 1,91,660 |
| 2022 | 2,55,501 | 2,22,184 |
| 2023 | 3,23,000 | 2,88,000 |
| 2024 | 3,29,000 | 2,93,000 |
| 2025 | 2.95 lakh | 2.58 lakh |
Mistakes to Avoid During CAT Registration 2026
There are a few pointers which candidates should keep in mind while filling the CAT 2026 registration form.
- Check Internet Connection Properly: Internet connectivity should be stable while filling out the CAT registration form so that you will not get stuck anywhere.
- Fill Personal Information Correctly: Candidates should fill in the personal information, such as name, category, mobile number, and other details properly.
- Cross-Check Information Before Submission: Candidates should check all the fields of personal details, academics, work experience, programmes, test city and more before final submission of a CAT registration form.
- Download Payment Receipt for Future Reference: If you are doing the payment process after checking all the information and if it gets stuck, then wait for some time before going back to the page. And if it is successfully processed, then download the payment receipt for future considerations.
Conclusion: CAT Registration 2026
The CAT 2026 registration is expected to begin in the first week of August 2026 and it is quite important that candidates should get ready with all the essential documents required to fill CAT application form. This blog cover the detailed information about what all documents required with technical specification to upload documents such as passport-sized photograph, signature and more as per the standards.
