CAT 2026 Application Fee: Category-Wise Fee Structure and Payment Modes

CAT 2026 application fee is ₹2,400 for General, EWS, and OBC-NCL students, and ₹1,200 for SC, ST, and PwD students — payable entirely online at iimcat.ac.in during the registration window.

The IIMs released the CAT 2026 notification on July 24, 2026, opening the registration process for the Common Admission Test. Students aiming for IIM and other top B-school admissions must pay the application fee online before the registration deadline to complete their submission. The fee is non-refundable once the payment is processed, so make sure all your details are accurate before you pay.

• General / EWS / OBC-NCL fee: ₹2,400
• SC / ST / PwD fee: ₹1,200 — a 50% concession on the general fee
• Payment is accepted only online through iimcat.ac.in
• Accepted modes: credit card, debit card, net banking, and UPI
• The fee is strictly non-refundable after successful payment
• Registration typically remains open for 6–7 weeks from the notification date

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CAT 2026 Application Fee — Category-Wise Breakdown

The CAT 2026 fee structure offers a 50% concession to students from SC, ST, and PwD categories. The table below lists the exact fee for each category:

Students who qualify under more than one concession category — for example, OBC-NCL and PwD — are eligible for the lower fee of ₹1,200. The application fee does not cover any separate programme-selection charge; you choose and add IIM programmes during the same registration session at no additional cost at this stage.

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Accepted Online Payment Modes for CAT 2026

CAT 2026 accepts only online fee payment through the iimcat.ac.in portal. No demand draft, cash, or challan payment is accepted. The payment gateway supports the following modes:

Always save your transaction ID and payment confirmation page as a PDF or screenshot. This serves as proof of fee payment if any discrepancy arises during application processing or admit card generation.

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How to Pay CAT 2026 Application Fee Online

The fee payment is integrated into the registration flow on iimcat.ac.in. Follow these steps to register and pay:

1. Visit the official CAT 2026 website at iimcat.ac.in
2. Click “New Registration” and enter your name, date of birth, email ID, and mobile number
3. Verify your email and mobile using the OTPs sent to your registered contact details
4. Log in with the credentials received on your registered email
5. Complete the application form — personal details, academic qualifications, work experience, and programme preferences
6. Upload your photograph and signature in the required format and size
7. Select your preferred test cities (up to three cities in order of preference)
8. Proceed to the Payment tab and select your preferred mode (credit card, debit card, net banking, or UPI)
9. Pay ₹2,400 (General/EWS/OBC-NCL) or ₹1,200 (SC/ST/PwD) and wait for the confirmation screen
10. Download your application confirmation slip and save it for your records

Your CAT 2026 registration is complete only after the payment succeeds and you receive the confirmation slip. Do not close the browser window during payment — doing so may create a failed transaction while the amount is still debited.

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CAT 2026 Registration — Key Dates

The table below lists key dates related to CAT 2026 registration and fee payment. Dates other than the notification date are based on the CAT 2025 schedule and are expected for 2026:

Do not wait until the last date to pay — server traffic on deadline days can cause payment failures or session timeouts. Complete your registration and fee payment at least three to four days before the closing date.

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Important Points Before Paying the CAT 2026 Fee

• The fee is non-refundable — double-check your name, category, date of birth, and contact details before submitting payment
• Students with dual concession eligibility (e.g., OBC-NCL and PwD) should pay the lower applicable fee of ₹1,200
• If your payment fails but the amount is debited, it is typically refunded within 7–10 working days; contact your bank with the transaction reference if it is not
• Only one application per student is permitted — submitting duplicate applications with different personal details can lead to disqualification from the exam
• The fee does not guarantee seat allotment or selection; it only completes your application for the CAT 2026 examination
• Keep your registered email active throughout the CAT 2026 cycle — IIMs send admit card links, result communications, and interview calls to this email