CAT 2026 Application Timeline: Registration, Correction Window, Admit Card and Result Dates

CAT 2026 registration is expected to open in the first week of August 2026 on iimcat.ac.in, with the exam likely scheduled for the last Sunday of November 2026 and results expected in January 2027.

The Common Admission Test (CAT) 2026 will be conducted by one of the IIMs on a rotational basis for admissions to MBA and PGDM programmes at IIMs and hundreds of other top B-schools. The complete CAT 2026 application timeline — from notification to scorecard download — is listed below based on official announcements and previous-year patterns.

• CAT 2026 official notification is expected in July 2026 on iimcat.ac.in.
• Registration window typically opens in August and stays open for about six to seven weeks.
• Application correction window is usually provided in October for two to three days.
• Admit card is released approximately two to three weeks before the exam in November.
• CAT 2026 exam is expected on the last Sunday of November 2026.
• Result is typically declared in the first or second week of January 2027.

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CAT 2026 Complete Application Timeline

The table below lists all major CAT 2026 events with their expected dates. All dates are based on CAT 2024 and CAT 2025 patterns and are expected — official dates will be confirmed in the CAT 2026 notification on iimcat.ac.in.

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CAT 2026 Registration: Dates and Process

CAT 2026 registration is expected to open in the first week of August 2026 on iimcat.ac.in. Based on previous years, the window stays open for approximately six to seven weeks, closing in mid-September 2026.

To complete the CAT 2026 application form, you will need the following:

• Valid email ID and mobile number for OTP-based account creation
• Class 10, 12, and graduation mark sheets for academic details
• Scanned photograph and signature in the prescribed size and format
• Category certificate (SC, ST, PwD, or EWS, if applicable)
• Work experience details including employer name and duration (optional but recommended)

The CAT 2026 application fee is expected to be around Rs 2,400 for General and OBC (NCL) students and around Rs 1,200 for SC, ST, and PwD students, payable online. The exact fee will be confirmed in the official notification on iimcat.ac.in.

Students in their final year of graduation are eligible to apply for CAT 2026. You must hold a bachelor’s degree with at least 50% marks (45% for SC, ST, and PwD students) from a recognised university.

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CAT 2026 Application Correction Window

CAT 2026 will provide an application correction window in October 2026 for students to edit specific details in their submitted forms. This window is typically open for only two to three days, so use it promptly.

Based on previous years, fields you can usually edit during the correction window include:

• Test city preferences (up to four cities in order of preference)
• Photograph and signature if the originally uploaded files were rejected
• Programme preferences (IIM programmes you wish to apply to)

Core details such as your name, date of birth, and category are generally locked after form submission and cannot be changed. Review your application thoroughly before submitting — the correction window offers limited scope for changes and closes permanently before the admit card is issued.

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CAT 2026 Admit Card Release Date

CAT 2026 admit card is expected to be released in November 2026, approximately two to three weeks before the exam date. You can download it by logging in to iimcat.ac.in with your registered email ID and password.

The CAT 2026 admit card will contain the following details:

• Your name, roll number, and registration number
• Exam date, shift (morning or afternoon session), and reporting time
• Test centre name and address
• Important instructions and items permitted or prohibited in the exam hall

Print at least two copies of your CAT 2026 admit card and carry one on exam day along with a valid government-issued photo ID such as Aadhaar, PAN card, or passport. The admit card is a mandatory document — entry to the test centre is not allowed without it. The admit card is not sent by post; download it only from iimcat.ac.in.

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CAT 2026 Exam Date and Result Schedule

CAT 2026 is expected to be conducted on the last Sunday of November 2026 in two or three shifts across test cities in India. The exam is a computer-based test (CBT) of two hours duration with three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (QA).

After the exam, the post-result schedule is expected to unfold as follows:

CAT 2026 results will be available on iimcat.ac.in. Your scorecard will show your overall percentile, section-wise scaled scores, and total scaled score. The CAT 2026 score is valid for one year for IIM and other B-school admissions for the 2027–28 batch. Most IIMs do not accept scores from previous CAT cycles.