CAT 2026 Registration Last Date Today: Apply by September 22 at 5 PM

CAT 2026 registration closes today, September 22, 2026, at 5:00 PM IST. Candidates seeking admission to IIMs and other participating B-schools must complete the application, upload the required documents and pay the registration fee before the deadline.

• CAT 2026 registration closes on September 22, 2026, at 5:00 PM IST; after that, no students will be able to register for the CAT 2026 exam.
• Candidates can complete their applications through the official CAT website, iimcat.ac.in, before the deadline.
• CAT 2026 will be conducted on November 29, 2026, while the admit card will be available for download from November 4, 2026.
• The application fee is ₹2,700 for General, EWS and NC-OBC candidates and ₹1,350 for SC, ST and PwD candidates.

Related Links:

• CAT Registration 2026: Last Date Sept 22, Apply Online @ iimcat.ac.in, Direct Link
• CAT 2026 Application Form: Step-by-Step Guide, Documents & Photo Specs

CAT 2026 Registration: Important Dates and Timeline

The official notification for CAT 2026 was released on July 26, 2026, with the application window opening on August 3, 2026. The registration portal remains open until September 15, 2026, 5:00 PM IST.

• The application window is open for 44 days (August 3 to September 15, 2026) and extended till 22^nd Sept 2026.
• No late-fee window exists to submit forms with a late fee after 5 PM on September 22.
• Shift allotment includes Test timing (Morning, Afternoon, or Evening) is auto-allotted post-registration across 170+ test cities.

CAT 2026 Important Events Schedule

Will CAT 2026 Registration Date Be Extended?

As there was an extension of CAT registration from 15^th Sept to 22^nd Sept’26, there will be no further extension of the registration date.  Candidates should therefore complete their applications by September 22 at 5 PM instead of waiting for a possible extension. 

Related Links:

• How Many Students Applied in CAT 2026 Registration

CAT Registration Deadline Extension Trends (2022–2025)

• CAT 2025 Extension was extended by 7 days due to high candidate requests on the final day.
• CAT 2024 & 2023 also granted a 7-day window, moving the deadline from September 13 to September 20.

Historical CAT Registration Deadline Analysis

What Happens If You Miss the September 22 Deadline?

If the CAT 2026 registration window closes, candidates who have not completed the application and fee payment will not be able to submit a new application through the regular registration window. The CAT 2026 bulletin confirms that the registration window closes at 5:00 PM on Sep 22, 2026.

Related Links:

• Top Non-IIM Colleges Accepting CAT 2026 Scores

CAT 2026 Application Process & Fee Breakdown

Completing the application requires candidate registration, document upload, program selection, and fee payment. Generating a user ID alone does not complete the application.

• Academic calculations allow percentages to be included for all subjects listed on the mark sheet.
• Final Year Students are eligible to apply by submitting a Final Year Certificate signed by their college authority.
• In terms of Work experience, only full-time, post-graduation employment up to July 31, 2026, is calculated.

CAT 2026 Category-Wise Application Fee

CAT 2026 Documents Required Checklist

1. Class 10 & 12 Marksheets
2. Graduation Marksheets / Final Year Certificate
3. Scanned Passport Photo (<1MB, clear background)
4. Scanned Signature (<80KB, clear white paper)
5. [5] NC-OBC / EWS Certificate (Must be freshly issued on or after April 1, 2026; candidates awaiting a new certificate can upload an undertaking + old certificate + application acknowledgment instead)
6. SC / ST Certificate (Government of India format, issued by a competent authority. This carries lifetime validity, no fresh-issue date required)
7. PwBD Certificate (As per RPwD Act 2016 format; UDID card upload recommended)

Related Links:

• CAT 2026 Application Form Errors: Wrong Category, Photo Mismatch and How to Fix
• CAT 2026 Form Correction: Expected Late September, Editable Fields and How to Edi

CAT 2026 Registration: Aspirants Discuss Last-Day Form Issues

A Reddit discussion on r/CATpreparation highlights common CAT 2026 application doubts related to work experience, the NC-OBC certificate and proof of employment.

• One candidate asked whether work experience should be counted from the date of joining the company or the date of final result declaration after completing graduation.
• Another aspirant asked where to find the NC-OBC declaration certificate required for CAT 2026 registration.
• A candidate also asked whether bank salary credits showing the company name and a joining letter can be used as proof of work experience when salary slips and TDS deductions are not available.
• These questions show that candidates should check the official CAT 2026 work-experience and document requirements before submitting the application.

Source: Reddit

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