CAT Exam Date 2026: Official Notification, Registration Schedule & Important Dates
The Common Admission Test (CAT) 2026 is expected to be conducted on Sunday, November 29, 2026. CAT is held on the last Sunday of November every year, and this trend has remained consistent for several years. CAT 2026 will be conducted by IIM Indore on a rotational basis, following CAT 2025 which was conducted by IIM Kozhikode. The official notification is expected in the last week of July 2026 on the official website iimcat.ac.in.
CAT 2026 Exam Date & Schedule
|
Event |
Expected Date |
|
CAT 2026 Notification Release |
Last week of July 2026 (approx. July 26–29, 2026) |
|
CAT 2026 Registration Begins |
August 1, 2026 |
|
CAT 2026 Registration Last Date |
September 20, 2026 |
|
Application Form Correction Window |
Last week of September 2026 |
|
CAT 2026 Admit Card Release |
Mid-November 2026 |
|
CAT 2026 Exam Date |
November 29, 2026 (Sunday) |
|
CAT 2026 Response Sheet & Answer Key |
December 1–3, 2026 |
|
Objection Window (Answer Key) |
~1 week after answer key |
|
CAT 2026 Result Declaration |
Third week of December 2026 |
|
IIM Shortlist Announcements |
January–February 2027 |
|
WAT-PI Rounds |
February–April 2027 |
|
Final Admission Offers |
April–May 2027 |
All dates are tentative. Official dates will be confirmed upon the release of the CAT 2026 notification at iimcat.ac.in.
CAT 2026 Exam Highlights
|
Feature |
Details |
|
Exam Name |
Common Admission Test (CAT) 2026 |
|
Conducting Body |
IIM Indore (expected, on rotational basis) |
|
Exam Date |
November 29, 2026 (Sunday) |
|
Exam Mode |
Computer-Based Test (CBT) |
|
Exam Duration |
120 minutes (2 hours) |
|
Number of Sections |
3 (VARC, DILR, QA) |
|
Total Questions |
68 (expected) |
|
Total Marks |
204 (expected) |
|
Number of Slots |
3 (Morning, Afternoon, Evening) |
|
Exam Cities |
170+ cities across India |
|
Official Website |
iimcat.ac.in |
IIM-wise Rotation for CAT Conducting Body
|
Year |
Conducting IIM |
|
CAT 2026 |
IIM Indore (expected) |
|
CAT 2025 |
IIM Kozhikode |
|
CAT 2024 |
IIM Calcutta |
|
CAT 2023 |
IIM Lucknow |
|
CAT 2022 |
IIM Bangalore |
|
CAT 2021 |
IIM Ahmedabad |
CAT 2026 Notification: What to Expect
The official CAT 2026 notification is the primary document that contains all information about the exam. It is typically published on the official website and advertised in leading newspapers such as The Hindu, Times of India, and Hindustan Times.
|
Information in Notification |
Details |
|
Official Exam Date |
Confirmed exam date and slot timings |
|
Registration Dates |
Start and end dates for application |
|
Eligibility Criteria |
Qualification, marks, category requirements |
|
Application Fee |
Category-wise fees and payment methods |
|
Exam Pattern |
Number of sections, questions, and duration |
|
Test Cities |
List of cities where exam will be conducted |
|
Participating Institutes |
Full list of IIMs and other B-schools |
|
Important Instructions |
Rules for registration and exam day |
CAT 2026 Exam Slots (Expected)
CAT 2026 will be conducted in three slots on November 29, 2026:
|
Slot |
Reporting Time |
Exam Time |
|
Slot 1 (Morning) |
7:30 AM |
8:30 AM – 10:30 AM |
|
Slot 2 (Afternoon) |
11:30 AM |
12:30 PM – 2:30 PM |
|
Slot 3 (Evening) |
3:30 PM |
4:30 PM – 6:30 PM |
Exact slot timings will be confirmed in the CAT 2026 admit card.
Year-wise CAT Exam Date Trend
|
Year |
Exam Date |
Conducting IIM |
Total Candidates |
|
CAT 2026 |
November 29, 2026 (expected) |
IIM Indore |
~4.5 lakh (expected) |
|
CAT 2025 |
November 30, 2025 |
IIM Kozhikode |
~3.3 lakh |
|
CAT 2024 |
November 24, 2024 |
IIM Calcutta |
~3.29 lakh |
|
CAT 2023 |
November 26, 2023 |
IIM Lucknow |
~3.28 lakh |
|
CAT 2022 |
November 27, 2022 |
IIM Bangalore |
~2.23 lakh |
CAT 2026 Registration: Key Dates to Track
|
Action |
Date |
|
Bookmark iimcat.ac.in |
Now |
|
Check for official notification |
Last week of July 2026 |
|
Register online |
August 1 – September 20, 2026 |
|
Download admit card |
Mid-November 2026 |
|
Appear for exam |
November 29, 2026 |
|
Download scorecard |
Third week of December 2026 |
Why CAT 2026 Matters?
CAT 2026 is the gateway to:
-
21 IIMs across India
-
1,300+ B-schools accepting CAT scores
-
Top non-IIM institutes like FMS Delhi, MDI Gurgaon, SPJIMR Mumbai, IIT B-schools, NITIE
Around 4.5 lakh candidates are expected to register for CAT 2026, making it one of the most competitive management entrance exams in the world.
Preparation Timeline Based on CAT 2026 Exam Date
|
Time to Exam |
Recommended Focus |
|
9+ months away |
Build fundamentals: Arithmetic, RC, LRDI basics |
|
6–9 months away |
Strengthen weak areas; start sectional tests |
|
3–6 months away |
Full-length mocks (1–2 per week); error analysis |
|
1–3 months away |
Intensive mocks (3 per week); revision of formulas |
|
1 month away |
Mock test analysis, strategy refinement, no new topics |
|
1 week away |
Light revision, rest, exam logistics preparation |
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Frequently Asked Questions
CAT 2026 is expected to be held on November 29, 2026 (Sunday). The official date will be confirmed in the July 2026 notification.
IIM Indore is expected to conduct CAT 2026 based on the rotational pattern.
The official notification is expected in the last week of July 2026, around July 26–29, on iimcat.ac.in.
Registration is expected to begin on August 1, 2026.
CAT 2026 results are expected in the third week of December 2026.
CAT is a Computer-Based Test (CBT). It is conducted at designated exam centres, not from home.
