The Common Admission Test (CAT) 2026 registration window is open but scheduled to close soon. Applications must be submitted on the official website on Tuesday, 15 September 2026, by 5:00 PM. Once the deadline passes and you haven’t applied, the portal will not accept late submissions, meaning you will miss the 2026 cycle. As of this year, IIM Indore is responsible for conducting the CAT Entrance Exam, which is officially scheduled for November 29, 2026, Sunday.
For the uninitiated, CAT is a graduate entrance examination conducted by the IIM flagship for admission to the Masters of Business Administration (MBA). The annually held entrance exam offers admission to more than 20 Indian Institute of Management (IIM) across the nation. CAT is a Computer Based Test (CBT) conducted timed at 120 minutes in total. The entrance exam consists of three sections, namely, VARC (Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension); DILR (Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning); and QA (Quantitative Aptitude). Each section is allotted 40 minutes.
In this article, Hitbullseye aims to cover important information regarding the CAT Application for those interested in applying and appearing in the 2026 cycle. We have curated information on CLAT official dates, eligibility criteria, documents required, fees, reserved category eligibility, and other important details.
CAT Important Dates
The following dates help you understand the important CAT details and dates if you are considering to appear for CAT 2026:
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Event
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Date
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Registration Start
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3 August 2026, 10:00 AM
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Registration Closes
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15 September 2026, 5:00 PM
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Admit Card Download
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4 November 2026 to 29 November 2026
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CAT 2026 exam
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29 November 2026 (Sunday)
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Result (as expected)
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First week of January 2027
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CAT Eligibility Criteria
You can apply if you meet any one of these conditions:
- You have completed a Bachelor’s degree with the required marks.
- You have completed a professional qualification, CA / CS / ICWA (CMA) / Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of India (FIAI), with the required marks.
- You are in the final year of a Bachelor’s degree.
- Minimum marks required are 50% or equivalent CGPA for General, EWS and NC-OBC: and 45% for SC, ST and PwBD.
- Final-year students may apply now. If an IIM later offers you a seat, you will be allowed to join only provisionally, and only if you submit a certificate from the Principal/Registrar stating that you have completed all degree requirements by the date that IIM specifies.
- There is no upper age limit stated in the official eligibility document. Meeting the minimum marks does not guarantee a shortlist. Each IIM applies its own admission policy after CAT.
Please note that it is important that the degree must be from a university or institution incorporated by an Act of Parliament or a state legislature in India, a deemed university under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956, or an equivalent qualification recognized by the Ministry of Education, Government of India.
CAT Reservation Policy
As per the official eligibility document, IIM seats follow Government of India norms, which are as follows:
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Category
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Reservation
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Scheduled Caste (SC)
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15%
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Scheduled Tribe (ST)
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7.5%
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NC-OBC (non-creamy layer)
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27%
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Economically Weaker Sections (EWS)
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Up to 10%
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Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD)
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5%
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Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) means a person with not less than 40% of a specified disability, certified by the competent authority, under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. Specified categories include blindness and low vision; deaf and hard of hearing; locomotor disability (including cerebral palsy, leprosy cured, dwarfism, acid-attack victims and muscular dystrophy); autism, intellectual disability, specific learning disability and mental illness; multiple disabilities from the above; and other specified disabilities in the Act’s Schedule. Candidates are encouraged to apply for a UDID card and upload it.
Important: No category change is allowed after CAT registration. Choose the category carefully. Reserved-category candidates still have to meet minimum eligibility and a minimum performance level to be considered.
CAT Application Fee
The CAT Applicants will be required to pay a non-refundable application fee according to the category they fall under; for specific amounts and other required regulations, refer to the text below:
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Category
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Fee
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SC, ST and PwBD
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₹1,350
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All other candidates (including General, EWS and NC-OBC)
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₹2,700
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- Pay the fee only once, no matter how many IIMs or programmes you select.
- SC, ST and PwBD candidates must upload the relevant certificate at registration to claim the lower fee.
- Payment is online through the official portal (BillDesk, as per the Registration Guide). It is advised that the appliant keeps the payment transaction number.
- NC-OBC and EWS candidates pay the full fee of ₹2,700. The concession applies only to SC, ST and PwBD.
CAT Required Documents
Keep these ready before you start, so you are not stuck mid-form.
For every candidate
- Name exactly as on the Class 10 / SSC certificate
- Date of birth
- A personal email ID and mobile number you will keep active through the admission cycle
- Class 10, Class 12/Diploma, and graduation marks (and master’s or professional-degree marks, if any)
- Work-experience details, if any
- Scanned photograph and signature
Photograph (official Registration Guide)
- Format: .jpg or .jpeg only
- Size: not more than 80 KB
- Dimensions: 1200 pixels × 1200 pixels
- Resolution: minimum 150 px/inch
- White background
- Not more than six months old
- Carry printed copies of the same photo on exam day
Signature (official Registration Guide)
- Format: .jpg or .jpeg only
- Size: not more than 80 KB
- Dimensions: 80 mm × 35 mm
- Resolution: minimum 150 px/inch
- Clear scan (sign on plain white paper with dark ink, then scan; do not upload a photo of an ID-card signature)
If you are applying under a reserved category
Upload a scanned PDF of the valid certificate. Failure to upload the required SC/ST/NC-OBC/EWS/PwBD certificate results in rejection of registration under that category. The certificate must be in the Government of India approved format and, for SC/ST, must clearly state caste/tribe name, whether SC or ST, district and State/UT of ordinary residence, and the schedule under which the caste/tribe is listed.
You will need to show the original and submit a photocopy at interview and again at joining. According to the Information Bulletin, NC-OBC certificates should be issued on or after 1 April 2026, and EWS certificates should be valid for 2026–27 (assessed for financial year 2025–26). If a fresh certificate is still being processed, the bulletin allows an undertaking plus the older certificate and proof that a new application has been submitted — but you must follow the exact wording on iimcat.ac.in, because a mismatch can lead to disqualification. PwBD candidates who need a scribe must arrange the scribe and complete the Scribe Affidavit available on the CAT 2026 website.
CAT Application Process
The official process has two stages: create a login, then fill and pay.
Stage 1: New Candidate Registration
- Open https://iimcat.ac.in and click Register under New Candidate Registration.
- Enter your name exactly as on the Class 10 certificate, date of birth, email ID and mobile number.
- Generate OTP, complete the CAPTCHA, and validate the OTP.
- Accept the declaration and submit.
- You will receive a User ID and password.
Domestic candidates receive OTP on mobile and email; login details go to both email and SMS. Overseas candidates receive OTP and login details only on email. An overseas mobile number should be entered with the country code and without symbols such as +, 0, or hyphens.
Stage 2: Application form
Log in as a Registered Candidate and complete these sections. You can save and return; mandatory fields are marked with an asterisk.
- Personal details: Identity, contact, category, photo, signature, and certificates
- Academics: Class 10, 12/Diploma, graduation, post-graduation, professional degrees
- Work experience: Full-time experience after graduation, counted in days as on 31 July 2026. Part-time work, projects, internships, articleship and pre-graduation work do not count. Enter break in experience in days, or “0” if none.
- Programmes: Select IIM programmes and interview cities. Selecting more programmes does not increase the CAT fee.
- Test City: Choose five different cities in order of preference. You cannot repeat the same city. You will be allotted one of the five if seats exist; otherwise a nearby city. IIMs may add, remove or cancel cities.
- Declaration: Preview the full form, pay, and submit.
After successful payment you get a transaction number and confirmation. Download and save the application. The Registration Guide states that you cannot edit the form after submission; you can only view or download it. Watch iimcat.ac.in for any later official edit facility. Do not assume unofficial “correction window” dates.
Please note that the authorities have officiated one website (https://iimcat.ac.in) for all the credible information. It is advised to not use any other site for registration, payment, or any other exam-related official work.