CAT 2026 Exam Day is underway on November 29, 2026, with Slot 1 (8:30 AM – 10:30 AM) now concluded at centres across India. The exam is conducted by IIM Indore on behalf of all 20 IIMs, on the official portal iimcat.ac.in. Slot 2 (12:30 PM – 2:30 PM) is currently in progress, and Slot 3 begins at 4:30 PM. Based on initial candidate feedback, Slot 1 registered an overall Moderate difficulty level, consistent with CAT 2025.
| CAT 2026 Official Portal — (Live) |
| CAT 2026 Answer Key — (Expected: December 2026) |
| CAT 2026 Result — (Expected: January 2027) |
- CAT 2026 Slot 1 (8:30 AM – 10:30 AM) concluded with an overall Moderate difficulty level; DILR was the most challenging section.
- Good attempts for CAT 2026 Slot 1 are estimated at 38–45 out of 66 questions, based on initial candidate feedback.
- In CAT 2025, conducted by IIM Kozhikode on November 30, 2025, Slot 1 was rated Moderate-to-Slightly-Difficult overall with similar good-attempt ranges.
- Slot 2 analysis, student reactions, and updated expected cutoff snapshots will be added here once candidates exit centres after 2:30 PM.
The CAT 2026 Admit Card is a separate document from the city intimation slip released earlier. Candidates must carry a printed copy of the admit card along with an original valid photo ID. A digital copy on a phone is not accepted at the exam centre.
This article covers all live updates on CAT 2026 Exam Day, including Slot 1 section-wise paper analysis, difficulty breakdown, good attempts count, memory-based question topics, student reactions from centres across India, and expected cutoff percentiles for IIM Indore, IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, and other IIMs.
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CAT 2026 Exam Day: Slot 2 Is Underway, Slot 3 Candidates Must Report by 3:30 PM
CAT 2026 Slot 2 is now in progress since 12:30 PM. Entry gates closed at 12:15 PM sharp; candidates who arrived after that were not permitted to enter. Approximately 70,000+ candidates are seated for this shift. The CAT 2026 Slot 2 paper analysis, good attempts, and student reactions will be updated here once candidates exit after 2:30 PM.
Slot 3 candidates must report to their assigned centre by 3:30 PM. Gate closing for Slot 3 is at 4:15 PM — plan your commute accordingly in high-traffic cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad.
Source: iimcat.ac.in
CAT 2026 Exam Day: Expected Cutoff Snapshot After Slot 1
Based on the Moderate overall difficulty of CAT 2026 Slot 1 and good attempt estimates of 38–45 questions, here is a preliminary expected percentile cutoff for top IIMs. These numbers are indicative and will be revised after Slot 2 and Slot 3 data is available.
| IIM / B-School | Expected CAT 2026 Cutoff (Percentile — General) | CAT 2025 Cutoff (Actual — General) |
|---|---|---|
| IIM Ahmedabad | 99+ | 99+ |
| IIM Bangalore | 99+ | 99+ |
| IIM Calcutta | 99+ | 99+ |
| IIM Lucknow | 97–98 | 97 |
| IIM Indore (Convener) | 97–98 | 97 |
| IIM Kozhikode | 96–97 | 96 |
| IIM Shillong / Udaipur / Trichy | 92–94 | 92–93 |
| New IIMs (Ranchi, Raipur, Rohtak, Kashipur, etc.) | 90–92 | 90 |
| Top Non-IIM B-schools (MDI, SPJIMR, FMS Delhi) | 85–90 | 85+ |
These are expert estimates based on Slot 1 difficulty and CAT 2023–2025 cutoff trends. Official cutoffs are released by each IIM individually after result declaration in January 2027.
Source: Expert analysis benchmarked against CAT 2025 data; iimcat.ac.in
CAT 2026 Exam Day Slot 1: Student Reactions from Centres Across India
Candidates who appeared in CAT 2026 Slot 1 have shared their initial reactions at exam exits and on social media. Here is a factual summary:
- "VARC had five RC passages. Two were on very abstract topics — one on philosophy of language, another on macroeconomic history. They were long and took significant time. Para-jumbles were manageable by comparison." — Candidate, Delhi exam centre (Source: Reddit r/CATprep)
- "DILR was the most stressful section. There was one scheduling set with multiple interdependent constraints that very few candidates in my centre claimed to have fully solved. The other sets ranged from easy to moderate." — Student, Mumbai exam centre (Source: Reddit r/CATprep)
- "QA was the most balanced section for me. Standard arithmetic questions on TSD, percentages, and profit-loss. Two or three Number Theory questions were tricky but solvable with time. Overall I’m satisfied with my QA attempt." — Candidate, Bangalore exam centre
The broad verdict among CAT 2026 Slot 1 candidates is that VARC was time-consuming, DILR was the most unpredictable, and QA offered the best opportunity for confident attempts.
Source: Student reports at exam centres; Reddit r/CATprep
CAT 2026 Exam Day Slot 1: Good Attempts Count by Section
Based on candidate feedback collected at exam centre exits after CAT 2026 Slot 1, here are the estimated good attempts per section. These are benchmarked against CAT 2025 Slot 1 data from IMS India and Cracku:
Candidates targeting a percentile above 99 in CAT 2026 typically need 50+ correct answers with 85–90% accuracy. For the 95th percentile, 40–44 correct attempts is a strong benchmark. The low feasible range in DILR (10–12) means candidates who secured 12+ correct answers in DILR have a significant advantage in Slot 1.
Source: Expert estimates benchmarked on CAT 2025 Slot 1 data from IMS India and Cracku; iimcat.ac.in
CAT 2026 Exam Day Slot 1: Section-Wise Paper Analysis
Here is the CAT 2026 Slot 1 section-wise analysis based on memory-reported feedback from candidates who appeared in the morning shift:
| Section | Questions | MCQ / TITA Split | Difficulty | Key Topics Reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VARC | 24 | ~16 MCQ + ~8 TITA | Moderate | 5 RC passages (Philosophy, Macroeconomics, Natural Science, Literature, Environment); 4 Para-jumbles; 3 Para-summary / Odd Sentence Out |
| DILR | 20 | ~8 MCQ + ~12 TITA | Moderate–Difficult | 1 Scheduling / Timetable set (difficult); Bar chart with multiple conditions; Venn-diagram set; 1 moderate seating or binary logic set |
| QA | 22 | ~14 MCQ + ~8 TITA | Moderate | Arithmetic (TSD, Profit-Loss, Percentages, Mixtures); Algebra (Equations, Inequalities, Functions); Number Theory (2–3 Qs); Geometry (2 Qs); Modern Math / P&C (1–2 Qs) |
All topic details are based on candidate memory reports. Exact question counts will be confirmed when IIM Indore releases the official CAT 2026 answer key and response sheets in December 2026.
Source: Candidate reports at exam centres; iimcat.ac.in
CAT 2026 Exam Day Slot 1: Paper Concluded, Overall Difficulty Is Moderate
CAT 2026 Slot 1 concluded at 10:30 AM. Based on immediate exit feedback from candidates at centres in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, and Hyderabad, the overall difficulty is rated Moderate — broadly consistent with CAT 2025 Slot 1 (also rated Moderate by IMS India, Careers360, and Cracku). The quick summary:
- VARC: Moderate — RC passages were abstract and time-consuming; verbal ability was the more manageable part of the section
- DILR: Moderate to Difficult — one scheduling set dominated the section and proved costly for time management
- QA: Moderate — arithmetic-heavy with no surprises; a few Number Theory questions required careful handling
- Overall: Moderate — similar to CAT 2025 Slot 1 difficulty; no unexpected pattern changes reported
Detailed section-wise analysis with topic-level breakdowns is in the entry below.
Source: Candidate exits at exam centres; iimcat.ac.in
CAT 2026 Exam Day Slot 1: One Hour In, No Technical Issues Reported
CAT 2026 Slot 1 is now one hour in, with candidates mid-way through the DILR or QA section depending on their individual pacing. Exam centres across India have reported smooth conduct with no system failures or connectivity issues on iimcat.ac.in so far.
A key reminder for candidates still inside: once a section timer ends, you cannot return to it. The on-screen calculator is available throughout. TITA questions carry no negative marking — even a partial solve is worth attempting, as a correct answer gives +3 and a wrong one gives 0.
Source: iimcat.ac.in
CAT 2026 Exam Day: Slot 1 Has Begun at Test Centres Across India
CAT 2026 Slot 1 is now live as of 8:30 AM. Entry gates closed at 8:15 AM sharp. Approximately 70,000+ candidates are seated for this shift across 400+ test centres in 170+ cities. The exam runs for 120 minutes, split into three fixed-duration sections of 40 minutes each.
Candidates who missed the Slot 1 gate closing and are scheduled for Slot 2 or Slot 3 should plan their commute now. Gate closing for Slot 2 is at 12:15 PM.
Source: iimcat.ac.in
CAT 2026 Exam Day: Reporting Time and Gate Closing Time for All 3 Slots
Every candidate appearing for CAT 2026 must follow the slot-specific schedule. Candidates arriving after gate closing time are denied entry without exception:
| Slot | Exam Time | Reporting Time | Gate Closing Time | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slot 1 | 8:30 AM – 10:30 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:15 AM | CONCLUDED |
| Slot 2 | 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM | 11:30 AM | 12:15 PM | ONGOING |
| Slot 3 | 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM | 3:30 PM | 4:15 PM | UPCOMING |
Allow extra travel time in cities like Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Chennai where traffic around exam centres is typically heavy on CAT 2026 exam day.
Source: iimcat.ac.in
CAT 2026 Exam Day: Documents to Carry to Your Exam Centre
Before leaving for your CAT 2026 exam centre, confirm you have all three of the following with you:
- Printed CAT 2026 Admit Card — downloaded from iimcat.ac.in. A screenshot or digital copy on your phone is not accepted.
- Original valid photo ID — Aadhaar Card, Passport, PAN Card, Voter ID, or Driving Licence. The name must match the admit card exactly.
- One recent passport-size photograph — same as the one uploaded during CAT 2026 registration, as backup for centre verification.
The exam centre provides rough paper and a ballpoint pen. Do not bring your own stationery. Mobile phones, smartwatches, Bluetooth earphones, calculators, and digital watches are prohibited and will be confiscated.
Source: iimcat.ac.in — CAT 2026 Official Information Bulletin
CAT 2026 Exam Day: High-Weightage Topics to Review Before Your Slot Begins
If you have time before heading to your CAT 2026 exam centre, here are the highest-weightage topics by section based on CAT 2023–2025 paper patterns from iimcat.ac.in:
| Section | Topic | Approx. Questions in CAT |
|---|---|---|
| VARC | Reading Comprehension — passage-based MCQ and TITA | 16 of 24 |
| VARC | Para-jumbles, Para-summary, Odd Sentence Out | 8 of 24 |
| DILR | Data Interpretation (bar charts, tables, line graphs with conditions) | 10 of 20 |
| DILR | Logical Reasoning (scheduling, seating arrangement, binary logic) | 10 of 20 |
| QA | Arithmetic (TSD, Work-Time, Percentages, Profit-Loss, Ratio-Proportion) | 9–10 of 22 |
| QA | Algebra (Quadratics, Inequalities, Functions, Sequences and Series) | 6–7 of 22 |
| QA | Number Theory, Geometry, Modern Math (P&C, Probability) | 5–6 of 22 |
For CAT 2026 DILR, the most important strategy is to spend the first 3–4 minutes identifying the two easiest sets before starting any calculations. Choosing the wrong sets is the single biggest time-management risk in this section.
Source: CAT 2023–2025 official papers; iimcat.ac.in
CAT 2026 Exam Day Schedule: All 3 Slots, Section Timings, and Full Overview
CAT 2026 is scheduled for November 29, 2026 (Sunday), across more than 170 cities in India. IIM Indore is the convening institute for CAT 2026, conducting the exam on behalf of all 20 IIMs. Here is the complete exam overview:
| Detail | CAT 2026 Information |
|---|---|
| Conducting Body | IIM Indore (on behalf of all IIMs) |
| Mode | Computer-Based Test (CBT) |
| Total Duration per Slot | 120 minutes (2 hours) |
| Total Questions | 66 |
| Section 1 — VARC | 24 questions, 40 minutes |
| Section 2 — DILR | 20 questions, 40 minutes |
| Section 3 — QA | 22 questions, 40 minutes |
| Number of Test Cities | 170+ |
| Number of Test Centres | 400+ |
| Answer Key (Expected) | Early December 2026 |
| Result (Expected) | January 2027 |
| Official Portal | iimcat.ac.in |
Source: iimcat.ac.in — CAT 2026 Official Information Bulletin
CAT 2026 Marking Scheme: How Your Score Is Calculated in Each Section
Understanding the CAT 2026 marking scheme before your slot begins helps you make better real-time decisions about which questions to attempt and which to skip. Here is the complete breakdown:
The maximum raw score in CAT 2026 is 198 (66 questions x 3 marks). Historical benchmarks from CAT 2025 show:
- Raw score of 160+ corresponds roughly to the 99th percentile
- Raw score of 120–140 falls in the 95–98 percentile range
- Raw score of 80–100 typically corresponds to the 85–90 percentile
Negative marking applies only to MCQ questions. Skipping a TITA question you can partially answer is a missed opportunity.
Source: iimcat.ac.in — CAT 2026 Official Information Bulletin
CAT 2026 Exam Day: Prohibited Items at Every Exam Centre
The following items are strictly prohibited inside any CAT 2026 exam centre. Being found with any of these items may lead to result cancellation or disqualification:
| Category | Prohibited Items |
|---|---|
| Electronic Devices | Mobile phones, smartwatches, digital and analog watches, Bluetooth earphones, tablets, calculators of any kind, power banks |
| Personal Stationery | Pens, pencils, erasers, rulers, geometry sets — the centre provides rough paper and a ballpoint pen |
| Personal Accessories | Wallets, handbags, pouches, metallic belts, any wearable with electronic components |
| Food and Beverages | All food items; water in opaque bottles (transparent water bottles are permitted at most centres) |
| Study Material | Books, notes, printed sheets, or any written or typed material |
Source: iimcat.ac.in — CAT 2026 Official Information Bulletin
CAT 2026 Exam Day: How the Computer-Based Test Works at the Centre
CAT (Common Admission Test) 2026 is a national-level MBA entrance exam conducted by IIM Indore and is the primary admission criterion for all 20 IIMs and more than 1,200 participating B-schools in India. For candidates appearing in CAT 2026 for the first time, here is what the exam day experience looks like:
- After biometric verification and seat assignment, you receive a 15-minute practice tutorial before the main timer starts. Use this time to familiarise yourself with the interface, navigation, and the on-screen calculator.
- The exam has three sections with individual 40-minute timers. Once a section’s timer ends, you move to the next section automatically and cannot return.
- Within each section, you can move between questions freely, mark questions for review, and return before the timer ends.
- TITA questions show a blank input box — you type a numerical answer. No options are displayed, and there is no negative marking for TITA.
- After the CAT 2026 exam, IIM Indore will release the official response sheet and provisional answer key on iimcat.ac.in in early December 2026.
- CAT 2026 result and percentile scores are expected to be declared in January 2027.
Source: iimcat.ac.in — CAT 2026 Official Information Bulletin
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