CAT 2026 Exam Dates: Admit Card on Nov 4, Important Dates and Complete Schedule

The CAT 2026 notification was released on July 25, 2026 on iimcat.ac.in. IIM Indore is conducting the CAT 2026 exam on November 29, 2026 (Sunday) — a computer-based test across approximately 170 cities in three slots. Registration closed on September 15, 2026, and the application correction window ran October 5–6, 2026. The admit card is expected to be released on November 4, 2026.

• Exam date confirmed: November 29, 2026 (Sunday) — CAT 2026 will be conducted by IIM Indore in three shifts: 8:30–10:30 AM, 12:30–2:30 PM, and 4:30–6:30 PM.
• Admit card releases November 4, 2026 — students can download their hall ticket from iimcat.ac.in; it will be available through exam day.
• Registration is closed — the application window (August 3 – September 15, 2026) has ended; no late submissions are accepted.
• Correction window concluded — the two-day edit window (October 5–6, 2026) for photo, signature, and test-city preferences is now closed.
• Result expected late December 2026 / January 2027 — the scorecard is valid for one year from declaration date for IIM and participating B-school admissions (MBA 2027–29 batch).
• IIM Indore conducting CAT 2026 — the organising IIM rotates each year; IIM Indore last conducted CAT in 2020.

For all the current updates, you should regularly visit the official website iimcat.ac.in, for official information regarding final dates and schedule.

What are the CAT 2026 Exam Dates?

The CAT 2026 lifecycle runs from July 2026 (notification) through April–May 2027 (final IIM admissions). Below is a chronological walkthrough of each major event — what it means, what students need to do, and the confirmed or expected date as of today (October 21, 2026).

CAT 2026 Notification and Registration: July–September 2026 (Concluded)

IIM Indore released the CAT 2026 official notification on July 25, 2026, on iimcat.ac.in. The notification detailed eligibility criteria (minimum 50% aggregate in graduation; 45% for SC/ST/PwBD), the exam pattern, and city preferences. Online registration opened on August 3, 2026 at 10:00 AM and closed on September 15, 2026 at 5:00 PM.

• Notification Date: July 25, 2026 (Over)
• Registration Open: August 3, 2026 (Over)
• Registration Close: September 15, 2026 at 5:00 PM (Over)
• Application Fee: ₹2,700 (General / EWS / OBC-NCL); ₹1,350 (SC / ST / PwBD)
• Portal: iimcat.ac.in (login with registered email and password)

Note: The CAT 2026 registration window is now closed. No late applications are accepted under any circumstances.

Ques. What happens if I missed the CAT 2026 registration deadline?

CAT 2026 Application Correction Window: October 5–6, 2026 (Concluded)

IIM Indore opened a two-day application correction facility from October 5, 2026 at 10:00 AM to October 6, 2026 at 5:00 PM. Students could edit their photograph, signature image, and test-city preferences during this window. Personal details, academic qualifications, and category declarations were locked and could not be changed. The deadline was not extended.

• Correction Window: October 5–6, 2026 (Over)
• Editable Fields: Photograph, signature, test-city preferences (up to 4 cities)
• Non-editable Fields: Name, date of birth, category, academic details, programme choices

CAT 2026 Admit Card: November 4, 2026 (Upcoming)

The CAT 2026 admit card (hall ticket) is expected to be released on November 4, 2026 on iimcat.ac.in. It will remain available for download through exam day, November 29, 2026. The admit card will mention the student’s name, roll number, exam centre address, allotted slot, and reporting time. Slot allocation is determined by IIM Indore and is final — students cannot request a change.

• Expected Release Date: November 4, 2026
• Available Through: November 29, 2026 (exam day)
• Action Required: Download from iimcat.ac.in using registered credentials; carry a printed copy to the exam centre along with a valid photo ID
• Slot Printed On Card: Slot 1 (8:30 AM), Slot 2 (12:30 PM), or Slot 3 (4:30 PM) — final, cannot be changed

Note: The admit card is not sent by post or email. Students must download it themselves from iimcat.ac.in. Entry to the exam centre is not permitted without a printed admit card and original photo ID.

Ques. How many days before the CAT 2026 exam is the admit card released?

CAT 2026 Mock Test: 2nd Week of November 2026 (Expected)

IIM Indore is expected to release an official CAT 2026 mock test in the second week of November 2026 on iimcat.ac.in. The mock test simulates the actual exam interface — including the timer, section navigation, and on-screen calculator — and is free for all registered students. Attempting the mock test is strongly recommended to familiarise with the software before exam day.

• Expected Date: 2nd Week of November 2026
• Access: Free for all registered students at iimcat.ac.in
• Action Required: Log in and attempt before the exam; the interface mirrors actual CBT conditions

CAT 2026 Exam Day: November 29, 2026

CAT 2026 will be conducted on November 29, 2026 (Sunday) by IIM Indore as a 120-minute (2-hour) computer-based test across approximately 170 cities in India. The exam is held in three slots to accommodate the large number of registered students. Each student is allotted exactly one slot as printed on their admit card.

• Exam Date: November 29, 2026 (Sunday)
• Mode: Computer-Based Test (CBT)
• Duration: 120 minutes (2 hours)
• Number of Slots: Three
• Slot 1: 8:30 AM – 10:30 AM (Reporting by 7:00 AM)
• Slot 2: 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM (Reporting by 11:00 AM)
• Slot 3: 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM (Reporting by 3:00 PM)
• Test Cities: ~170 cities across India

Note: Report to the exam centre at least 90 minutes before the exam slot begins. Late entry is not permitted under any circumstances — even if you hold a valid admit card. Carry your printed admit card and an original valid photo ID (Aadhaar, PAN, Passport, or Driving Licence).

Ques. What time does the CAT 2026 exam start?

CAT 2026 Answer Key: 2nd Week of December 2026 (Expected)

After the exam, IIM Indore is expected to release the official CAT 2026 answer key — including each student’s individual responses — in the second week of December 2026. Following the release, a short objection window (typically 2–3 days) is opened during which students can challenge specific answers by paying a fee per objection. Accepted objections lead to score revision; rejected challenges are not refunded.

• Expected Release: 2nd Week of December 2026
• What Is Released: Question paper, official answer key, and student-specific response sheet
• Objection Window: ~2–3 days after key release (expected, per past pattern)
• Action Required: Cross-check responses; raise valid objections with supporting evidence within the window

CAT 2026 Result: Last Week of December 2026 / January 2027 (Expected)

The CAT 2026 result is expected to be declared in the last week of December 2026 or the first week of January 2027. The result is released as a downloadable scorecard on iimcat.ac.in. The scorecard shows the overall scaled score, section-wise scaled scores, and overall percentile. The CAT score is valid for one year — only for admissions to the MBA / PGP 2027–29 batch at IIMs and other participating B-schools.

• Expected Date: Last Week of December 2026 or 1st Week of January 2027
• Score Validity: 1 year (for MBA 2027–29 batch admissions only)
• Scorecard Contents: Overall scaled score, section-wise scores (VARC, DILR, QA), overall percentile
• Action Required: Download and save scorecard; share percentile with individual IIMs and B-schools during their shortlisting process

Ques. When will the CAT 2026 result be declared?

CAT 2026 WAT-PI and IIM Admissions: February–May 2027 (Expected)

After the result, each IIM independently releases its own shortlist of students called for the Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI). There is no central counselling for IIM admissions — every IIM issues call letters, conducts its own WAT-PI, and announces its own final merit list. The WAT-PI season typically runs from February to March 2027, with final admission offers sent by April–May 2027.

• IIM Shortlists: Each IIM sets its own CAT percentile cutoff and additional criteria (academics, work experience, diversity factors)
• WAT-PI Rounds: February – March 2027 (Expected)
• Final Admission Offers: April – May 2027 (Expected)
• Important: A high CAT percentile alone does not guarantee an IIM call — each institute weighs its own composite score formula

Ques. When will CAT 2026 IIM counselling begin?

Year-wise CAT Exam Dates and Trends

CAT has been held on the last Sunday of November in every year since 2020. The table below shows the confirmed exam date for each of the past six cycles alongside the conducting IIM. The consistent late-November pattern allows IIMs to complete WAT-PI rounds by March and announce admissions by April–May each year.

The data confirms an unbroken pattern: CAT has been held on a Sunday in the fourth week of November every year since 2020. The exam date falls between November 24 and November 30, always on a Sunday. IIM Indore last conducted CAT in 2020, making 2026 its return after a six-year gap — consistent with the rotating IIM schedule. Students planning for CAT 2027 can reliably expect the exam in the same November window, with the last Sunday of November 2027 falling on November 28.

Ques. Are the CAT 2026 dates confirmed or tentative?

Will CAT 2026 Be Conducted in Multiple Phases?

No. CAT has been a single-day, single-date exam since its computer-based format was introduced. Unlike multi-session exams such as JEE Main or NMAT, CAT does not offer multiple attempts across different dates in the same cycle. All students registered for CAT 2026 will sit the exam on the same day — November 29, 2026 — divided into three time slots to manage the large candidate volume.

• Single exam date: November 29, 2026 — no alternative dates or re-test windows.
• Three slots, not three phases: The three slots (morning, afternoon, evening) run on the same day; scores across slots are normalised using IIM’s equi-percentile method before finalising percentiles.
• No second attempt in the same cycle: Students who miss their slot due to illness, travel disruption, or other reasons cannot appear for CAT 2026 again. The next opportunity is CAT 2027.
• Score normalisation: Because difficulty may vary slightly across slots, raw scores are normalised; the percentile on the scorecard accounts for this adjustment.

Ques. Has the CAT 2026 exam date been postponed?

Countdown to CAT 2026 Exam Date

As of today (October 21, 2026), there are approximately 39 days left until the CAT 2026 exam on November 29, 2026. The key milestones remaining in the countdown are the admit card release (November 4) and the official mock test (expected 2nd week of November).

Source: iimcat.ac.in (official CAT portal, IIM Indore)