CAT 2026

CAT 2026: What Students Need to Know

The Common Admission Test (CAT) 2026 is the national-level management entrance examination conducted by IIM Indore. CAT scores are used for admission to postgraduate management programmes of the IIMs and are also accepted by several non-IIM institutions.

For students planning an MBA, this page brings together the latest CAT 2026 dates, eligibility, exam pattern, syllabus, registration and correction updates, fees, admit card, result, percentile and cutoff guidance, IIM admission process and preparation strategy in one place.

CAT 2026 Important Dates: Latest Official Schedule

The CAT 2026 notification was released on July 26, 2026. The original registration deadline was subsequently extended, and the latest correction-window notice has now been released. Students should follow the live CAT portal for any further official update.

CAT 2026 Eligibility: Who Can Apply?

For CAT 2026, a candidate should have a bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA. For candidates belonging to SC, ST and PwD categories, the minimum requirement is 45%. Candidates in the final year of a bachelor's degree or those awaiting the result can also apply, subject to the conditions in the CAT notification and the admission requirements of the IIM concerned.

Important: CAT eligibility is not the same as IIM admission eligibility. Individual IIMs can apply additional programme-specific conditions and selection criteria. Always read the current admission policy of the IIM/programme you are targeting.

CAT 2026 Exam Pattern: 68 Questions, 2 Hours

The CAT 2026 examination is a 2-hour computer-based test with three sections. The latest CAT 2026 information reported from the official examination notice specifies 68 questions, with candidates getting 40 minutes per section. Section switching is not permitted while a section is active.

The exam is conducted in three sessions on November 29, 2026: morning, afternoon and evening. Candidates should follow the session and reporting instructions printed on their admit card.

CAT 2026 Marking Scheme: MCQ vs TITA

The CAT 2026 marking structure gives 3 marks for a correct answer and 1 mark is deducted for an incorrect MCQ. Non-MCQ/TITA questions do not carry negative marking for an incorrect response.

CAT 2026 Syllabus: What Should You Prepare?

IIMs do not publish a chapter-by-chapter CAT syllabus in the same way as many school examinations. The practical preparation areas below are based on the three CAT sections and the types of skills tested in the examination. Students should use official CAT information for the exam structure and use previous CAT papers for topic-level practice.

VARC — Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension

• Reading comprehension across different subjects and writing styles
• Para summary and paragraph-based questions
• Para jumbles / sentence arrangement
• Odd sentence out and verbal reasoning
• Reading speed, inference and author-intent questions

DILR — Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning

• Tables, charts and graphs
• Caselets and data-based reasoning
• Arrangements and distribution sets
• Games, tournaments and scheduling
• Sets, Venn diagrams and logical conditions

QA — Quantitative Aptitude

• Arithmetic: percentages, ratios, averages, profit-loss, mixtures, time-work and time-speed-distance
• Algebra: equations, inequalities, functions and progressions
• Geometry and mensuration
• Number system and related applications
• Modern mathematics topics that appear in CAT-level questions

CAT 2026 Registration & Form Correction

The CAT 2026 registration window is now closed. IIM Indore has announced a limited correction window from October 5, 2026, 10:00 AM to October 6, 2026, 5:00 PM for candidates who completed registration and paid the application fee.

What can be corrected?

• Photograph
• Signature
• Test state/city preferences

Personal and academic information such as name, date of birth, registered contact details, category and academic marks should not be assumed to be editable in this window. Candidates should use the exact fields made available in their CAT dashboard.

How to register for future CAT cycles?

1. Open the official CAT website.
2. Create the candidate account when registration opens.
3. Enter personal, academic and work-experience details carefully.
4. Upload the required photograph, signature and documents as specified.
5. Select test-city preferences.
6. Pay the prescribed registration fee and submit the form.
7. Save the confirmation page and login details.

Which Colleges Accept CAT Scores?

CAT is the entrance examination used by the IIMs for their relevant management programmes, while several non-IIM B-schools also accept CAT scores. Acceptance alone does not mean that the same percentile, eligibility rule or selection process applies everywhere.

For non-IIM colleges: students should verify directly whether the institution accepts the relevant CAT score, which programme accepts it, the application deadline and whether a separate institute application is required.

CAT 2026 Cutoff: Qualifying Percentile vs Actual Shortlist

There is no single CAT percentile that guarantees admission to an IIM. Each IIM publishes its own admission policy, and the minimum qualifying percentile can be different from the percentile at which shortlists are actually seen in a particular year.

Students should therefore avoid treating an unofficial “99+ required” number as an official cutoff. For an accurate target, compare the current admission policy of each IIM with your academic profile, category, work experience and other selection components.

CAT Selection Process: What Happens After the Exam?

CAT is the entrance test, not the complete IIM admission process. After CAT results, individual IIMs conduct their own shortlisting and selection processes according to their published admission policies.

1. CAT score and percentile: Your CAT performance is used as a major screening/selection input.
2. Shortlisting: Each IIM applies its own rules using CAT and other profile factors.
3. Written assessment / PI: Depending on the institute and programme, candidates may face a personal interview and/or written assessment.
4. Profile factors: Academic performance, work experience, diversity and other published components may contribute.
5. Final merit: The institute combines the components using its own notified formula.

How to Prepare for CAT 2026: A Practical Student Strategy

1. Start with a diagnostic mock

Take one full-length mock before building your timetable. Record section-wise accuracy, unanswered questions and time spent. Your preparation plan should be based on these gaps.

2. Build section-wise fundamentals

Strengthen arithmetic and algebra for QA, learn set-selection and data-reading approaches for DILR, and build reading stamina plus question-selection discipline for VARC.

3. Practise timed sets

CAT is not only a knowledge test. Practise under a 40-minute sectional limit so that you learn when to skip a difficult question or abandon an unproductive DILR set.

4. Analyse every mock

Maintain an error log covering conceptual mistakes, calculation errors, misreading, poor question selection and time-management problems. Re-solving without understanding the cause of an error gives limited improvement.

5. Use the final weeks for revision

Reduce new-topic learning as the exam approaches. Prioritise mocks, revision, error-log review, sectional tests and a stable exam-day strategy.

CAT 2026 FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions