CAT 2026 exam is expected to be conducted on November 29, 2026 in approximately 170 cities and 370 exam centres across India. Final list of CAT 2026 exam cities will be released on August 1 when CAT registration opens. During CAT 2026 Registration process, candidates will be given the option to choose five preferred cities. CAT Centre at IIM Indore, which will conduct the CAT exam, will try its best to ensure that a candidate gets one of their preferred options. However, in case of high demand in a particular region, the CAT Centre shall allot a centre close to any of the preferred options. Once a centre is allotted to a candidate, no change is permitted. Candidates can check their allotted exam centre when CAT Admit Card is released. Check expected CAT exam centres 2026 list, how to select preferred city, and how to check the allotted exam centre. Also download CAT 2026 Exam Centre List PDF.
CAT exam centres are well-equipped computer labs, in Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) Offices or selected Universities and Colleges, where a candidate can take the CAT test on the exam day. Candidates should note following details when deciding their exam centre during CAT registration process.
- CAT Exam is conducted in approximately 170 cities and 370 exam centres across India.
- Candidates will be given the option to choose five preferred cities.
- CAT Centre (which conducts the CAT exam) will try its best to ensure that a candidate gets one of their preferred options. However, in case of high demand in a particular region, the CAT Centre reserves the right to allot a centre close to any of the preferred options.
- Once a centre is allotted to a candidate, no change is permitted.
- Final list of CAT exam cities 2026 will be released on August 1 when CAT registration opens.
- Candidates can check their allotted exam centre when CAT Admit Card is released.
CAT Test Cities 2026 refer to the city selected by the candidate during registration process, while the exam centre is the exact venue (college, institute, or TCS lab) allotted within that city.
Candidates can choose only the preferred cities, but the final exam centre is assigned by the conducting authority based on availability and capacity.
CAT registration 2026 process will open on August 1, 2026. During CAT 2026 registration process, candidates can select five (5) test cities for allotment of CAT exam center. CAT registration 2026 process can be completed by following these simple steps:
Step 1: Register for User ID and Password
Visit the CAT official website iimcat.ac.in and register for getting your User ID and password.
Step 2: Login to CAT Website
After receiving your User ID and password, login to CAT website and enter the same to login to your account.
Step 3: Complete CAT Form Filling Process
How to fill CAT Exam Form? CAT Application Form can be completed by filling the following details:
- PERSONAL DETAILS
- ACADEMICS
- WORK EXPERIENCE
- PROGRAMMES
- TEST CITY
- DECLARATION
Refer image of previous year’s CAT application form below.
CAT exam centres 2026 are expected to be located in approximately 170 cities. CAT 2026 exam centres list state wise is given below (expected). The maximum number of CAT exam centres are in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. Check list of CAT test cities in the table below. Note that in each city there can be more than one exam centre.
CAT Exam Centres
| State | Test Cities |
|---|---|
| Assam | Dibrugarh; Guwahati; Silchar |
| Bihar | Aurangabad; Muzaffarpur; Patna; Purnea |
| Chandigarh | Chandigarh |
| Chhattisgarh | Bhilai; Raipur |
| Delhi | Delhi; New Delhi |
| Goa | Madgaon; Panaji |
| Gujarat | Anand; Gandhinagar; Rajkot; Surat; Vadodara |
| Haryana | Ambala; Bahadurgarh; Faridabad; Gurgaon; Hisar; Palwal; Panipat; Rohtak; Sonipat |
| Himachal Pradesh | Shimla; Waknaghat |
| Jammu & Kashmir | Jammu; Samba |
| Jharkhand | Bokaro; Dhanbad; Jamshedpur; Ranchi |
| Karnataka | Bangalore; Belagavi (Belgaum); Dharwad; Gulbarga; Hubli; Mangalore; Mysore; Udupi |
| Kerala | Ernakulam; Kasaragod; Kollam; Kozhikode; Malappuram; Thrissur; Trivandrum |
| Madhya Pradesh | Bhopal; Gwalior; Indore; Jabalpur; Sagar |
| Maharashtra | Ahmednagar; Amravati; Aurangabad; Jalgaon; Kolhapur; Mumbai, Navi Mumbai; Nagpur; Nanded; Nashik; Pune; Raigad; Satara; Solapur; Thane; Ulhasnagar |
| Meghalaya | Shillong |
| Odisha | Balasore; Berhampur; Bhubaneswar; Cuttack; Dhenkanal; Sambalpur; Rourkela |
| Puducherry | Puducherry |
| Punjab | Bhatinda; Chandigarh; Fatehgarh Sahib; Jalandhar; Ludhiana; Mohali; Pathankot; Patiala; Ropar; Sangrur |
| Rajasthan | Ajmer; Alwar; Jaipur; Jodhpur; Kota; Sikar; Udaipur |
| Tamilnadu | Chennai; Coimbatore; Madurai; Namakkal; Thanjavur; Tiruchirappalli; Tirunelvelli |
| Telangana | Hyderabad; Karim Nagar; Warangal |
| Uttar Pradesh | Agra; Allahabad; Barabanki; Bareilly; Ghaziabad; Gorakhpur; Greater Noida; Kanpur; Lucknow; Mathura; Meerut; Muzaffarnagar; Noida; Varanasi |
| Uttarakhand | Dehradun; Roorkee |
| West Bengal | Asansol; Bankura; Burdwan; Durgapur; Hooghly; Howrah; Kalyani; Kolkata; Siliguri |
The number of CAT exam centres in India are increasing with the rise in number of candidates taking the exam. Check number of CAT exam centres in previous years:
- CAT 2021 exam was held in 156 cities.
- In 2022, the exam was conducted at 150 cities.
- For CAT 2023, the number of test cities was 167.
- CAT 2024 was held in 170 cities.
- CAT 2025 was conducted in more than 370 CAT exam centres across 170 cities.
- Check expected CAT 2026 Exam Centre list in following section.
CAT mock tests and sample papers are among the most important tools for effective preparation. If you are serious about scoring a high percentile, you must take a large number of mock tests to build exam readiness, improve speed, and refine your strategy. You can access mock tests and sample papers from the links below. Similarly, CAT previous year question papers are equally valuable. They help you understand the exam pattern, difficulty level, and question trends. You can download CAT previous year papers in PDF format from the link below or attempt them online for better practice.
Read the following CAT 2026 Exam Centres Dos and Don’ts to ensure hassle free experience on exam day at your CAT Test Centre:
- Visit your allotted test centre a day in advance to familiarize yourself with the location.
- Reach the centre at least 60–90 minutes before the reporting time.
- Keep your CAT admit card and a valid photo ID ready and in original form.
- Do not carry prohibited items like mobile phones, calculators, or bags.
- Follow instructions given in the admit card carefully to avoid disqualification.
Read complete CAT 2026 Exam Day Instructions.
CAT 2026 exam is expected to be conducted on November 29, 2026 in approximately 170 cities and 370 exam centres across India. Final list of CAT exam cities will be released on August 1 when CAT registration opens. During CAT registration process, candidates will be given the option to choose five preferred cities. Once a centre is allotted to a candidate, no change is permitted. Candidates can check their allotted exam centre when admit card is released. Check expected CAT exam centres 2026 list and how to select preferred city in the above article. Also read complete guide to CAT 2026 Exam Registration Process.