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CAT 2026 exam pattern is expected to have 68 questions across three sections — VARC (24 questions, 40 minutes), DILR (22 questions, 40 minutes), and Quantitative Ability (22 questions, 40 minutes). Total duration is 120 minutes. CAT mock tests should follow this exact pattern to simulate real exam conditions.

CAT experts and toppers recommend taking 20 to 40 full-length mock tests for CAT 2026. More important than the number is the quality of analysis after each mock. Spending at least twice the exam duration reviewing your mock performance is a strategy consistently recommended by CAT 99+ percentilers.

Free CAT 2026 mock tests are available on MBAUniverse.com. These are 100% based on actual CAT papers from the last 10 years including CAT 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, and 2021. No fees or payment is required. A free one-minute registration gives access to the full mock test with answers and performance analysis.

CAT 2026 registration fee is expected to be Rs 2,600 for General, EWS, and NC-OBC candidates, and Rs 1,300 for SC, ST, and PwD candidates. These fees are tentative, based on CAT 2025 fee structure, and will be confirmed in the official CAT 2026 notification in July 2026. Fees once paid are non-refundable under any circumstances.

CAT 2026 registration is expected to start on August 1, 2026 at 10:00 AM and close on September 20, 2026 at 5:00 PM. Registration must be completed on the official CAT website iimcat.ac.in. Candidates are advised to register early to improve chances of getting their preferred test city, as city allotment is based on availability.

A candidate with a minimum of 50% marks in graduation (45% for SC/ST/PwD) is eligible for CAT 2026. Final year graduation students can also apply. There is no age limit for registration. Professional degree holders such as CA, CS, and ICWA with required marks are also eligible. Individual IIMs have their own additional eligibility criteria for MBA admissions.

IIM Indore is expected to conduct CAT 2026, based on the rotation pattern of the six older IIMs. CAT is conducted by one of IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Lucknow, Kozhikode, and Indore on rotation. CAT 2025 was conducted by IIM Kozhikode. The official announcement will be made in the CAT 2026 notification in July 2026.

CAT 2026 exam date is expected to be November 29, 2026 (Sunday). CAT 2026 will be conducted in three sessions across approximately 170 cities and 300+ test centres in India. The official CAT 2026 notification confirming the exam date is expected to be released in the last week of July 2026 on iimcat.ac.in.