CAT

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.

CAT 2026 Slot 3 gate closing time is expected to be 4:00 PM. Candidates arriving after the gate closing time will not be permitted to enter the exam centre under any circumstances.

CAT 2026 Slot 3 reporting time is expected to be 3:30 PM. Candidates must report at the exam centre by 3:30 PM to complete biometric verification and other entry formalities before the gate closes.