CAT Notification 2026 (Expected): Release Date, PDF, Registration, Eligibility & Exam Details

CAT Notification 2026: Overview

CAT 2026 exam eligibility/ CAT qualification includes a bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 50% marks (45% for reserved categories) or being in the final year of a UG program. There are no age or attempt limits to apply for CAT 2026. Common Admission Test (CAT) is a gateway to admission at 21 IIMs and other top MBA colleges in India. But to fill out the CAT 2026 application, the aspiring candidates must meet the CAT eligibility criteria, which will also be announced in the IIM CAT notification.

CAT notification 2026 also includes:

• Exam date and timing
• Exam pattern
• Important dates
• CAT exam registration date

CAT 2026 Exam Notification

CAT 2026 exam will be held as a computer-based test in around 170 cities across the country. The list of CAT exam centres will be released later by the CAT conducting body. Besides IIMs, the CAT exam is accepted by more than 500 B-schools in India for admission into the MBA/ PGDM program.

The list of CAT participating institutes will be released by the exam-conducting IIM. Candidates must check the CAT official notification 2026 thoroughly before they apply for the exam.

Download Official CAT 2026 Notification PDF

The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) will release the CAT 2026 official notification on its official website- iimcat.ac.in. IIM CAT official notification will be available in the form of PDF to download.

CAT 2026 Notification: Highlights

CAT 2026 Exam Notification Dates

CAT notification 2026 includes CAT 2026 important dates for CAT registration, exam date and timing, CAT 2026 admit card download date and so on. For now, candidates can check out the tentative CAT 2026 exam date.

Details Mentioned in CAT Notification 2026 PDF

The CAT notification pdf comprises all the details, such as the CAT exam 2026 eligibility criteria, reservation details, CAT registration fee, important dates pertaining to the exam, and the number of CAT test centres.

CAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria

The CAT announcement, in short, specifies the CAT exam eligibility criteria/ CAT exam qualification, which candidates must check before filling out the application form on or before the CAT 2026 form date. This allows the candidates to know who can apply for the CAT exam 2026. The CAT official notification states that fulfilling the qualifications for the exam will not guarantee them a place in the Indian Institute of Management.

• The candidate must hold a Bachelor’s Degree, with at least 50 percent of marks or equivalent CGPA (45% for SC/ ST/ PwD).
• Candidates who are in the final year of the Bachelor's Degree / Equivalent Qualification Examination and are awaiting the results after completing the degree requirements can apply.

*SC/ ST/ PwD candidates should have a minimum of 45%. For General, EWS and NC-OBC candidates, the minimum is 50%.

For more details on eligibility, students are advised to visit the “CAT 2026 eligibility” section of the CAT official website.

CAT 2026 Notification for Registration

The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) is expected to start the CAT 2026 registration process in online mode around first week of August 2026. Candidates can submit their CAT online application form from the IIM official website, iimcat.ac.in. The last date to submit the CAT 2026 registration form will be announced along with the CAT 2026 notification.

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CAT Notification 2026 for Exam Pattern

* As per CAT exam marking scheme, candidate will get +3 marks for every correct answer and 1 mark will be deducted for every incorrect answer.

CAT Exam Pattern (Changes over the year)

CAT 2026 Reservation Criteria (Expected)

When completing the CAT 2026 application form on or before the CAT online form date, candidates should make sure to fill in the appropriate category as no change will be allowed once the CAT registration process is complete. This will be stated in the CAT exam notification 2026.

The categories of disability are:

• Blindness and low vision.
• Deaf and hard of hearing.
• Locomotor disabilities include leprosy, cerebral palsy, dwarfism, muscular dystrophy, and acid attack victims.
• Intellectual disability, autism, specific learning disability, and mental illness, and multiple disabilities.

Note- For the purpose of being considered for reservations, the applicable Central Government list as of the last date of CAT registration shall be binding. No subsequent changes will be effective for CAT 2026 and any subsequent selection process of the IIMs. For an updated central list of state-wise OBCs eligible for availing of the benefit of reservation and information in respect of the creamy layer, visit the website http://www.ncbc.nic.in

CAT Registration Fees

The CAT advertisement 2026 also mentions registration fees for candidates belonging to different categories. The fee for the CAT application form will have to be paid only once in online mode and it is non-refundable. The CAT 2026 exam fee can be increased by Rs. 100 for the general category and Rs. 50 for the reserved category as per the previous trends.

NOTE: SC, ST, and PwD candidates are required to upload a copy of their SC/ ST/ PwD certificates at the time of CAT registration.

More details will be available in the CAT registration guide. When registering, candidates must select six test cities of their choice from a drop-down menu. Candidates will be able to download the CAT admit card till the CAT 2026 exam day.

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CAT 2026 Exam Centres

CAT 2026 exam centres also include cities where the entrance exams will be held. When completing the CAT application form, candidates should select the test centre of their preference. There are six cities where candidates have to choose when registering.

The CAT 2026 will be conducted at centres spread across approximately 170 test cities. The test cities are mentioned on the CAT 2026 official website, and the test centre name will be mentioned on the admit card of the CAT exam. To know the complete list of exam centres, visit the CAT notification download link from the CAT 2026 official website.

NOTE: IIM reserves the right to change or cancel any test centre/ city and/ or change the test time and date of their choice.

How is a CAT 2026 Exam Centre Allotted?

• CAT examination centre allotment is based on the candidate's preferred choice of city, which they will choose at the time of registration
• Candidates can choose five exam cities as a preference in the CAT 2026 application form.
• Authorities will allot a CAT exam centre to candidates on the basis of first-come first first-served and the availability of seats in a particular CAT exam centre
• The exam authority has the right to change the CAT 2026 test centre

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CAT 2026 Score

The candidate’s CAT 2026 score will be accessed on the CAT 2026 official website. Candidates will also be notified individually via SMS. CAT 2026 results will be announced probably in the third week of December, 2026. The CAT 2026 score will be valid until December 31, 2027, and accessible on the website accordingly. After that, any questions regarding the issuance of CAT 2026 scorecards will not be entertained.

CAT 2026 Admission Process

Remember that each IIM is independent in setting its own qualifications (including academic cutoffs and relative weights) and follows different selection procedures. Performance in the CAT exam 2026 is an important component to consider in the selection process.

IIMs may also use candidates' previous academic performance, relevant work experience, and other similar entries in the shortlist of candidates at various stages of the CAT 2026 selection process. For more information, see the enrollment policies of individual IIMs on their respective websites.

NOTE: Candidates must declare and maintain a valid email account and a mobile phone number throughout the selection process.

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CAT 2026 Exam Notification for IIM & Programs Offered

CAT 2026 will be conducted by IIM as a prerequisite for joining various management programs of IIMs. These programmes are:

Before a prospective candidate can decide on appearing for CAT 2026, he/ she should visit the website and/ or read the program advertisement of the relevant IIM and specific programs to confirm the accurate and up-to-date information about the programs he/ she want to apply for.. Including the CAT exam 2026 eligibility requirements and the CAT admission processes.

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