The CAT 2026 exam date is expected to be around November 29, 2026, for the candidates who are planning to give the CAT exam for MBA admission 2027-29. The CAT notification is likely to be released by the IIM CAT exam authority in the last week of July 2026, and the CAT registration will commence on August 1, 2026. And candidates will be able to fill the form before the CAT 2026 exam, the last date of around September 2026, tentatively. After the exam, the CAT 2026 results will likely be released on December 19 to 28, 2026. Moreover, candidates are advised to wait for the CAT official notification to know all the details related to the CAT 2026 exam for the MBA program. Keep reading this article for more information related to the CAT 2026 exam date, CAT registration, CAT 2026 results, and much more.
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The CAT 2026 exam date is expected to be around the last Sunday of November 2026, that is, November 29, 2026. Based on the previous year records, the IIM CAT exam authorities notify the CAT exam date 2026 through an official notification likely to be out in the last week of July 2026. Candidates can check the official status once the CAT 2026 website is out by the CAT exam authority. In addition to this, there are high chances that IIM Indore will conduct the CAT 2026 exam for admission into top MBA colleges, but this is yet to be confirmed until the official notification is released.
Here are the key highlights related to the CAT 2026 exam for the candidates who are willing to appear for the CAT exam 2026. Refer to the table below for more information related to the CAT 2026 exam for your reference.
CAT Exam Elements | CAT 2026 Exam Details |
CAT Exam Full Form | Combined Admission Test |
CAT Exam Conducting Authority | IIM Indore |
CAT Exam Mode | Computer-Based Test |
CAT Notification Release | Last week of July 2026 |
CAT 2026 Exam Registration Starts | August 1, 2026 |
CAT 2026 Exam Date | November 29, 2026 |
CAT Exam Timing 2026 | Slot 1: 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM |
Slot 2: 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM | |
Slot 3: 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM | |
CAT 2026 Exam Fees | General category: Rs. 2,600 |
Reserved Category: Rs. 1,300 | |
CAT Exam Maximum Marks | 204 Marks |
IIM CAT Official Website | To Be Released |
Candidates who are planning to give the CAT 2026 exam must know these CAT 2026 exam important dates to stay updated on the events and prepare strategically for the exam. Refer to the table below for more details.
CAT 2026 Exam Events | CAT 2026 Exam Dates |
IIM CAT Official Website Live | Last week of June 2026 |
CAT 2026 Exam Official Notification | Last week of July 2026 |
CAT Exam 2026 Registration Starts | August 1, 2026 |
CAT 2026 Exam Registration Last Date | September 2026 |
CAT Exam Correction Window | First week of October 2026 |
CAT 2026 Admit Card | Second week of November 2026 |
CAT 2026 Mock Test | Second week of November 2026 |
CAT 2026 Exam Date | November 29, 2026 |
CAT Answer Key 2026 | First week of December 2026 |
CAT 2026 Response Sheet | First week of December 2026 |
CAT Objection Window 2026 | Second week of December |
CAT Final Answer Key 2026 | Third week of December |
CAT 2026 Results | December 19 to 28, 2026 |
The IIM CAT exam authority is expected to release the CAT official notification in the last week of July 2026 based on the previous year trends. Candidates can get important information like the CAT 2026 registration start and end date, the CAT 2026 exam date, the CAT admit card date, the CAT syllabus, the CAT mock test date, etc. Candidates who will appear for the CAT 2026 exam can get into several MBA colleges in India.
The IIM CAT exam authority is likely to be IIM Indore for conducting the CAT 2026 exam. IIM Indore is expected to release the CAT 2026 registration on August 1, 2026, and the last date to fill out the CAT application form can be in the third week of September 2026. Candidates are required to register for the CAT 2026 exam with a valid email address once the CAT 2026 official website is live. Moreover, the CAT 2026 application fees will likely be Rs. 2600 for general and Rs. 1300 for reserved category candidates.
The IIM CAT exam authority will release the CAT admit card 2026 in online mode on the IIM CAT official website. Only registered candidates will be able to download the CAT 2026 admit card using their authorized CAT ID and Password created at the time of the CAT registration process.
Before the CAT 2026 exam, the IIM CAT authority will release the CAT mock test for the candidates who are planning to appear for the CAT 2026 exam. The CAT mock test is expected to be out on the same date as of CAT admit card 2026. By attempting the CAT mock test 2026, candidates can know the scheme of the exam, pattern, questions, and how to navigate between sections during the CAT 2026 exam. The IIM CAT authority will release a separate CAT mock test link for PWD candidates.
The CAT 2026 exam date is expected to be on the last Sunday of November 2026. Candidates can expect the CAT 2026 exam on November 29, 2026, and it will be held in three slots as per the previous year trends. The CAT 2026 exam slot 1 will be held in the morning from 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM, slot 2 in the evening from 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM, and slot 3 from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM. Candidates are advised to check the CAT 2026 exam date and time carefully.
After the conclusion of the CAT 2026 exam, the IIM CAT authority is likely to release the CAT answer key 2026 in the first week of December, as per the CAT 2026 exam date. Following this, the CAT 2026 objection is expected to be open from the second week of December 2026, and the CAT final answer key 2026 in the third week of December 2026. Candidates can calculate their score using the CAT 2026 answer key.
CAT 226 results are likely to be out in the third week of December 2026 based on the previous year data. The IIM CAT exam authority will release the CAT 2026 results in online mode, and candidates who appeared for the CAT 2026 exam will be able to check their CAT results using their official CAT ID and password. The CAT result will be available in the form of a scorecard, and it will contain your sectional and overall percentiles in the CAT 2026 exam.
Who will conduct the CAT exam 2026?
The IIM Indore is expected to conduct the CAT 2026 exam. However, candidates are advised to wait for the official notification for the CAT exam.
Who is eligible for CAT 2026?
Candidates who have completed their bachelor’s degree with at least 50% marks (45% marks in case of reserved category candidates) from a recognized university are eligible for the CAT 2026 exam.
What is the syllabus for CAT 2026?
The CAT 2026 exam will consist of three sections of Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation, and Quantitative Aptitude, with specific marks allotted to each section.
On Question asked by student community
Hello,
Here are some top colleges accepting XAT and CAT exams :
Top colleges accepting CAT:
IIMs (All Indian Institutes of Management)
FMS Delhi
SPJIMR Mumbai
MDI Gurgaon
IIT Bombay (SJMSOM)
IIT Delhi (DMS)
IIFT
IMT Ghaziabad
JBIMS Mumbai
Top colleges accepting XAT:
XLRI Jamshedpur
XIMB Bhubaneswar
IMT Ghaziabad
Great
Hi there,
A female candidate with a CAT percentile of 67.97 and low sectional scores should target private and tier-2/3 B-schools that accept overall CAT scores in the 60–70 percentile range and have flexible sectional criteria.
Some suitable options include AIMS Institute Bangalore, Doon Business School Dehradun, Christ Institute of
Hi there,
Yes, you are eligible for XISS Ranchi with a CAT percentile of 67.60.
According to recent admission trends, the CAT cutoff for the PGDM in Human Resource Management for the general category has been around 60 percentile. For other programs such as Marketing, Finance, and Rural Management, the
Hi there,
Careers360 offers a wide range of eBooks and study materials to assist with CAT preparation. You can access past CAT question papers with solutions to understand the exam pattern and difficulty level. Additionally, there are quantitative aptitude handbooks, cheat sheets, and section-specific practice sets for arithmetic, algebra, and
Hi there,
The minimum eligibility criteria for a general candidate to receive a call from IIM Sambalpur are as follows:
VARC: 65%ile
QUANTS: 65%ile
LRDI: 65%ile
Overall: 90%tile
Keep practising and aim to improve your score. You can also focus on other management exams where you may secure a strong
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