CAT 2026 Exam @iimcat.ac.in: Notification Expected on July 26, Registration Date, Exam Date, Syllabus

CAT 2026: An Overview

CAT 2026 Exam Dates

CAT 2026 exam date is expected to be on November 29, 2026 looking at the trends of the previous years. Every year the CAT exam is held on the last Sunday of November. As the CAT 2026 notification is about to get released in the last week of July 2026, here is the detailed CAT 2026 exam schedule that management aspirants need to keep in mind.

CAT 2026 Notification

Looking back at the previous years trends CAT 2026 notification is about to get out in the last week of July 2026. First CAT 2026 notification will be out on the leading newspaper on the last Sunday of July 2026, while CAT 2026 online notification will be out in the next few days on iimcat.ac.in. Once the CAT 2026 notification is out , it will contain the CAT 2026 registration date, CAT 2026 exam date as well as the last date for the CAT 2026 registration along with the CAT 2026 fees.

CAT 2026 Registration Date

CAT 2026 registration date is expected to be around August 01, 2026. Historically CAT 2026 registration starts around the first week of August and continues till the third week of September 2026. Once the CAT 2026 registration gets going in iimcat.ac.in , candidates can complete their CAT registration 2026 by paying the CAT 2026 registration fee. Though CAT 2026 registration last date is expected to be extended, it is advised that candidates should not wait for the CAT 2026 registration last date to complete the CAT 2026 registration.

Read More : CAT 2026 reservation policy

CAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria

Before you start your CAT 2026 application , the management aspirants have to check if they are eligible enough to appear for the CAT 2026. We have charted out the CAT 2026 eligibility criteria below

1. One must have a bachelor degree from a recognised university with a minimum of three years of studies.

2. General candidates need to have a minimum of 50% to apply for CAT 2026 while the SC/ST candidates need 45%.

3. Management aspirants who are in the final year of their graduation will apply for the CAT 2026 provided they can complete their graduation within the stipulated time.

4. It is not important to have work experience to apply for the CAT 2026, however having work experience might give you an edge in the IIM BLACKI.

5. There is no age limit to apply for CAT 2026 as per the CAT eligibility criteria.

How to complete CAT 2026 Registration?

Once the CAT registration 2026 is out candidates need to go through the following process to complete the CAT 2026 registration -

1. First visit the official CAT 2026 official website - iimcat.ac.in

2. Then click on the new CAT 2026 registration.

3. Submit the personal data for the CAT 2026 registration including name, contact number and the email id

4. Click on “Save”.

5. A confirmation email will be sent to the registered email id and once you confirm that your CAT registration 2026 will be completed.

Without CAT 2026 registration none of the management aspirants will be able to complete the CAT 2026 application.

CAT 2026 Application Process

Once you have completed the CAT 2026 registration, then only you can proceed to complete the CAT 2026 application. If you are wondering about the how to fill the CAT 2026 application, here is the step by step process -

1. Login to the CAT official website- iimcat.ac.in

2. Fill out the CAT 2026 application by filling up the academic qualification, personal details, work experience, test city preferences as well as the IIMs you want to apply for.

3. Pay the CAT 2026 application fee.

4. Once you receive the CAT 2026 application confirmation mail your CAT 2026 application has been recorded.
   CAT 2026 Registration Fees

Looking at the past trends, CAT 2026 registration fee is expected to be around Rs 2600 for the general candidates while CAT application fee is expected to be 1300 for the SC/ST candidates. It would be important to note that last year the CAT application fee increased by Rs. 1000 for the general candidate and Rs. 500 for the reserved category students. So management aspirants looking to appear for the CAT 2026, also might witness the same for the CAT 2026 application fee as well.

CAT 2026 Registration Last Date

CAT 2026 registration last date is expected to be around September third week 2026. Last year, CAT 2026 registration last date was extended by a week to end on September 20, 2025. It is expected that the CAT registration 2026 will follow the same suit. However, it is always advisable not to wait for the last date to complete the CAT 202 6 registration last date. If the candidates complete the CAT registration 2026 early they might get their preferred test city close to their home.

CAT 2026 Syllabus

There is no specific CAT 2026 syllabus that has been released by the conducting authorities. However, it is suggested that an aspirant follow the Class 10 syllabus for English and Maths. To give you a basic idea of the syllabus for the upcoming CAT 2026, we have taken out a list of topics from previous year question papers. Through this, candidates will get a basic idea of planning and prepare an effective preparation strategy.

Check out the CAT total questions asked from various topics given below:

CAT 2026 Exam Pattern

The CAT 2026 exam pattern will be based on the three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) and Quantitative Ability (QA). Candidates will get 40 minutes to work on each section, and the exam will most likely be conducted in both multiple-choice questions (MCQ) and non-MCQ formats.

Below is the CAT exam pattern 2026, which will be helpful for all the candidates.

CAT 2026 Preparation

How to prepare for CAT 2026 is one of the first questions every MBA aspirant asks, whether they are a college student, a fresh graduate, or a working professional. Looking at the CAT 206 preparation tips The CAT 2026 exam demands more than hard work; it requires the right study plan, regular practice, and a clear understanding of the exam pattern and syllabus. If you are looking for CAT preparation tips for beginners, start by building strong concepts, solving previous year papers, and taking mock tests regularly.

• Understand the CAT 2026 format

• Plan your CAT exam preparation

• Regular practice is necessary

• Effective time management is crucial

• Work on weak areas

• Stay healthy and positive

Read More about the CAT 2026 preparation:

Important Topics for CAT 2026

The CAT 2026 exam syllabus is never released by the CAT exam conducting body. Therefore, candidates are advised to go through CAT previous year question papers to get a rough estimate of what to expect. Every year, the CAT exam is conducted where several important questions are asked. Therefore, candidates must go through the following list of important topics that are frequently asked in the CAT exam.

CAT 2026 Books

Choosing the best books for CAT preparation 2026 can be a bit difficult as we don't know the exact requirement, and there are a plethora of books in the market, but not all of them can be helpful in the preparation for the CAT 2026 exam. Below are the following CAT books 2026, which we have prepared section-wise.

Best CAT Books for DILR

Best CAT Books for VARC and Reading Comprehension

CAT 2026 Coaching

All those planning to take the CAT 2026 exam can also opt for CAT coaching, which will help guide them towards the right path and in preparation for cracking the CAT 2026 exam. There are several options available, such as online and classroom-based programs.

Some of the top coaching institutes to prepare for the CAT 2026 exam are IMS, TIME and CL. Listed below are some of the top coaching institutes, both online and in-class, which will be helpful for all.

Actual CAT 206 Cutoff along with the top Colleges (Previous Years Trend- 2024)

CAT 2026 Admit Card Date

Those who successfully completed the CAT 2026 registration will be able to download the CAT 2026 admit card from the official website - iimcat.ac.in. The CAT 2026 admit card release date is expected to be around the third week of November 2026. CAT 2026 admit card is a valuable document to appear for the CAT 2026 exam as it will contain the CAT 2026 exam center, roll number and the CAT 2026 exam shift. Moreover, without a CAT admit card 2026 none will be allowed to appear for the CAT 2026.

Read More : CAT 2026 Qualification marks

CAT 2026 Exam

Every year the CAT exam is held on the last Sunday of November. Following the trends, it is expected that the CAT 2026 exam will be held on November 29, 2026. CAT 2026 exam will be held in three shifts while the CAT 2026 full marks is 204. Candidates who have successfully completed the CAT 2026 registration and have downloaded the CAT 2026 admit card will be able to sit for the CAT 2026 exam on November 29, 2026.

CAT 2026 Answer Key

Once the CAT 2026 exam is over, after a week or so the official CAT 2026 answer key will be out on the official website. Candidates who appeared for CAT 2026 can check their individual CAT 2026 answer key to guess the CAT 2026 score as well can raise an objection if they wish to. The final CAT 2026 answer key will be out shortly prior to the publication of the CAT 2026 result.

CAT 2026 Result

CAT 2026 result will be out in December last week 2026, based on the past years trends. CAT 2026 result gets out between 3-4 PM in the afternoon. Once the CAT 2026 result gets out candidates will be able to download the CAT 2026 result in form of a PDF through individual CAT 2026 Login. CAT 2026 result will mention overall scaled CAT 2026 score as well as CAT 2026 percentile. IIM Admission 2027 will be based on the CAT 2026 percentile rather than the CAT 2026 score.