What is CAT Exam 2026? Complete Guide to CAT Dates, Eligibility, Syllabus, Pattern, Registration, Cutoff & Top

CAT 2026 Exam Overview

The CAT exam is divided into 3 sections- Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) and Quantitative Ability (QA). The following table displays the complete overview of the CAT 2026 exam. Students can consider this to know the basic information about the CAT exam to avoid any confusion.

CAT 2026 Exam Dates

Here are some of the major IIM CAT exam events that take place which the students should be aware of. The official CAT notification is released every year around the 2nd-3rd week of July which informs the students about all the major CAT related events. Students should know about these major events as they will help them with better planning for IIM CAT exam 2026.

Read More- How To Prepare for CAT 2026: Step by Step Strategy and more

CAT 2026 Exam Syllabus & Pattern

Just clearing the IIM CAT 2026 exam will not suffice. Candidates will have to rank themselves in the top percentilers to get their desired B-school. In order to prepare well for the CAT 2026 exam, it’s mandatory to know about the CAT exam 2026 syllabus and what we can expect in the IIM CAT 2026 exam this year. The number of questions are not fixed. Last year, the CAT exam had a total of 68 questions distributed among 3 sections- VARC, DILR and QA. Let’s discuss the syllabus & pattern of each section in detail.

Also Read- CAT E-Books And Sample Papers

CAT 2026 Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)

A lot of candidates find the VARC section challenging not because of the tough vocabulary, but the ambiguity while choosing the right answer. If not attempted with logic and critical thinking, VARC can give a tough time even to the people who are expert in attempting such questions. A total of 24 questions are expected to be asked in the CAT 2026 VARC section which comprises of-

• Reading Comprehension Sets (MCQ+TITA)

• Para Summary Questions (MCQ)

• Parajumble Questions (TITA)

• Para Completion Questions (MCQ)

• Odd One Out Questions (TITA)

As per the typical VARC pattern for CAT, 4 Reading Comprehension sets are given and the rest of the section is covered by other question types. However, the same kind of pattern is not always guaranteed as IIMs keep making minor changes every year to create uncertainty. For example- In CAT 2024, the parajumble section was completely avoided by IIM Calcutta which was a surprise for many students. Hence, relying on the same question types while preparing for VARC shall be avoided.

CAT 2026 Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)

The DILR section is considered as the toughest section of CAT. Every year, consistent statements are made by numerous CAT takers about getting a tough time while dealing with DILR sets. But, with consistent practice and logical reasoning, students can dominate the DILR section with great scores. 22 questions are likely to be asked in the CAT 2026 DILR section which comprises of-

• Calculation Based DI

• Bar Graphs and Pie Charts

• Caselets

• Logical Puzzles

• Matrix Based Sets

• Circular Arrangement Sets

• Games & Tournaments

• Set Theory

• Permutation & Combination Based Sets

In the previous years, the DILR section has typically consisted of 4 sets of 5 questions each. But since the last 2 years, the pattern has shifted from 4 sets to 5, typically increasing the total questions from 20 to 22. Hence, we can see small changes this year too whether it’s the number of questions or number of sets.

CAT 2026 Quantitative Ability (QA)

Though the QA section can be comparatively doable, especially for students from engineering background, there still is uncertainty related to the type of questions. For example- Students found the QA section of CAT 2023 set by IIM Lucknow to be harder than the normal CAT level. 90 percent of the students failed to get more than 5 correct answers out of 22 questions expected to be asked in CAT 2026. Hence, making the right choice of questions to attempt is crucial rather than being stuck on a tricky question. The QA section covers the topics given below-

• Number System

• Arithmetic

• Algebra

• Geometry

• Modern Mathematics

As per the pattern followed in the CAT exam, the weightage of Arithmetic is the highest (7-8 questions), followed by Algebra and Geometry. Number System and Modern Mathematics usually hold less weightage of 1-2 questions each, but candidates should prepare every topic to reduce the uncertainty level.

Read More- How To Prepare For CAT: Step By Step Strategy & More

CAT 2026 Exam Eligibility Criteria

The candidates should follow a certain eligibility criteria for applying for the IIM CAT exam 2026. Refer to the points given below for in detail understanding of the CAT eligibility criteria 2026.

• Bachelor’s degree from a recognised university with a total of 50% aggregate marks (45% for SC/ST/PwD)

• Final Year students can also apply if they meet the 50% aggregate marks criteria. (45% for SC/ST/PwD).

• There is no age limit to attempt the CAT exam. Also, candidates can attempt the CAT exam as many times as they want required they meet the basic eligibility criteria mentioned above.

How to Register For the IIM CAT Exam 2026?

The IIM CAT exam 2026 registration window is expected to open around the first week of August and close around the third week of September. Follow the steps given below to smoothly register for the CAT 2026 exam.

• To register for the Common Admission Test 2026, visit their official site iimcat.ac.in and complete the registration by entering basic details like email id, phone no etc.

• After registration, login to the student portal by entering the email and password generated during the CAT registration process.

• Once you login to the portal, go to the new registrations tab and enter all the details including personal details, academic data, work experience data and other information.

• After all documents are uploaded and details are entered, pay the one time registration fees which can be Rs.2600 for GEN/OBC/EWS and Rs.1300 for SC/ST/PwD. The CAT registration fee has been increasing every year since the last few years so one can expect an increase of Rs. 100-200 in this CAT 2026 application fee amount.

• When the fees get paid, the candidate’s registration will be completed and the student will receive the CAT registration form.

• Download the registration form in PDF form and save it for future use.

CAT 2026 Colleges With Cutoffs

There are numerous colleges in India that accept valid CAT scores for MBA admissions. Let’s have a look at some of the best MBA colleges in India accepting CAT and their respective CAT cutoff.

Is Getting a Good CAT Percentile Enough to Get Top IIMs?

Getting a good overall CAT percentile along with clearing all sectional cutoffs is absolutely necessary to get into top IIMs. However, top IIMs like IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Lucknow etc consider more than just a good CAT percentile. The overall profile of a candidate plays a vital role in the final selection process of a candidate. After evaluating every parameter, a final composite score is created by the IIMs which decides whether the candidate will receive the WAT/PI calls or not. The major components of a good profile which are considered by IIMs are-

• CGPA or percentage in 10th,12th and Graduation. A consistent CGPA of 9 is considered a great score for profile evaluation.

• Work experience, though is not a compulsory component while profile evaluation but significantly adds up to the final evaluation score increasing the chances of getting IIM admissions. An average of 24 months work experience is considered by IIMs.

• Extra curricular activities, achievements or certifications are also considered by IIMs during final evaluation of IIM admissions.

• For several IIMs, gender diversity and academic diversity plays a major role too. Candidates belonging to non-engineer background are given academic diversity marks during final evaluation. Similarly, female candidates are given extra scores whereas male candidates are not.

Let’s discuss the weightage given by the top IIMs to CAT scores and profile of a candidate for better understanding.