
CAT exam centre list 2026 is released with the exam notification. IIM Indore will conduct CAT exam 2026 at over 170 test centres across various cities in India. Candidates need to choose five CAT centre preferences during the online registration process. Conducting IIM allocates a test city as per the preferences marked in the CAT 2026 registration form. Based on the past trends, more than 2.5 lakh candidates will appear for CAT 2026 exam across designated test centres. Check complete information on list of CAT 2026 centres.
- What is CAT Exam Centre?
- CAT 2026 Exam Dates & Schedule
- CAT 2026 Exam Centre Allotment: How to select CAT Test City?
- List of state-wise CAT Test Cities 2026
- CAT Exam Centre: Dos and Don’ts
- FAQs on CAT Exam Centres and Cities
What is CAT Exam Centre?
CAT exam centres are well-equipped computer labs, where candidates have to appear for the exam on the scheduled date. Over 370 such labs are prepared for conduct of CAT exam in three shifts. The examination is conducted in three shifts in each of the CAT exam centre to accommodate about 2.50 lakh + aspirants. Candidates get to know their CAT test centre after the release of admit card only.
Also Read: CAT 2026 admit card
CAT Exam Timings: When to Report at Test Centre
Check the table below for CAT exam timings for each slot. After every shift there is a gap of 2 hours so that test labs are checked and sanitized to prevent cheating, question leak or any other such activity.
| CAT exam slot |
Exam timing |
Reporting time |
Last entry allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slot 1 |
8:30 AM to 10:30 AM |
7:00 AM |
8:15 AM |
| Slot 2 |
12:30 PM to 2:30 PM |
11:00 AM |
12:15 PM |
| Slot 3 |
4:30 PM to 6:30 PM |
3:00 PM |
4:15 PM |
CAT 2026 Exam Dates & Schedule
Take a look at the table below for the complete schedule of CAT 2026 exam
| Dates | Upcoming Exam Dates |
|---|---|
| Aug ' 26 | CAT 2026 application process TENTATIVE |
| Nov ' 26 | CAT 2026 admit card download TENTATIVE |
| 29 Nov ' 26 | CAT 2026 exam |
CAT 2026 Exam Centre Allotment: How to select CAT Test City?
For allotment of CAT exam centre in preferred location, the candidates will have to mention city choices in the CAT application form 2026. Candidates will be allotted CAT test centre in the first city of preference. Here’s the process to select preferred test city in CAT 2026 application form:
- Register for CAT 2026 on the official website: iimcat.ac.in
- Once the login ID is created, use it to fill the application form
- Go to the section 'select test city'
- Select up to five cities from the drop down i.e. from 1 to 5
- Fill up rest of the fields in the CAT 2026 form, make payment of exam fee and click on submit
List of state-wise CAT Test Cities 2026
Listed below are CAT test cities of previous years'for reference. CAT 2026 exam is expected to be held in the same cities.
| State |
CAT Test Cities |
|---|---|
| Andaman & Nicobar |
Port Blair |
| Andhra Pradesh |
Anantapur, Guntur, Kurnool, Rajahmundry, Visakhapatnam, Chirala, Kadapa, Nellore, Tirupathi, Vizianagaram, Chittoor, Kakinada, Ongole, Vijayawada |
| Arunachal Pradesh |
Itanagar- Naharlagun |
| Assam |
Dibrugarh, Guwahati, Jorhat, Silchar, Tezpur |
| Bihar |
Arrah, Darbhanga, Patna, Aurangabad, Gaya, Purnea, Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur |
| Chandigarh |
Chandigsarh-Mohali |
| Chhattisgarh |
Bilaspur CG, Bhilai Nagar, Raipur |
| Delhi |
Other-New Delhi |
| Dadra and Nagra Haveli Daman and Diu |
Silvassa |
| Goa |
Panaji-Madgaon |
| Gujarat |
Ahmedabad, Anand, Gandhinagar, Mehsana, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara, Vapi |
| Haryana |
Ambala, Faridabad, Gurugram, Hisar, Kurukshetra |
| Himachal Pradesh |
Bilaspur-HP, Hamirpur, Kangra, Shimla |
| Jammu & Kashmir |
Jammu, Samba, Srinagar |
| Jharkhand |
Bokaro Steel City, Dhanbad, Hazaribagh, Jamshedpur, Ranchi |
| Karnataka |
Belagavi (Belgaum), Bengaluru, Hubli-Dharwad, Kalaburagi (Gulbarga), Mangaluru (Mangalore), Mysuru (Mysore), Shivamogga (Shimoga), Udupi |
| Kerala |
Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Kannur, Kollam, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad, Thrissur, Trivandrum |
| Ladakh |
Leh |
| Lakshadweep |
Kavaratti |
| Madhya Pradesh |
Bhopal, Gwalior, Indore, Jabalpur, Sagar, Satna, Ujjain |
| Maharashtra |
Ahmednagar, Akola, Amravati, Aurangabad (CS Nagar), Bhiwandi, Chandrapur, Jalgaon, Kolhapur, Mumbai, Nagpur, Nanded, Nashik, Navi Mumbai, Palghar-Boisar, Pune, Raigad, Sangli, Satara, Solapur, Thane, Vasai, Wardha |
| Manipur |
Imphal |
| Meghalaya |
Shillong |
| Mizoram |
Aizawl |
| Nagaland |
Kohima |
| Odisha |
Balasore, Berhampur, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Rourkela, Sambalpur |
| Puducherry |
Puducherry |
| Punjab |
Amritsar, Bhatinda, Jalandhar, Ludhiana- Phagwara, Patiala |
| Rajasthan |
Ajmer, Bikaner, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, Sikar, Udaipur |
| Tamil Nadu |
Chennai, Coimbatore, Kanchipuram, Madurai, Salem, Tiruchirappalli, Tirunelveli, Vellore |
| Telangana |
Hyderabad, Karimnagar, Khammam, Warangal |
| Tripura |
Agartala |
| Uttar Pradesh |
Agra, Aligarh, Bareilly, Ghaziabad, Gorakhpur, Jhansi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Mathura, Meerut, Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, Noida, Greater Noida, Prayagraj, Varanasi |
| Uttarakhand |
Dehradun, Haldwani, Roorkee |
| West Bengal |
Asansol-Durgapur, Bankura, Burdwan, Howrah, Kalyani-Hooghly, Kolkata, Siliguri |
CAT Exam Centre: Dos and Don’ts
The CAT exam centres have elaborate identification process for which 1.5 hours are allotted before commencement of the slot. If a candidate’s exam starts at 8:30 AM, they need to reach their CAT test centre by 7:00 AM. For candidates taking the exam in second slot, reporting time is 10:00 AM. We have listed down a few dos and don’ts to follow at their CAT 2025 test locations.
CAT Dos
- Carry two print outs of CAT admit card 2026, one ID proof (in original) and a pen to the exam centre.
- Show the original print out of your CAT 2026 admit card to gain entry into the exam centre.
- Follow the instructions and cooperate in identification and frisking at the entry gate.
- Use the Reference Number printed on your CAT admit card to locate your exam hall, go inside and be seated at your designated work station.
CAT Don’ts
- Do not carry electronic items to the exam centre. Closed shoes, belts, caps, jackets and other outfit and accessories with metal are prohibited inside the exam hall.
- Test centre gates will close 15 minutes prior to the exam, thus do not get late for the exam.
- Do not argue with test centre staff or other candidates. Unruly behavior may invite disqualification.
- Do not use keyboard at any point of time during the exam or your system will automatically get locked.
Also read:
FAQs on CAT Exam Centres and Cities
Find some important FAQs related to CAT test centres list below: