What are the dos and don'ts for CAT exam day?

On CAT exam day, candidates have to follow a number of guidelines like cooperating with the exam centre staff during identification process, etc.: CAT exam day dos: Reach examination centre at the reporting time mentioned on your CAT admit card. 2. Carry two copies of the CAT admit card, one photo ID card, passport size photos PwD candidates should carry relevant certificates and documents. Carry a blue/black ball point pen for signing attendance sheet Cooperate with test centre staff and follow instructions 7. While entering answers, use only computer mouse. Do not touch keyboard as doing so will lead to screen locking. CAT exam day don'ts: Do not carry items such as bags, purses, pencil box, beepers, wrist watch, calculators, mobile phones, electronic devices, scanners, cameras, wireless/Bluetooth transmission or any such communication devices. Don't wear closed shoes, jewellery made of metal, jackets, clothes with pockets, mehendi on palms. Socks are allowed inside it. Don't wear caps, hoodies or jackets/shirts with pockets Don't be late for exam. Entry gates will be closed 15 minutes before the commencement of exam. No candidate will be allowed to enter the exam centre after that. Don't cheat or indulge in mal practice. You can be disqualified due to any such ACT. Don't create a ruckus inside the test lab Don't leave your seat until the exam duration gets over and the invigilator announces exit.

Which photo should I paste in the CAT admit card?

Candidates can paste a recent photo on CAT admit card with face clearly visible, without goggles or caps. They should preferably paste same photo that they uploaded in CAT application form.

How to make changes in CAT admit card?

There is no option to make changes in the CAT admit card. Details printed on the candidate's hall ticket will be final and non-editable. Incase, there is any error in the details mentioned on the CAT admit card, like name or roll number of the candidate., etc. then that can be rectified by contacting the CAT help desk.

What are the CAT exam slot timings?

CAT exam is held in three slots for the past three years. Earlier it used to be held in two slots of three hours each, but since 2020 it is held in three slots of two hours each. The three slots are conducted between 8 am to 4 pm. The first slot is held from 8:30 am to 10:30 am, the second slot is held from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm and the third slot is held from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm. In these three slots, about 2.22 Lacs candidates are accommodated at over 400 test centres in about 150 plus cities across India. The exam slots are allotted to candidates by the examination authorities as per the receipt of applications and candidates cannot request for change of examination slot. They have to give the test in the slot mentioned on the admit card.

Can the test centre be changed after the release of CAT admit card?

No, there is no provision of changing the test centre after the CAT admit card has been released. In fact, there is no option to change the test centre allotted at any point of time during the exam cycle. Candidates get only one opportunity to change the test city choice at the time of form correction. Thus, it is very important to select test cities very carefully in the CAT application form. They must choose their first city preference as home town or the city where they are likely to be on the exam day or choose a city which is the closest to their hometown and they can reach there on time on the exam day. Also, to be allotted the desired test city, candidates must fill the CAT application for at the earliest, as the exam slot and test centres are allotted on first cum first served basis. If the seats get filled fore centres in one city, candidates are allotted a centre in the second city of their preference. Moreover, the CAT admit card is released a month before the exam so candidates must check the location of their allotted centre much in advance and make arrangements for reaching there on exam day on time.

CAT 2026 Admit Card: Where and How to Download IIM CAT Hall Ticket

13.2K Students Q&A

Registration - To be notified

Updated on Mar 30, 2026 18:20 IST

By Vipra Shrivastava, Senior Manager - Content

CAT admit card 2026 will be released in the second week of November. The hall ticket download date will be shared by the exam conducting IIM, in the CAT 2026 notification. The admit card will haver to be download through login at iimcat.ac.in website. Candidates who shall have registered for the exam, will have to use their application number and password to download it. Candidates will have to carry the CAT 2026 admit card to the CAT exam centre as it is a mandatory document of identification. Read on this page complete details related to CAT 2026 admit card.

Table of contents

How to Download CAT Admit Card 2026?
CAT 2026 Exam Dates & Schedule
Details Mentioned on CAT Admit Card 2026
Documents to Carry Along With CAT 2026 Admit Card
CAT Exam Day Instructions 2026
FAQs Regarding CAT 2026 Admit Card

How to Download CAT Admit Card 2026?

CAT 2026 exam will be held on November 29. Candidates will be able to download their admit card until the exam day. However, it is advised to download it as soon as it is released. Given below is the process to download the CAT admit card 2026. CAT admit card download process

Visit the official CAT 2026 website - iimcat.ac.in
Click on 'Login'
Enter registration ID and password
Click on 'admit card'
Click on download and save the admit card on desktop

Problems in Downloading CAT Admit Card

Om the first day of admit card release, candidates often face login issues. It usually happens due to high web traffic on IIMCAT website of incorrect password. Check below problems that occur in downloading the admit card and how to resolve them.

Problem	Solution
Technical issue in the official website	IIM CAT 2026 website may face technical glitches due to heavy traffic on the first day of admit card release. In such a case, do not continuously try to log in. Log out and visit the website after some time to download your CAT admit card 2026. But make sure you have downloaded the admit card atleast a week before the exam date.
Slow internet speed	Check the internet speed of your system. If it is slow, switch to a faster internet connection to download your CAT admit card. Or wait for your interent connection to get back to normal.
Wrong password or login credentials	In case you have forgotten the login credentials, you must use the ‘forgot password’ option given on the IIMCAT website and change the password and use it for downloading the hall ticket.

CAT 2026 Exam Dates & Schedule

Take a look at the table below for the complete schedule of CAT 2026 exam

Dates	Upcoming Exam Dates
To Be Notified	CAT 2026 application
29 Nov ' 26	CAT 2026 exam

Dates	Past Exam Dates
30 Nov ' 25	CAT 2025 exam
12 Nov ' 25	CAT 2025 admit card download
01 Aug ' 25 - 20 Sep ' 25	CAT 2025 registration

Details Mentioned on CAT Admit Card 2026

Candidates must check that the following information must be printed correctly on their CAT 2026 admit card.

Name
Categpry
Date of birth
Photo
Signature
Registration number
Date and time of the exam
CAT 2026 exam slot
CAT 2026 test location
Emergency contact number
CAT exam related instructions

Errors to Check in CAT Admit Card 2026

As soon as candidates download the CAT admit card, they are advised to check all the information mentioned on it. The below-listed information on admit card should match the information on CAT application form 2026:

Candidate's name printed on CAT admit card 2026 should be same as in application form
Registration number on admit card must be the same as registered user ID
Date of birth should be the same as mentioned in CAT application form and official documents
Caste category status should same as in the application form
PwD/DA status should be same as mentioned in the CAT application form
Test centre location must be in one of the cities mentioned in the application form
Photograph and signature must be clearly visible

How to Correct Errors in CAT Admit Card 2026?

In case, any candidate found an error in their CAT 2026 admit card, the could contact the exam authority to get it corrected. Given below are the contact details:

CAT helpline: 1-800-210-8720 (Toll Free)

Email at cathelpdesk@iimcat.ac.in

CAT Exam Timings 2026

CAT 2026 exam will be conducted for 2 hours (per session). The exam slots will be allotted to candidates on first-come-first-serve basis (application submission). Given below are the CAT exam timings. Candidates must report to their test centres as per the reporting time mentioned below:

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

Documents to Carry Along With CAT 2026 Admit Card

Candidates are required to carry an ID proof issued by the Government of India or their previous college/university along with the CAT 2026 admit card to the examination hall. Candidates must ideally carry the same ID that they mentioned in the CAT application form. Given below is the list of documents that they can carry as ID proof:

Aadhaar card
Voter ID
Passport
PAN card
E-Aadhaar
Ration Card
College/University ID
Driver's license

Other than the photo ID card and CAT 2026 admit card, candidates will have to carry the following documents if applicable:

Name change affidavit
PwD certificate
Scribe certificate

CAT Exam Day Instructions 2026

CAT admit card 2026 will contain all the important guidelines for the exam day. Shiksha has listed below some key CAT exam day instructions and guidelines that the candidate must follow at the test centre and during the exam:

Reach the CAT exam centre as per the reporting time mentioned in their admit card.
Carry only IIM CAT admit card and photo ID card to the exam centre
Use the Reference Number printed on their admit card to identify the door/wing/lab at the test venue
Don't to sign their CAT admit card beforehand. It is to be signed only inside the exam hall in front of the invigilator
Affix their photo on the admit card printouts. The photo should be same as uploaded in the CAT 2026 application form
Do not carry mobile phone, calculator, IPad or any other gadgets to the centre
Do not carry bags or luggage to the CAT 2026 exam centre as there will be no provision of bag deposit.
Submit the writing pad and pen provided by the authorities for rough work before leaving the test hall.
Write your name and registration number on the writing pad
Leave the invigilator's copy of their CAT admit card 2026 in the examination hall

CAT 2026 Exam Day: Dress Code

Candidates are advised to wear simple outfits without pcokets.
Jackets, hoodie, coats, cardigans with pocket, caps and headgeard will not be allowed.
Jewellery that contains metal, clothes with pockets, jackets and footwear are prohibited inside the exam hall.
Candidates with metal implant, pacemaker, etc. in their body will be required to bring medical certificate of the same.

FAQs Regarding CAT 2026 Admit Card

Check here Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) related to CAT admit card:

Q: Can I show digital copy of the CAT admit card at the exam centre?

The digital copy of the CAT admit card will not be accepted at the test centres as a valid document, thus you cannot show it, to gain entry. As per the official guidelines, only the colour print out of the admit card on A4 size sheet will be accepted as valid. Candidates must also affix a passport size photo, preferably the same as uploaded in the CAT application form.

The examination authority does not accept digital admit card as valid document as it is to be signed and stamped by the test centre staff for proof of candidate’s attendance. One copy of the CAT admit card of every candidate is also retained by the authorities, thus the need for the print out.

Q: What is the process to select CAT test city for exam centre allotment?

There are over 170 cities where CAT exam is held. These 170 cities are spread across India consist of metropolitan cities, capital cities, Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. Candidate can select up to five cities for allotment of test centre. The process of test city selection is a part of CAT application process. In the CAT application form, there is a field in which candidates have to select the cities. They need to select the city of preference in order of 1 to 5. The examination authorities will try to allot the test centre in the city of first preference. Thus, candidates must fill all the five cities carefully. They must choose their home city of city of current residence as the first preference. The test city option can only be changed during the form correction window. After that, the request for change of the city will not be accepted by the exam authorities.

Q: What is the sectional time limit in CAT?

In CAT exam, each candidate gets 120 minutes to solve the paper. There are three sections in CAT Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude. For each section 40 minutes are allotted as sectional time limit. For PwD candidates, the sectional time limit is 53.20 minutes per section. Candidates have to complete each section within the given time limit. Since the CAT is an online mode exam, the test screen will move from first section to the next section automatically as soon as the time limit gets over. Thus candidates have to be mindful of the on-screen timer and pre-decide the number of questions to solve in each section. The Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section of CAT has 24 questions, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning section has 22 questions and Quantitative Aptitude section has 22 questions. It is not mandatory to solve all the questions in CAT so candidates can devise a strategy to use 40 minutes per section as per their strength and weakness.

Q: Is the CAT admit card required at the time of admission?

Some B-schools ask for the CAT admit card and some do not, during admission. So, it is better to preserve the CAT admit card even after the exam. One must not discard it until they have secured admission in an MBA college. Having unsigned soft copy may not be helpful if any college asks for it. The signed and stamped copy (by the exam invigilator) of the CAT admit card will be considered actual proof of candidature.