For how long is CAT form correction window usually open?

The CAT form correction window usually opens for 2-3 days. It opens a day after the last date of CAT registration. For example, if the CAT registration 2025 will end on September 13, the form correction window will open on September 14 and close on September 17, 2025. If the CAT registration window is extended by a week, then th form correction window will open thereafter. Only registered candidates, who shall have paid the application fee will be able to access their CAT 2025 application forms to make changes. CAT form correction is a one-time activity so candidates must not miss the chance of updating their photo, signature and changing test city choices if required.

Which documents are required for filling CAT application form?

Candidates need the following documents while filling the CAT application form: A recent passport size photo (color against white background) Scanned signature with black pen on white paper Any photo ID card like PAN card, Aadhaar Card, Voter ID, Passport Class 10 marksheet Class 12 marksheet Graduation marksheet Permanent address proof Work experience documents Reserved category students need to upload Category Certificate along with the CAT application form. The Certificate is available on the CAT website. Candidates can download, fill it, get it attested by competent authority and upload it as PDF with the CAT application form. The PwD category students also have to fill the PwD form and Scribe affidavit along with the exam application form. This is necessary for getting scribe facility and PwD facility at the test centre. The CAT application form is same for students from all categories. Those belonging to a particular category (SC/ST/PwD) will be required to mention it in the relevant field of the CAT form.

What is the application fee for CAT exam?

CAT application fee is INR 2600 for General candidates and INR 1300 for SC/ST/PwD candidates. The fee amount is to be paid online at the time of application form submission.

What is the age limit to appear for CAT?

There is no age limit to appear for CAT. The CAT exam is open for fresh graduates as well as working professionals. Since CAT is accepted by over 1300 B-schools across India for their full-time as well as executive MBA or online professional courses, a lot of working professionals appear for the CAT to pursue such courses. CAT score is accepted by Iims for full time MBA, executive MBA and FPM programmes. Other top MBA colleges in India also shortlist candidates for executive MBA or part-time MBA on the basis of CAT score. The minimum age limit for has to be 20 years as the minimum qualification for CAT exam graduation. Any candidate who has completed Graduation with 50 per cent aggregate (45 per cent for SC/ST candidates). Any candidate in final year of Bachelor's degree course can appear in CAT exam. Any candidate having a professional degree like CA/CS/ICWAI with a minimum of 50 per cent in aggregate.

Who will conduct CAT 2026?

CAT 2026 may be conducted by IIM Indore. The institute had last conducted the exam in 2020, Since the top six IIMs - BLACKI are given the responsibility to convene on rotation basis exam every five year, this year, it could be IIM Indore. Official announcement will be made most likely in May.

From where can I download CAT question papers?

CAT question papers are released within a week of the exam in the form of a PDF as a response sheet and answer key. Candidates who have appeared for the test are able to access the CAT question paper and answer key. The question paper of every slot is released on the same day along with candidate response sheet and official answer to all question. If any candidate needs previous year CAT question papers for preparation purpose, then they can download them from Shiksha website. We have hosted last five years' CAT question papers for aspirants to download and practice. These official CAT question papers are available for download free. You can download the CAT question paper PDFs at this link: https://www.shiksha.com/mba/cat-exam-question-papers Candidates must check and practice the latest CAT question paper to know the latest exam pattern and difficulty level.

What is the CAT 2026 exam date?

CAT 2026 exam will be held on November 29, 2026. Official announcement of the exam and registration schedule will be announced in the last week of July 2026.

Will CAT exam 2026 be conducted in three shifts?

Yes, CAT 2026 exam will be conducted in three shifts. Exam timing of each slot will be: First shift: 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM Second shift: 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM and Third shift: 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM

Are six months enough to prepare for CAT?

While it is advised to dedicate at least 9 months to CAT preparation, six months of dedicated study can also help you crack the exam. You will need daily, weekly and monthly plan for syllabus coverage. Practice a good number of mock tests and study for about 8 hours daily.

What is the process of CAT result download?

Check below how to download CAT result cum scorecard: Open iimcat.ac.in Click on tab indicating CAT scorecard Enter your application number and password Click on the tab indicating scorecard Download it and save in PDF format

In how many cities is CAT exam held?

CAT exam is held in about 170 cities across India. Candidates can choose up to six cities as their preferred test location. The list of test cities for CAT is available in application form. Candidates should choose the test city carefully as the request to change the test city later may or may not be accepted due to non-availability of seats at the centres in that particular city. Given below are the cities where CAT exam is usually held.

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.

How would I know my CAT exam centre?

CAT exam centre address and location is mentioned on the admit card. The test centre is allotted in the city of first preference as mentioned in the CAT application form.

What is the IIM WAT/PI process?

Written Ability Test or WAT is a 30-minute essay-writing test on topics from fields like socio-political, economic and business affairs, sports, etc. PI refers to Personal Interview held on the same day as WAT. The WAT-PI round of all IIMs is conducted after CAT result declaration. The shortlisting for WAT-PI is done on the basis of CAT cut off, which is fixed by the institutes. The IIM cut offs range between 95-100 percentile, which means candidates scoring in this range get shortlisted for WAT-PI. The CAT cut offs for Reserved category students are lower. In the WAT round, candidate has to write a short essay of about 250 words on a given topic. The topics can be from any field. For example, one candidate at IIM Ahmedabad got 'writer was facing some health issues, he got cured because of laughing' as a WAT topic this year. The purpose of Written Ability Test is to assess the candidate's general awareness, clarity of ideas and ability to make a convincing argument. The Personal Interview or PI is all about personality assessment. In PI, a panel of professors and admission officials meet the candidates one by one. They assess the on their knowledge, confidence, communication skills, managerial skills and leadership qualities, etc.

What after CAT result declaration?

After the declaration of CAT results, IIMs and other top MBA colleges start the candidate shortlisting process. The institutes fix CAT cut offs category wise and invite applicants to appear for Written Ability Test, Group Discussion GD and Personal Interview PI rounds for MBA Admission. In case of IIMs, the institutes release PI shortlist form which the candidates have to fill before a certain deadline. In the PI form, candidates have to mention their personal, academic and professional details along with CAT score. Depending on the application received and the range of CAT scores the institutes the shortlist candidates for What-GD-PI. The What-GD-PI round is conducted by the institutes individually in March and April in online or offline mode. With the result of What-GD-PI and candidates' overall profile, the institutes finalise the list of students for admission. Offer of admission letters to selected candidates are sent via email in May.

How many times is CAT exam conducted?

CAT exam conducted only once a year in the month of November. It is conducted in three shifts on a single day.

CAT Notification 2026: When will IIM CAT Exam Notification OUT?

CAT 2026 application

To be notified

Updated on Apr 13, 2026 17:55 IST

By Vipra Shrivastava, Senior Manager - Content

Overview

CAT 2026 notification will be out by July 28, 2026. The official CAT 2026 notification PDF will include all the important information related to the national level MBA entrance teat, including the conducting IIM institute, CAT 2026 exam dates, eligibility, fees, syllabus and pattern, test cities, reservation policy, etc. Aspirants must go through the official CAT 2026 notification to be aware of all the processes and guidelines related to CAT and IIM admission. Read below all about CAT 2026.

Table of contents

CAT Eligibility Criteria 2026
CAT 2026 Exam Dates & Schedule
CAT Exam Pattern 2026
CAT Registration and Fees 2026
CAT Test Centres 2026
Courses Offered by IIMs Through CAT
FAQs on CAT Notification 2026

CAT Eligibility Criteria 2026

CAT exam is conducted for PG management courses. Check below CAT eligibility criteria as per the official notification:

The candidate must have completed Bachelor’s degree with required percentage from a recognised university
The candidate should be in the final year of Bachelor’s degree with required percentage
The candidate must have completed professional degree (CA/CS/ICWA/FCAI) with required percentage
There is no age bar on appearing for CAT. Candidates with work experience or without work experience can apply

CAT Eligibility Criteria 2026 Highlights

Check the table below for category-wise minimum percentage required in graduation to apply for CAT exam 2026:

CAT Eligibility Criteria	Category	Percentage
Minimum percentage required in Graduation	General, EWS and NC-OBC	50%
Minimum percentage required in Graduation	SC/ST/PwD	45%
Minimum percentage required in First two years of Graduation	General, EWS and NC-OBC	50%
Minimum percentage required in First two years of Graduation	SC/ST/PwD	45%
Minimum percentage required in CA/CS/ICWA/FCAI	General, EWS and NC-OBC	50%
Minimum percentage required in CA/CS/ICWA/FCAI	SC/ST/PwD	45%

Also Read: CAT Eligibility Criteria 2026

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
24 Dec ' 25	CAT 2025 result announcement
08 Dec ' 25 - 10 Dec ' 25	CAT 2025 answer key challenge
30 Nov ' 25	CAT 2025 exam
View More Past Events (2)

CAT Exam Pattern 2026

CAT exam pattern 2026 is expected to remain unchanged. Have a look at the highlights of CAT exam pattern:

CAT exam pattern and syllabus 2026
CAT sections	VARC, DILR and QA
Duration of exam	40 minutes per section (Total 120 minutes)
Total number of questions	66
Section-wise number of questions	VARC - 24 DILR - 22 QA - 22
Total marks	198
Language of question paper	English
Number of answer choices	Four
Type of questions	MCQs and Non-MCQs
CAT marking scheme	3 marks for every right answer Negative marking of 1/3 (-1) for every wrong answer No negative marking for wrong answer in non-MCQ

CAT Registration and Fees 2026

CAT 2026 registration process will be online. The CAT notification 2026 will have detailed explanation of exam registration process. Check below in detail, how to apply for the exam.

Visit the CAT 2026 website and click on 'new registration'
Enter name, nationality, phone number, email ID and date of birth
Authenticate account with OTP received
Log in with user ID and password to fill details in the form
Enter personal details, academic details, preferred test cities and IIIMs
Upload photograph, signature, caste and other certificates (if required)
Pay CAT application fee via debit/credit card, net banking or mobile wallet

CAT Application Fees 2026

CAT 2026 notification will also carry fee details. Last year, the application fee amount was as mentioned below. This year, the CAT application fee may increase.

Category	CAT Application Fee
General and NC-OBC	INR 2,600
SC, ST and PwD	INR 1,300

CAT Test Centres 2026

CAT test centres are the designated locations having computer labs where candidates have to appear for the exam. The CAT exam centres are administered by TCS in collaboration with IIM. The CAT exam is conducted at over 400 such test centres in 170 cities of India. The CAT notification 2026 will contain the list of test cities.

How is a CAT Exam Centre Allotted?

The CAT exam centre allotment is based on candidate’s entry in the application form. If you wish to get a test centre in your preferred city, you must knwo that:

Candidate gets the option of choosing five exam cities in order of preference in the CAT application form 2026
The exam conducting body allots exam center in the first city chosen by the candidate
The CAT test centre is allotted to candidates on first come first served basis and availability of seats in a particular centre
The exam authority has the right to change the exam center. Any change in the exam center allotment is communicated with the candidate ahead of the exam

Courses Offered by IIMs Through CAT

The official CAT 2026 notification will also have the list of courses offered by IIMs through CAT. The exam score is valid for not only full-time MBA but also courses like PhD, EMBA, FPM, etc. Here is the list IIM wise courses offered through CAT score.

IIM	Courses Offered Through CAT
IIM Ahmedabad	PGP, PGP-FABM, ePGP, PhD
IIM Amritsar	MBA, EMBA, MBA-Business Analytics, MBA-HRM, PhD
IIM Bangalore	PGP, PGPEM, PGPBA, PhD
IIM Bodh Gaya	PGP, PhD (FPM)
IIM Calcutta	MBA, PhD
IIM Indore	PGP, PGP-HRM, FPM
IIM Jammu	PGP, PhD
IIM Kashipur	MBA, MBA (Analytics), MBA (WX), PhD, EFPM
IIM Kozhikode	PGP, PGP-BL, PGP-F, PGP-LSM, PhD, PhD (PT)
IIM Lucknow	PGP, PGP-ABM, PGP-SM, FPM
IIM Nagpur	PGP, PhD
IIM Raipur	PGP, FPM/ PhD, EFPM
IIM Ranchi	PGP, PGP-HRM, PGP (Business Analytics), PhD, EPhD
IIM Rohtak	PGP, EPGPX, EPGDSM, PhD, Part-Time FPM
IIM Sambalpur	MBA, PhD, E PhD
IIM Shillong	PGP, PGPEX, PGPWE, PhD, PhDWP
IIM Sirmaur	MBA, MBA (T&HM), PhD
IIM Tiruchirappalli	PGPM, PGPM-HR, PGPBM, FPM, E-FPM
IIM Udaipur	MBA, PhD
IIM Visakhapatnam	PGP, PGPEx, PGPDGM, PhD

FAQs on CAT Notification 2026

Check below Frequently Asked Quesstions (FAQs) related to CAT notification 2026:

Q: What is the syllabus for CAT exam?

CAT syllabus includes all the important topics of subjects that are relevant for business aptitude. For CAT exam, candidates have to study, Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension VARC Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning DILR and Quantitative Aptitude. Given below are the key topics included in the CAT syllabus.

VARC topics: Parajumbles, Paracompletion, Parasummary, Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension.
Quantitative Aptitude topics: Arithmetic, Geometry, Algebra Trigonometry Modern Math, Number System and Mensuration.
DILR topics: Puzzles, Pie Charts, Venn Diagram, Tables and Bar Graphs, etc.

Q: How many candidates scored 100 percentile in CAT 2025?

In CAT 2025, the number of 100 percentilers was 12. Check state wise data:

Overall Percentile

Total

Gender and Discipline

State wise distribution

100

Female - 2 Male - 10 Engineering - 3 Non-Engineering - 9

Uttar Pradesh 1

Karnataka 1

Maharashtra 1

Delhi 3

Haryana 2

Gujarat 2

Jharkhand 1

Odisha 1

Q: What are the maximum marks in CAT exam?

Maximum marks in CAT is 204. There are 68 questions each carrying 3 marks. VARC is of 72 marks and DILR and Quants are of 66 marks each.

Q: What are the qualifying CAT cutoffs for all the IIMs?

Qualifying CAT cut off percentiles of Iims for Written Ability Test (What) and Personal Interview PI are listed below. Candidates who MET the qualifying CAT cut off, were eligible for What-PI round. These qualifying CAT cut offs are for General Category. The cut offs for Reserved category students are lower: