CAT 2026 Notification Expected This Weekend; Know What to Expect
CAT 2026 notification is expected to be released this weekend. The trends indicate a possible hike of INR 100 in the application fee. CAT exam pattern is likely to remain the same in the current session.
CAT Notification 2026 Expected Date
The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) are expected to release the official notification for Common Admission Test (CAT) 2026 on July 26, 2026. As per the historical trends, the CAT notification 2026 is released on the last Sunday of July, the details will be published on the official website, iimcat.ac.in.
For the upcoming session, IIM Indore is expected to be the conducting IIM as per the rotation cycle among BLACKI IIMs. The past trends also indicate the CAT 2026 exam to be held on November 29, 2026 (last Sunday of November). CAT exam notification will start in the first week of August 2026 and will remain open until the second week of September.
Plan Your Studies with CAT 2026 Preparation Guides
Key Changes in CAT Over the Last Five Years
Over the past five years, IIMs have been consistent in raising the CAT exam fee. Besides the application fee, IIM CAT has changed in terms of the number of questions and the IIMs conducting it. Considering the past two terms, CAT exam structure is expected to have stabilised with a 68-question count and a 120-minute pattern. The table below mentions the changes in fees and pattern from 2021 to 2025:
| Year | Conducting IIM | Application Fee (General) | Total Questions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | IIM Ahmedabad | INR 2,200 | 66 |
| 2022 | IIM Bangalore | INR 2,300 | 66 |
| 2023 | IIM Lucknow | INR 2,400 | 66 |
| 2024 | IIM Calcutta | INR 2,500 | 68 |
| 2025 | IIM Kozhikode | INR 2,600 | 68 |
Based on these trends, candidates can expect the CAT 2026 application fee to increase by INR 100, reaching INR 2,700 for General category applicants and INR 1,350 for Reserved category candidates. The exam pattern is likely to remain stable with 68 questions across VARC, DILR, and Quant. CAT 2026 is likely to follow a 40-minute sectional time limit for all three sections.
Commonly asked questions
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.
CAT exam conducted only once a year in the month of November. It is conducted in three shifts on a single day.
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
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