Updated 23 October 2026
The next official milestone for every CAT 2026 candidate is the admit card. According to the official CAT 2026 advertisement published by the Indian Institutes of Management, admit cards will be available for download from 4 November to 29 November 2026 on the CAT website, iimcat.ac.in. The test itself is on 29 November 2026.
This post sets out what the official notice says, what you should check once your admit card is out, and how to use the weeks before the exam.
CAT 2026 key dates at a glance
These dates are taken from the official CAT 2026 advertisement:
- Registration: opened 3 August 2026 (10:00 am) and closed 15 September 2026 (5:00 pm)
- Admit card download: 4 November to 29 November 2026
- Test date: 29 November 2026, in three sessions, computer-based
- Result declaration: first week of January 2027 (tentative)
The advertisement also states that while it has been printed in several newspapers, the information on the CAT website is final. If any detail you read elsewhere — including on this page — differs from iimcat.ac.in, follow the CAT website.
How to get your admit card
The admit card is released through the CAT website. Log in with the credentials you created during registration and download it from your candidate account once the window opens on 4 November. Keep a printed copy and a saved PDF.
The official advertisement reminds candidates that they must declare and maintain a valid and unique email account and mobile phone number throughout the selection process. If you have lost access to the email or phone you registered with, sort that out now, before the download window opens, by following the help options on the CAT website.
What to check on your admit card
When you download your card, read it slowly, line by line:
- Your name and photograph — make sure they match the details you submitted.
- Test date and session — CAT 2026 runs in three sessions on 29 November. Your card tells you which one is yours.
- Test centre address — CAT is held in test centres across around 170 test cities, and you were asked for five city preferences. Note exactly which centre you have been given.
- Reporting instructions — the admit card and the CAT website carry the rules for exam day, including what you may bring and when to report. Follow those official instructions rather than advice from forums.
If anything looks wrong, contact the CAT helpdesk through the official website immediately. Do not wait until the last week.
What to do in the weeks before 29 November
Once the admit card is in hand, the most useful thing you can do is make your remaining preparation look like the real test:
- Take full-length mocks at your session’s time of day. If your slot is in the afternoon, practise in the afternoon.
- Visit or map your test centre route in advance so travel on exam day holds no surprises.
- Review rather than cram. Re-solve questions you got wrong in earlier practice and note why you missed them.
- Protect your sleep in the final week. Concentration over a long computer-based test depends on it.
One reminder about the result
The advertisement lists the result in the first week of January 2027 (tentative). It also notes that meeting the minimum eligibility criteria does not by itself ensure that an IIM will shortlist you; each IIM follows its own process after the result.
Keep your practice going
If you want to use these final weeks well, you can practise VARC, DILR and QA questions for free on CAT Gurukul. Start with our free CAT practice questions or try the free CAT demo — no payment needed.
Source: Official CAT 2026 advertisement published by the IIMs (hosted by IIM Indore) and the CAT website, iimcat.ac.in. Always confirm details on the official site.
