Updated 23 October 2026
With five weeks to go, here is a clean summary of what the official CAT 2026 advertisement says about the exam. Everything below comes from that notice, published by the Indian Institutes of Management. Where the advertisement does not give a detail, we say so and point you to the CAT website.
The test: 29 November 2026, three sessions
The advertisement states that the IIMs will conduct a computer-based Common Admission Test 2026 on 29 November 2026 in three sessions. Your session is printed on your admit card, which can be downloaded from 4 to 29 November 2026 on iimcat.ac.in.
The advertisement does not list session timings. Those appear on your admit card and on the CAT website.
Who uses CAT 2026 scores
CAT 2026 is a prerequisite for admission to various post-graduate and Fellow/Doctorate programmes of the IIMs. The advertisement lists 22 IIMs: Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bangalore, Bodh Gaya, Calcutta, Guwahati, Indore, Jammu, Kashipur, Kozhikode, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Raipur, Ranchi, Rohtak, Sambalpur, Shillong, Sirmaur, Tiruchirappalli, Udaipur and Visakhapatnam.
Listed non-IIM institutions are also allowed to use CAT 2026 scores. The list is on the CAT website. The advertisement is clear that the IIMs have no role in the selection process of non-IIM institutions, so check each institute’s own admission process separately.
Fee and registration — for the record
Registration opened on 3 August 2026 and closed on 15 September 2026. The registration fee was ₹2,700, or ₹1,350 for SC, ST and PwBD candidates. The advertisement notes that the fee is paid only once, however many institutes a candidate applies to, and that fees once paid cannot be refunded. It also says no change in category will be entertained after CAT registration.
Test centres
The test is held in centres spread across around 170 test cities. Candidates were asked to choose any five test cities in order of preference. The advertisement adds that the list of cities may change at the discretion of the CAT authorities.
Result
The result is due in the first week of January 2027 (tentative).
What the advertisement does not tell you
The advertisement does not give the section-wise question count, timing per section or marking scheme. Do not rely on numbers repeated on social media. Check the CAT website, which the advertisement says carries the final and detailed information, including eligibility and reservation rules.
How to use the remaining weeks
- Lock in a mock schedule: one full-length test every few days, each followed by a careful review.
- Practise at the same time of day as your likely session.
- Track your accuracy per section, not just your total. It shows where the next hour of practice will pay off most.
- Keep your registered email and mobile active. The advertisement asks every candidate to maintain a valid and unique email account and mobile number throughout the selection process.
Practise for free
CAT Gurukul has free practice questions across VARC, DILR and QA. Try our free CAT practice page and see where you stand today.
Source: Official CAT 2026 advertisement published by the IIMs and the CAT website, iimcat.ac.in. The advertisement states that the information on the CAT website is final.
