CAT 2026 notification is the single most-anticipated announcement in the Indian MBA-entrance calendar, and with the IIM 2026-28 admission cycle just wrapping up across April-May 2026, attention has now fully shifted to the next batch. If you are targeting the IIMs and Tier-1 B-schools this November, the next 200 days will define your candidature. This guide walks through the expected release window, the locked exam pattern, the registration and exam calendar, how to read the notification document when it drops, and a phase-wise prep roadmap you can start today — on 10 May 2026 — with the exact section weightage IIM Indore is expected to retain.
When Will the CAT 2026 Notification Be Released?
Based on the last six years of IIM Coordinating-Institute behaviour, the CAT 2026 notification is expected in the last week of July 2026, with 26 July 2026 as the most-probable release date. IIM Indore is the conducting institute for CAT 2026, and historically the convenor IIM uploads the notification to iimcat.ac.in on a Sunday in the final fortnight of July. The PDF advertisement also appears simultaneously in the Employment News and across major national dailies.
The notification document itself runs 8-10 pages and contains: the exam date, registration window, examination fee, eligibility (graduation with 50% — 45% for reserved categories — or final-year candidates), the list of 167 test cities, the section-wise pattern, the reservation policy as notified by the Government of India, and the syllabus indicative scope. Once it drops, all serious aspirants should download and read it cover-to-cover within 48 hours; almost every important date and rule you will need for the next four months is baked into that single PDF.
If you are still in the discovery phase of your MBA plan, our CAT Gurukul homepage tracks the notification countdown in real time and surfaces a one-page summary the moment the PDF is live.
CAT 2026 Exam Date, Registration Window & Key Calendar
CAT is always conducted on the last Sunday of November, in three computer-based slots. For 2026, the calendar locks as follows:
- Notification release: 26 July 2026 (expected)
- Registration opens: 1 August 2026, 10:00 AM
- Registration closes: 20 September 2026, 5:00 PM (extension of 5-7 days is historically common)
- Correction window: Late September 2026 (48 hours)
- Admit card download: First week of November 2026
- Exam date: Sunday, 29 November 2026 — three slots (8:30-10:30 / 12:30-14:30 / 16:30-18:30)
- Answer key release: First week of December 2026
- Result declaration: Second week of January 2027
The application fee in 2025 was ₹2,500 for General/EWS/OBC-NCL and ₹1,250 for SC/ST/PwD; a marginal increase to ₹2,600 / ₹1,300 is likely in 2026 given the trend over the last three cycles. Photograph specifications (front-facing, white background, taken within last six months), signature scan dimensions (80×35 mm), and category certificate uploads remain the most common reasons for application rejection — prepare these assets in the second week of July, well before the form opens.
CAT 2026 Exam Pattern: 68 Questions, 120 Minutes, Three Sectional Locks
The pattern has now stabilised for four consecutive years and IIM Indore is expected to retain it for 2026. Total questions: 68. Total marks: 204. Total duration: 120 minutes. Each section has a strict 40-minute sectional lock — you cannot switch back to a completed section or move ahead, the on-screen timer is independent per section.
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time | MCQ / TITA mix |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 24 | 72 | 40 min | ~19 MCQ / ~5 TITA |
| Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) | 22 | 66 | 40 min | ~14 MCQ / ~8 TITA |
| Quantitative Aptitude (QA) | 22 | 66 | 40 min | ~14 MCQ / ~8 TITA |
The marking scheme is +3 for every correct response, −1 for every incorrect MCQ, and zero penalty on TITA (Type-In-The-Answer) items. This single asymmetry — no negative on TITA — is the most-exploitable feature of the paper. Every TITA you attempt is a free expected-value lottery ticket; serious aspirants should aim to attempt 100% of TITA questions even on rushed clock.
For a deeper section-wise mock breakdown calibrated to this pattern, our CAT Gurukul mock test series replicates the IIM CAT user-interface (Tcs-iON shell, identical font, identical calculator, identical section-lock behaviour).
What’s New & What to Watch For in the 2026 Notification
While the pattern has stabilised, three operational changes are being watched closely by aspirants:
1. Test-city count: CAT 2025 ran in 167 cities — up from 155 in 2024. IIM Indore is expected to expand to 170+ cities, with Tier-3 additions in Bihar, Odisha, and the North-East where MBA aspirations have grown 18% YoY since 2023.
2. Reservation matrix update: The EWS quota mechanics and OBC-NCL income-criterion threshold are revisited annually as per DoPT notifications. Read the notification’s reservation paragraph in full — do not rely on YouTube summaries.
3. PwD scribe rules: Following the 2024 Supreme Court directions on accommodations, the 2025 notification introduced expanded compensatory-time provisions. The 2026 notification is expected to clarify the scribe-eligibility documentation pathway further.
200-Day CAT 2026 Preparation Roadmap (from 10 May 2026)
From today — 10 May 2026 — to exam day on 29 November is exactly 203 days. That is the gold-standard window: not so far out that you lose momentum, not so close that foundation gaps become unfixable. Here is the phase split we recommend:
Phase 1 — Foundation (10 May to 15 July, ~10 weeks): Build conceptual fluency in all three sections. Quant: Arithmetic (Percentages, Profit-Loss, TSD, Time-Work, Ratios) and Number Systems. VARC: 1 RC passage daily plus para-jumble & para-summary fundamentals. DILR: basic sets, tables, line charts, syllogisms. Daily commitment: 3-4 hours, six days a week.
Phase 2 — Strengthening (16 July to 30 September, ~11 weeks): Advance to Algebra, Geometry-Mensuration, Modern Math in Quant. In VARC, layer in inference questions and tone-detection. In DILR, attack puzzle-heavy sets, game-based reasoning, and complex caselets. Begin sectional tests (one section, 40 minutes, twice a week). Coincides with the notification release and form-filling — budget two evenings for the application itself.
Phase 3 — Mock Intensity (1 October to 22 November, ~7 weeks): Two to three full-length mocks per week under exam-day conditions (same slot as your real exam, no breaks, no phone). Mock analysis is where 70% of the score gain happens — spend 90 minutes analysing every mock attempt, not just looking at the score.
Phase 4 — Peak & Taper (23 to 29 November): No new topics. Light revision of formulas, short reading sessions, and one or two diagnostic half-mocks. Sleep on the actual exam slot for the final five days. The taper is non-negotiable.
The most-common failure mode for aspirants starting in May is the “all sections at once” trap — trying to cover everything in week one and burning out by week six. Stagger your introductions: Quant Arithmetic in week 1-2, DILR foundations in week 3, VARC RC drills in week 4, and so on. For a printable day-by-day schedule, browse our CAT Gurukul course catalogue — the Foundation Track maps directly onto this 200-day window.
IIM Placement Signals from the 2025 Reports
While CAT 2026 prep is the immediate task, it helps to anchor the “why” in the placement outcomes the IIMs just published. The IIM 2024-26 batch final placement reports released in March-May 2026 confirmed the IIM premium is intact even in a cautious hiring market:
- IIM Ahmedabad: Median ₹34.53 LPA, mean ₹35.22 LPA, highest domestic offer ₹1.10 crore
- IIM Calcutta: Average ₹36.79 LPA, median ₹30.41 LPA, highest ₹1.37 crore
- IIM Lucknow: Average ₹32.3 LPA with strong consulting & finance roles
- IIM Indore: 100% placement, average ₹29.57 LPA
- Newer IIMs: Averages in the ₹18-22 LPA band, with steady year-on-year growth
Consulting, finance, and product-management remain the dominant placement tracks, with sustainability and AI-product roles now accounting for ~8% of total offers. Read the full breakdown on our CAT Gurukul blog.
Beyond CAT: The Wider MBA Calendar You Should Plan For
Smart aspirants register for at least three exams to widen their B-school options. Here is the 2026-27 cycle calendar:
- NMAT by GMAC: Registration July-October 2026, 75-day testing window October-December 2026 (three attempts allowed)
- SNAP: Notification August 2026, three test slots in December 2026
- IIFT: Notification August 2026, exam in early December 2026
- XAT 2027: Registration July-November 2026, exam on Sunday 3 January 2027
- CMAT 2027: Notification October 2026, exam in third week of January 2027
- MICAT-1: Exam in early December 2026
- TISSNET / MAH-CET: January-February 2027
The good news: a single QA-DILR-VARC foundation built for CAT covers 80-90% of the syllabus for every other test. The differentiation is in test-specific quirks — XAT’s Decision Making section, NMAT’s no-negative-marking dynamic, SNAP’s General Awareness flavour. Layer these in October-December once your CAT base is solid.
FAQ — CAT 2026 Notification
When will the CAT 2026 notification be released?
The CAT 2026 notification is expected on Sunday, 26 July 2026, with 27-29 July 2026 as the secondary window. IIM Indore is the conducting institute for CAT 2026.
What is the expected exam date for CAT 2026?
CAT 2026 is expected on Sunday, 29 November 2026 — the last Sunday of November, consistent with the IIM convention of the last five years. The exam will run in three computer-based slots.
Has the CAT exam pattern changed for 2026?
No structural change is expected. The 2026 paper will retain 68 questions across three sections (VARC 24, DILR 22, QA 22) for a total of 204 marks, with a strict 40-minute sectional lock and 120-minute total duration. Marking is +3 / −1 with no negative on TITA questions.
Can final-year graduation students apply for CAT 2026?
Yes. Candidates appearing in the final year of their bachelor’s degree are eligible, subject to producing a certificate from the Principal/Registrar of completion of the degree with the minimum required percentage (50% general / 45% reserved) by 30 June 2027.
Is 200 days enough to prepare for CAT 2026?
Yes — 200 days starting from 10 May 2026 is, in fact, the ideal preparation window for most aspirants. Three focused hours daily, expanding to five hours in the final two months, with disciplined mock analysis, is sufficient to target a 95+ percentile. Past topper data shows median preparation duration of 7-9 months.
Quick Self-Test: 5 Diagnostic Questions
Q1 (QA-Arithmetic). If a shopkeeper marks his goods 40% above cost and offers a 25% discount, his profit percentage is:
(a) 5% (b) 10% (c) 15% (d) 12.5%
Q2 (QA-Algebra). The number of real solutions of |x − 2| + |x + 3| = 5 is:
(a) 0 (b) 1 (c) infinite (the entire interval [−3, 2]) (d) 2
Q3 (VARC-Vocab in context). In the sentence “The minister’s laconic response satisfied no one,” laconic most nearly means:
(a) verbose (b) terse (c) sarcastic (d) evasive
Q4 (DI). A company’s revenue grew from ₹200 cr to ₹242 cr over two years at a constant annual rate. The annual growth rate is:
(a) 10% (b) 11% (c) 12% (d) 21%
Q5 (LR). In a row of 25 students facing north, Rahul is 12th from the left and Priya is 9th from the right. The number of students between them is:
(a) 3 (b) 4 (c) 5 (d) 6
Answers: 1-(a) 5%; 2-(c) the entire interval [−3, 2]; 3-(b) terse; 4-(a) 10%; 5-(a) 3.
Closing Thoughts
The 200-day window from 10 May 2026 is the most under-rated asset in a CAT aspirant’s life. The notification is two months away, the form is three months away, and exam day is just under seven months away — but everything that decides your IIM-A interview shortlist is being built right now, in May. Start with one section, one hour, today. Layer the rest over the next two weeks. Track the notification countdown. And when the PDF drops on 26 July, you will already be a fifth of the way through your prep — not staring at the syllabus for the first time.
Sources — CAT 2026 patterns and dates: iimcat.ac.in (official); past-year notifications from IIM Lucknow (2024) and IIM Calcutta (2023); IIM Ahmedabad Placement Report 2025; IIM Bangalore CDS Placement Report 2025; IIM Calcutta PGP Final Placement 2025; IIM Indore Consolidated Placement Report 2025.
