CAT 2026, conducted by IIM Indore, will be held on Sunday, November 29, 2026. The official notification is expected on July 26, 2026, with the registration window opening in the first week of August and remaining open for approximately 45 days. If you are starting your MBA journey today — May 26, 2026 — you have exactly six months to convert preparation into a 99+ percentile. This guide breaks down the confirmed schedule, expected exam pattern, eligibility, fee structure, and a realistic six-month preparation roadmap.
CAT 2026: Key dates at a glance
| Event | Expected date |
|---|---|
| Notification release | Sunday, July 26, 2026 |
| Registration window opens | August 3-4, 2026 |
| Registration last date | Mid-September 2026 |
| Admit card download | ~November 5, 2026 |
| Exam day | Sunday, November 29, 2026 |
| Provisional answer key | Early December 2026 |
| Result | First week of January 2027 |
Source: trend analysis of the last five CAT cycles. Final dates will be confirmed in the official notification on iimcat.ac.in.
Conducting authority: IIM Indore
IIM Indore is the convener for CAT 2026. The convener IIM is responsible for setting question papers, declaring results and publishing answer keys. Convener rotation cycles among the older IIMs (A, B, C, L, K, I) every year. IIM Indore last convened CAT in 2019, so this is its return after a six-year gap.
Expected exam pattern
CAT 2026 will retain the post-2020 three-section structure:
| Section | Questions | Time (minutes) |
|---|---|---|
| Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 24 | 40 |
| Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) | 22 | 40 |
| Quantitative Aptitude (QA) | 22 | 40 |
| Total | 66-68 | 120 |
Marking: +3 for correct, -1 for wrong MCQs, no negative for non-MCQs (TITA). Section-switching is not allowed — each section is timed separately at 40 minutes.
Eligibility
- Graduation: Bachelor’s degree (minimum 50% for General/EWS/OBC; 45% for SC/ST/PwD) from any recognised university.
- Final-year students are eligible, provided they complete graduation before the IIM joining date (typically June 2027).
- Age: No upper age limit.
- Attempts: No restriction on number of attempts.
Expected fee structure
| Category | CAT 2025 fee | CAT 2026 (expected) |
|---|---|---|
| General / EWS / NC-OBC | ₹2,500 | ₹2,500 (likely) |
| SC / ST / PwD | ₹1,250 | ₹1,250 (likely) |
Fees are non-refundable. Confirmed amounts will be in the July 26 notification.
What 99+ percentilers look like across IIMs
| IIM | CAT cutoff for shortlist (General) |
|---|---|
| IIM Ahmedabad | ~80 percentile overall, but composite scoring favours 95+ |
| IIM Bangalore | ~85 percentile minimum, shortlists at ~90+ |
| IIM Calcutta | ~85 percentile, shortlists 95+ |
| IIM Lucknow / Kozhikode / Indore | ~90 percentile minimum, shortlists 95+ |
These are minimum eligibility cutoffs — actual shortlists are far higher.
Six-month preparation roadmap (May 26 to November 29, 2026)
Phase 1: Foundation (May 26 – July 31, 2026 | 9 weeks)
- QA: arithmetic, algebra, numbers, geometry — 60 min/day
- VARC: 1 RC passage + 5 verbal questions daily
- DILR: 1 set per topic (tables, bars, caselets, syllogism) every alternate day
- One sectional test per week
Phase 2: Application (August 1 – September 30, 2026 | 8 weeks)
- Register for CAT 2026 in week 1 (preferred test city availability)
- Start 1 full mock per week + same-day analysis (spend more time on analysis than the mock)
- Topic-wise revision based on mock errors
Phase 3: Test-taking strategy (October 1 – November 15, 2026 | 6 weeks)
- Ramp to 2 mocks per week
- Section-selection strategy (which questions to attempt first within each 40-min section)
- Speed + accuracy targets per section
Phase 4: Final taper (November 16 – 29, 2026 | 2 weeks)
- Drop to 1 mock per week — focus on rest and revision
- Revise formula sheets, RC strategy, DILR pattern library
- Admit card download (~Nov 5), test-day logistics rehearsal
XAT, SNAP, NMAT, CMAT — the wider MBA calendar
CAT is the headline test, but the serious MBA aspirant writes 3-5 exams:
- XAT 2026 — January 4, 2026 (already over for this cycle; XAT 2027 in early Jan 2027). Conducted by XLRI Jamshedpur via xatonline.in.
- NMAT 2026 — October-December 2026 window. Conducted by GMAC via nmat.org. Multiple attempts allowed.
- SNAP 2026 — December 2026 (typically two shifts). Conducted by Symbiosis.
- CMAT 2027 — early 2027. Conducted by NTA via AIMA / NTA portal.
What to do this week (May 26 – June 1, 2026)
- Bookmark iimcat.ac.in and add a calendar reminder for July 26, 2026.
- Diagnostic mock: take one untimed CAT mock to identify your weakest section.
- Buy or download the core resource set: Arun Sharma QA, Sarvesh Verma QA, Nishit Sinha LRDI, Norman Lewis Word Power Made Easy.
- Set a daily QA + VARC + DILR rotation. Six months = 180 days. Skip none.
Test yourself: CAT 2026 notification quiz
Practice Quiz — 10 CLAT-Style Questions
Click an option to reveal the answer and explanation.
Frequently asked questions
When will the CAT 2026 notification be released?
The notification is expected on Sunday, July 26, 2026, on iimcat.ac.in. Registration opens approximately one week later.
Which IIM is the convener for CAT 2026?
IIM Indore is the conducting authority for CAT 2026.
What is the CAT 2026 exam date?
Sunday, November 29, 2026 — the last Sunday of November, in multiple shifts across approximately 170 cities.
Can a final-year undergraduate apply for CAT 2026?
Yes, final-year students are eligible provided they complete graduation before the IIM joining date (typically June 2027).
Is the CAT 2026 exam pattern changing?
No major changes are expected. The three-section, 120-minute, 66-68 question structure with section-wise 40-minute timing is likely to continue.
