The CAT 2026 notification is the single document every MBA aspirant is waiting for right now. Until it appears on the official CAT website, iimcat.ac.in, nothing about the 2026 cycle is formally fixed — not the exam date, not the registration window, not the fee. This guide explains what the notification will settle, what is still unconfirmed as of today, and precisely how to use the remaining weeks so that you are not starting cold on the day registration opens.
Status check — as of 24 July 2026
The CAT 2026 information bulletin has not yet been published on iimcat.ac.in, which at the time of writing still carries the previous cycle. Widely circulated reports point to registration opening in early August and the exam falling in late November 2026, with IIM Indore as the conducting institute — but treat all of these as expected, not confirmed, until the official notification is live. Verify every date against iimcat.ac.in before you plan around it.
What the CAT 2026 notification will actually settle
When the information bulletin drops, read it end to end rather than relying on summaries. It is the authoritative source for:
- The exam date and slot structure — CAT is normally a single-day, computer-based test conducted in multiple slots across the country.
- The registration window, including the final extended deadline, which the IIMs have historically pushed back by a few days.
- The application fee for General/EWS/OBC-NCL candidates and the reduced fee for SC/ST/PwD candidates.
- Eligibility — the bachelor’s-degree percentage requirement and the relaxation for reserved categories, plus how final-year students are treated.
- The test-city list and the number of preferences you may submit.
- The section structure and time limits, including whether the sectional time limit remains unchanged.
The paper you are preparing for
CAT has been a two-hour computer-based test built around three sections, attempted in a fixed order with a sectional time limit:
- VARC — Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, dominated by four to five reading passages.
- DILR — Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, delivered as sets rather than standalone questions.
- QA — Quantitative Ability, weighted heavily towards arithmetic and algebra.
Each section mixes multiple-choice questions, which carry negative marking, with non-MCQ “type in the answer” questions, which do not. Confirm the exact question count and timing against the 2026 bulletin when it is released — the IIMs have adjusted the paper’s length and duration more than once in recent years, and the conducting institute has full discretion to do so again.
What to do in the weeks before registration
The gap between now and the notification is the most under-used period in the entire CAT calendar. Aspirants who wait for the bulletin to “start properly” lose four to six weeks that stronger candidates are already banking.
1. Take a diagnostic before you build a plan
You cannot design a study plan around a score you have not measured. Sit one full-length mock under real conditions — two hours, no pauses, sectional order enforced — and treat the result as a baseline rather than a verdict. Our CGSAT diagnostic test is built for exactly this purpose, and the section-wise breakdown tells you where the next eight weeks should go.
2. Fix arithmetic before you touch advanced topics
A large share of the QA section rests on arithmetic — percentages, ratios, averages, time-speed-distance, profit and loss. Candidates routinely skip these as “basics” and then lose marks to them under time pressure. The Drishti Quantitative Techniques module works through this foundation in the order the exam actually rewards.
3. Build the reading habit now, because it is the slowest to acquire
VARC scores move slowly. Reading two long-form articles daily — on economics, science, philosophy and the arts — for four months moves them far more than a fortnight of passage drills before the exam. Start today, not in October.
4. Keep your documents ready
When the portal opens you will need a scanned photograph and signature within the specified dimensions, your degree or provisional certificate details, category certificates where applicable, and valid identification. Assembling these in advance turns a stressful evening into a fifteen-minute task.
A realistic four-month arc
If the exam does land in late November, you have roughly four months. A workable division:
- August–September: Concept coverage plus one mock per fortnight. Accept low scores; the objective is exposure, not validation.
- October: Weekly full-length mocks with structured analysis. Shift from learning new topics to fixing recurring error patterns.
- November: Two mocks per week, heavy revision, and deliberate practice on selection — deciding which sets to attempt and which to abandon. At this stage, question selection separates a 95 percentile from a 99.
Students who prefer structured contact hours can follow this arc through our live classes, while the All Access Pass bundles the full course library, and the classroom hosts recordings and doubt sessions.
Frequently asked questions
Has the CAT 2026 notification been released?
Not as of 24 July 2026. The official CAT website, iimcat.ac.in, has not yet published the CAT 2026 information bulletin. Aspirants should monitor that site directly, since it is the only authoritative source for the exam date, registration window and fee.
When is CAT 2026 expected to be held?
Reports indicate a late-November 2026 exam with registration opening in early August, but these dates are expected rather than confirmed. They become official only when the information bulletin is published on iimcat.ac.in.
Which IIM is conducting CAT 2026?
The IIMs conduct CAT on rotation, and reports point to IIM Indore for the 2026 cycle. The conducting institute is formally confirmed in the official notification.
Can final-year students apply for CAT?
Candidates in the final year of a bachelor’s degree have ordinarily been permitted to apply, subject to completing the degree before joining. The exact wording changes between cycles, so confirm the eligibility clause in the current bulletin before applying.
Is four months enough to prepare for CAT?
Yes, for a focused first attempt, provided full-length mocks begin early rather than in the final month. Candidates starting from a weak quantitative base should plan for daily arithmetic practice from day one.
Sources
- Indian Institutes of Management — official CAT website (iimcat.ac.in)
All CAT 2026 dates referred to on this page are expected and unconfirmed at the time of publication. The official information bulletin on iimcat.ac.in is the only authoritative source.
