Updated 23 October 2026.
Read this first: this is a general checklist, not an official joining guide for any institute. Joining dates, fees, documents and hostel arrangements are set by each IIM and are given in your offer letter, your joining instructions and the institute’s admission portal. Where anything here differs from those, follow the institute.
The checklist is written for candidates who receive an admission offer from an IIM after CAT — for CAT 2026 candidates, that stage comes after the result, which the official notice says is likely by the first week of January 2027 (tentative).
Where the official information lives
- Your offer letter and joining instructions. These are the documents that bind you: deadlines, amounts, documents, reporting dates.
- The institute’s admissions pages. IIM Ahmedabad’s MBA admissions page, for example, links its admission procedure documents and lists the admissions office contacts: iima.ac.in/academics/mba/admissions. Other IIMs publish their own.
- The CAT 2026 Information Bulletin, which says each IIM is independent in setting its eligibility criteria and selection process.
The checklist
1. Read the offer letter end to end
Note every action it asks for and every deadline, in one list with dates. An offer usually depends on completing these steps on time.
2. Put every deadline in your calendar — with a buffer
Do each step days before the deadline, not on the last evening. Payment systems and uploads can fail at the last minute.
3. Pay only through official channels
Use only the payment method and link given in your offer letter or on the institute’s own website. Ignore anyone who contacts you offering a “faster” route or asking for payment elsewhere.
4. Match your documents before you upload them
Check that your name, date of birth and category are spelled the same way on your CAT registration, marksheets, degree or provisional certificate, identity documents and category certificate. If they do not match, write to the admissions office early with the documents that explain the difference.
5. Final-year students: the completion certificate
The CAT 2026 Information Bulletin says final-year candidates, if selected, can join only provisionally, and only if they submit a certificate from their Principal or Registrar — issued on or before the date set by the respective IIM — stating that they have completed all requirements for the degree. Find that date in your offer letter and ask your university for the certificate well in advance.
6. Category documents
The bulletin says no change of category is allowed after CAT registration, and that IIMs may verify eligibility at various stages. Keep the category certificate you used at registration, and any updated certificate your offer letter asks for, ready to upload.
7. Tell the truth everywhere
The bulletin warns that incorrect information or a process violation detected at any stage leads to disqualification, even retrospectively. If you made an error in your application, raise it with the admissions office yourself.
8. Plan finances early
If you need an education loan, start the bank’s process as soon as you have the offer letter and the institute’s fee documents; banks usually ask for both. Use only the fee amounts stated by the institute.
9. Housing, travel and reporting
Your joining instructions say where and when to report and what accommodation arrangements apply. Plan travel around the reporting date they give.
10. Ask the institute, not a forum
For anything unclear, write to the admissions office using the contacts on the institute’s own website and keep a copy of the reply.
Still preparing for CAT 2026?
CAT 2026 is on 29 November 2026. Before any of the above, the exam comes first:
