CAT 2026 Exam Date, Syllabus, Eligibility, Preparation, Registration

nCAT 2025 or Common Admission Test 2026 will be held on the last Sunday of November 2026. Graduate candidates and last year students are eligible to apply for CAT exam 2026. The online registration for IIM CAT 2026 will commence in the month of July 2026. Aspirants must go through the complete article to know everything about the Common admission test 2026.

CAT 2026 Exam Date

IIM will release the CAT exam date 2026 in the month of July along with the brochure. Meanwhile, aspirants can check the tentative CAT 2026 exam dates based on last year trends

CAT Exam Date

CAT 2026 Eligibility

Only eligible candidates will be able to apply for the CAT examination. Hence, read the given CAT eligibility norms.

CAT Age limit- There is no age limit to apply for CAT.

CAT Educational Qualification for CAT

• Candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree with at least 50% marks (or 45% for SC/ST/PWD candidates) from a recognized university.
• Final-year undergraduate students can also apply, provided they meet the eligibility requirements by the time of admission.

Nationality for CAT

• The exam is open to Indian citizens, and international candidates can also apply, subject to specific criteria set by the participating institutions.

CAT 2026 Exam Pattern

CAT 2026 Syllabus

IIM do note provide detailed CAT syllabus 2026. However, based on the previous year papers, below given topics are best to prepare for CAT exam 2026. Below are the important topics for all 3 sections of CAT.

CAT 2026 Preparation Tips

• Familiarize yourself with the CAT syllabus and exam pattern to make a good preparation strategy. Also, review previous years’ question papers and sample papers to know the same.
• Candidates are suggested to follow the standard textbooks, online resources, and coaching materials recommended by toppers and experts. Aspirants can also enroll in online coaching classes.
• Solve practice or last year’s question papers and take mock tests to build speed and accuracy. Regular practice helps in identifying strengths and weaknesses.
• Develop effective time management skills to handle the time constraints of the exam. Practice answering questions within the allotted time for each section.
• Regularly revise key concepts and formulas. Focus on areas where you need improvement based on your mock test performance.

CAT 2026 Application Form

IIMs will release the application form for CAT exam 2026 in July. Candidates who will meet the eligibility criteria will be able to apply for IIM CAT. The registration link will be available at iimcat.ac.in. The last date for registration will fall in September 2025. While submitting the CAT application form, candidates should also pay the registration fee. NO CAT form will be accepted without fee. Common Admission Test will be held in test centres spread across around 170 test cities.

CAT Exam Registration Fee

• For SC, ST and PwD category- Rs 1250/-
• For all other categories- Rs 2500/-

CAT 2026 Admit Card

Registered candidates will be able to download the CAT exam admit card online at iimcat.ac.in. Candidates will need their login details to download the CAT admit card 2026. The admit card will contain the CAT 2026 exam date, timing, test center details and more. The only mode to download the CAT hall ticket is online.

CAT Result

Only candidates who will have their CAT score card will get admission in one of the IIMs. However, they need to satisfy the minimum eligibility of that particular IIM. CAT result is expected to be released in December 2026.

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