Everything about CAT 2026
— updated for this cycle.

Dates, pattern, syllabus, eligibility, and the colleges that accept it. All updated for this admission cycle.

READ ON

7 MIN READ

CONDUCTED BY
IIM Indore2026 host · expected
MODE
Computer-based3 slots · single day
DURATION
2 hours40 min per section
FREQUENCY
Once a yearLast Sunday of November
APPLICATION FEE
₹2,600₹1,300 · SC/ST/PwD
012345678901234567890123456789days to go
29 Nov 2026

READ ON

7 MIN READ

SECTIONS3VARC · DILR · QA

QUESTIONS68MCQ + TITA mix

TOTAL MARKS204+3 / -1 MCQ

ASPIRANTS2.95L'25 registrations · 2.58L appeared

IIM SEATS~5,00022 IIMs combined

JUMP STRAIGHT TO

01 OVERVIEW

What CAT actually is.

Background context, in two paragraphs. Skip ahead if you've already taken it before.

CAT is the most widely accepted MBA entrance exam in India, conducted annually by the IIMs on a rotational basis. Scores are accepted by 22 IIMs, FMS Delhi, SPJIMR, MDI, and over 100 other top B-schools across the country.

Roughly three lakh candidates appear every year for around five thousand IIM seats — which puts CAT among the most competitive standardised tests in the world. The actual exam is short, the preparation is long, and the application window is where most aspirants quietly fall off.

THE APPLYO FRAMEOne profile, multiple CAT-accepting colleges.
That's what Applyo is built for.

02 TIMELINE

Important dates
— 2026 cycle.

Indicative dates, anchored against the 2025 calendar. Notification confirms the actual schedule.

Last year's notification (CAT 2025)For reference / pattern continuity

27 July 2025

Official notification expectedReleased on iimcat.ac.in

Late Jul 2026

Registration window opensSingle application, no late window

~6 Aug 2026

Registration closesForm, fee, photo, signature, category certificate

~13 Sep 2026

Admit card downloadCentre + session allotted, no reschedule

Early Nov 2026

CAT 2026 exam dateLast Sunday of November · forenoon · afternoon · evening

Sun, 29 Nov 2026

Response sheet + answer keys7-day window for objections

Mid Dec 2026

Results & scorecardSectional and overall percentiles

Early Jan 2027

03 ELIGIBILITY

Eligibility &
exam pattern.

The two questions every aspirant lands on first: am I eligible? and what does the paper look like?

Eligibility · Who can apply

Three conditions. That's it.

Bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks45% relaxed minimum for SC/ST/PwD candidates · CGPA equivalents accepted
Final-year students are eligibleProvisional certificate accepted at the time of admission
No upper age limit, no attempt capCAT may be attempted any number of times across years

SEAT RESERVATION AT IIMS

27%NC-OBC

15%SC

7.5%ST

10%EWS

5%PwD

Per Ministry of Education policy. Valid category certificate required at registration.

Exam Pattern · Structure

Three sections. Fixed order. 40 minutes each.

SECTION	QUES	MARKS	TIME
VARCVerbal Ability & Reading Comprehension	24	72	40 min
DILRData Interpretation & Logical Reasoning	22	66	40 min
QAQuantitative Ability	22	66	40 min
Total	68	204	120 min

Correct+3 marks

Incorrect-1 marks

TITANo negative

Section SwitchNot allowed

Practice this patternPrep Zone

04 SYLLABUS

What's actually tested.

Broken down by section, with the topic weights we observed in the last three CAT papers.

VARC

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension

Roughly 70% RC, 30% verbal reasoning. Speed and inference, not vocabulary.

Reading Comprehension

~16Q

Para-jumbles

2-3Q

Para-summary

2-3Q

Odd one out

1-2Q

Sentence completion

1-2Q

DILR

Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning

Set-based. Caselets dominate. The differentiator on most score days.

Data tables & caselets

~8Q

Bar/Pie/Line graphs

~4Q

Seating arrangement

~3Q

Puzzles

~3Q

Set theory

~2Q

Quantitative

Arithmetic-heavy, class-9 to class-11 syllabus. Don't get pulled into advanced math.

Arithmetic

~9Q

Algebra

~5Q

Geometry & Mensuration

~4Q

Number System

~2Q

Modern Math

~2Q

05 APPLICATION

How to apply for CAT 2026.

The official IIM CAT form takes about 35 minutes, end-to-end, if your documents are ready.

Register on iimcat.ac.inEmail and phone number. You receive a unique 8-digit registration ID — store it; you'll need it across every login.

Fill personal, academic & work details10th, 12th, graduation marks; work experience month-by-month; programme preferences across the 20 IIMs.

Upload photograph, signature, certificatesJPEG only · photo 80-300 KB · signature 10-80 KB · category certificate (PDF) if applicable.

Pay the application fee₹2,600 (General & NC-OBC) or ₹1,300 (SC/ST/PwD). UPI, net-banking, debit and credit cards accepted.

Choose your preferred test citiesUp to six cities in order of preference. Final allotment depends on capacity and is non-negotiable.

Download admit card (~2 weeks before exam)Verify your name, photo, exam-centre address, and session timing. Carry a printed copy and a valid ID to the centre.

Visit the official CAT website