Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) Common Admission Test (CAT) Recruitment 2026

CAT 2026 will be conducted on Sunday, November 29, 2026, in three sessions.

Candidates must hold a Bachelor’s Degree with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA (45% for SC/ST/PwBD categories). Those in the final year of their Bachelor's degree or awaiting results can also apply provisionally. Professional degrees like CA/CS/ICWA/FIAI with the required percentage are also accepted.

The registration fee for CAT 2026 is Rs. 1350 for SC, ST, and PwBD candidates, and Rs. 2700 for all other candidates. Fees once paid are non-refundable.

The CAT 2026 registration window opens at 10:00 a.m. on August 3, 2026, and closes at 5:00 p.m. on September 15, 2026.

Candidates can download their admit cards from November 04, 2026, until November 29, 2026.

The CAT 2026 results are likely to be declared by the first week of January 2027. The CAT 2026 score is valid only till December 31, 2027.

Performance in CAT 2026 is a key component. Individual IIMs will shortlist candidates based on CAT scores, academic performance, work experience, and other inputs. Each IIM has its own independent selection process, which may include interviews and other stages. Candidates should refer to individual IIM websites for specific admission policies.

Yes, reservations are provided as per government norms: 15% for Scheduled Caste (SC), 7.5% for Scheduled Tribe (ST), 27% for Non-Creamy Layer Other Backward Classes (NC-OBC), up to 10% for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), and 5% for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) candidates.

Candidates can select any five test cities as per their preference during registration. CAT 2026 will be conducted in approximately 170 test cities across India.