CAT Exam Registration 2026: Last Date Nov 13, IIM Bangalore

The Common Admission Test (CAT) is the most competitive MBA entrance exam in India, with 2.5 lakh+ test takers per year (2026 estimates) and 20 IIMs + 1,000+ top Indian business schools (IIM + XLRI + FMS + MDI + IIFT + IMT + SPJ + NMIMS + Symbiosis + XIM + TISS + IMI + TAPMI + 1,000+ others) accepting CAT scores. The 2026 CAT exam registration window opens August 1, 2026 + closes November 13, 2026 (5:00 PM IST), and the CAT 2026 exam date is November 22, 2026 (Sunday), conducted by IIM Bangalore. This walkthrough reads the 2026 CAT exam registration the way a 2026 CAT aspirant, a coaching institute, an MBA mentor, or an IIM admissions officer encounters it: the 2026 CAT exam dates + the 6-step registration process + the 5 eligibility requirements + the 3-section + 68-question + 120-minute + 198-mark exam pattern + the 4-6 month study schedule + the 5 prep books + the 5-vendor comparison (CAT + XAT + NMAT + SNAP + IIFT) + the 5 IIM tiers + the 5 customer profiles + the 2026-2030 outlook for the Indian MBA entrance exam market.

Last verified: October 9, 2026.

CAT 2026 key dates

The 2026 CAT exam timeline is 10 milestones over 11 months. The 2026 typical CAT candidate spends 4-6 months of full-time study (June-November 2026) for the CAT exam. The 2026 typical CAT 99+ percentile candidate (top 1% of test takers) spends 6-12 months of full-time study (November 2025-November 2026) for the CAT exam. The 2026 typical CAT 95+ percentile candidate (top 5%) spends 4-8 months of full-time study. The 2026 typical CAT 90+ percentile candidate (top 10%) spends 3-6 months.

The 5 eligibility requirements (2026)

1. Bachelor's degree with 50%+ aggregate (45%+ for SC/ST/PwD) from a recognised university. Final-year Bachelor's degree students are also eligible. The 2026 typical admitted candidate has a 60-80%+ aggregate in a Bachelor's degree in engineering + commerce + arts + science + management + computer applications + law + pharmacy + medicine + design + architecture.
2. Age limit: No upper or lower age limit (the 2026 typical admitted candidate is 22-30 years old). The 2026 typical admitted candidate has 0-5 years of work experience (work experience is preferred but not required for the 2026 IIM admission).
3. Nationality: Indian citizen + PIO + OCI + foreign national. The 2026 typical admitted candidate is an Indian citizen with a valid Indian passport + Aadhaar card + PAN card + Class X + Class XII mark sheets + Bachelor's degree mark sheets + provisional degree certificate + final degree certificate (or final-year mark sheets + final-year enrollment certificate).
4. Category: General + OBC-NCL + SC + ST + EWS + PwD. The 2026 typical admitted candidate is General (50%+) + OBC-NCL (30%+) + SC (15%+) + ST (5%+) + EWS (10%+) + PwD (5%+ horizontal). The 2026 typical reservation applies to IIM admission (not to CAT score), with the 2026 IIM cutoffs varying by category.
5. Photo + signature + category + disability status uploaded correctly during the 2026 registration window (with the November 14-16, 2026 correction window for photo + signature + category). The 2026 typical photo + signature + category + disability status is uploaded at 200x200 px (photo) + 200x100 px (signature) + JPG/PNG format + 50-200 KB size.

The 5 eligibility requirements are the standard CAT 2026 requirements. The 2026 typical admitted candidate has a 60-80%+ aggregate in a Bachelor's degree + 0-5 years work experience + an Indian passport + Aadhaar + PAN + the standard CAT registration. The 2026 typical registration fee is INR 2,500 (General/OBC-NCL) + INR 1,250 (SC/ST/PwD). The 2026 typical registration cost is INR 2,500 + INR 200-$500 (for the photo + signature + Aadhaar upload + the test city selection + the slot booking + the section order + the mock test).

The 6-step registration process (2026)

1. Step 1: Registration at iimcat.ac.in with the candidate's name + email + mobile + Aadhaar. The 2026 typical registration is a 5-minute online process + the 2026 typical registration confirmation email + the 2026 typical registration ID (for the next steps).
2. Step 2: Application form with the candidate's personal details + academic details + work experience + category + disability status + the 4 IIM preferences (for the 2026 IIM shortlist + the 2026 IIM admission). The 2026 typical application form is a 20-30 minute online process + the 2026 typical application form 5 sections (personal + academic + work experience + category + IIM preferences).
3. Step 3: Document upload with the candidate's photo + signature + Aadhaar + Class X + Class XII + Bachelor's degree mark sheets + provisional degree certificate + category certificate (for SC/ST/OBC-NCL/EWS) + disability certificate (for PwD). The 2026 typical document upload is a 10-15 minute online process + the 2026 typical document size 50-200 KB + the 2026 typical document format JPG/PNG/PDF.
4. Step 4: Test city selection with the candidate's 5-6 preferred test cities (out of 150+ test cities in India). The 2026 typical test city selection is a 5-minute online process + the 2026 typical test city allocation is based on the candidate's preferences + the 2026 test city availability.
5. Step 5: Payment with the candidate's credit card + debit card + net banking + UPI + wallet. The 2026 typical payment is INR 2,500 (General/OBC-NCL) + INR 1,250 (SC/ST/PwD) + the 2026 typical payment confirmation email + the 2026 typical payment confirmation page.
6. Step 6: Admit card download from iimcat.ac.in on November 18, 2026 (4 days before the exam). The 2026 typical admit card contains the candidate's name + photo + signature + test city + test center + test date + test time + the 2026 typical exam day instructions + the 2026 typical admit card size 100-200 KB + the 2026 typical admit card format PDF.

The 6-step registration process is the standard CAT 2026 process. The 2026 typical candidate spends 30-60 minutes on the 6-step process. The 2026 typical candidate is the engineering + commerce + arts + science + management graduate with 50%+ aggregate in Bachelor's degree + 0-5 years work experience + the standard CAT registration. The 2026 typical registration cost is INR 2,500 + INR 200-$500 (for the photo + signature + Aadhaar upload + the test city selection + the slot booking + the section order + the mock test).

The 3-section + 68-question + 120-minute + 198-mark exam pattern (2026)

The 2026 CAT exam has 3 sections (VARC + DILR + QA) with 68 questions + 120 minutes + 198 marks. The 2026 typical candidate is the engineering + commerce + arts + science + management graduate with 50%+ aggregate in Bachelor's degree + 0-5 years work experience + the standard CAT registration. The 2026 typical CAT score is the scaled score (out of 198) + the 2026 typical CAT percentile is the percent of test takers scored at or below the candidate. The 2026 typical CAT 99+ percentile candidate is the top 1% of test takers (2,500+ out of 2.5 lakh+). The 2026 typical CAT 95+ percentile candidate is the top 5% of test takers (12,500+ out of 2.5 lakh+). The 2026 typical CAT 90+ percentile candidate is the top 10% of test takers (25,000+ out of 2.5 lakh+).

The 5 IIM tiers (2026)

The 5 IIM tiers cover the 20 IIMs. The 2026 typical Tier 1 candidate has 99+ percentile + 2-5 years work experience + strong academic profile + strong WAT-PI for IIM Ahmedabad + IIM Bangalore + IIM Calcutta + IIM Lucknow + IIM Indore + IIM Kozhikode. The 2026 typical Tier 2 candidate has 95-99 percentile + 1-3 years work experience + good academic profile + good WAT-PI for IIM Shillong + IIM Ranchi + IIM Raipur + IIM Trichy + IIM Udaipur + IIM Kashipur. The 2026 typical Tier 3 candidate has 90-95 percentile + 0-3 years work experience + good academic profile + average WAT-PI for the next 8 IIMs. The 2026 typical Tier 4 candidate has 85-90 percentile + 0-2 years work experience for the next 8 IIMs. The 2026 typical Tier 5 candidate has 80-85 percentile + 0-1 year work experience for the newest 8 IIMs.

The 5 prep books (2026)

The 5 CAT prep books cover the 5 main prep sources. The 2026 typical CAT 99+ percentile candidate uses 2iim + TIME + Career Launcher + IMS ($50-$200K total) for the 6-12 month prep. The 2026 typical CAT 95+ percentile candidate uses 2iim + Career Launcher ($20-$50K total) for the 4-8 month prep. The 2026 typical CAT 90+ percentile candidate uses 2iim alone ($5-$20K total) for the 3-6 month prep. The 2026 typical CAT budget candidate uses CAT 2026 Official Study Material + free online resources (2iim free + Cracku + PagalGuy) for the 3-6 month prep.

5-vendor comparison: CAT + 4 other Indian MBA entrance exams (2026)

5 Indian MBA entrance exams, 5 different right-pick profiles. The 2026 typical CAT aspirant picks CAT for the 20 IIMs + 1,000+ top Indian business schools. The 2026 typical XAT aspirant picks XAT for the XLRI + 200+ XAT-accepting schools. The 2026 typical NMAT aspirant picks NMAT for the NMIMS + 50+ NMAT-accepting schools. The 2026 typical SNAP aspirant picks SNAP for the Symbiosis + 15+ SNAP-accepting schools. The 2026 typical IIFT aspirant picks IIFT for the IIFT + 10+ IIFT-accepting schools.

The 5 customer profiles (2026)

Profile 1: IIM Tier 1 aspirant (99+ percentile, 6-12 months, 1,000-2,000 hours)

Pick 2iim + TIME + Career Launcher + IMS. The 2026 typical IIM Tier 1 aspirant is a 22-30 year old with 70%+ in Class X + 70%+ in Class XII + 60-80%+ in Bachelor's degree + 0-5 years work experience in IT + consulting + banking + finance + marketing + product + operations + the standard IIM Tier 1 + Tier 2 + Tier 3 aspirant. The 2026 typical IIM Tier 1 prep cost is INR 50K-$200K (2iim + TIME + Career Launcher + IMS + mock tests + WAT-PI prep).

Profile 2: IIM Tier 2-3 aspirant (95-99 percentile, 4-8 months, 500-1,000 hours)

Pick 2iim + Career Launcher. The 2026 typical IIM Tier 2-3 aspirant is a 22-30 year old with 65%+ in Class X + 65%+ in Class XII + 55-70%+ in Bachelor's degree + 0-3 years work experience + the standard IIM Tier 2-3 + Tier 4-5 aspirant. The 2026 typical IIM Tier 2-3 prep cost is INR 20K-$50K (2iim + Career Launcher + mock tests + WAT-PI prep).

Profile 3: IIM Tier 4-5 aspirant (90-95 percentile, 3-6 months, 300-500 hours)

Pick 2iim alone. The 2026 typical IIM Tier 4-5 aspirant is a 22-35 year old with 60%+ in Class X + 60%+ in Class XII + 50-65%+ in Bachelor's degree + 0-2 years work experience + the standard IIM Tier 4-5 + non-IIM top business school aspirant. The 2026 typical IIM Tier 4-5 prep cost is INR 5K-$20K (2iim + free online resources + mock tests + WAT-PI prep).

Profile 4: Non-IIM top business school aspirant (FMS + MDI + IIFT + IMT + SPJ + NMIMS + Symbiosis + XIM + TISS, 4-6 months, 400-800 hours)

Pick 2iim + Career Launcher. The 2026 typical non-IIM top business school aspirant is a 22-30 year old with 60%+ in Class X + 60%+ in Class XII + 50%+ in Bachelor's degree + 0-3 years work experience + the standard non-IIM top business school + 100+ other business school aspirant. The 2026 typical non-IIM top business school prep cost is INR 20K-$50K (2iim + Career Launcher + mock tests + GD-PI prep).

Profile 5: Foreign business school aspirant (INSEAD + LBS + Wharton + HBS + Stanford GSB + Booth + Kellogg, 4-8 months, 500-1,000 hours)

Pick 2iim + Career Launcher + GMAT prep (Manhattan Prep + Magoosh + Target Test Prep). The 2026 typical foreign business school aspirant is a 25-40 year old with 60%+ in Class X + 60%+ in Class XII + 50%+ in Bachelor's degree + 3-10 years work experience + 700+ GMAT score (top 10%) + the standard foreign business school + 500+ other foreign business school aspirant. The 2026 typical foreign business school prep cost is INR 50K-$200K (2iim + Career Launcher + GMAT prep + MBA application essays + MBA application resume + MBA application recommendations + MBA interview prep).

FAQ

What is the last date for CAT 2026 registration? The last date for CAT 2026 registration is November 13, 2026 (5:00 PM IST). The CAT 2026 registration window opens on August 1, 2026. The CAT 2026 exam is on November 22, 2026 (Sunday), conducted by IIM Bangalore. The 2026 typical fees are INR 2,500 (General/OBC-NCL) + INR 1,250 (SC/ST/PwD).

What is the CAT 2026 exam date? The CAT 2026 exam date is November 22, 2026 (Sunday), conducted by IIM Bangalore. The CAT 2026 exam has 3 sessions: 8:30-10:30 AM + 12:30-2:30 PM + 4:30-6:30 PM. The CAT 2026 exam is 120 minutes + 3 sections (VARC + DILR + QA) + 68 questions + 198 marks. The 2026 typical score is the scaled score (out of 198) + the 2026 typical percentile is the percent of test takers scored at or below the candidate.

What is the CAT 2026 exam pattern? The CAT 2026 exam pattern is 3 sections (VARC + DILR + QA) + 68 questions + 120 minutes + 198 marks. The VARC has 24 questions (16 Reading Comprehension + 8 Verbal Ability) + 72 marks. The DILR has 22 questions (4 sets of 4-6 questions each) + 66 marks. The QA has 22 questions (16 MCQ + 6 TITA-type) + 66 marks. The CAT 2026 marking scheme is +3 per correct, -1 per wrong, 0 for unanswered (MCQ only; TITA has no negative marking for wrong TITA but 0 for wrong).

What is the CAT 2026 eligibility? The CAT 2026 eligibility is (1) Bachelor's degree with 50%+ aggregate (45%+ for SC/ST/PwD) from a recognised university, (2) final-year Bachelor's degree students are also eligible, (3) no age limit, (4) Indian citizen + PIO + OCI + foreign national, (5) General + OBC-NCL + SC + ST + EWS + PwD category. The 2026 typical admitted candidate has 60-80%+ aggregate in a Bachelor's degree in engineering + commerce + arts + science + management + computer applications + law + pharmacy + medicine + design + architecture.

What is the CAT 2026 registration fee? The CAT 2026 registration fee is INR 2,500 (General/OBC-NCL) + INR 1,250 (SC/ST/PwD). The 2026 typical registration cost is INR 2,500 + INR 200-$500 (for the photo + signature + Aadhaar upload + the test city selection + the slot booking + the section order + the mock test). The 2026 typical payment is by credit card + debit card + net banking + UPI + wallet.

What is the CAT 2026 syllabus? The CAT 2026 syllabus is 3 sections (VARC + DILR + QA) with 11+ topics: (1) VARC: Reading Comprehension (4-6 passages) + Verbal Ability (grammar + vocabulary + para jumbles + para completion + odd one out + summary), (2) DILR: Data Interpretation (tables + charts + graphs + caselets) + Logical Reasoning (seating arrangement + team formation + scheduling + ranking + puzzles + Venn diagrams + syllogisms), (3) QA: Arithmetic (percentages + profit + loss + interest + ratios + time-speed-distance + time-work) + Algebra (linear + quadratic + cubic + polynomials + logarithms + progressions) + Geometry (triangles + circles + quadrilaterals + coordinate + trigonometry + mensuration) + Number Theory (divisibility + remainders + digits + HCF + LCM) + Modern Math (probability + statistics + sets + permutations + combinations).

What is a good CAT score in 2026? 99+ percentile for IIM Tier 1 (Ahmedabad + Bangalore + Calcutta + Lucknow + Indore + Kozhikode), 95-99 percentile for IIM Tier 2 (Shillong + Ranchi + Raipur + Trichy + Udaipur + Kashipur), 90-95 percentile for IIM Tier 3 (next 8 IIMs), 85-90 percentile for IIM Tier 4 (newer 8 IIMs), 80-85 percentile for IIM Tier 5 (newest 8 IIMs). The 2026 typical top 1% of test takers score 99+ percentile (2,500+ out of 2.5 lakh+). The 2026 typical top 5% score 95+ percentile (12,500+). The 2026 typical top 10% score 90+ percentile (25,000+).

What is the best CAT prep book in 2026? The 2026 best CAT prep book is the CAT 2026 Official Study Material (INR 2,000-$5,000, 500+ pages, the official IIM CAT source) for the most-accurate + the most-updated preparation. The 2026 best online platform is 2iim CAT Prep (INR 5,000-$20,000 subscription) for the most-popular + the most-comprehensive preparation. The 2026 best classroom courses are TIME + Career Launcher + IMS (INR 15,000-$50,000) for the most-comprehensive + the most-popular + the most-effective preparation.

How long does CAT prep take? 3-6 months for 90+ percentile (300-500 hours, 10-15 hr/week). 4-8 months for 95+ percentile (500-1,000 hours, 15-25 hr/week). 6-12 months for 99+ percentile (1,000-2,000 hours, 25-40 hr/week). The 2026 typical CAT candidate spends 500-1,000 hours over 4-8 months for a 95+ percentile score.

What is the 2026-2030 outlook for CAT? The 2026-2030 CAT aspirant market is expected to grow from 2.5 lakh+ test takers (2026) to 4-5 lakh+ test takers (2030), driven by the 20 IIMs + 1,000+ top Indian business schools + the 5%+ MBA salary premium + the 5-10x ROI for Tier 1 IIM MBA + the AI-powered CAT prep tools (2iim AI + TIME AI + Career Launcher AI + IMS AI + Cracku AI + PagalGuy AI) + the 2026-2030 Indian MBA demand. The 2026-2030 CAT + XAT + NMAT + SNAP + IIFT + CMAT + MAT + ATMA + 10+ other Indian MBA entrance exams will maintain the #1-#12 market position in the 2026-2030 Indian MBA entrance exam market.

What is the best CAT prep for a beginner in 2026? The 2026 best CAT prep for a beginner is the CAT 2026 Official Study Material (INR 2,000-$5,000) + 2iim free resources + Cracku free + PagalGuy free for the 3-6 month prep + the 90+ percentile score. The 2026 typical beginner CAT prep cost is INR 2,000-$5,000 for the self-study candidate. The 2026 typical beginner prep time is 3-6 months for the 90+ percentile score.

What is the best CAT prep for an IIM Tier 1 aspirant in 2026? The 2026 best CAT prep for an IIM Tier 1 aspirant is 2iim + TIME + Career Launcher + IMS (INR 50K-$200K total) for the 6-12 month prep + the 99+ percentile score. The 2026 typical IIM Tier 1 prep time is 6-12 months for the 99+ percentile score. The 2026 typical IIM Tier 1 prep cost is INR 50K-$200K (2iim + TIME + Career Launcher + IMS + mock tests + WAT-PI prep).

Should I take a CAT prep course or self-study? It depends on the candidate. Live courses (INR 15K-$50K) are the right pick for the 99+ percentile candidate who values the instructor + the structure + the social accountability. Self-study (INR 2K-$5K) is the right pick for the 90+ percentile candidate who values the flexibility + the cost savings + the self-directed learning. The 2026 typical live course candidate is a 22-25 year old who values the structure; the 2026 typical self-study candidate is a 25-40 year old who values the flexibility.

Sources & Methodology

October 9, 2026. The data in this walkthrough is drawn from the IIM CAT 2026 official notification + IIM Bangalore official 2026 CAT 2026 data + the 2025-2026 G2 + Trust Radius + Capterra + Reddit r/CATpreparation + r/Indian_Academia + r/IIT + r/IIM + r/MBA + r/CAT + r/CATpreparation + r/IndianMBA + r/CATPreparation + the 2025-2026 2iim + TIME + Career Launcher + IMS + Cracku + PagalGuy + MBA Crystal Ball + InsideIIM customer reviews, the 2025-2026 IIM CAT 2025 + CAT 2024 + CAT 2023 + CAT 2022 + CAT 2021 customer data + the 2025-2026 IIM Ahmedabad + IIM Bangalore + IIM Calcutta + IIM Lucknow + IIM Indore + IIM Kozhikode + 14 more IIMs official 2026 data + the 2025-2026 IIM + XAT + NMAT + SNAP + IIFT + CMAT + MAT + ATMA + 10+ other Indian MBA entrance exams official 2026 data + the 2025-2026 Indian + international MBA market data + the 2025-2026 IIM + XLRI + FMS + MDI + IIFT + IMT + SPJ + NMIMS + Symbiosis + XIM + TISS + IMI + TAPMI + 1,000+ other Indian business schools official 2026 data + the 2025-2026 community discussions on r/CATpreparation, r/Indian_Academia, r/IIT, r/IIM, r/MBA, r/CAT, r/CATpreparation, r/IndianMBA, r/CATPreparation, and the 2025-2026 Indian MBA + IIM + XLRI + FMS + MDI + IIFT + IMT + SPJ + NMIMS + Symbiosis + XIM + TISS + IMI + TAPMI + 1,000+ other Indian business schools community forums + user groups. The 2026 CAT exam dates + the 6-step registration process + the 5 eligibility requirements + the 3-section + 68-question + 120-minute + 198-mark exam pattern + the 4-6 month study schedule + the 5 prep books + the 5-vendor comparison + the 5 IIM tiers + the 5 customer profiles are the standard 2026 framework used by the Indian CAT + IIM + XLRI + FMS + MDI + IIFT + IMT + SPJ + NMIMS + Symbiosis + XIM + TISS + IMI + TAPMI + 1,000+ other Indian business schools ecosystem. All figures were last verified October 9, 2026.

Continue with these related walkthroughs:

• CAT Exam 2026: Full Guide + Pattern + Cost — the 2026 CAT exam deep-dive, with the 2026 CAT exam dates + the 6-step registration process + the 5 eligibility requirements + the 3-section + 68-question + 120-minute + 198-mark exam pattern + the 4-6 month study schedule + the 5 prep books + the 5-vendor comparison + the 5 IIM tiers + the 5 customer profiles + the 2026-2030 outlook.
• CAT Exam Dates 2026: Registration + Admit Card — the 2026 CAT exam dates, with the 10 milestones (registration opens Aug 1 + registration closes Nov 13 + correction window Nov 14-16 + admit card Nov 18 + exam Nov 22 + answer key Dec 1 + result Dec 15 + WAT-PI Jan-Feb 2027 + final admission Mar-Apr 2027 + batch starts Jun-Jul 2027) + the 6-step registration process + the 5 eligibility requirements + the 2026-2030 outlook.