CAT 2026 dates
| Event | Date | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notification published | 26 Jul 2026 | Done | imsindia.com |
| Registration and fee payment First deadline was 15 Sep 2026 (5 pm); extended to 22 Sep 2026 (5 pm). | 3 Aug 2026 – 22 Sep 2026 | Done | news.careers360.com |
| Application correction window (photo, signature, test city) | 5 Oct 2026 – 6 Oct 2026 | Done | careers360.com |
| Admit card download Not yet released as of 29 Oct 2026; available until exam day. | 4 Nov 2026 – 29 Nov 2026 | Announced | imsindia.com |
| CAT 2026 exam (3 slots) | 29 Nov 2026 | Announced | news.careers360.com |
| Response sheet and provisional answer key, with objection window Usually in the first week of December, a few days after the exam. | Dec 2026 | Expected | pw.live |
| Final answer key In 2025 the final key came on 17 Dec, a week before the result. | Dec 2026 | Expected | pw.live |
| Result (scorecard) Reports say first week of January 2027; the last three results came between 19 and 24 December. | Dec 2026 – Jan 2027 | Expected | imsindia.com |
| IIM shortlists for WAT/GD/PI Each IIM releases its own list after the result. | Jan 2027 – Feb 2027 | Expected | insideiim.com |
The notification usually comes in late July, registration runs August to mid-September, and the exam is on the last Sunday of November. Your exact slot, centre and reporting time are printed on the admit card. All official notices appear only on iimcat.ac.in.
Previous cycles
| Cycle | Exam Dates | Result | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 30 Nov 2025 (IIM Kozhikode) | 24 Dec 2025; about 2.95 lakh registered, about 2.58 lakh appeared, 12 scored 100 percentile | pw.live |
| 2024 | 24 Nov 2024 (IIM Calcutta) | 19 Dec 2024; 14 scored 100 percentile | news.careers360.com |
Admit card
The CAT 2026 admit card is scheduled for release on 4 November 2026 on iimcat.ac.in. Log in with your user ID and password to download it. It shows your slot, test centre address and reporting time.
- Print it in colour on A4 paper and carry it with a valid original photo ID (for example Aadhaar, PAN, passport, driving licence or voter ID).
- Check your name, photo, signature, slot and centre. Write to the CAT helpdesk at once if anything is wrong.
- Test city and centre cannot be changed after allotment.
Source: imsindia.com
Answer key
A few days after the exam, IIMs publish each candidate's response sheet and a provisional answer key on iimcat.ac.in. You can challenge an answer online for a fee within a short window. The final key is released before the result, and scores are worked out from it.
- Use the response sheet and key to calculate your raw score: +3 for each correct answer, -1 for each wrong MCQ.
- In CAT 2025, 187 objections were received across all slots and sections.
- Raw scores in different slots are normalised before percentiles are calculated.
Source: pw.live
Result
The scorecard shows your scaled score and percentile for each section and overall. The CAT 2026 result is expected in late December 2026 or the first week of January 2027. CAT itself does not give admission; each IIM sends its own interview calls using CAT percentile plus academics, work experience and diversity.
Source: imsindia.com