The CAT 2026 registration fees is ₹2,600 for General/EWS/NC-OBC candidates and ₹1,300 for SC/ST/PwD categories.
Fees are non-refundable and paid online via debit/credit card, net banking, or UPI. No additional charges for multiple institutes in one registration.
CAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria
For the IIM CAT 2026 exam, candidates must hold a Bachelor’s degree from a recognised university or institute. The minimum marks required in graduation are 50 percent for General category candidates and 45 percent for SC, ST, and PwD categories. Final year graduation candidates are also eligible to apply. There is no age limit for appearing in the CAT examination.
CAT 2026 Syllabus
The CAT 2026 syllabus covers three main sections: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (QA). The examination includes topics such as Reading Comprehension, Grammar, Data Interpretation based on graphs and tables, Logical Reasoning with puzzles and arrangements, and Quantitative topics like Arithmetic, Algebra, and Geometry. The CAT exam generally consists of around 66 to 68 questions to be attempted within a 120-minute time duration.
CAT 2026 Exam Pattern
The CAT 2026 examination is conducted in computer-based test mode with a total duration of 120 minutes. The paper includes three sections with a fixed 40 minutes per section time limit. Each section contains both multiple-choice and non-MCQ (TITA) questions, and negative marking applies only to incorrect MCQs.
| Section | Number of Questions | Time Duration |
|---|
| Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 24 | 40 Minutes |
| Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) | 22 | 40 Minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude (QA) | 22 | 40 Minutes |
| Total | 68 | 120 Minutes |
Note:In the CAT examination 2026, Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) carries 35.3% weightage, while Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) and Quantitative Aptitude (QA) each carry 32.4% weightage of the total paper. The exam consists of 68 questions in total. Each question carries 3 marks, and –1 mark is deducted for every wrong MCQ answer, while no negative marking is applied to non-MCQ (TITA) questions.
How to Apply for CAT 2026 Examination
Follow the step-by-step guide to fill the CAT 2026 registration form online:
Visit the official website iimcat.ac.in
On the homepage, click on the New Candidate Registration link
Register to generate a unique User ID and Password
Log in using the generated User ID and Password
Fill in personal and academic information
Upload the required documents
Select the programme and preferred exam city
Pay the application fees
Submit the CAT 2026 application form
Download the PDF or take a printout of the submitted application form
This completes the CAT 2026 online registration process.
How to Apply for CAT 2026 Examination
To submit the CAT exam form online, candidates need the required documents ready for upload during the registration process.
Recent passport-size photograph (JPG/JPEG)
Scanned signature (JPG/JPEG)
Class 10 mark sheet or certificate
Class 12 mark sheet or certificate
Graduation mark sheet / degree certificate
Provisional certificate for final-year candidates (if applicable)
Category certificate (SC / ST / OBC-NCL / EWS, if applicable)
PwD certificate (if applicable)
Work experience documents (if applicable)
CAT 2026 Admit Card
To download the CAT 2026 admit card, follow the guide given below:
Visit the official website iimcat.ac.in
On the homepage, click on the Candidate Login link
Log in using your Username and Password
On the dashboard, click on the Admit Card link
View your CAT 2026 admit card
Download or print the admit card PDF.
CAT 2026 Answer Key
To download the CAT 2026 answer key, follow the guide given below:
Visit the official website iimcat.ac.in
On the homepage, click on the Candidate Login link
Log in using your Username and Password
On the dashboard, click on the Answer Key link
View the CAT 2026 answer key
Download or save the answer key PDF
CAT 2026 Result
To check the CAT 2026 result, follow the steps given below:
Visit the official website iimcat.ac.in
On the homepage, click on the Candidate Login link
Log in using your Username and Password
On the dashboard, click on the Result link
View your result
Download or print the result PDF
CAT 2026 Response Sheet
To download the CAT 2026 response sheet pdf, follow the steps given below:
Visit the official website iimcat.ac.in
On the homepage, click on the Candidate Login link
Log in using your Username and Password
On the dashboard, click on the Response Sheet link
View the response sheet
Download or save the PDF
