IIM CAT 2026 Notification Out: Apply Online for MBA Admission, Exam Date & Fees

The Indian Institutes of Management have officially released the CAT 2026 Information Brochure on July 25, 2026. The Common Admission Test (CAT) is the premier mandatory entrance exam for admission into Post Graduate Programmes (PGP/MBA) and Fellow Programmes (FPM/PhD) across all 22 IIMs, alongside numerous top-tier non-IIM institutions.

According to the official CAT 2026 notification, the registration window opens on August 3 and closes on September 15, 2026. The computer-based entrance examination is scheduled for Sunday, November 29, 2026, and will be conducted across three shifts in approximately 170 test cities nationwide.

IIM CAT 2026 Exam Overview

The prestigious Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Indore has been officially entrusted with the responsibility of conducting the IIM CAT 2026 examination this year.

IIM CAT 2026 Important Dates

CAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria

As outlined in the official CAT 2026 Information Bulletin, applicants must fulfill any one of the following mandatory academic conditions to apply:

• Hold a Bachelor’s degree with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA (45% for SC/ST/PwBD candidates), awarded by a university incorporated by an Act of Parliament/State legislature, a deemed university under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956, or an equivalent qualification recognised by the Ministry of Education, Government of India; or
• Hold a completed professional degree- CA, CS, ICWA (CMA), or Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of India (FIAI) – with the required percentage; or
• Be in the final year of a Bachelor’s degree with the required percentage, subject to submitting a completion certificate from the Principal/Registrar by the date stipulated by the respective IIM.

Note: Meeting the minimum eligibility criteria does not guarantee a shortlist for interviews by the IIMs, as each institute independently determines its own cut-offs and multi-stage selection process.

CAT 2026 Application Fee

The application fee is payable only once, regardless of how many institutes a candidate applies to, and remains non-refundable under any circumstances. Candidates belonging to the SC, ST, and PwBD categories must upload a valid category certificate during the registration process.

How to Apply for CAT 2026 Online?

1. Go to iimcat.ac.in and click on “New Candidate Registration.”
2. Provide your basic details including name, date of birth, email ID, mobile number, and nationality.
3. Activate your account through the verification link sent to your registered email.
4. Enter personal, academic, and work experience details.
5. Upload a scanned photograph, signature, and category certificate (SC/ST/PwBD, if applicable) in the prescribed format.
6. Choose 5 preferred test cities from the drop-down menu, in order of preference.
7. Choose the IIMs and programmes you wish to apply to.
8. Pay the application fee online.
9. Submit the form and keep the Information Bulletin for future reference.

Documents Required for CAT 2026 Registration

• Class 10 and Class 12 mark sheets
• Graduation/Bachelor’s degree mark sheet or provisional certificate
• Passport-size photograph and scanned signature (prescribed format)
• SC/ST/PwBD category certificate, where applicable
• NC-OBC certificate (issued on/after April 1, 2026) or EWS certificate (valid 2026–27), where applicable
• Work experience certificate, if applicable

Participating IIMs: PGP/MBA Programmes

All 22 prestigious IIMs accept valid CAT scores for their flagship PGP/MBA and FPM/PhD programmes, along with a wide network of elite non-IIM business schools.