CAT 2026 Registration (OUT): Live Status, Dates, Fees, Documents & Step-by-Step Process

Overview: CAT registration 2026 cycle is expected to begin on 3 August 2026 and will be conducted entirely online through the official website, iimcat.ac.in. Based on the registration trends of the previous five cycles, the application window is likely to remain open until the second or third week of September 2026.

The CAT application fee expected in the range of ₹2,600–₹2,700 for General/EWS/NC-OBC and ₹1,300–₹1,350 for SC/ST/PwD candidates. Anyone holding a bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks (45% for SC/ST/PwD) can apply, and final-year students are eligible too.The exact CAT 2026 registration dates and application fees will be announced through the official CAT 2026 notification.

Start Your CAT 2026 Registration Here- Direct Link

Every year, a few thousand aspirants lose a full admission cycle not because they scored poorly, but because they got the paperwork wrong a certificate dated a week too early, a photo rejected at verification, or a deadline missed by an afternoon. This guide is written to make sure that isn't you.

Quick Facts: CAT Registration 2026 at a Glance

Particular	Detail
Exam name	Common Admission Test (CAT)
Conducting body	One of the older IIMs, on rotation
CAT 2026 conducting IIM	IIM Indore (expected) — confirmed only in the notification
Official website	iimcat.ac.in
Mode of registration	Online only (no offline or postal option)
CAT 2026 registration date (start)	3rd August 2026
CAT registration last date	q5th September 2026
CAT registration fees	₹2,600–₹2,700 General/EWS/NC-OBC; ₹1,300–₹1,350 SC/ST/PwD (expected)
Minimum qualification	Bachelor's degree, 3 years minimum, 50% marks (45% SC/ST/PwD)
Age limit	None
Attempt limit	None
Exam date	29 November 2026 (expected)
Number of test cities	Around 170 across India
Programmes covered	MBA/PGP at 21 IIMs, plus 1,000+ other B-schools that accept CAT scores

Download FREE Study Material for CAT 2026 by Supergrads

Latest Updates on CAT 2026 Registration

As of 28 July 2026, the official CAT 2026 notification has been released. Here is the latest status:

• Notification: The CAT 2026 notification has been released. In the previous four consecutive cycles, the conducting IIM published the notification on the last Sunday of July. CAT 2025 notification was released on 27 July 2025.
• Conducting IIM: Indian Institute of Management Indore is widely expected to conduct CAT 2026 as per the rotation among older IIMs. Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode conducted CAT 2025, while Indian Institute of Management Calcutta conducted CAT 2024. The conducting IIM is confirmed only through the official notification.
• Registration window: CAT 2026 registration will begin on 3 July 2026 through the official website, iimcat.ac.in. Candidates will be able to complete the application process online during the specified registration period.
• Exam date: CAT 2026 is expected to be conducted on Sunday, 29 November 2026, in three test slots.
• Fees: The CAT 2026 application fee has not been announced yet. The exact fee details will be confirmed in the official notification.

What this means for you right now: The CAT 2026 registration process will begin on 3 July 2026 through the official website. Before registration opens, candidates can complete all the necessary preparation steps required for a smooth application process.

Candidates should get category certificates reissued (if required), prepare scanned copies of photographs and signatures as per specifications, and compile semester-wise marks in one document. Completing these tasks in advance will help candidates fill out the application form smoothly on the opening day and avoid delays caused by last-minute document arrangements.
 

Take a free CAT 2026 mock test

CAT 2026 Registration Dates: Confirmed vs Expected

Event	Date	Status
CAT 2026 notification release	26 July 2026	Released
CAT 2026 registration start date	3 July 2026, 10:00 AM	Expected
CAT registration last date	Second–third week of September 2026, 5:00 PM	Expected
Deadline extension (if any)	Historically announced 1–3 days before closing	Pattern-based
Application correction window	Late September–early October 2026 (3–4 days)	Expected
Admit card release	Early-to-mid November 2026	Expected
CAT 2026 exam date	29 November 2026	Expected
Result declaration	Late December 2026–early January 2027	Expected

Get your 4-month CAT 2026 study plan

How reliable is the "expected" registration date?

Reasonably reliable for the start date, much less so for the last date. Here is the evidence from the two most recent cycles:

Cycle	Registration opened	Original last date	Actual last date
CAT 2024	1 August 2024	13 September 2024	20 September 2024
CAT 2025	1 August 2025	13 September 2025	20 September 2025 (extended)

The 1 August opening has held firm. The closing date has moved. In CAT 2025, IIM Kozhikode announced the extension only in mid-September — after thousands of candidates had already scrambled to submit.

The strategic read: treat the originally announced CAT registration last date as your real deadline and ignore extension chatter entirely. An extension is a bonus for candidates who face a genuine emergency. It is not a plan.

CAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria

Before you touch the form, confirm you clear all four filters. Eligibility is verified at admission, not at registration — which means an ineligible candidate can register, pay, sit the exam, score a 99 percentile, and still be rejected.

1. Educational qualification

You must hold a bachelor's degree of at least three years' duration with a minimum of:

• 50% marks or equivalent CGPA — General, EWS and NC-OBC candidates
• 45% marks or equivalent CGPA — SC, ST and PwD candidates

The degree must be awarded by a university incorporated by an Act of Parliament or State legislature, a deemed university under Section 3 of the UGC Act 1956, or hold an equivalent qualification recognised by the Ministry of Education, Government of India.

2. How CGPA is converted

This trips up more candidates than any other clause. Per the official bulletin, conversion of CGPA to a percentage follows the procedure certified by your own university. Only if your university confirms it has no conversion scheme does the fallback apply: divide your CGPA by the maximum possible CGPA and multiply by 100.

Do not apply a multiplier you found on a forum. If your university uses a specific formula, that formula is the one that counts — and you should get it in writing before you enter a number in the form.

3. Final-year students and awaited results

Final-year undergraduates and candidates awaiting results are eligible to apply. If shortlisted, admission is provisional, and you must produce a certificate from your Principal or Registrar confirming you have completed all degree requirements, issued on or before the date stipulated by the respective IIM.

This is a real risk for students at universities with slow result calendars. Check your institution's typical result timeline against a June joining deadline before you count on a provisional admission going through.

4. Professional qualifications

Candidates holding CA, CS, CMA (ICWA) or Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of India (FIAI) qualifications, with the required percentage, are eligible.

What is not required

• No age limit. No upper or lower bound.
• No attempt limit. Repeat aspirants can apply every year.
• No work experience requirement. Some IIMs award profile points for it; nobody demands it.
• No stream restriction. Engineering, commerce, arts, science, law — all eligible.

Check: CAT Exam Eligibility · CAT Exam Age Limit

CAT Registration Process 2026: Step-by-Step

The complete CAT exam registration process takes 40–90 minutes if your documents are ready. Use a laptop or desktop on a stable connection — not a phone.

1. Open iimcat.ac.in and click "Register". This is the only legitimate portal. There is no alternative website, app or authorised agent.
2. Create your account. Enter your name, date of birth, email address and mobile number. Your User ID is generated and emailed to you it is not chosen by you. Use an email and phone number you will retain for the next 12 months, because every subsequent communication (admit card, result, IIM shortlists) routes through them.
3. Log in and fill personal details. Name spelling must match your Class 10 certificate exactly. Select your category here — this choice drives your fee and your certificate obligations.
4. Enter academic details. Class 10, Class 12 and graduation marks, board or university names, and year of passing. Percentages entered here are effectively final they cannot be edited in the correction window.
5. Add work experience, if any. Enter months completed as of the specified cut-off month. IIMs use this in shortlisting, so be accurate rather than generous.
6. Upload your photograph, signature and certificates to the exact specifications given in the bulletin (details below).
7. Select test cities in order of preference. Recent cycles have allowed five city preferences out of roughly 170 cities reduced from six in CAT 2024. Allocation is subject to seat availability, so put a genuinely convenient city first rather than a wishful one.
8. Select IIM programmes. Tick every IIM programme you may want to be considered for. There is no additional fee for selecting more programmes, and you cannot add programmes after submission. Under-selecting here is a silent, common and completely avoidable mistake.
9. Pay the CAT registration fees online via debit card, credit card, net banking or UPI. The fee is non-refundable and non-transferable.
10. Download and save the confirmation page. Save the PDF, the confirmation email and your login credentials in one folder. You will need them for the admit card and for every IIM shortlist that follows.

Note: Your CAT registration is complete only when payment succeeds and you receive the confirmation email. A saved but unpaid form is not an application.

CAT Registration Fees 2026

CAT registration fees are paid once, online, and cover all IIM programmes you select. There is no per-institute charge and no fee concession based on gender.

Expected category-wise fee structure

Category	CAT 2025 (actual)	CAT 2026 (expected range)
General	₹2,600	₹2,600–₹2,700
EWS	₹2,600	₹2,600–₹2,700
NC-OBC	₹2,600	₹2,600–₹2,700
SC	₹1,300	₹1,300–₹1,350
ST	₹1,300	₹1,300–₹1,350
PwD	₹1,300	₹1,300–₹1,350

Note that EWS and NC-OBC candidates pay the full General-category fee. The 50% concession applies only to SC, ST and PwD candidates. This surprises a lot of first-time applicants.

Five-year CAT registration fees trend

Cycle	General / EWS / NC-OBC	SC / ST / PwD
CAT 2021	₹2,200	₹1,100
CAT 2022	₹2,300	₹1,150
CAT 2023	₹2,400	₹1,200
CAT 2024	₹2,500	₹1,250
CAT 2025	₹2,600	₹1,300

Most CAT registration pages currently state that CAT 2026 fees are "expected to remain the same as last year." The five-year record does not support that.

The fee has risen by exactly ₹100 for General and ₹50 for reserved categories, every single year, for five consecutive cycles — roughly a 4% annual increase, with no year of stasis. Extrapolating that pattern gives ₹2,700 and ₹1,350 for CAT 2026.

We are not presenting that as fact; only the notification can confirm it. But there is an asymmetry worth acting on: if you budget ₹2,700 and the fee holds at ₹2,600, you have ₹100 spare. If you budget ₹2,600 and it rises, you are re-checking your payment app at 4 PM on deadline day. Budget for the higher figure.

Explore: CAT Exam Fees

Documents Required for CAT Registration 2026: Checklist

Assemble these before the window opens. Nothing here needs the notification to be out.

• Scanned passport-size photograph: recent (not older than six months), colour, plain light background, full frontal face, no cap or sunglasses
• Scanned handwritten signature: black ink on white paper, scanned (not photographed)
• Class 10 marksheet or certificate: for name, date of birth and marks
• Class 12 marksheet
• Graduation marksheets: semester-wise or year-wise, plus degree certificate if awarded
• Final-year certificate from Principal/Registrar: final-year students only, in the format published on the CAT website
• Category certificate: SC/ST/NC-OBC/EWS, in the prescribed Central-institution format, as PDF
• PwD certificate or UDID card: minimum 40% benchmark disability
• Work experience proof: offer letters or payslips, for working professionals
• A valid photo ID: Aadhaar, PAN, passport, voter ID or driving licence
• Working email address and mobile number you will keep for a year

Photograph and signature specifications

Item	Typical requirement in recent cycles
Photograph format	JPG / JPEG
Photograph dimensions	Approximately 1200 × 1200 pixels
Signature dimensions	Approximately 80 mm × 35 mm
Scanner resolution	Minimum 150 px/inch
Certificate format	PDF, in the prescribed format

Important: file-size ceilings for the photograph and signature have varied across cycles, and different portals currently quote different numbers. Take the limits from the CAT 2026 information bulletin only, then compress to fit. A practical workaround: save your photograph at two sizes so you can upload whichever meets the published cap without re-shooting.

Digital or typed signatures are rejected. Block capitals are rejected. Use your normal handwritten signature — and use the same signature on exam day, because a mismatch at the centre can invalidate your candidature.

check CAT Exam Photo Size Guidelines

Category certificates: the dating rule most candidates miss

This is the single most expensive paperwork error in the CAT cycle.

For CAT 2025, the bulletin required NC-OBC certificates issued on or after 1 April 2025, and EWS certificates valid for 2025–26, assessed on financial year 2024–25 income. In other words, a certificate from the previous financial year was not acceptable, however genuine it was.

Assume the equivalent rule for CAT 2026: an NC-OBC certificate issued on or after 1 April 2026, and an EWS certificate for FY 2026–27. If yours predates that, start the reissue process now  tehsil and SDM offices do not move at deadline speed in August.

Recent cycles have offered a relief route for candidates whose renewal is genuinely stuck: apply with the older certificate plus a signed undertaking (format on the CAT website) and documentary proof that you have applied for the new one. It is a safety net, not a shortcut — the valid certificate must still be produced later, and failure to do so can cost you your candidature.

PwD candidates: request accommodations at registration

Scribe assistance and compensatory time must be requested inside the application form, with supporting certificates uploaded. In recent cycles, eligible PwD candidates received additional time (20 extra minutes per section) and could opt for a scribe. On-the-day requests at the exam centre are not entertained. Verify the exact provisions and forms in the CAT 2026 bulletin.

CAT 2026 Application Correction Window

The correction window opens a few days after registration closes and stays open for roughly 3–4 days. In the 2025 cycle it ran from 4 to 7 October 2025 over two weeks after the extended deadline of 20 September.

Editable: photograph, signature, test city preferences. Nothing else.

Not editable: name, date of birth, email, mobile number, category, academic percentages, programme selections, work experience.

There is no fee for using the correction window.

Read that list again, because it defines your margin for error. If you enter your graduation percentage incorrectly, the correction window cannot help you. Your only remedy before the deadline is to register afresh with a new email and phone number and pay the fee a second time. After the deadline, there is no remedy at all — and a mismatch between your form and your marksheet surfaces at IIM document verification, which is the worst possible moment.

Read every field twice before you pay. That five-minute review is worth more than any last-minute mock.

Previous Year CAT Registration Trends

Cycle	Conducting IIM	Registered	Appeared	Attendance
CAT 2025	IIM Kozhikode	2.95 lakh	2.58 lakh	~87.5%
CAT 2024	IIM Calcutta	3.29 lakh	2.93 lakh	~89%
CAT 2023	IIM Lucknow	3.28 lakh	2.88 lakh	~88%
CAT 2022	IIM Bangalore	2.55 lakh	2.22 lakh	~87%
CAT 2021	IIM Ahmedabad	2.30 lakh	1.90 lakh	~83%

Check: CAT Exam Analysis · CAT Exam Success Rate

Common Mistakes to Avoid During CAT Registration 2026

11. Using an expired category certificate. The most costly error in the cycle. Check the issue-date rule in the bulletin before you upload.
12. Guessing your CGPA-to-percentage conversion. Use your university's certified formula. Academic percentages cannot be corrected later.
13. Photographing your signature instead of scanning it. Phone photos introduce shadows and skew, and rejections at verification stage are common.
14. Selecting too few IIM programmes. It costs nothing extra and cannot be changed afterwards.
15. Picking aspirational test cities over convenient ones. Allocation depends on seat availability. A four-hour commute on exam morning is a self-inflicted score penalty.
16. Registering on a phone. Uploads and payment gateways fail more often on mobile browsers.
17. Using a parent's or friend's email and phone. Every future communication, including IIM shortlists, routes there.
18. Waiting for a deadline extension. It has happened twice recently. It is not guaranteed once.
19. Applying in the last 48 hours. Server load peaks, payments fail, and a failed transaction on the final evening is unrecoverable.
20. Assuming the correction window will fix it. It edits three fields. Nothing else.
21. Not saving the confirmation page and login credentials. You need them in November, and again during shortlists.
22. Skipping the accommodation request. PwD candidates must request a scribe and compensatory time inside the form.

Expert Tips for a Clean CAT Registration 2026

Register in the first week, not the first hour. Day-one servers are busy and early bulletins occasionally carry corrigenda. Days 3–7 of August are the sweet spot: the window is fresh, the traffic has settled, and you still have five weeks of buffer.

Build a document vault before August. One folder, consistently named files: 01_photo.jpg, 02_signature.jpg, 03_class10.pdf, and so on. Candidates who do this finish in one sitting.

Read the bulletin yourself all of it. It is 30-odd pages and it is the only authority on fees, specs and eligibility. Every aggregator page, including this one, is a summary. If a detail here differs from the CAT 2026 bulletin, the bulletin wins.

Enter marks from documents, not memory. Open the actual marksheet for each field.

Screenshot each completed section. If a page fails to save, you will know exactly what to re-enter.

Then close the tab and go back to mocks. Registration is administrative work, not preparation. It should consume one evening, not one week of mental bandwidth.

A decision framework: should you register if you feel underprepared?

Every year, aspirants ask whether it is worth paying the fee when preparation feels thin in August. Reason it out rather than react:

Register if you have three-plus months available for structured preparation; or you are a final-year student (a CAT attempt now, even an imperfect one, gives you a scorecard and a realistic baseline); or you are already writing mocks and scoring above the 70th percentile.

Register anyway if you are a working professional with an uncertain schedule. The fee is a fraction of what a lost admission year costs, and CAT scores are valid for that cycle's admissions across 1,000+ B-schools.

Reconsider only if a certain, non-negotiable conflict falls on exam day, or a genuine eligibility gap exists that the notification will not resolve.

The honest arithmetic: roughly 35,000 candidates pay the fee and skip the exam every year. The fee is not what they lose. They lose the diagnostic that would have told them where they actually stand — and that information is worth more than the money.

Explore: CAT Exam Preparation · CAT Exam Study Plan

Conclusion

Fill out the CAT 2026 application form to register for the CAT exam 2026. Choose your CAT exam centre very wisely, as no change will be provided after the release of the CAT exam admit card.

Also, read the complete information provided in the CAT exam notification 2026 to ensure accurate CAT registration 2026 link details and avoid errors. For more information visit the official website https://iimcat.ac.in.