MBA

CAT 2026

Common Admission Test

CAT is the premier management entrance exam in India conducted by IIMs on a rotational basis. Used for admission to 20 IIMs and over 1,200 B-schools. Computer-based test with 3 sections.

Official Website

Age Limit

No upper age limit.

Fee

₹2400

Salary Range

₹15,00,000 - ₹40,00,000 (average placement after MBA)

Next Exam Date

29 Nov 2026

CAT 2026 — Registration Opens (Expected) in

97days

15hrs

05min

Pay Level

Not applicable (Management entrance)

Salary Range (Monthly)

₹15,00,000 - ₹40,00,000 (average placement after MBA)

Key Posts

Admission to IIMs and other top B-schools for MBA/PGDM programmes

National-level management aptitude test for admission to MBA/PGP/PGDM programs at IIMs and other top B-schools in IndiaIIM Ahmedabad & IIM Bangalore & IIM Calcutta & IIM Lucknow & IIM Indore & IIM Kozhikode & And all other IIMs and participating B-schoolsNot a recruitment exam — it is an admission test for MBA/PGP programs. Successful candidates are admitted to management programs at IIMs and other institutions.

Application Fee

₹2400

General/OBC

Free

SC/ST/Women

Free

PwBD/ESM

Tie-Breaking Rules

Not applicable at CAT level — scores are percentile-based
Each IIM has its own tiebreaking criteria during admission

Start Free Mock Test

Eligibility

Educational Qualification

Bachelor's degree with at least 50% (45% for SC/ST/PwD) from a recognized university. Final year students can apply.

Age Limit

No upper age limit.

Age Relaxation by Category

Category	Relaxation
General	No relaxation
SC/ST	+5 years
OBC (NCL)	+3 years
PwD	+10 years
Ex-Servicemen	+5 years

Application Fee

Category	Fee
General / OBC / EWS (Male)	₹2400
SC / ST / PwD / Ex-Servicemen	₹1200

Exam Pattern

CAT (Computer Based Test)

68 Questions120 minsTotal Marks: 204-1 per wrong

Section	Questions	Max Marks	Duration
VARC	24	72	40 min
DILR	20	60	40 min
Quantitative Ability	22	66	40 min

Syllabus

Reading Comprehension
Para Jumbles
Para Summary
Odd Sentence Out
Critical Reasoning (Verbal)

Posts & Pay Levels

Vacancies

NaN

Tentative Total

Nationality & Citizenship

✓No nationality restriction — open to Indian and foreign nationals
✓Foreign nationals may also apply through separate international tracks at some IIMs

Educational Qualification

All Posts (General)

Bachelor's Degree with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA from a recognized University

Age Limits & Relaxation

Age Bands

Age Band	DOB Not Earlier Than	DOB Not Later Than
No age limit

Ex-Servicemen (ESM) Rules

Sons/Daughters/DependentsNot eligible

Non-Graduate ESM for Group BNot eligible

Category Certificate Rules

How to Apply

Apply viaOnline at https://iimcat.ac.in

Photo Rules

• Recent passport size photograph (JPG/JPEG, max 5MB)
• Signature scan (JPG/JPEG, max 5MB)
• Category certificates to be uploaded

Application Fee

₹2400

General

₹undefined

Women

₹1200

SC/ST

₹1200

PwBD

₹undefined

ESM

Payment: Online — Debit Card, Credit Card, Net Banking, UPI

Non-refundable

Correction Window

Opens

Closes

₹

1st Correction

₹

2nd Correction

Max corrections allowed. Latest corrected application treated as valid.

Admission Certificate & Exam Day

Admit CardDownload About 5-7 days before exam from iimcat.ac.in before exam

PrintoutRequired

Accepted Photo IDs

Aadhaar CardVoter's ID CardDriving LicensePAN CardPassportCollege ID (with photograph)

CAT Computer Based Test — Common Admission Test

66 Questions198 Marks120 min

+3 per correct−1 per wrongSectional timingMCQ + Non-MCQ (TITA — Type In The Answer)English only

Section	Questions	Marks	Per Q
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)	24	72	3
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)	20	60	3
Quantitative Ability (QA)	22	66	3
Total	66	198	3

Answer Key Policy

Tentative KeyReleased for candidate review

Fee RefundableNo

Final KeyUsed for result calculation

Normalization & Re-evaluation

NormalizationApplied if multiple shifts. Purpose: CAT is conducted in 3 slots on the exam day. Normalization ensures fair comparison.

Re-evaluationNot allowed

Minimum Qualifying Marks

Stage	UR	OBC/EWS	SC/ST/Others
note
typical Cutoffs

Shortlisting & Merit Rules

Wat Pi

Written Ability Test + Personal Interview conducted at respective IIMs — typically carries 30-50% weight in final selection

Final Admission

Based on composite score = CAT percentile + Academics + WAT/PI + Work Experience + Diversity factors

Cat To IIM Shortlist

Each IIM has its own composite score formula — typically: CAT percentile (60-70%) + Academic Record (10-15%) + Work Experience (5-10%) + Diversity (5-10%) + Gender (3-5%)

Each IIM Independent

Each IIM has independent selection criteria. Qualifying at one IIM does not guarantee admission at another.

Scribe & Compensatory Time

Extra Time20 minutes per hour of examination for eligible candidates

Own ScribeAllowed

Opt-inMust opt during application form

Auto-eligible for Scribe

✓PwBD blindness
✓PwBD locomotor disability (both arms affected-BA)
✓PwBD cerebral palsy

Scribe Requirements

• Scribe must not be a candidate of the same examination
• Scribe qualification must be one step below the qualification prescribed for the post
• Scribe cannot assist more than one candidate in the same examination
• Candidate must opt for scribe in the application form
• Scribe arrangement at own expense if own scribe opted

Additional Rules

• Even eligible candidates not availing scribe still get compensatory time
• No attendant other than scribe allowed inside examination hall

Document Verification

Conducted ByRespective IIMs at the time of WAT/PI and admission

Required Documents

Graduation degree/mark sheets (all semesters)
10th and 12th certificates and mark sheets
CAT scorecard
Caste/Category certificate if applicable
PwBD certificate if applicable
Work experience certificates if applicable
Valid photo ID proof
Photographs as specified

Tie-Breaking Rules

1Not applicable at CAT level — scores are percentile-based
2Each IIM has its own tiebreaking criteria during admission

Misconduct & Debarment

Post-exam Analysis Methods

Log analysisPhotograph verificationBiometric verificationCCTV review

Offense	Debarment
Using unfair means of any kind — copying, electronic devices, written material on body/paper	Permanent debarment / 3-7 years
Impersonation / procuring impersonation by any person	7 years / permanent
Possession of mobile phone, bluetooth devices, wireless devices, spy cameras, electronic gadgets inside exam hall	3-5 years
Taking away exam material (rough sheets, question paper) from exam hall	1-3 years
Leaving examination venue before completion of due exit procedure	1-2 years
Misbehaving, intimidating or threatening exam functionaries	2-3 years
Obstructing conduct of examination / instigating others not to take examination	3 years
False statements / fabricated documents / suppressing material information	1-5 years
Appearing in exam with forged admit card / identity proof	3-5 years
Possession of firearms/weapons or threatening exam functionaries with force	7 years
Taking snapshots, making videos of question papers or exam material	7 years
Sharing exam terminal through remote desktop / LAN / VAN	7 years
Attempt to hack or manipulate examination servers / data / systems	7-10 years
Candidate acting as scribe in same examination or providing false scribe declaration	3-5 years

⚠ Cases may be referred to police or investigating agencies.

Public Disclosure Policy

Disqualification Rule

Candidates providing false information at any stage will have their CAT score cancelled and admission (if granted) will be revoked.

Important Warnings

⚠CAT is a percentile-based exam — your score depends on how you perform relative to others.

⚠Sectional timer (40 minutes per section) means you cannot switch between sections.

⚠No negative marking for TITA (Non-MCQ) questions — attempt all TITA questions.

⚠Negative marking of 1 mark for wrong MCQ answers — be careful with guessing.

⚠CAT score is valid for 1 year only — you must apply to IIMs in the same admission cycle.

⚠Each IIM has independent selection criteria — high CAT score alone may not guarantee admission.

⚠Work experience, academic profile, gender diversity, and WAT/PI performance also matter significantly.

⚠CAT is conducted in 3 slots on a single day — normalization ensures fair comparison.

⚠Over 2.5 lakh candidates appear for CAT each year for ~5,000 IIM seats.

⚠Non-IIM B-schools (FMS, XLRI, MDI, SPJIMR, etc.) also accept CAT scores with their own selection processes.

2025 Cycle — Complete Timeline

Year2025

Notification2025-07-25

Registration Start2025-08-01

Registration End2025-09-15

Previous Year Cut-Offs

No cut-off data available yet.

Important Dates — 2026

Event	Date	Status
CAT 2026 — Registration Opens (Expected)(Tentative)	1 Aug 2026	Upcoming
CAT 2026 — Exam (Expected)(Tentative)	29 Nov 2026	Upcoming