CAT 2026 Registration: Dates, Fees, How to fill Application Form @ iimcat.ac.in, Documents Required, Mistake to Avoid

CAT exam will be held on November 29, 2026. CAT Exam 2026 Registration Dates are expected to be from August 1 till September 20, 2026. Check important events and their dates in the CAT schedule 2026 table below: 

CAT registration direct link 2026 will be available on CAT official website www.iimcat.ac.in. You can also access the direct link below:

CAT Registration Direct Link 2026: To be updated in July 2026 

CAT registration fees 2026 is expected to be Rs 2,600 for General/EWS/NC-OBC candidates and Rs 1,300 for SC/ST/PwD categories. This CAT Registration 2026 fees is based on last year’s fees and will be confirmed in the CAT 2026 notification, to be released in July 2026.

The official CAT 2026 notification is expected to be released in the last Sunday of July 2026 by IIM Indore. CAT notification 2026 will be published on the official CAT website and as advertisements in major newspapers. It contains all important details about CAT exam, such as eligibility criteria, exam dates, the application process, the syllabus, the exam pattern, and other important details.

Candidates should read the notification carefully to understand the registration process, CAT 2026 exam date, and required documents before the application window opens in the first week of August 2026.

CAT Eligibility Criteria 2026

Before you register for the CAT exam, you should check CAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria. Below are the important points regarding CAT 2026 eligibility criteria:

• A candidate with minimum 50% marks in graduation is eligible
• A final year student in graduation is also eligible
• There is no age limit to apply and appear in the exam
• Note that IIMs have different eligibility criteria for MBA Admissions 

Read complete details CAT Eligibility Criteria 2026. Also download CAT Eligibility Criteria 2026 from the link below.

CAT registration 2026 process will open on August 1, 2026. How to fill CAT Application Form 2026? CAT registration 2026 process can be completed by following these simple steps:

Step 1: Register for User ID and Password 
Visit the CAT official website iimcat.ac.in and register for getting your User ID and password. 

Step 2: Login to CAT Website
After receiving your User ID and password, login to CAT website and enter the same to login to your account.

Step 3: Complete CAT Form Filling Process
How to fill CAT Exam Form? CAT Application Form filling can be completed by filling these details:  

1. PERSONAL DETAILS
2. ACADEMICS
3. WORK EXPERIENCE
4. PROGRAMMES
5. TEST CITY
6. DECLARATION  

Visit CAT official website www.iimcat.ac.in. Click the ‘Register’ button under New Candidate Registration header to create your user profile. The Registration form window will open in your browser. The registration form to create your User Profile appears as shown below. To complete the registration process, generate the OTP by clicking on “GENERATE OTP” button. You will be redirected to CAPTCHA to fill and submit the OTP received on your mobile for verification. 

Remember that data entries on this form cannot be changed once submitted, hence, please ensure that you enter all the information correctly.  

• Name of Candidate: This name should be the same as it appears in 10th/SSC Certificate.
• Date of Birth: Use the calendar icon to select the correct date.
• Email Address: Should be valid and unique. You will receive your User ID on this email address only
• Mobile Number: Should be valid and unique. You will receive an OTP to verify your mobile number and your Password as an SMS on this number only. 

To complete the registration process, generate the OTP by clicking on the Generate OTP button. You will be redirected to CAPTCHA to fill and submit. To verify the mobile number, enter the OTP received and click on “Validate the OTP” tab. After validation, you will be able to submit the registration form and Candidate will receive the User ID and Password on the registered email address and or on the registered mobile number. You will be asked to select the ‘I Agree’ checkbox in the Declaration section. It is mandatory to agree to the contents in the Declaration to proceed to submit the form. Within minutes of submitting the Registration Form, you will receive your Login Details on the registered email address from the Administrator with the subject line CAT 2026 Successful Registration. Ensure that you check your mailbox immediately.  If you do not receive the email within a reasonable period, please check your spam folder. You will also receive the Login Details as an SMS on the registered mobile number from IIM Indore. Using these credentials, you may proceed to complete your application for CAT 2026 by clicking on the link given in the email. You can now login from the CAT 2026 Website.

Using the system generated User ID and Password that you have received at the completion of Step 1 above, you can login as a “Registered Candidate” on the website and fill the CAT Application Form 2026. After logging in, you will be redirected to the Applicant Details page. The Applicant’s personal details will be displayed on this page. Next to Personal Details, a link “GO TO APPLICATION” is available. Click this link to go to the application page. 

This is the main step for CAT registration. CAT Application Form is categorized into the following six sections:  

1. PERSONAL DETAILS
2. ACADEMICS
3. WORK EXPERIENCE
4. PROGRAMMES
5. TEST CITY
6. DECLARATION   

Before you begin filling the information, read the instructions at the start of the form. After you complete the last section, i.e., Payment, your application for CAT 2026 will be considered complete and you will receive a confirmation mail. After this, changes to any information provided on the application form is not possible. You can only print or save the form. Details are available on the application submission page. 
 

A short overview of how you can fill CAT application form is given below. Read CAT 2026 Application Form Filling Guide for more details. 

Enter Personal Details 

The first step in CAT form filling is to enter and verify your personal details. Enter following information to complete your personal details required in this step:

• Candidate’s First Name, Middle Name, Last Name
• Father’s/Guardian’s Name and Mother’s Name/Guardian’s Name
• Spouse’s Name (if married)
• Date of Birth
• Gender
• Nationality
• Category 

Candidates should select category details from the drop-down menu. If you are not selecting “General Category”, then you will be required to add supporting documents such as Caste/Tribe Certificate etc. Check list of category supporting documents required for CAT application form below.

Communication/Permanent Address: After adding personal details, candidates should add their Communication/Permanent Address. Enter your both present and permanent postal address details correctly, as it will be used for communication during the admission process. You need to provide an alternate Email Address and emergency Mobile Number while filling up the Application form. 

Next, candidates have to Upload Required Documents, given below, to complete personal details: 

• Photograph: Upload a recent passport-size photograph with a white background. The photograph should not be more than 6 months old. Ensure the image meets the specifications mentioned in the CAT 2026 registration guide. Also remember that you will need the photograph uploaded here to be affixed on the admit card on the day of the test. So, keep sufficient copies of this photo. 1200 pixels. The image should be clear with a minimum resolution of 150px/inch The photo should not be more than 6 months old and should have a white background. Remember that you will need the photograph uploaded here to be affixed on the admit card on the day of the test. So, keep sufficient copies of this photo.
• Signature: Upload the scanned image of your signature within the dimensions of 80mm X 35mm. The documents file format should be a .jpg or .jpeg and the file size should not be more than 80KB.
• EWS/NC-OBC/SC/ST Certificate: If applicable, upload this certificate. Scan as PDF document to upload it.
• Valid PwD Certificate: If applicable. Scan as PDF document to upload here. 

Refer image of previous year’s CAT application form below for completing this stage. After entering your personal details and uploading the required documents, click on “SAVE & NEXT” button to proceed to the next section.  

Enter Personal Details

Enter Academic Details  

In this section, you should enter following educational qualification details carefully: 

• SSC/10th/Equivalent Exam Details: Enter Name of the Board, Year/Month of completion, Maximum Marks, Total Marks Obtained, Aggregate Percentage. Enter similar details for following qualifications.
• HSC/12th/Equivalent/Diploma Exam Details
• Bachelor’s Degree Details
• Master’s Degree Details
• Other Professional Degree Details 

Refer image of previous year’s CAT application form below for completing this stage. Click on “SAVE & NEXT” button to proceed to the next section.
Enter Academic Details

Enter Work Experience 
If you are a candidate with work experience, enter your experience details as on July 31, 2026. Enter following details for each of your work experiences:

• Name of Organization
• Start Date
• End Date
• Break in Experience (In days)
• Experience (In days)

Remember, only Full-time experience after graduation must be entered. Do not enter Part-time/ Project/ Internship/ Article ship/ Pre-graduation work experience as it will not be counted as work experience by IIMs for MBA admission. Break in Experience if any, needs to be entered in days in the text box provided. If there is no break, please enter “0” and proceed.

Refer image of previous year’s CAT application form below. Click on “SAVE & NEXT” button to proceed to the next section.

Enter Work Experience

Select IIMs
Next step is to enter IIMs and their programs that you wish to apply to. Since there is no additional fees and effort in applying for all IIMs, you should select all programmes by clicking on the “Select All” checkbox. Also select your Interview City preference from the respective drop-down list. 
 
Refer image of previous year’s CAT application form below. Click on “SAVE & NEXT” button to proceed to the next section.

Enter IIM “PROGRAMMES” Details

Enter CAT Test City
Next, you should enter your preferred CAT Test City where you will like to take the CAT exam. Candidates have to fill 5 different Test Cities as per your preference from the drop-down menu. After the last date of registration, one among the 5 preferred test cities will be allotted subject to availability. Refer image of previous year’s CAT application form below. Click on “SAVE & NEXT” button to proceed to the next section. Check list of CAT Exam Centres 2026.

Enter CAT Test City 

 

Pay Fees and Sign Declaration
The final step of CAT application form filling is to pay CAT exam fees and sign declaration form. CAT 2026 registration fees for General/EWS/NC-OBC candidates is expected to be Rs. 2,600. CAT 2026 registration fees for SC/ST/PwD candidate is expected to be Rs. 1300. This is based on last year’s fees and will be confirmed in the CAT 2026 notification, to be released in July 2026. Candidates must sign a declaration confirming that all details submitted in the application form are correct, and you will produce supporting certificates and documents when required. During this stage, it is important to preview the application form, using the ‘PREVIEW’ button to check for accuracy and completeness of your data.  
 
After successful fees payment, a ‘Payment Successful’ message will be displayed on the screen along with the Payment Transaction Number. Please keep it saved for future references. Next, you will receive a confirmation email stating the successful submission of your CAT 2026 Application. With this step, your CAT application form filling process is completed. 

Pay Fees and Sign Declaration

Following documents are required for the CAT form. Candidates must keep them ready before starting application form filling:

• Class 10 marksheet
• Class 12 marksheet
• Graduation marksheets/certificate
• Date of Birth certificate
• Address proof
• Final year certificate from principal, HoD or Director (if applicable)
• Caste category certificate (if applicable)
• PwD category certificate (if applicable)
• Scribe certificate (if applicable)
• Credit/debit card or net banking credentials
• Work experience document

CAT Application Form Correction Window 2026 is expected to open in the fourth week of September 2026 (tentatively Sept 24–27). It typically remains active for only 72 to 96 hours, allowing candidates to correct specific errors before the final admit cards are generated. Unlike other entrance exams, IIMs are extremely strict. You cannot change your personal details, academic marks, or work experience. The correction window is exclusively for:

1. Photograph: If your original upload was blurry or had a non-white background.
2. Signature: If the signature was illegible or cropped incorrectly.
3. Test City Preferences: You can re-prioritize your choice of 6 preferred exam cities.

To make changes in your CAT 2026 application form, candidates have to log in to their account on CAT official Website. Read how to edit CAT form below:

• Visit CAT exam website iimcat.ac.in
• Click on ‘login’ tab
• Enter User ID and password
• Login to go to dashboard
• Click on ‘Application Form’ option
• Go to relevant section (photo, signature, test city) and edit it
• Enter CAPTCHA code and click on ‘continue’ to complete the process

Note that there is no fee for CAT form correction. 

While filling CAT registration form you should be careful to avoid errors. Here are the most common CAT 2026 registration mistakes you must avoid:

• Wrong Name Entry: Enter your name exactly as it appears on your Class 10 / SSC certificate. Any mismatch can cause issues at the admit card and exam centre stage.
• Invalid or Shared Email ID: Use a valid, unique, and personally accessible email address. A shared or incorrect email will mean you miss critical login credentials and communication from IIM.
• Incorrect Category Selection: Select your category — General, EWS, NC-OBC, SC, ST, or PwD — with extreme care. No change in category is permitted after CAT registration under any circumstances.
• Not Uploading Category Certificate: SC, ST, NC-OBC, EWS, and PwD candidates must upload their certificate at the time of registration itself. Failure to upload will result in rejection of CAT registration.
• Blurry or Incorrect Photograph: Upload a recent passport-size photograph with a white background. A blurry or incorrectly formatted photo is one of the most common reasons candidates need to use the correction window.
• Entering Part-Time Work Experience: Only full-time post-graduation work experience must be entered. Internships, projects, articleship, and pre-graduation experience are not counted by IIMs and must not be entered.
• Selecting Wrong Test Cities: Choose your 5 preferred test cities carefully. Once the registration window closes, city preferences can only be changed during the short correction window. After that, no change is permitted.
• Rushing Through the Form: Once submitted, CAT application data cannot be changed. Review every section carefully using the PREVIEW button before making the fee payment.
• Waiting Till the Last Day: Heavy server traffic near the deadline can cause technical difficulties. The CAT Convener specifically urges candidates to register well in advance to avoid last-minute issues.

In the event you do not receive a Confirmation email after completion of the application process or for queries regarding CAT Registration, Application and Payment Processing, Document uploading, please log a ticket in grievance portal (Available as a separate Tab inside the application login). In case you still face issues, contact the CAT Candidate Helpdesk. 

You can connect with the Candidate Help Desk by e-mail ([email protected]) or call 1-800-210-0175 (Toll Free), Monday to Saturday 9:00AM to 6:00PM (excluding National holidays). Please have your User ID and/or Payment Transaction Number details at hand for reference.  

Read these common CAT registration myths for a hassle-free application form filling experience.  

Myth 1: Early Registration Improves Your IIM Chances
Reality: CAT slot or registration sequence has no impact on your percentile or IIM shortlisting. All slots are Normalized.

Myth 2: Later Slots Are Disadvantaged in Normalization
Reality: CAT uses robust statistical normalization across all slots. No slot is harder or easier by design.

Myth 3: You Must Complete the Form in One Go
Reality: You can save and resume your application. It’s better to review, gather documents, and fill accurately than to rush.

Myth 4: Registering Early Gets You a Better Test City
Reality: This is partly true. Test city allotment is based on availability. So earlier registrants have a better chance of getting their preferred center.

CAT 2025 was conducted by IIM Kozhikode on November 30, 2025. According to MBAUniverse.com analysis CAT registration trends, total number of CAT registrations have grown significantly over the last 20 years -- from 1,70,000 in CAT 2005 to a peak of 3,29,000 in CAT 2024. However, in last five years, the number of CAT exam registrations has seen a fluctuating trend. CAT 2025 registrations fell to 2,95,000 from a peak of 3,29,000 in CAT 2024 — a decline of approximately 34,000 candidates or nearly 10%. The number of candidates who actually appeared for CAT 2025 also dropped to 2,58,000 compared to 2,93,000 in CAT 2024. Check CAT exam registration trends for last 20 years in the table below. 

In conclusion, based on previous years’ trends, CAT registration 2026 start date is August 1 and CAT registration 2026 last date is September 20, 2026.  CAT 2026 registration fees for General/EWS/NC-OBC candidates is expected to be Rs. 2,600. CAT 2026 registration fees for SC/ST/PwD candidate is expected to be Rs. 1300. This is based on last year’s fees and will be confirmed in the CAT 2026 notification, to be released in July 2026. Check how to register for CAT exam, documents required for registration and other CAT registration 2026 requirements in the above article.