CAT 2027 Notification will be available in the month of July 2026. Registration process is expected to begin in the first week of August 2026. IIM Indore is likely to conduct CAT Exam 2026 on 29th November 2026 (Expected date).
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CAT 2026 -27 Notifications – Registration Starting SOON
CAT 2026 Notification is releasing soon in July 2026. Registration process will begin in August 2026. Check here for application form details.
| LATEST NEWS >> CAT Exam 2026 Registration Date Soon: Notification Releasing Shortly |
CAT is a national level exam which is a prerequisite for admission into various management programmes of IIMs. Every year one of the six older IIMs (IIM Bangalore, IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Indore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode) conducts CAT exam on a rotation basis.
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The scores of CAT are allowed to be used by listed non- IIM member institutions. We have provided complete details about CAT exam for 2027 admission including details of notification, syllabus, exam date, registration, eligibility, exam pattern, etc.
All you need to know about CAT Exam:
- What is CAT Exam for MBA? Common Admission Test is a management entrance exam conducted in India annually by IIMs for admission in MBA/ PGDM courses at top B-schools.
- Which IIM will set CAT 2027 paper? It is expected that IIM Indore will conduct CAT entrance exam.
- What is the question pattern for CAT 2026? Know detailed CAT exam pattern here.
- How to start preparing for CAT 2027? Check preparation strategy and books details here.
- What is CAT 2027 eligibility for MBA? Check CAT minimum qualification details here.
CAT 2026- 2027 Overview
| Name | Common Admission Test (CAT) |
| Level of Exam | national level management test |
| Organising Authority | IIM Indore (Expected) |
| Exam Date | November 2026 (Expected: November 29) |
| Exam mode | CBT |
| Time Duration | 2 hours |
| Sessions/ Shifts | 3 shifts/ sessions 8.30 am – 10.30 am (Morning) 12.30 pm – 2.30 pm (Afternoon) 4.30 pm – 6.30 pm (Evening) |
CAT 2027 Exam Dates
Checout complete CAT exam dates and events starting from release of notification to counselling process:
| Events | Dates 2027 (Tentative) |
| Release of notification | Mid/ Last week of July 2026 |
| CAT 2027 Registration date | 1st week of August 2026 |
| CAT 2027 Registration last date | 2nd week of September 2026 |
| Edit window availability | 1st week of October 2026 |
| CAT 2027 admit card release date | 2nd week of November 2026 |
| CAT 2027 exam date | End week of November 2026 |
| Release of provisional answer key | 1st week of December 2026 |
| Submission of objections | 1st to 2nd week of December 2026 |
| Declaration of CAT results | 1st week of January 2026 |
| Admission procedure at IIMs | IIM CAP – 2nd/ 3rd week of January 2026 |
CAT 2027 Registration
Here, students can check complete registration details and important points about the application form:
- CAT 2027 Registration window will open in the first week of August 2026 via online mode.
- Detailed information can be checked by the applicants in the registration guide provided on the website.
- Application forms will be available until second week of September 2026.
- While registration process, students need to select any five test cities as per the preferences.
- Complete set of documents should be carefully uploaded as specified, failure of which may result disqualification from entire admission process.
- Students must maintain a valid and unique email account and mobile phone number for entire selection process. All communications by authority will be done through it.
- As per the availability, one among five preferred test cities is allotted. If no preferred city allotted, then a nearby city will be alloted to the candidate.
CAT 2027 Fees:
- ₹1300 for ST, SC & PWD
- ₹2600 for all other candidates
Payment mode: Students can pay the application fee via online mode through UPI, debit card, credit card, net banking, etc. Fee once paid cannot be refunded under any circumstances.
How to Apply for CAT Exam
Check step by step procedure to register for CAT exam 2027:
- Visit the online website (Link will be provided above).
- Register and generate User Id and Password.
- Fill a valid mobile number and email through which the authority will communicate.
- Basic registration includes filling up of name, DOB, email, country, mobile number. Select I Agree.
- Login and fill up application providing personal details, academics, work experience, programmes, test city, declaration.
- Enter commnication/ permanent address, emergency contact.
- Next upload documents – photograph and signature, certificate, degree (10th/12th/UG degree).
- Enter test city (5 preference)
- Save and confirm. Print the application form.
CAT 2026 Application Correction
After the registration window closes, a short edit winodow will be opened for the registered candidates. During CAT correction 2026 period in first week of October 2026.
Only those who have successfully paid the applicable registration fee can edit details in application within specified time period. Category cannot be changed after submission of registration form. Details /fields that can be edited in the application (if required) are:
- Photograph
- Test City Preferences
- Signature
CAT 2027 Eligibility Criteria
Complete eligibility criteria is mentioned in below provided section. Go through it briefly before applying for CAT exam:
- Students should have a Bachelors degree awarded by university or educational institution as incorporated by an Act of Parliament or State legislature in India or declared to be deemed as an University under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956 or possess an equivalent qualification recognised by Ministry of Education, Govt of India.
- Students should have obtained minimum marks – 45% for ST/ SC/ PWD and 50% marks for General, EWS and NC-OBC candidates.
- Those appearing in final year or awaiting their results are also eligible to apply. However, students should note that such students if selected are allowed to join the course provisionally only if they submit a certificate from principal/ registrar of University/Institution stating they have completed requirements for obtaining Bachelors degree/ equivalent qualification on date of issue of certificate.
- The ones applyig for CAT should fulfill any one condition provided below:
- Completed Bachelors degree with required percentage of marks.
- Completed professional degree (CS/ CA/ ICWA /CMA/ FIAI).
- Should be in final year of Bachelors degree with required percentage.
CAT 2026 Exam Pattern
Check below CAT exam pattern details:
- Time Duration: Paper timing is of 120 minutes.
- Sessions/ Shifts: It is conducted in three sessions – Forenoon, Afternoon & Evening.
- Sections: There are three sections (VARC, DILR & QA). Check below table for section wise question distribution.
- Total Questions: There are total 68 questions – VARC (24), DILR (22), QA (22).
- Type of Questions: The paper have MCQ and non MCQ /TITA (type in the answer) questions.
- Marking Scheme: For every correct answer, 3 marks are awarded.
- For MCQ Type Questions: Each incorrect answer fetches -1.
- For Non-MCQ/ TITA Type Questions: No marks are deducted.
Check below section wise distribution of questions in CAT exam paper:
| Sections | Number of questions |
| VARC (Verbal ability and reading comprehension) | 24 |
| DILR (Data Interpretation and logical reasoning) | 22 |
| QA (Quantitative Ability) | 22 |
| Total | 68 |
CAT 2027 Syllabus
While the CAT exam does not have a defined syllabus for preparation, students appearing for CAT exam can attempt the mock test to have an understanding of the pattern of exam and types of questions. Students can visit the official website to have an idea of the same.
Attempt CAT Mock test – Click Here
What is the CAT Exam Syllabus for MBA?
CAT Syllabus 2027 PDF mentions subject wise topics. Few topics which are included are provided below:
- Data Interpretation: Graphs (line, area), tables, Charts (Column, bar, pie), venn diagram, paragraph, Interpretation and analysis of data based on text, etc.
- Quantitative Ability & Mathematics: Time & work, Percentages, LCM & HCF, quadratic & linear equations, averages, trigonometry, permutation, probability, etc.
- Verbal Ability & English: Analogies, critical reasoning, fill in the blanks, sentence correction, antonyms and synonyms, syllogisms, etc.
CAT Reservation Criteria
A reservation criteria is followed, reserving seats in IIMs for specific categories. Students should have valid, central Govt. recognised certificates to claim the reservation benefits.
| Category | Seat Reservation |
| EWS | 10% |
| SC | 15% |
| ST | 7.5% |
| OBC- NC | 27% |
| PWD | 5% |
CAT 2027 Preparation Strategy
Below we have provided useful preparation tips and strategy which the students must follow in order to aim for better score in CAT:
- Solve previous year question papers for practise.
- To improve time management, students need to start solving sectional mock.
- Make a habit of 4-5 hours of study daily.
- Plan your preparation with a disciplined preparation strategy.
- Priortize maintaining 80% accuracy before focusing on speed.
- For maximising attempts better time management, learn to skip hard questions.
Top Query: When Should I start preparing for CAT 2027?Answer by Experts: The students who are going to appear for CAT exam for the first time, should start preparing early approx 12 months before the exam. |
Checkout: CAT Previous Year Question Paper PDFs (Download Here)
Practise Here: CAT Mock Test 2027
CAT Books for Preparation
Students preparing for CAT exam often get confused which book they should refer for various sections – Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and logical reasoning (DILR) and Quantitative Ability (QA).
Top recommended books and their publishers are given below:
| Books | Publishers |
| How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT 2025/26 (9th Edition) | By Arun Sharma |
| CAT Nishit Sinha – QA + Verbal + DI + LR – Combo Set of 4 Books – Includes CAT Fully Solved Paper – [ORIGINAL BOOKS-TOP GRADE PAPER & PRINT] – for 2026 Exams | By Nishit Sinha |
| Word Power Made Easy | Norman Lewis |
| Data Interpretation for CAT | By Nishit K. Sinha |
CAT Exam Centres
Students can check below various state wise exam centres. The option to choose exam centre is provided at the time of registration. Candidates are required to choose preferred CAT test centre near their location. Maximum of 5-6 test cities can be selected as per the prder of preference.
CAT Exam will be conducted in 170 cities across India. List of exam cities is provided below:
| State | Cities |
| Andaman & Nicobar Islands | Port Blair |
| Andhra Pradesh | Anantapur, Chittoor, Guntur, Kakinada, Kurnool, Nellore, Rajahmundry, Srikakulam, Tirupathi, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Itanagar- Naharlagun |
| Assam | Dibrugarh, Guwahati, Jorhat, Silchar, Tezpur |
| Bihar | Arrah, Bhagalpur, Darbhanga, Gaya, Muzaffarpur, Patna, Samastipur |
| Chandigarh | Chandigarh |
| Chhattisgarh | Bhilai Nagar, Bilaspur, Raipur |
| Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu | Silvassa |
| Goa | Madgaon, Panaji |
| Gujarat | Ahmedabad, Anand, Gandhinagar, Mehsana, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara |
| Haryana | Ambala, Faridabad – Gurugram, Hisar |
| Himachal Pradesh | Bilaspur HP, Hamirpur, Kangra, Shimla |
| Jammu & Kashmir | Jammu, Srinagar |
| Jharkhand | Dhanbad, Hazaribagh, Jamshedpur, Ranchi |
| Karnataka | Belagavi (Belgaum), Bengaluru, Hubli-Dharwad, Kalaburagi (Gulbarga), Mangaluru (Mangalore), Mysuru (Mysore), Shivamogga (Shimoga), Udupi |
| Kerala | Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Kannur, Kollam, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad, Thrissur, Trivandrum |
| Ladakh | Leh |
| Madhya Pradesh | Bhopal, Gwalior, Indore, Jabalpur, Sagar, Satna, Ujjain |
| Maharashtra | Ahmednagar, Amravati, Aurangabad -MH, Bhiwandi, Boisar, Chandrapur, Jalgaon, Kolhapur, Mumbai, Nagpur, Nanded, Nashik, Navi Mumbai, Palghar, Pune, Raigad, Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Thane, Vasai, Wardha |
| Meghalaya | Shillong |
| Mizoram | Aizawal |
| Nagaland | Kohima |
| New Delhi | New Delhi |
| Odisha | Balasore, Berhampur, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Rourkela, Sambalpur |
| Punjab | Amritsar, Bhatinda, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Mohali, Patiala |
| Puducherry | Puducherry |
| Rajasthan | Ajmer, Bikaner, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, Sikar, Udaipur |
| Tamil Nadu | Chennai, Coimbatore, Kanchipuram, Madurai, Salem, Tiruchirappalli, Tirunelveli, Vellore |
| Telangana | Hyderabad, Karimnagar, Khammam, Warangal |
| Tripura | Agartala |
| Uttar Pradesh | Agra, Aligarh, Bareilly, Ghaziabad, Gorakhpur, Greater Noida – Noida, Jhansi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Mathura, Meerut, Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, Prayagraj, Varanasi |
| Uttarakhand | Dehradun, Haldwani, Roorkee |
| West Bengal | Asansol, Bankura, Burdwan, Durgapur, Hooghly, Howrah, Kalyani, Kolkata, Siliguri |
Frequently Asked Questions:
CAT 2027 Admit Card
CAT Admit card 2027 will be available for downloading in second week of November 2026. The link to download hall ticket is provided online on the website few days before the exam date.
Students need to enter Login Id & Password to download hall ticket. Along with admit card, a valid photo id is to be shown to be allowed entry into the exam hall. Students need to cross check all information provided on admit card in case of any error.
CAT 2027 Answer Key
CAT response sheet & answer key is released few days after the conclusion of exams. Students can download question papers, response sheet & answer key via login.
After release of provisional answer key, students can submit objections against key. Objection window will remain open for 3 days. On considering the objections, authority will release final answer key.
CAT 2027 Result
CAT Scorecard 2027 can be downloaded in the first week of January 2026. To download result, students have to enter login credentials. Scorecard displays personal details, section wise scaled scores, percentile, etc.
Top IIMs and B-Schools release cut off and initiate selection process (GD/ PI/ WAT). The scorecard is valid only for one year.
CAT Cut Off 2027
For admission into top IIMs and B-schools students have secure cut off percentile. The final selection is based on overall CAT score, academic profile, interview and work experience.
The expected cut off percentile is described below section wise:
| Category | Cut Off percentile |
| General candidates | 99+ for General (Top IIMs) 94-98+ (Other IIMs) |
| Gen EWS candidates | 92-97+ |
| NC-OBC candidates | 90-96+ |
| SC candidates | 80-90+ percentile |
| ST/ PWD candidates | 70-85+ percentile |
CAT 2027 Selection Procedure
Students are selected for IIMs after passing three stages – Qualifying CAT exam with high percentile, passing sectional cut off (institute wise) for shortlisting and finally selection based on WAT, GD and PI round.
Other Non -IIMs may follow similar selection procedure but the weightage and cut off may be different.
CAT Participating Institutions
Here, we have named all the participating IIMs with their state location:
| Name of Institution | State Located |
| IIM Ahmedabad | Gujarat |
| IIM Calcutta | West Bengal |
| IIM Lucknow | Uttar Pradesh |
| IIM Bangalore | Karnataka |
| IIM Indore | Madhya Pradesh |
| IIM Shillong | Meghalaya |
| IIM Kozhikode | Kerala |
| IIM Indore | Madhya Pradesh |
| IIM Raipur | Chhattisgarh |
| IIM Nagpur | Maharashtra |
| IIM Rohtak | Haryana |
| IIM Ranchi | Jharkhand |
| IIM Kashipur | Uttarakhand |
| IIM Udaipur | Rajasthan |
| IIM Tiruchirappalli | Tamil Nadu |
| IIM Amritsar | Punjab |
| IIM Sirmaur | Himachal Pradesh |
| IIM Bodh Gaya | Bihar |
| IIM Sambalpur | Odisha |
| IIM Jammu | Jammu & Kashmir |
| IIM Vishakhapatnam | Andhra Pradesh |
If you have any other query regarding CAT 2027, feel free to ask us in the comments section provided below.