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The CAT 2026 exam date is 29 November 2026. The Common Admission Test will be conducted on Sunday in three shifts.
The CAT 2026 registration window ran from 03 August 2026 to 22 September 2026. The admit card is scheduled for release on 04 November 2026. The result is scheduled for mid to late December 2026 or early January 2027, based on the official date information supplied for this article.
CAT 2026 Exam Dates
| CAT 2026 Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Registration starts | August 3, 2026 |
| Registration closes | September 22, 2026 |
| Admit card release | November 4, 2026 |
| CAT exam date | November 29, 2026 |
| Answer key | To be announced |
| Result | Mid to late December 2026 / early January 2027 |
| Exam mode | Computer-based test |
| Number of shifts | 3 |
| Exam duration | 120 minutes |
| CAT Eligibility Criteria | Relaeased |
The CAT exam date 2026 is 29 November 2026. Candidates receive their individual exam centre, reporting instructions and slot details through the admit card.
CAT 2026 Exam Date and Timings
CAT Entrance Exam 2026 will be conducted in three sessions on November 29.
| Slot | Exam timing |
|---|---|
| Slot 1 | 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM |
| Slot 2 | 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM |
| Slot 3 | 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM |
Each session lasts two hours. Candidates must appear in the slot assigned to them. The admit card contains the candidate’s test centre and reporting instructions.
CAT 2026 Slot 1
Date: November 29, 2026
Time: 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM
This is the morning session of the CAT examination.
CAT 2026 Slot 2
Date: November 29, 2026
Time: 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM
This is the afternoon session.
CAT 2026 Slot 3
Date: November 29, 2026
Time: 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM
This is the evening session.
The three-slot schedule is also reported in the supplied competitor material.
CAT 2026 Registration Dates
The CAT 2026 registration window opened on 03 August 2026 and closed on 22 September 2026.
Candidates had to complete the application, provide the required academic and personal details, upload applicable documents and pay the registration fee within the prescribed window.
CAT 2026 Admit Card Date
The CAT 2026 admit card release date is 04 November 2026.
Candidates can use their registered login credentials to access the admit card when it becomes available. The admit card provides details such as the assigned test centre and examination slot.
Candidates should check the information printed on the admit card before travelling to the examination centre.
CAT 2026 Exam Date: What Candidates Need to Know
The CAT 2026 examination is scheduled for 29 November 2026.
The test will be conducted as a computer-based examination across three sessions. Each session has a duration of 120 minutes.
The three sections are:
- Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)
- Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)
- Quantitative Aptitude (QA)
The supplied competitor content describes the expected question distribution as 24 questions in VARC, 22 in DILR and 22 in QA, giving a total of 68 questions.
CAT 2026 Exam Pattern
The CAT 2026 exam is described in the supplied competitor material as a 120-minute test with separate time limits for the three sections.
| Section | Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| VARC | 24 | 40 minutes |
| DILR | 22 | 40 minutes |
| QA | 22 | 40 minutes |
| Total | 68 | 120 minutes |
The supplied sources state that correct answers receive 3 marks, while an incorrect MCQ attracts a 1-mark deduction. They also state that TITA questions do not carry negative marking.
CAT 2026 Answer Key Date
The exact CAT 2026 answer key date has not been established in the official date information supplied for this article.
One competitor source lists December 3, 2026 as an expected answer key date. Since that date is presented as expected rather than confirmed, it should not be treated as an official deadline.
After the answer key is released, candidates can use the published responses to review their answers and follow the objection process, if one is provided.
CAT 2026 Result Date
The official date information supplied for this article places the CAT 2026 result in the mid-to-late December 2026 to early January 2027 period.
A competitor source gives December 23, 2026 as an expected result date. That date should remain labelled as expected unless the conducting IIM confirms it.
Candidates will be able to access their CAT scorecard through the official CAT portal @iimcat.ac.in when the result is released.The registration and admit-card dates above follow the official date information supplied in the brief.
What to Check on the CAT Admit Card
The CAT admit card becomes the main reference for examination-day details once it is released.
Candidates should check:
- Name and personal details
- CAT registration details
- Examination date
- Assigned test slot
- Test centre address
- Reporting instructions
- Examination-day requirements
The exact instructions printed on the admit card should take priority over general information published elsewhere.
CAT 2026 Exam Day
Candidates should reach the assigned test centre according to the reporting time mentioned on their admit card.
The supplied competitor material states that candidates should carry a printed admit card and an accepted photo identification document. It also lists restrictions on electronic devices and other prohibited items.
Candidates should read the instructions on their own admit card before the examination because centre-entry requirements can be specific to the test administration.
CAT Exam Date: Previous Years
The supplied competitor content gives the following historical CAT examination dates:
| CAT Year | Exam Date | Conducting IIM |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | November 30, 2025 | IIM Kozhikode |
| 2024 | November 24, 2024 | IIM Calcutta |
| 2023 | November 26, 2023 | IIM Lucknow |
| 2022 | November 27, 2022 | IIM Bangalore |
| 2021 | November 28, 2021 | IIM Ahmedabad |
| 2020 | November 29, 2020 | IIM Indore |
These dates show that CAT has been scheduled on a Sunday in each year listed above.
CAT 2026 Preparation Timeline After the Exam Date Is Announced
With the examination scheduled for November 29, candidates should organise preparation around the remaining weeks before the test.
A practical timeline should account for three separate tasks:
Before the exam: Complete section-wise practice and timed mock tests.
During the final preparation period: Review mistakes from mock tests and revise frequently tested concepts.
Before exam day: Check the admit card, centre location, reporting instructions and required documents.
The date itself does not change the CAT syllabus. It determines the deadline by which preparation and exam-day arrangements need to be completed.
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