CAT 2026 Registration Deadline Extended to September 22; Exam on November 29

The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Indore has extended the registration deadline for the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2026. Candidates who are eligible can now submit their application forms until September 22, 2026. The registration window had opened on August 3, 2026.

The exam itself is scheduled for November 29, 2026, and will be conducted in three sessions. CAT remains the principal route to Master of Business Administration (MBA) programmes at the IIMs, and its scores are also accepted by a number of other business schools across the country.

How to apply

Applicants can fill and submit the form on the official CAT website, iimcat.ac.in. The process involves registering to generate a unique user ID and password, logging in with those credentials to complete the application form, entering the required details, and making the payment online to finish the submission.

Choosing an exam centre

CAT 2026 will be held in around 170 cities. While filling out the form, candidates can list five preferred cities. The exam authority has said it will ensure that a candidate is allotted one of these preferred options.

However, if demand is unusually high in a particular region, the CAT centre reserves the right to allot a test centre close to any of the preferred choices. Once a centre has been allotted, no change is permitted.

Test format

The test will run for 120 minutes in total. Each section will be given 40 minutes, and candidates will not be allowed to move from one section to another during the exam.