The CAT 2026 notification is officially out — released by IIM Indore on July 25, 2026. CAT is the gateway to the 20 IIMs and 1,000+ other MBA programmes. With roughly four months to the exam, here's everything confirmed plus a realistic study plan.
Confirmed Dates & Fees
> Registration and exam dates are confirmed from the official notification. Admit-card and result dates are the usual pattern — verify on iimcat.ac.in.
Eligibility
A bachelor's degree with a minimum 50% (45% for SC/ST/PwD), or equivalent CGPA. Final-year students can also apply.
Exam Pattern (recent format)
Three sections, 40 minutes each (120 minutes total):
Marking is +3 for a correct answer and −1 for a wrong MCQ (no negative for non-MCQ/TITA questions).
A 4-Month Prep Plan (Aug–Nov)
Month 1 — Foundations. Rebuild fundamentals: arithmetic and algebra for QA, para-jumbles and RC pace for VARC, and basic DI sets. Take one diagnostic mock to find your weak section.
Month 2 — Concept + speed. Add geometry, number systems and modern math; move to harder LR sets. Start two mocks a week and, crucially, spend more time *analysing* each mock than taking it.
Month 3 — Sectional mastery. Push your weakest section hardest — for most people that's DILR. Learn set selection: in DILR, choosing which sets to attempt matters more than raw solving speed.
Final 3–4 weeks — Simulation. Full-length mocks in the actual slot timing, then careful review. Lock in a per-section attempt strategy and a "skip early" rule for time-sink questions.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Planning to apply? Browse [top MBA colleges accepting CAT](/best-colleges/mba) and shortlist targets early so you can tailor your prep to your realistic percentile band.
Bottom line: CAT 2026 is on November 29 with registration closing September 15. Register in the first week, then commit to a mock-and-analysis loop — that single habit separates 95+ percentilers from the rest.