CAT 2026 Registration Deadline Today: What Aspirants Must Check

Nihal KumarSeptember 22, 20265 Mins read4 Views

The CAT 2026 registration deadline falls today, September 22, with IIM Indore closing the application window at 5 PM. Candidates still completing the form should verify eligibility, documents, category details, test-city preferences and fee payment before submitting the application.

CAT 2026 Registration Deadline Is September 22

The CAT 2026 registration process is entering its final hours today. The Indian Institutes of Management extended the original deadline from September 15 to September 22, giving aspirants an additional week to complete their applications. The revised deadline is 5 PM today.

IIM Indore is conducting CAT 2026, which is the entrance examination used for admission to management programmes at the IIMs and several other participating business schools.

Candidates who have not yet completed registration should not wait until the final minutes. The application involves entering personal and academic information, uploading documents, selecting test-city preferences and making the required fee payment. A form is considered complete only after the required steps have been successfully submitted.

IIM Indore has also indicated that the September 22 deadline will not be extended further, making today’s deadline particularly important for candidates who are still waiting to apply.

CAT 2026 Eligibility Details Candidates Should Verify

Before submitting the CAT 2026 application, candidates should make sure they meet the prescribed educational eligibility requirements.

Graduates with the required marks from recognised universities or institutions can apply. Candidates appearing for the final year of their bachelor’s degree or awaiting their final-year results can also apply, subject to the conditions specified in the CAT notification.

The minimum qualifying marks generally differ according to category. Candidates belonging to the General, EWS and NC-OBC categories are required to meet the applicable 50% graduation requirement, while the minimum requirement is 45% for SC, ST and PwBD candidates, subject to the official eligibility conditions.

There is no prescribed age limit for appearing in CAT. However, candidates should carefully read the official eligibility provisions before submitting the form, particularly if they are in the final year of graduation or have completed their degree through a different academic route.

Documents Required For CAT 2026 Application

Aspirants should keep their important documents and information ready before starting or completing the CAT application.

The application process requires personal information, academic records and other details relevant to the candidate’s background. Candidates should have a valid and unique email address and mobile number because these details are used for communication related to the examination.

A recent passport-size photograph and scanned signature are also required. Candidates applying under reserved or PwBD categories should keep the relevant certificates available in the prescribed format.

Academic information from Class 10 onwards should be entered carefully. Candidates with work experience must also provide the required employment details according to the instructions in the application form.

Before submitting, applicants should compare the information entered in the form with their original records. Small mistakes in names, dates, category information or academic details can create problems later in the admission process.

CAT 2026 Application Fee And Payment

The CAT 2026 application fee is ₹2,700 for candidates belonging to the General, EWS and NC-OBC categories. The fee for SC, ST and PwBD candidates is ₹1,350.

The payment needs to be completed as part of the registration process. Candidates should not consider the form submitted simply because they have entered all their details. They should verify that the payment has been processed successfully and that the application status reflects successful submission.

It is also important to use the official CAT website for the entire process. IIM Indore has warned candidates about fraudulent websites and suspicious links, making it important to check the website address before entering personal information or making a payment.

The official CAT website is iimcat.ac.in.

Five Test Cities Can Be Selected

CAT 2026 candidates can select five preferred test cities while completing the application form. The examination is scheduled to be conducted across approximately 170 cities.

Candidates should therefore consider their travel requirements before finalising their preferences.

Those living in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities should pay particular attention to this section. If a preferred city is far from the candidate’s home location, travelling on examination day may become difficult, especially for morning sessions.

Candidates should select cities that are realistically accessible and check transportation options before submitting their preferences.

According to the examination information reported by NDTV, the exam authority will attempt to allot one of the preferred cities, although the centre may assign a location close to the selected preferences in situations involving high demand. Once a centre is allotted, candidates cannot request a change through the examination authority.

CAT 2026 Correction Window Will Have Limited Scope

Candidates who successfully register and pay the CAT 2026 fee will get a short opportunity to make certain corrections after the main application window closes.

However, applicants should not treat the correction facility as an opportunity to revise every part of the application. IIM Indore has specified that the edit facility will cover the photograph, signature and test-city preferences. Other application details cannot simply be changed through this window.

The exact schedule for the correction window should be checked on the official CAT website once announced.

This is why candidates submitting their forms today should carefully review every field before clicking the final submission button. Waiting for the correction window to fix an avoidable mistake could create unnecessary complications.

CAT 2026 Exam Date And Examination Pattern

CAT 2026 is scheduled to be conducted on November 29, 2026, in three computer-based sessions. IIM Indore is the conducting institute for this year’s examination.

The examination will have three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Aptitude. The total examination duration is 120 minutes.

The three-section structure means candidates need to prepare across language comprehension, logical reasoning, data interpretation and quantitative concepts.

Candidates should also remember that the CAT examination is not simply a test of syllabus coverage. Time management and question selection are important parts of the computer-based examination because candidates work within fixed sectional time limits.

The official examination instructions should be checked closer to the test date for the final test-day requirements.

Admit Card And Important CAT 2026 Dates

After registration closes, the next major milestone for candidates will be the CAT 2026 admit card.

The admit card is scheduled to be released from November 4, 2026, ahead of the November 29 examination. Only candidates who successfully complete the registration process and payment will be eligible to access the admit card.

Candidates should keep their registered email address and mobile number active throughout the examination and admission process. They should also regularly check the official CAT website rather than relying exclusively on social media posts or coaching-platform updates.

The exam itself will be held on November 29 in three sessions. Candidates should check their individual admit card for the allotted test centre, reporting instructions and other examination-day information once the document is released.

What Aspirants Should Check Before Clicking Submit

For candidates completing CAT registration today, the safest approach is to conduct one final review before submission.

First, check your name, date of birth and contact information. Next, verify academic details and category information against the original documents. Candidates claiming category or PwBD benefits should make sure they meet the applicable requirements and have the required certificates.

The uploaded photograph and signature should meet the prescribed specifications. Test-city preferences should also be reviewed carefully because the choice can affect travel arrangements later.

Finally, confirm the application fee and successful payment status. Candidates should save the submitted application details and payment confirmation for their records.

These checks take only a few minutes but can prevent avoidable errors after the application window closes.

CAT 2026 Registration: Key Takeaways

The CAT 2026 registration deadline is September 22, 2026, at 5 PM, following an extension from the earlier September 15 deadline.
Candidates should verify eligibility, academic information, category details, documents, photograph, signature and test-city preferences before submission.
The application fee is ₹2,700 for General, EWS and NC-OBC candidates and ₹1,350 for SC, ST and PwBD candidates.
CAT 2026 is scheduled for November 29, with the admit card scheduled to be released from November 4.