Common Admission Test (CAT) is one of the major management entrance exams in India. It is taken by students who want admission to MBA, PGDM and other management programmes offered by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and other business schools.
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The exam is scheduled for November 29, 2026. It will be conducted as a computer-based test in three sessions.
The exam tests candidates in three main areas: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) and Quantitative Ability (QA).
CAT 2026: Highlights
| Exam Name | Common Admission Test (CAT) |
| Exam Level | National-level management entrance examination |
| Exam Mode | Computer-Based Test (CBT) |
| Exam Date | November 29, 2026 |
| Frequency | Once a year |
| Duration | 120 minutes |
| Number of Sections | 3 |
| Sections | VARC, DILR and QA |
| Sectional Time | 40 minutes |
| Language | English |
| Official Website | iimcat.ac.in |
CAT 2026 Registration
CAT registration is completed online through the official CAT website.
While filling out the application form, candidates should enter their personal and academic information carefully. Incorrect details can create difficulties later.
CAT 2026 Exam Pattern
CAT 2026 has three sections:
- Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)
- Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)
- Quantitative Ability (QA)
The total exam duration is 120 minutes, with 40 minutes allotted to each section.
CAT 2026 Syllabus
CAT does not follow a narrowly fixed chapter-wise syllabus. Instead, the questions are designed to test aptitude, comprehension, reasoning and problem-solving skills.
The syllabus can broadly be divided into three sections: VARC, DILR and QA.
CAT 2026 Admit Card
The CAT admit card contains important information about the candidate's examination.
Admit card is made available online through the CAT portal and candidates need their login credentials to download it.
CAT 2026 Answer Key
After the examination, the CAT authorities release the response sheet and answer key according to the examination schedule.
Candidates can use the answer key to compare their responses and get an idea of their performance.
CAT 2026 Result
The CAT result is generally published online through the official CAT website.
The scorecard include:
- Overall score
- Overall percentile
- Section-wise score
- Section-wise percentile
CAT 2026 schedule places the result around the first week of January 2027. Candidates should check the official announcement for the final result date.
CAT Score vs CAT Percentile
CAT score and CAT percentile are two different things, and candidates often confuse the two.
CAT Score
A CAT score refers to the marks calculated from the candidate's correct and incorrect responses according to the applicable marking scheme.
CAT Percentile
Percentile represents a candidate's relative position compared with other test takers.
For example, a 95 percentile means the candidate performed better than a large majority of test takers. It does not mean that the candidate scored 95% marks.
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- Ignoring One Section
- Solving Every Question
- Taking Mocks Without Analysis
- Changing Strategies Too Often
- Ignoring Reading