IITM
Indian Institute of Technology Madras
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government
- Total fees
- ₹2.56 L
- Avg. package
- —
- Rating
- —
CAT
CAT 2026
Common Admission Test
Conducted byIndian Institutes of Management (one IIM on rotation)
LevelNational
ModeOnline
FrequencyOnce a year (November)
Exam date29 Nov 2026 (Sunday, three sessions)
CAT 2026 important dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Conducting institute | IIM Indore |
| Registration opened | 3 Aug 2026 |
| Exam | 29 Nov 2026, three sessions |
| Source | CAT 2026 notification (iimcat.ac.in), 25 Jul 2026 |
Dates as per the official notification. Check the official website for changes.
Admissions through CAT
CAT overview
The Common Admission Test (CAT) is the computer-based test used by the IIMs for their MBA/PGP programmes. Hundreds of other B-schools — including IIT management departments, FMS Delhi, SPJIMR and MDI — also use CAT percentiles for shortlisting.
IIMs shortlist candidates using CAT scores together with academic record, work experience and diversity factors, followed by a written ability test and/or personal interview.
CAT eligibility
- Bachelor’s degree with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA (45% for SC, ST and PwD candidates).
- Final-year graduation students may apply.
- No age limit and no limit on attempts.
CAT exam pattern
| Section | Time |
|---|---|
| Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 40 minutes |
| Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) | 40 minutes |
| Quantitative Ability (QA) | 40 minutes |
Total 2 hours. MCQs carry +3 / −1; non-MCQ (type-in-the-answer) questions have no negative marking. Sections must be attempted in the fixed order.
Pattern and rules summarised from the official information bulletin. Always confirm the current year’s details on the official website before applying.
Colleges accepting CAT
IIMA
Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad, Gujarat · Government
- Total fees
- ₹27.5 L
- Avg. package
- ₹35.5 LPA
- Rating
- —
IITD
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
New Delhi, Delhi · Government
- Total fees
- ₹2 L
- Avg. package
- —
- Rating
- —
IIMB
Indian Institute of Management Bangalore
Bangalore, Karnataka · Government
- Total fees
- —
- Avg. package
- —
- Rating
- —
IITB
Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
Mumbai, Maharashtra · Government
- Total fees
- ₹2 L
- Avg. package
- —
- Rating
- —
CAT FAQs
No. Freshers can apply; some IIMs give weight to work experience in their shortlisting formula.
For the admission cycle of that year only.