CAT 2026: Exam Date, Syllabus, Pattern & Free Mock Tests

CAT is the national-level management entrance examination conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management on a rotating basis. It is the primary admission route to the twenty-one IIMs and is additionally accepted by more than a thousand other business schools across India, including FMS Delhi, SPJIMR, MDI Gurgaon, IITs and IMI.

The examination tests verbal ability and reading comprehension, data interpretation and logical reasoning, and quantitative ability across a strictly sectionally timed two-hour computer-based test. Scores are reported as scaled scores and percentiles rather than raw marks, because papers are normalised across multiple sessions.

CAT is the most sought-after management entrance in India because it is the sole route to the IIMs, whose flagship programmes deliver among the highest placement outcomes of any postgraduate qualification in the country.

The return on an IIM admission is what drives the competition. Average placement packages at the older IIMs run well into double-digit lakhs per annum, with consulting and finance roles at the top end, and the alumni network carries substantial weight throughout a career.

CAT also has no age limit and no cap on attempts, and a single score is accepted by more than a thousand institutions. That means one examination opens the entire management education market in India rather than a single institution.

• Sole admission route to the twenty-one IIMs
• Accepted by over 1,200 business schools nationally
• No age limit and no restriction on attempts
• Among the highest placement outcomes of any Indian postgraduate qualification

Expected schedule for the 2026 cycle, based on the usual CAT calendar.iimcat.ac.in — Official CAT Portal

To appear for CAT 2026 a candidate must hold a bachelor’s degree with at least 50 per cent marks or equivalent CGPA — 45 per cent for SC, ST and PwD candidates — with no age limit and no restriction on the number of attempts.

Educational Qualification

A bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 50 per cent marks or equivalent CGPA, relaxed to 45 per cent for Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Persons with Disability candidates. The degree must be from a university incorporated by an Act of Parliament or a State Legislature, or an institution declared deemed to be a university, or possess an equivalent qualification recognised by the Ministry of Education.

• Candidates in the final year of a bachelor’s degree and those awaiting results may apply, and are admitted provisionally subject to producing proof of completion.
• Candidates with professional qualifications such as CA, CS or ICWA are eligible.
• Percentage is calculated as awarded by the university; where only a CGPA is given, the university’s conversion formula applies.

Age Limit

There is no age limit for CAT. CAT has no age limit and no restriction on the number of attempts. A candidate may appear as many times as they wish across as many cycles as they wish.

Nationality

• Indian nationals are eligible.
• Foreign nationals and NRI candidates may apply, though many IIMs run separate admission processes for international applicants.

CAT is a two-hour computer-based test of three strictly sectionally timed sections of 40 minutes each, where MCQs carry a one-mark penalty for a wrong answer while TITA questions carry no negative marking at all.

1. 1Online registration on the official CAT portal within the notified window.
2. 2Computer Based Test of two hours across three sectionally timed sections.
3. 3Result declaration with scaled scores and sectional and overall percentiles.
4. 4Shortlisting by each IIM and other institute against its own published criteria.
5. 5Written Ability Test or Group Discussion and Personal Interview at each institute.
6. 6Final composite score combining CAT percentile, academics, work experience and interview performance.

CAT has no officially published syllabus — the three sections test verbal ability and reading comprehension, data interpretation and logical reasoning, and quantitative ability at a level broadly equivalent to Class 10 mathematics applied with considerable analytical depth.

CAT itself confers no salary — it is an admission test. The outcome is a place on an MBA or PGP programme, where average placement packages at the older IIMs typically run well into double-digit lakhs per annum, with newer IIMs and other accepting institutes somewhat lower.

Allowances and Benefits

• Placement outcomes vary by institute, cohort, specialisation and market conditions
• Summer internship stipends at the top institutes are substantial
• Alumni network access carries long-term career value
• Consulting and finance roles typically sit at the upper end of packages
• Always check each institute’s official audited placement report before comparing

The decisive CAT strategy is to accept that sectional timing removes all flexibility — you cannot rescue a weak section with a strong one, so the binding constraint is your weakest section rather than your average ability.