CAT 2026 registration fee payment extended to 24 September

IIM Indore, the coordinating institute for CAT 2026, announced today, September 22, 2026, an extension for the payment of the CAT 2026 registration fee. Candidates who completed their new registration on or before September 22, 2026, now have until September 24, 2026, 5:00 PM, to submit their application fee through the official CAT website, iimcat.ac.in.

This extension specifically addresses fee payments and does not apply to new registrations for CAT 2026, for which the deadline was September 22, 2026, 5:00 PM IST. The original deadline for CAT 2026 registration was September 15, 2026, and the registration process commenced on August 3, 2026, at 10:00 AM. As of September 15, 2026, over 2.84 lakh candidates had registered for CAT 2026.

CAT 2026 Application Fee Structure and Payment Details

The application fee for CAT 2026 varies by candidate category and is non-refundable. General, NC-OBC, and EWS candidates are required to pay ₹2,700, while SC, ST, and PwD candidates have a fee of ₹1,350. This represents an increase of ₹100 in the application fee compared to the previous year. Candidates must ensure their fee payment is completed by the extended deadline of September 24, 2026, 5:00 PM.

The fee payment extension is a common practice, with CAT registration deadlines having been extended in previous years, including CAT 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, and 2021. This often allows candidates who may have initiated their registration but not completed the payment to finalize their application.

Key Dates for CAT 2026 and Upcoming Events

Following the fee payment extension, several other important dates for CAT 2026 remain as scheduled. The CAT 2026 exam is set for November 29, 2026, and will be conducted in three sessions. Candidates will be able to download their admit cards starting November 4, 2026, with the download window remaining open until the exam date.

A form correction facility will be made available in the first week of October, expected from September 27, 2026. During this window, candidates will be able to edit uploaded documents and modify their test city preferences. IIM Indore will not charge any processing fee for these corrections. Candidates are required to select 5 preferred test cities during registration. The result declaration is anticipated in the first week of January 2027, and CAT scores will be valid until December 31, 2027.

Eligibility Criteria and Application Guidelines

To be eligible for CAT 2026, candidates must hold a Bachelor’s degree with at least 50% marks, or 45% for SC, ST, and PwBD categories. Professional qualifications such as CA, CS, and CMA are also accepted. There is no upper age limit or restriction on the number of attempts for the CAT exam.

Candidates are advised to accurately enter work experience details as of July 31, 2026, noting that only full-time experience obtained after graduation is considered. The application process requires uploading a photograph and signature, with specific file size and dimension requirements. The CAT 2026 Information Bulletin was released around July 25–26, 2026, providing comprehensive details for applicants.

Further reading

• IIM CAT 2026 Registration Closes Tomorrow, September 15; Admit Cards on November 4 at iimcat.ac.in
• CAT 2026 registration closes today: apply by 5 pm
• CAT exam pattern: sections, marking and duration Next step
• MBA Entrance Exams 2026-27: CAT, XAT, NMAT, SNAP Registration and Dates Announced Today
• SNAP 2026 mock test scheduled for September 24; apply by September 22
• BML Munjal University MBA 2027 admissions open: apply now, fees ₹15.10 lakh Applications open

Written by Nishit Kumar

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

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