CAT 2026: Download admit card Nov 4; exam is Nov 29

IIM Indore, the convening institute for the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2026, has announced that the admit cards for the examination will be released on November 4, 2026. Candidates will be able to download their hall tickets from the official website, iimcat.ac.in, until November 29, 2026, which is also the date of the CAT 2026 examination.

The CAT is a national-level entrance examination for admission to MBA and PGDM programs offered by the 21 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and over a thousand other participating business schools across India. This year, IIM Indore is conducting the CAT for the first time since 2020, with more than 4.5 lakh MBA applicants expected to have registered for the exam.

CAT 2026 Examination Schedule and Structure

The CAT 2026 examination is scheduled for Sunday, November 29, 2026, and will be conducted in three sessions across approximately 170 test cities and around 400 test centres. The exam duration is 120 minutes (2 hours), divided into three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA).

Each section has a fixed duration of 40 minutes, and candidates are not permitted to switch between sections during the examination. The official notification for CAT 2026 was released on July 26, 2026, with registration opening on August 3, 2026, and closing on September 22, 2026, after an extension from the initial September 15 deadline. The last date for fee payment was September 24, 2026.

Admit Card Download and Verification Process

To download the CAT 2026 admit card, candidates must log in to iimcat.ac.in using their registered User ID and password. IIM Indore has clarified that the admit card will not be issued via email, SMS, or any third-party portal. Upon downloading, candidates are advised to immediately verify all details on the admit card, including their name, photograph, exam centre address, session/slot, and reporting time.

Any discrepancies found on the admit card should be reported to IIM Indore through the official CAT helpdesk without delay. For entry into the examination hall, a printed copy of the CAT 2026 admit card is mandatory, as soft copies will not be accepted. Candidates must also carry a valid original photo ID proof, such as an Aadhaar card, PAN card, passport, driving licence, or voter ID, with the name matching that on the admit card.

Test Centre Instructions and Prohibited Items

Candidates are required to arrive at their designated test centre by the reporting time printed on their admit card, which is at least 1.5 hours before the exam begins. The gates will close strictly at the scheduled entry time, and late arrivals will not be permitted to enter the examination hall. It is recommended that candidates visit their test centre a day before the exam to familiarise themselves with the route and estimated travel time, especially if travelling from another city.

Inside the exam hall, strict regulations will be enforced regarding prohibited items. Candidates are not allowed to bring calculators, mobile phones, smartwatches, or any study material. The CAT 2026 result is expected to be announced in the first week of January 2027.

Further reading

• IIM Ahmedabad PGP 2026-28 admission policy revised: CAT cutoffs up for general category
• CAT 2026 application form correction closes today, make changes by 5 PM
• CAT result: date and how to check Next step
• MMS 2026: Apply for admission with CAT/MAT/XAT/CMAT/ATMA/MAH-CET scores
• SNAP 2026 exam dates announced: register by 25 November for MBA admissions Applications open
• CAT: complete exam guide

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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