CAT 2026 registrations fall 3.7%: 2.84 lakh apply for the Nov 29 exam

By TUF News Desk · Published 14 October 2026 · 3 min read

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The CAT 2026 registration count is out, and the headline number is smaller than last year: roughly 2.84 lakh candidates have signed up for the November 29 exam. That is a 3.7% drop from the 2.95 lakh who registered for CAT 2025.

The figures were reported this week by JagranJosh and Shiksha, based on official CAT data. The Indian Institute of Management Indore is conducting this year’s exam.

The trend: two straight years of decline

CAT registrations peaked in 2024, when 3.29 lakh candidates applied under IIM Calcutta. The count slipped to 2.95 lakh in 2025 under IIM Kozhikode, and now to 2.84 lakh in 2026. So registrations have fallen two years in a row, after a climb that took the count from 2.31 lakh in 2021 to the 2024 peak.

The registered number is also not the final turnout. Going by past attendance patterns, Shiksha estimates that around 2.48 to 2.53 lakh candidates will actually sit for the exam.

What the exam looks like this year

CAT 2026 will be held on Sunday, November 29, in computer-based mode across roughly 170 cities. Candidates could choose five test-city preferences at the time of registration, and the CAT centre allots one of them.

There are three sessions: morning (8:30 am to 10:30 am), afternoon (12:30 pm to 2:30 pm), and evening (4:30 pm to 6:30 pm). The paper carries 68 questions across three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (QA). Each section gets 40 minutes, adding up to 120 minutes. A correct answer is worth 3 marks; a wrong one costs 1.

Admit cards go live on November 4 at the official CAT website, and stay downloadable until exam day. The result is expected in the first week of January 2027.

The registration window opened on August 3 and was extended to September 22. The brief application correction window on October 5 and 6, when candidates could fix their photograph, signature and test-city preferences, has already closed.

Eligibility is unchanged: a bachelor’s degree with at least 50% marks (45% for SC, ST and PwBD candidates). Final-year students can apply, provided their degree requirements are completed by the stipulated date.

The competition maths

CAT scores feed admissions to the 22 IIMs as well as business schools such as FMS Delhi, SPJIMR, MDI Gurgaon and several IITs. The projected flagship intake across the 22 IIMs for the 2027-29 batch is a little over 8,200 seats. Against an expected turnout of about 2.5 lakh test-takers, that works out to roughly 30 candidates per seat, before reservations and each institute’s own selection criteria come into play.

Students comparing schools while preparing can read our guide to choosing a university in India and check our scholarships guide for help with the cost of business school.

Frequently asked questions

How many candidates registered for CAT 2026?

About 2.84 lakh candidates registered, down 3.7% from the 2.95 lakh who registered for CAT 2025.

When is the CAT 2026 exam?

November 29, 2026, in three sessions in computer-based mode across roughly 170 cities.

When will the CAT 2026 admit card be released?

November 4, 2026, on the official CAT website iimcat.ac.in. Candidates need the admit card plus a photo ID to enter the exam hall.

When is the CAT 2026 result expected?

The result is expected in the first week of January 2027, and CAT scores remain valid until December 31, 2027.

Frequently asked questions

Sources: JagranJosh, Shiksha