CAT Registration 2026: How to Fill Application Form, Fees, Last Date, Documents

IIM, the conducting body of CAT 2026 exam, will possibly start the registration process in August 2026. The registration portal will be live till September 2026 tentatively. Students will be able to rectify their mistakes in the application form through the correction window that will be available probably in the Last Week of September 2026.

CAT exam registration is mandatory for appearing in the entrance test. Candidates who want to secure admission in top MBA / PGDM Colleges can register for CAT by visiting its official website.

In this article, candidates can find out detailed information about the CAT exam registration like registration schedule, application fees, important dates, required documents, etc.

The National-Level CAT entrance examination is conducted for offering admission to the qualifying students in the Post Graduate & Doctoral Management programs at the IIMs & non-IIM members of India & abroad.

Aspirants can register online for CAT 2026 exam according to the dates mentioned in the table below:

After completing the application form, students are supposed to pay the exam fee in order to confirm their candidature for the CAT exam. The application fee can be paid via online payment gateway only by using any one of the following modes:

• Credit Card
• Debit Card
• Net Banking
• Wallet
• UPI
• Wallet

Interested candidates can check out the CAT Exam registration fees from the following table:

* Candidates are required to pay the registration fee only once regardless of the number of Colleges they are applying for admissions. Once the payment is completed, it will not be refunded under any circumstances.

Candidates who have satisfied the CAT Eligibility Criteria can proceed to fill the Registration Form. After qualifying the entrance test students will be eligible to get admission in their desired Management educational Institutions which accept CAT score. It is important for the candidates to fill the form on or before the CAT 2026 Registration last date.

Eligible candidates should use the requisite web browser specified for accessing the registration form & follow the below-given steps to apply for CAT 2026 exam registration successfully:

Step 1: Complete the Registration

• Visit ‘iimcat.ac.in’.
• Click on the ‘Register’ icon under the New Candidate Registration Header.
  
• To get Login ID and Password, fill in the necessary details like candidates’ Name, DOB, contact number, etc.
• Type the Captcha Code displayed on the screen.
• After filling all the asked details, click on ‘Generate OTP’ to receive an OTP on the registered mobile number.
• Now, submit the OTP and declaration by clicking on the “I Agree” checkbox.
• Post Verification, candidates will receive the credentials on their registered email.
  

* CAT Exam Registration Details such as Applicants’ Name, Date of Birth, email ID, and mobile number cannot be changed later.

Step 2: Login

• Post registration, revisit the CAT official website and login with the received User ID and Password.
  

*In case, if candidates forget their credentials, they are required to click on the ‘Forget User ID / CAT Registration Number and Password’ on the ‘Registered Candidates Login’ Window. After that, candidates will receive the new credentials on their registered email address.

Step 3: Fill the CAT 2026 Application Form

• After login, candidates will be redirected to the ‘Applicants Details’ page.
• Fill the details of the CAT form 2026.
  

Step 4: Complete the Payment

• Click on the ‘Save and continue’ button for proceeding towards the payment window.
• Pay the application fee through online payment modes.
  

* After completing the whole registration process, candidates can download the CAT Admit Card 2026 from the official website: iimcat.ac.in.

The CAT Application Form is divided into six sections which should be filled by the applicants with relevant details. Following are the details about the all sections:

At the time of CAT registration 2026, it is mandatory for the candidates to upload scanned copies of below listed documents:

• Passport Size Photograph
• Signature
• Class 10^th and 12^th Marksheet
• NC-OBC / SC / ST / PwD / EWS Certificate
• Work Experience Certificate (If Applicable)

In the ‘Documents Upload’ section of the CAT 2026 application form, students are required to upload the required documents in the format prescribed by the conducting authority. The format is described in the table below:

* The above-mentioned documents must be scanned using a scanner & not mobile phones / other mobile applications. Also, the original / digital Certificates are not required to be self-attested. However, self-attestation is necessary in case of photocopied documents.

Note: Candidates must make sure that the Certificate matches the name mentioned in the CAT Registration Form 2026. In case of any mismatch, students are required to mention the changed name & provide the supporting documents for the change of name during examination, interview & the admission process

The CAT Application Form Correction Window will be opened by the authorities probably in the last week of September 2026 for a few days. Through this, candidates can rectify their mistakes in some specific sections of the application form. It is to be noted that only those applicants who have completed their registration on time and paid the applicable exam fee will be permitted to make the following changes:

• Photograph
• Signature
• Test City Preferences

Aspirants need to be careful while filling the CAT exam registration 2026 form, otherwise any sort of mistakes can prevent them from appearing in the CAT 2026 Exam.

Here are the some crucial points to consider during the registration process to avoid mistakes:

• Candidates’ passport size photograph uploaded in the application form should not be taken prior to 6 months.
• Academic details must be filled in the Percentage or CGPA Format.
• Candidates should have original documents of the details filled in the form.

Students who are looking forward to applying for the entrance exam are suggested to ensure that they fulfil the requisite CAT Eligibility Criteria before they begin their respective registration process. As per the eligibility conditions for the CAT 2026, candidates must have passed Graduation with minimum 50% marks (45% for applicants belonging to the SC / ST / PwD categories) or equivalent CGPA.

Moreover, there is no minimum & maximum age limit prescribed for attempting the entrance test. Students who have qualified Professional degrees such as CS / CA / ICMAI / Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of India (FIAI) with the minimum percentage required are also eligible.