CAT Exam 2026: Syllabus, Eligibility, Exam Pattern and Preparation Tips

The CAT exam 2026 is on Sunday, 29 November 2026, and IIM Indore is running it this year. If an MBA is on your mind, you already know this is the big one. The Common Admission Test is India’s most popular MBA entrance exam, and its scores open doors at the IIMs and many other top management institutes.

We’ve kept this guide short. You’ll find the dates, eligibility, syllabus, pattern and a few prep tips that work. At the end, we’ll show you how BSchool Bridge can help when it’s time to pick a college.

CAT Exam Date 2026 and Important Dates

Put these dates on your phone calendar right now. Here’s the full schedule for the CAT exam 2026:

The IIMs do change dates sometimes, so check the official website once a week until exam day.

Sources: CAT Official Website · BSchool Bridge Exam Tracker

CAT Eligibility Criteria 2026 and Minimum Marks

To sit for the CAT exam 2026, you need a bachelor’s degree from a recognised university, with these marks:

Still in your final year? You can apply. And there’s no upper age limit, so working professionals can take it too.

Sources: CAT Official Website · UGC

CAT Registration 2026

CAT registration 2026 closed on 22 September. The fee was ₹2,700 for General, EWS and NC OBC candidates and ₹1,350 for SC, ST and PwD candidates. If you missed it this time, save these numbers. The 2027 process will look very similar.

CAT Exam Pattern 2026 and Marking Scheme

No changes have been announced, so the CAT exam pattern 2026 should look just like last year’s. The paper has three CAT exam sections:

Each section runs on its own 40 minute clock. In the CAT exam 2026, once time is up on a section, you move on and can’t go back. So don’t leave easy questions for “later”.

CAT Marking Scheme

Under the CAT marking scheme, a wild guess on an MCQ can cost you a mark. TITA questions carry no penalty, though, so always give them a shot if you’re close.

CAT Syllabus 2026: Section-Wise Topics

The IIMs never release an official topic list. The CAT syllabus 2026 below comes from what has shown up in past papers.

• CAT VARC syllabus 2026: Around two thirds of this section is reading passages. If you read well, you’re already halfway there.
• CAT DILR syllabus 2026: Topics change every year. Picking the right sets matters more than solving fast.
• CAT quantitative aptitude syllabus 2026: Arithmetic and algebra carry the most questions, so start there.

CAT Preparation Tips 2026

There are roughly five weeks left before the CAT exam 2026. That’s not much time, so skip big new topics and put your energy into practice and revision. These CAT preparation tips are what we tell students at this stage:

• VARC: Read one long article a day. A newspaper editorial with your morning tea works fine. Then solve two or three passages.
• DILR: Do one timed set daily. Practise walking away from a set that isn’t opening up.
• QA: Go over formulas first, then solve mixed questions instead of one chapter at a time.
• Exam day: Plan how you’ll spend each 40 minute section before you walk in. Don’t make that decision under pressure.

CAT Percentile Required for MBA Admission

There’s no single cutoff for the CAT exam 2026. Colleges look at your full profile, including school and college marks and work experience, not just your percentile.

Sources: BSchool Bridge Directory · NIRF Rankings

See minimum CAT percentiles for every IIM

MBA Admission Through CAT 2026

Once the CAT exam 2026 results are out, here’s what happens next:

1. Download your CAT scorecard.
2. Apply to the colleges on your list. Some need a separate form.
3. If you’re shortlisted, you’ll face a WAT, GD or interview.
4. Your final offer depends on your score and your overall profile.

Most PGDM colleges accepting CAT scores follow the same steps. Before you pay a fee anywhere, check that the college is AICTE approved. It takes two minutes and can save you a lot of trouble.

By city: BSchool Bridge has lists for MBA colleges in Delhi NCR, Pune and Bangalore. If you’re looking at MBA colleges in Noida accepting CAT, ask for their real placement reports, not just the highest package.

Sources: AICTE

Missed the CAT Exam 2026? Try These Exams

Missing CAT doesn’t mean losing the year. These exams are still open:

Sources: NMAT · SNAP · XAT · CMAT (NTA)

MBA Colleges Accepting CAT by City

• Start with the MBA colleges in Delhi NCR list.
• If you are looking for MBA colleges in Noida accepting CAT or PGDM colleges in Greater Noida, check AICTE approval, total fees and real placement reports.
• You can find CAT accepting colleges in Pune along with SNAP and other exams. See the Pune list.
• MBA colleges in Bangalore accepting CAT include IIM Bangalore. See the Bangalore list.
• MBA colleges in Kolkata accepting CAT include IIM Calcutta.

How BSchool Bridge Helps

Got your score? With BSchool Bridge, you can compare colleges by fees, cutoffs and placements, and see if a course is worth the money with our ROI calculator. You can also book free MBA and PGDM admission counselling. We don’t take commissions from colleges, so our advice isn’t pushed toward any one of them.

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