CAT 2026 is reported for 29 November, and registration is reported closed since 22 September. If you registered, spend the next seven weeks on mocks and review, not new topics. If you did not, look at MAH-CET, XAT and CMAT this season, and treat CAT 2027 as your next full attempt. Confirm every date on the official sites.
What we know, as reported
| Item | As reported |
|---|---|
| Exam date | 29 November 2026 |
| Registration | Closed 22 September 2026 (Careers360). Cracku gives 15 September |
| Pattern | Three sections: Verbal and RC, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude |
| Questions and time | About 68 questions, 120 minutes, 40 minutes per section |
| Marking | +3 for a correct answer, -1 for a wrong MCQ |
| Eligibility | Bachelor’s degree with minimum marks, or equivalent. Final-year students can apply |
These figures come from third-party exam portals, which cite the official CAT website. We could not open the official site from our workspace. Check iimcat.ac.in for the notice, your admit card date and your test slot.
If you registered: the last seven weeks
You cannot rebuild your preparation now. You can make it sharper.
- Stop starting new topics a few weeks out. Revise what you know.
- Take mocks and review them. A mock you do not review teaches you little. Our mock analysis method shows how.
- Practise your section timing. Each section has its own 40 minutes. You cannot carry time across.
- Plan the day itself. Know your test centre, your travel time and your documents.
We have put a week-by-week outline in the 7-week CAT study plan.
If you missed it: your options this season
| Route | What it is | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| MAH-CET | Maharashtra State CET Cell exam for state MBA/MMS seats | 2027 dates not yet announced, as far as we know. See what we know about MAH-CET 2027 |
| XAT | Separate exam, reported for 3 January 2027 | Check the XLRI/XAT site for registration status |
| CMAT | Separate exam, reported for 25 January 2027 | Check the official site for registration status |
| CAT 2027 | The next CAT cycle | A full year to prepare |
Whether you should wait a year or apply elsewhere this season depends on your target colleges and your readiness. It is a personal call, and we cannot make it for you here.
Where this doesn’t apply
Dates change. Everything in this post is as reported by third-party portals on 10 October 2026, and we could not open the official sites. If your plan depends on a date, confirm it on the official site first. This post does not say whether you should drop CAT. It lays out the routes.
CAT 2026 date, registration close and pattern from Careers360’s CAT 2026 page, which cites iimcat.ac.in. XAT and CMAT dates are as reported on exam-news portals and have not been checked against XLRI or NTA. All third-party. We could not open the official sites from our workspace. We have not stated a result date or admit card date because we could not confirm them.