CAT 2026 Registration: How to Fill CAT Form Step-by-Step, Work Experience, IIMs & Test Cities

Step-by-Step Guide for CAT 2026 Registration

Before getting into the CAT application process guidelines 2026, check out who is eligible for CAT 2026 registration.

Who Can Apply For CAT 2026? What are the CAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria?

Candidates, before applying for the CAT 2026 exam, are advised to check the CAT 2026 eligibility criteria to save time and effort in filling out the CAT 2026 application form on August 03, 2026.

• MBA aspirants belonging to the general category are required to have completed their three-year undergraduate degree with a minimum of 50% marks (45% marks in the case of reserved category candidates) from a recognised institution or university.

• Final-year students can also apply for the MBA program through the management quota, provided they furnish a certificate of assurance duly signed by the HOD or principal of the institution.

CAT Registration Guide: How to Register for CAT 2026 Exam?

Candidates who are eyeing the CAT 2026 exam for MBA admission must first fill out the CAT 2026 registration form on August 03, 2026. To fill out the CAT 2026 exam form, students are advised to follow the step-by-step instructions mentioned in the points below for reference.

Step 1: Candidates are required to visit the CAT official website at iimcat.ac.in, and click on the new registration link. Recommended browsers are as follows:

• Mozilla Firefox (version 134 to 151)

• Google Chrome (version 126 to 149)

• MicrosoŌ Edge (version 126 to 149)

Step 2: Next, click on the “New Candidate Registration” button on the right side of the website.

Step 3: The button will redirect candidates to the CAT 2026 registration page, where they will have to fill out the following information:

• Name of the Candidate as per Class 10/SSC certificate.

• Date of Birth: Use the calendar icon to select your DOB.

• Email Address: The email should be working and unique. You will receive a registration number through this email address, while overseas candidates will receive a registration number along with a password.

• Country: Enter your country of residence in the CAT registration form 2026.

• Mobile Number: The mobile number should be unique, as you will receive your password via SMS on this number. Overseas mobile numbers must be prefixed with the country code. Special characters such as (0), +, and - are not allowed.

Step 4: After filling in the required information, click on Generate OTP. The OTP will be sent to the registered email of the candidate; enter the CAPTCHA code to complete the CAT 2026 registration form.

Step 5: Now click on the Declaration section, “I Agree,” to declare that you will be fair and honest in your personal information and documents uploaded throughout the CAT 2026 registration process, and submit the CAT 2026 registration form, which marks the completion of CAT registration of the said candidate.

Step 6: Now, tap on the CAT candidate login and enter the CAT user ID received on the registered email address and the password received on the mobile number.

Step 7: Clicking on the CAT 2026 registration form will be redirected to this page, where you have to enter the above User ID and password, along with the CAPTCHA code. Moreover, candidates can change their password and retrieve their CAT User ID and password by clicking on Forgot User ID and password.

Step 8: Fill out all the academic details from Class 10, Class 12, bachelor’s degree to master’s degree, and other academic qualifications. After logging in, you will be redirected to the CAT candidates dashboard. Students are required to click on “Go to Application” and fill out the CAT 2026 application form with required details.

Step 9: The CAT 2026 application form is divided into the following six sections:

• PERSONAL DETAILS

• ACADEMICS

• WORK EXPERIENCE

• PROGRAMMES

• TEST CITY

• DECLARATION

Step 10: Proceeding further, candidates are required to enter the following candidate’s details in the first section of the CAT 2026 application form.

• Enter the full name of the candidate, including middle name and last name, Father’s name/Guardian name, Mother’s name/Guardian name, Spouse name, Gender, and Nationality.

• Nationality must be added through the dropdown in the CAT exam form. In case your nationality is not mentioned in the dropdown, mention Others.

• Select the category for which you are applying for the CAT 2026 exam, that is, Certificate Issue Date, Serial/Entry Number of Caste/Tribe, State/Union Territory of Caste/Tribe, and Caste/Tribe Name.

• Select PwD if you are a person with a benchmark disability, and enter Disability Measurable (Yes/No), Percentage of Disability, PwD UDID Number, PwBD Category, Wheelchair Support, and Scribe Requirement.

• Upload the Disability certificate issued by the competent authority, and if you need a scribe during the exam, upload the details of the scribe and the affidavit concerned for the purpose.

Step 11: As a next step, candidates are required to enter their communication address and emergency contact details, in case they are unreachable at any point of the CAT registration process.

CAT 2026 Documents Upload Specifications

Step 12: Candidates must upload a passport-size photograph and signature in accordance with the specifications mentioned in the table below. Moreover, students belonging to certain categories, like EWS/NC-OBC/SC/ST/PwD, are required to upload a scanned copy of their certificate for the CAT exam.

How to Fill CAT 2026 Academic Details?

Step 13: Move to the next section and enter the following academic details in the CAT 2026 application form.

• SSC/10th/Equivalent Details

• HSC/12th/Equivalent/Diploma Course Details

• First Bachelor’s Degree Details

• Second Bachelor’s Degree Details

• Master’s Degree Details

• Professional Degree Details

SSC/10th/Equivalent Details: Enter the aggregate marks, CGPA, or percentage in the required field in the CAT 2026 exam form. If you are a 2020/2021 pass-out candidate and haven't received your marks, then you can click on ‘Promotion/Pass without Marks.’

HSC/12th/Equivalent/Diploma Course Details: Enter the aggregate marks in the form of CGPA, or percentage, up to two decimal places, in the required field in the CAT 2026 exam form. If you are a 2020/2021 pass-out candidate and haven't received your marks, then you can click on ‘Promotion/Pass without Marks.’

First Bachelor’s Degree Details: Select whether you are pursuing a bachelor’s degree or have completed the undergraduate degree. If you are pursuing a bachelor’s degree right now, select yes, enter the current year and semester, along with marks in previous ones.

If you have completed the bachelor’s degree for the CAT 2026 exam, then enter your aggregate CGPA or percentage up to two decimal points. If you are a 2020/2021 pass-out candidate and haven't received your marks, then you can click on ‘Promotion/Pass without Marks.’

If you have more than one bachelor’s degree, then click on the second bachelor’s degree and enter details related to it under the respective section.

Master’s Degree Details: If you choose to enter your Master’s degree details, then choose whether you have completed or are pursuing it, with the essential details required by the CAT 2026 application form for the purpose of registration.

Professional Degree Details: Candidates are advised to select any professional degree from FIAI, CA, ICWA (CMA), CS, and enter the marks only for the highest score among them all.

How to Fill CAT 2026 Work Experience Details?

Step 14: Next in line, candidates with relevant work experience are advised to enter their work experience in days as of July 31, 2026. Moreover, candidates must note that work experience after completion of a three-year bachelor's degree will be counted as relevant work experience.

Part-time/Project/Internship/Article-ship/Pre-graduation work experience should not be entered. Candidates are required to enter breaks between work experience in several days. If there are no breaks, please mention “0.”

How to Fill IIM Course Details in CAT 2026 Registration Form?

Step 15: Candidates are advised to check the programs offered by specific IIM institutions before filling up the program details. Students can select all programs by clicking on the “select all” button. Moreover, candidates are required to select two interview cities for each IIM selected.

How to Fill CAT 2026 Test Centre Details?

Step 16: Candidates can select up to five CAT test cities from the CAT exam centres mentioned in the drop-down menu in an order of preference. MBA aspirants will be allotted test cities based on availability after the CAT 2026 registration ends. If you did not get your preferred CAT test city, candidates will be allotted the CAT test city closest to their location.

Step 17: General candidates are required to pay the CAT 2026 application fee of around Rs. 2700, while candidates belonging to the reserved category must pay Rs. 1350 for the CAT 2026 exam. Candidates are advised to check the transaction charges mentioned in the subsequent sections.

Step 18: Candidates are required to enter the CAPTCHA details from the image highlighted on the CAT 2026 application form, and then click on Declaration to complete the CAT 2026 application form.

Step 19: Preview the CAT 2026 exam form, and submit the CAT application form. After that, you will receive a confirmation email at the registered email address and via SMS. Moreover, candidates are advised to download the CAT 2026 application form for future reference.

Note: Registered candidates can raise queries related to the CAT Registration, Application and Payment Processing, and Document uploading in the CAT grievance portal in the CAT candidates login dashboard.

CAT 2026 Application Fees for SC/ST/PwD and General

The CAT 2026 conducting authority has increased the CAT 2026 application fee by Rs.100 and Rs.50 for the candidates who are willing to take the CAT 2026 exam. The CAT 2026 exam fee for general and reserved category candidates is therefore mentioned in the table below.

CAT 2026 Application Transaction Charges

CAT 2026 Reservation Policy

IIM Indore has released the CAT 2026 reservation policy offering 15% and 7.5% reservation for the candidates belonging to SC and ST categories. Candidates belonging to different categories can check the CAT 2026 reservation policy in the table below.

CAT 2026 Registration Dates

Candidates appearing for the CAT 2026 exam must know the CAT 2026 important dates for their reference before the final CAT 2026 exam on November 29, 2026. The CAT 2026 registration form was released on August 03, 2026, and candidates will be able to fill out the form before the last date of September 15, 2026.