CAT 2026 Registrations: As per last year's statistics, 2.58 lakh candidates appeared for the CAT exam. This is almost 35 thousand less than in previous years. However, the CAT 2026 exam is yet to be conducted on November 29, 2026. At the same time, 2.95 lakh candidates were registered for the CAT 2025 last year, which is also 34 thousand fewer candidates than the previous year. The overall CAT 2025 attendance was approximately 87.46%. MBA aspirants who wish to do management courses in the top reputed B-schools like IIMs, IITs, or any other private and public universities are required to appear for the CAT 2026 exam on November 29. The CAT is one of the most important MBA entrance exams every MBA aspirant attends. Explore the article to learn more about how many students take the CAT exam every year.
This Story also Contains
The total number of students successfully registered for CAT 2026 will likely be lower than the previous year, as per past trends. The CAT 2026 will be conducted by IIM Indore on November 29, 2026. The number of CAT 2026 registration and the total count of students participating in the CAT exam are mentioned here.
Total CAT 2026 Registrations | To Be Updated |
Number of students attending the CAT 2026 exam | To Be Updated |
| % of students who attended CAT 2026 | To Be Updated |
Last year, IIM Calcutta conducted the CAT 2024 entrance exam, and 2.93 lakh candidates appeared for the CAT out of 3.29 lakh registrations. Check out the last five years' CAT exam attendance to understand how the trends have changed this year.
Year | CAT Conducting IIMs | Total CAT registrations | Total Students Appeared for the CAT exam |
| 2025 | IIM Kozhikode | 2.95 Lakhs | 2.58 Lakhs |
| 2024 | IIM Calcutta | 3.29 Lakhs | 2.93 Lakhs |
2023 | IIM Lucknow | 3.28 lakhs | 2.88 lakh |
2022 | IIM Bangalore | 2.55 lakhs | 2.22 lakh |
2021 | IIM Ahmedabad | 2.30 lakhs | 1.90 lakh |
2020 | IIM Indore | 2.30 lakhs | 1.90 lakh |
The total number of colleges accepting CAT scores is around 1000+. There are 21 IIMs, 8 IITs, and other premium B-schools run by public or private. Candidates will be called for a written test, GD, or PI for the final selection, based on their performance in the CAT exam. Top MBA colleges accepting CAT results are mentioned in the tables below.
Table below contains the list of IIMs along with their fees and number of seats for the MBA admissions 2027-29. The seats and fees are subject to change as per the latest admission policy of each IIM.
IIMs Accepting CAT | Number of Seats (Expected) | IIM Fee (Expected) |
402 | Rs. 25 lakh | |
535 | Rs. 24.50 lakh | |
475 | Rs. 31 lakh | |
576 | Rs. 20.75 lakh | |
375 | Rs. 23.50 lakh | |
489 | Rs. 25.15 lakh | |
- | Rs. 21.24 lakh | |
262 | Rs. 21.50 lakh | |
257 | Rs. 17.90 lakh | |
326 | Rs. 17.96 lakh | |
316 | Rs. 21.13 lakh | |
297 | Rs. 20.00 lakh | |
- | Rs. 22.80 lakh | |
| 250 | Rs. 19.20 lakh | |
314 | Rs. 20.08 lakh | |
463 | Rs. 20.80 lakh | |
395 | - | |
330 | Rs. 22.51 lakh | |
356 | Rs. 21.00 lakh | |
344 | Rs. 23.58 lakh | |
| IIM Guwahati | - | Rs. 18.00 lakh |
Apart from IIMs, IITs are also known for their MBA courses. IIT colleges with their number of seats for the management course are mentioned in the following table.
IITs Offering MBA Admission | Total Seat Intake (Expected) |
115 | |
152 | |
200 | |
70 | |
95 | |
92 | |
78 |
Apart from IIMs and IITs, the list of colleges accepting the 90-100 percentile of CAT scores is listed below.
Best MBA colleges accepting CAT percentile 90-100 | Course Fees |
Rs. 2.43 Lakh | |
Rs. 26.55 lakh | |
Institute of Management Technology (Ghaziabad) | - |
Rs. 23.54 lakh | |
Rs. 8.12 lakhs | |
Rs. 22.66 lakh |
The total number of seats available at IIMs is around 7500, and for IITs, it is 760. The majority of the MBA colleges in India accept the CAT marks for management course admissions. The total number of MBA seats available in India is 15000+. Candidates who achieve CAT cutoff marks above the 90 percentile can join any of the top B-schools in India.
Check out: IIM vs IIT MBA: Which one to choose?
Around 2 to 3 lakh candidates appear for the CAT exam every year. The difficulty level of the CAT exam is higher to select the eligible candidates based on their logical, analytical, mathematical, and language skills. So, the success rate of the CAT exam is only 2 percent. This means only 2 candidates out of 100 will clear the CAT exam with decent scores.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The CAT 2026 applications are ongoing, therefore we don't know yet how many applicants have filled out the CAT 2026 application form.
The success rate of the CAT exam is nearly 2%, which means only 2 out of every 100 students clear the CAT exam.
As per the previous year's trends, the number of candidates who will appear for the CAT 2026 exam is expected to be lower than past years.
Looking at past years' trends, approximately 2 to 3 lakh candidates appear for the CAT exam every year.
On Question asked by student community
Hey there,
For NIT Hamirpur MBA, the General-category CAT cutoff is not a fixed official percentile. NIT Hamirpur's 2026–27 admission process gives CAT a 10/10 weightage in the test component, followed by an interview; it accepts CAT, CMAT and MAT.
As a practical target, 80+ percentile is worth considering, while
If by B-category you mean management/private quota MBBS seats, the cutoff is very different from government-quota MBBS.
In Tamil Nadu, management-quota MBBS seats are available in self-financing/private medical colleges through the state counselling process. The closing rank varies significantly between colleges and counselling rounds. The 2025 counselling data shows that
Hello Student,
With a CAT 2025 percentile of 98.25, you have a good chance of receiving calls from several IIMs, particularly newer IIMs. However, IIM Ahmedabad , Bangalore , Calcutta , and Lucknow generally require higher percentiles for General-category candidates. Calls also depend on sectional percentiles, academics, work experience, and
Hello Aspirant,
Yes, you can access CAT preparation resources, including mock tests, practice questions, previous-year papers, and study material. Explore the CAT preparation resources and test series using the link below:
https://www.careers360.com/mba/download/ebooks-and-sample-papers?exam=45
Hope this Helps!
Globally Recognized by AACSB (US) & AMBA (UK) | 18 LPA Avg. CTC for PGPM 2026
75+ years of legacy | #1 Entrance Exam | Score accepted by 250+ BSchools
Test centres are available in 70+ cities across India | 75,000+ aspirants apply for the NMAT exam | Accepted by 58+ institutions like NMIMS, KJSIM, ISB, SPJIMR and Great Lakes.
6-Hour Masterclass to help you score 99+ percentile in CAT 2026
AACSB Accredited | 40 LPA-Highest CTC | Scholarships worth 10 CR
400+ Recruiters | Highest CTC 25 LPA | Average CTC 8 LPA | 92% Placements in 2025 | Ranked as Platinum Institute | Awarded Best Business School of the Year