CAT 2026 Registration Closes September 15 at 5 PM: 6 Days Left — Plus Your Complete MBA 2027 Exam Tracker

Six days. That is what separates hundreds of thousands of MBA aspirants from their only shot at the IIMs in the 2026 exam cycle. The CAT 2026 registration window shuts permanently on September 15, 2026 at 5:00 PM at iimcat.ac.in, and IIM Indore — the conducting body for this year — has given no indication of any extension.

But the CAT deadline is only the most urgent item on an MBA calendar that is simultaneously busier than any single news article captures. The rising search data tells the real story: people searching for CAT 2026 are simultaneously searching for XAT 2027, SNAP 2026, NMAT 2026, and CMAT 2027 — because smart MBA aspirants know that a single exam is never enough. This page covers the CAT 2026 deadline in full and then gives you every other MBA exam date and registration window for the 2026–27 cycle in one place.

CAT 2026: The One Deadline That Cannot Slide

The Common Admission Test (CAT) 2026 is the gateway to 22 Indian Institutes of Management and over 1,500 participating B-schools across India. This year it is conducted by IIM Indore, which released the official notification on July 26, 2026, opened registration on August 3, and set the closing date at September 15, 2026, 5:00 PM.

Two things to know about this deadline. First: there is no late-fee option. Unlike some government exams that offer a grace window with penalty, CAT registration has no such provision. The portal closes at 5 PM on September 15 and that is the end of the road for 2026. Second: the CAT 2025 last date was extended by a week — from September 13 to September 20, 2025. A similar extension happened in 2022. IIM Indore has not announced any such extension for 2026 yet, and relying on one is a gamble no serious aspirant should take. Apply today. Treat September 15 as final.

CAT 2026 Exam: Key Details

Conducting body: IIM Indore
Registration portal: iimcat.ac.in
Registration last date: September 15, 2026, 5:00 PM
Exam date: November 29, 2026
Exam mode: Computer-Based Test, three sessions (Morning, Afternoon, Evening)
Exam centres: Approximately 170 cities across India
Score validity: Accepted by 22 IIMs and 1,500+ B-schools

CAT 2026 Application Fee

General, EWS and NC-OBC candidates pay ₹2,700. SC, ST and PwBD candidates pay ₹1,350. Payment is online only — debit card, credit card, net banking or UPI. The fee is non-refundable once paid. No offline payment mode exists.

Note: The CAT 2026 registration fee has been hiked compared to the previous cycle. Verify the exact amount on iimcat.ac.in at the time of payment.

CAT 2026 Eligibility

You need a Bachelor's degree from a recognised university with a minimum aggregate of 50% marks for General, EWS and NC-OBC candidates, and 45% marks for SC, ST and PwBD candidates. There is no upper age limit and no restriction on the number of attempts.

Final-year graduation students can apply — but at the time of admission, they must furnish proof that they completed their degree with the required percentage.

How to Apply for CAT 2026: Step-by-Step

1. Go to iimcat.ac.in and click on New CAT Registration.

2. Create your account using your name, date of birth, email ID and mobile number. Verify both through OTP.

3. Log in with your new credentials and open the CAT 2026 Application Form.

4. Fill in your personal details, academic qualifications and work experience accurately.

5. Select your preferred test cities — up to three choices, in order of preference. City allotment is first-come-first-served, so applying early maximises your chance of a preferred location.

6. Upload your photograph and signature in the prescribed format.

7. Select the IIM programmes you wish to apply for directly within the CAT form.

8. Pay the application fee online and submit.

9. Download and save the confirmation page — it is your only immediate proof of registration.

The Correction Window: A Safety Net, Not a Backup Plan

After September 15, IIM Indore is expected to open a CAT 2026 Application Form Correction Window — historically in the last week of September or first week of October — allowing registered candidates to fix errors in selected details. This window typically stays open for three to four days. It is a limited safety net, not a substitute for careful form-filling. Corrections are not guaranteed to cover every field, and candidates who have not registered cannot use this window to register late.

Test City Allotment: Why Earlier Is Better

Unlike exams that assign you a city, CAT gives you a preference — but allotment is first-come-first-served within each city's available capacity. Popular metro centres like Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Chennai fill up faster. If your preferred city is in demand and you register on September 14, you may end up with your third choice or a city outside your preference entirely. This is a purely practical reason to apply now rather than on the last day.

CAT 2026 Exam Pattern

CAT 2026 follows the established three-section format: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (QA). Each section has its own time limit. The exam is two hours long. There is negative marking of one mark for each wrong MCQ answer. TITA (Type In The Answer) questions carry no negative marks.

IIM Indore may make minor adjustments to the number of questions per section — the official mock test at iimcat.ac.in is the most reliable guide to the exact pattern once it goes live.

Beyond CAT: Your Complete MBA 2027 Exam Tracker

CAT is the most competitive MBA entrance exam in India, but it is not your only route. Top B-schools including XLRI, NMIMS, Symbiosis institutes, MICA and hundreds of others accept scores from XAT, NMAT, SNAP and CMAT respectively. A typical serious MBA aspirant applies for at least three to four exams. Here is exactly where every major exam stands right now.

XAT 2027 — January 3, 2027
Conducted by XLRI Jamshedpur, XAT is the mandatory exam for XLRI's Business Management and Human Resource Management programmes — two of the most coveted non-IIM MBA seats in India. Registration opened August 20, 2026 and closes October 10, 2026. Fee: ₹2,300 base (₹200 extra per additional XLRI programme selected). The XAT has a unique Decision Making section not found in CAT — it needs separate practice, not just CAT prep.

SNAP 2026 — December 13, 19 and 26, 2026
Symbiosis National Aptitude Test opens admission to 17+ Symbiosis institutes including SIBM Pune and SCMHRD Pune. Candidates can attempt all three dates and the best score is used. Registration is open now and closes November 25, 2026. Result expected: January 12, 2027.

NMAT 2026 — November 2 to December 20, 2026 (testing window)
Conducted by GMAC, NMAT opens admission to NMIMS Mumbai and several other top schools. Registration is open and closes October 10, 2026. Unique feature: registration and slot booking are separate steps. Candidates can attempt up to three times within the window; the best score counts. Fee: ₹3,540 per attempt.

CMAT 2027 — Expected January 2027
The Common Management Admission Test, conducted by NTA, is accepted by AICTE-approved management institutions across India. The CMAT 2027 notification is expected around October 2026 with the exam likely in January 2027. Exact dates will be confirmed once NTA releases the notification.

MAT September 2026 — September 13 (PBT) and September 20 (CBT)
The Management Aptitude Test is conducting its September 2026 sessions this month itself — Paper-Based on September 13 and Computer-Based on September 20. If you want an MBA entrance score quickly while you're preparing for CAT, the MAT September window is still accessible.

MBA 2027 Exam Calendar at a Glance

The One Mistake That Costs Candidates an Entire Admission Year

Missing the CAT registration deadline. It sounds obvious stated plainly, but it happens every year to candidates who assumed an extension would come, or who planned to apply "this weekend" and then didn't. CAT is annual. Missing September 15 means waiting until August 2027 to register for CAT 2027 and November 2027 to sit the exam — a full year lost. No other MBA exam can fully substitute for CAT when your target is an IIM.

Register at iimcat.ac.in today. The form takes approximately 30 to 45 minutes to complete. You