CAT 2026 Admit Card Now Opens on 6 November, Not 4 November. Test Day Stays 29 November
Published 04/11/2026
In short: If you logged in today looking for your CAT 2026 admit card, it isn't there yet, and nothing is wrong with your form. The IIMs now say admit cards can be downloaded from 6 November, two days later than first announced. The official mock test opens the same day. The test date has not changed: Sunday, 29 November.
What happened
CAT 2026 is being run by IIM Indore for all the IIMs. Its information bulletin from July said candidates could download admit cards from 4 November until 29 November.
On 4 November, the CAT centre put out a short media release that changes this. It says:
- Admit cards for all eligible candidates have been generated.
- They can be downloaded only from iimcat.ac.in, using your CAT login ID and password, between 6 November and 29 November 2026.
- A mock test with sample questions opens on the CAT website from 6 November.
- CAT 2026 will be held on 29 November 2026 (Sunday) in three shifts.
- The IIMs are adding security steps, including face matching and mobile jammers at some centres.
The "Important Dates" box on the CAT website now also shows 6 November for the admit card. The release does not give a time of day, so check through the day on 6 November.
For students
Two extra days is not lost time. Use them.
- Don't panic or re-register. Your admit card already exists. You just can't download it before 6 November.
- Find your login details now. Your CAT ID and password came by email and SMS when you registered. If you can't find them, sort it out with the CAT help desk before the rush on 6 November.
- Use only iimcat.ac.in. The CAT centre warns that there is no other official CAT website. Ignore "direct download" links on social media and messaging apps.
- Check the admit card the moment you get it. Name, photo, signature, test centre address and session. If anything looks wrong, contact the CAT help desk (toll-free 1800 210 0175) straight away. There are only about three weeks to fix problems.
- Take the official mock test. CAT gives you 120 minutes across three sections (verbal ability and reading comprehension, data interpretation and logical reasoning, and quantitative ability), with exactly 40 minutes each. You cannot switch sections. The official mock is the closest you'll get to the real screen.
- Expect face matching on test day. Your face will be checked against your photo. Carry the ID and documents your admit card asks for, and read its instructions in full.
Five things to do
- 1Log in only at iimcat.ac.in
- 2Check name, photo and test centre
- 3Take the official mock test
- 4Plan the route to the centre
- 5Print the admit card, keep a spare
For parents
- This is a short delay, not a problem. Nothing has gone wrong with your child's application. The exam date is the same, so travel and leave plans for 29 November still hold.
- Plan the journey once the centre is known. CAT runs in about 170 cities. Each candidate was given one of five cities they chose, or a nearby one if those were full, and the exact centre is printed on the admit card. If the centre is in another town, book travel or a stay early. It's a Sunday, and three sessions mean a very early start for some.
- Watch for fake links and payment requests. The CAT centre has warned about unofficial websites. Be wary of anyone asking for money to "release" an admit card. Your child downloads it with their own login on iimcat.ac.in.
- Results come in January. The bulletin says results are likely in the first week of January 2027. The score is valid until 31 December 2027. Each IIM then runs its own shortlisting and interviews, and these can bring separate costs and travel, so keep some room in the budget for early 2027.
Key dates
Dates to keep
- NOV6Admit card download and mock test open
- NOV29Test day, three sessions (admit card download closes)
- DATEEarly JanResults likely in the first week of January
| Date | What |
|---|---|
| 4 Nov | Original admit card date (now moved) |
| 6 Nov | Admit card download and official mock test open |
| 29 Nov (Sunday) | CAT 2026, three sessions; last day to download the admit card |
| First week of Jan 2027 | Results likely |
Sources
- CAT 2026, Media Release, Admit Card, 4 November 2026: admit card window, mock test, test date, security steps. Checked 4 Nov 2026.
- CAT 2026, official website, Important Dates: admit card from 6 November, test on 29 November. Checked 4 Nov 2026.
- CAT 2026, Information Bulletin: original 4 November date, test cities, help desk number, results and score validity. Checked 4 Nov 2026.
- CAT 2026, Press Release, 26 July 2026: test length, sections and timing per section, official-website warning. Checked 4 Nov 2026.
If the next few weeks feel like a lot to plan as a family, more on easyapply.in when useful.
Dates can change. Confirm on the official website before you pay or apply.