In a major relief for management aspirants nationwide, the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Indore has officially extended the online registration deadline for the Common Admission Test (CAT 2026) to Tuesday, September 22, 2026, strictly until 5:00 PM IST. Eligible candidates who have not yet submitted their application forms or completed their online fee payments for admission into 21 IIMs and over 1,200 participating business schools must finalize their submissions on the official portal at iimcat.ac.in before the extended window concludes.
CAT 2026 Extended Registration Timelines & Official Schedule
Candidates can review the revised admission calendar announced by the CAT convening committee:
- Conducting Institute: Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Indore on behalf of all participating IIMs
- Official Registration Portal: iimcat.ac.in
- Extended Application Deadline: Tuesday, September 22, 2026 (Strictly by 05:00 PM IST)
- Application Form Correction Window: Fourth week of September 2026 (Limited to photograph, signature, and test city preferences)
- Admit Card Release Date: November 4, 2026 (05:00 PM onwards)
- Computer-Based Examination (CBT) Date: Sunday, November 29, 2026 (Conducted across 170 test cities in 3 shifts)
- Declaration of Results: Second week of January 2027
Why the Deadline Extension is Critical for Aspirants
This final extension provides an essential lifeline for prospective MBA and PGDM candidates:
- High Server Congestion Relief: With over 3.3 lakh applicants attempting to register, server loads peaked heavily, prompting IIM Indore to provide this extended window to ensure seamless fee payments.
- Last Opportunity for Incomplete Forms: Candidates with pending transactions, unverified drafts, or incomplete document uploads must utilize this final 24-hour window to complete their registration.
- No Further Extensions: The CAT convenor has confirmed that no additional extensions will be granted beyond 5:00 PM on September 22, as examination center allocations and session planning must proceed immediately.
Registration Fee Breakdown & Mandatory Upload Specifications
Applicants must ensure their uploaded credentials comply strictly with official guidelines:
- Application Fee:
- General, Economically Weaker Section (EWS), and Non-Creamy Layer OBC (NC-OBC): Rs. 2,500/-
- Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and PwD Candidates: Rs. 1,250/-
- Accepted Payment Modes: Credit Card, Debit Card, Net Banking, and UPI.
- Photograph Requirements: Recent passport-sized colour photograph with a clear white background (30mm x 45mm, JPEG/JPG format, file size between 30 KB and 1200 KB). Selfies and casual photos are strictly rejected.
- Signature Specifications: Clear signature in black ink on white paper (80mm x 35mm, JPEG/JPG format, file size between 30 KB and 1200 KB).
- Category Certificates: SC, ST, NC-OBC, and EWS certificates must adhere strictly to the Central Government format available on the CAT portal.
Overview of CAT 2026 Computer-Based Exam Pattern
The 2-hour entrance examination consists of 66 questions carrying 198 total marks across three non-switchable sections:
- Total Duration: 120 minutes (2 hours), with an automated 40-minute timer for each section.
- Section 1 — Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC): 24 Questions (40 Minutes)
- Section 2 — Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR): 20 Questions (40 Minutes)
- Section 3 — Quantitative Ability (QA): 22 Questions (40 Minutes)
- Marking Scheme: Each correct response awards +3 marks. A penalty of -1 mark is deducted for every wrong MCQ response. Non-MCQ (Type In The Answer – TITA) questions carry zero negative marking.
Step-by-Step Online Registration Guide on IIM CAT Portal
Follow these instructions to complete your registration before tomorrow's 5:00 PM deadline:
- Visit the official website at iimcat.ac.in.
- Click on 'New Candidate Registration' to generate your unique User ID and Password using your verified Mobile Number and Email ID.
- Log in to your candidate dashboard and fill in personal details, academic scores (10th, 12th, Bachelor's degree), and relevant work experience.
- Select your preferred IIM interview programmes and choose five test cities in order of priority.
- Upload your photograph, signature, and category documentation strictly matching prescribed dimensions.
- Proceed to the online payment gateway, pay the application fee, and verify that the dashboard reflects 'Application Submitted Successfully'.
- Download the submitted application form PDF and payment receipt for your records.