CAT 2026 sees 2.84 lakh sign-ups as IIM Indore takes charge

UPDATE - follow-up to CAT 2026 registrations at 2.84 lakh, minor dip from last year's 2.95 lakh: A total of 2.84 lakh candidates have successfully signed up for the Common Admission Test 2026. Indian Institute of Management Indore is conducting the entrance exam this year.

Exam Details

The test will take place in three slots. The exam score helps students get admission to postgraduate management courses at IIMs and many other business schools.

Past Data

In CAT 2025, run by IIM Kozhikode, 2.95 lakh people registered and 2.58 lakh took the test across three slots. That year included 1.10 lakh women, 1.85 lakh men, and nine transgender candidates among those who signed up. Out of those who actually appeared, 0.97 lakh were women, 1.61 lakh were men, and nine were transgender. Back in CAT 2024, IIM Calcutta saw 3.29 lakh sign-ups with 2.93 lakh test-takers. CAT 2023 hit a high with about 3.3 lakh sign-ups and 2.88 lakh participants. Earlier years recorded 2.55 lakh sign-ups in 2022 and 2.31 lakh sign-ups in 2021. Sign-up numbers have stayed above two lakh for many years.

Results and Admission

CAT 2025 results came out on December 24. Twelve test-takers got the 100 percentile, while 26 hit the 99.99 percentile and another 26 hit the 99.98 percentile. After results are out, each IIM makes its own shortlist for the next admission steps using CAT scores and their own rules.

Context

Entrance exams for top business schools in India draw hundreds of thousands of applicants every year because a management degree from these premier institutes opens doors to major corporate careers. Different IIMs take turns hosting the national test each year, managing everything from registration to score declaration. Once scores are out, individual institutes use their own cut-offs and selection criteria for interviews and final admission rounds.