CAT 2026 Registration Open: Fees, Process And Required Documents

The wait is over. IIM Indore has switched on the CAT 2026 registration portal, and if you have been refreshing iimcat.ac.in every hour, you can finally stop. The window is live now and stays open until September 15, so mark your calendar before you forget (we all do it).

Let's break down what you actually need to know, without the jargon overload.

What Does It Cost?

General, EWS and NC-OBC candidates need to pay INR 2,700 as the application fee. SC, ST and PwBD candidates get a lower fee of INR 1,350. This is a one-time payment, no matter how many IIMs or interview cities you pick.

You can pay through credit card, debit card, net banking, UPI or online wallets, all routed through the BillDesk gateway. So basically, any payment method sitting on your phone right now will work.

How To Fill The Form

The process runs in a simple sequence:

1. Register as a new candidate with your name, date of birth, email and mobile number.
2. Verify your details using the OTP sent to your phone and email.
3. Collect your User ID and Password from the email and SMS.
4. Log in to the candidate portal.
5. Fill six sections: Personal Details, Academics, Work Experience, Programmes, Test City and Declaration.
6. Upload your photograph, signature and category certificates if needed.
7. Preview everything, accept the declaration and pay the fee.

Small tip: save your progress after each section. Nobody wants to redo the academics tab because the internet decided to nap for two seconds.

Documents You Need Handy

Keep these ready before you start filling the form:

• Class 10 and Class 12 mark sheets
• Bachelor's degree mark sheets (semester-wise or annual)
• Master's or professional qualification records, if applicable
• Work experience proof like joining letters or payslips
• Category certificate (SC, ST, NC-OBC or EWS) if relevant
• PwBD certificate, if applying under that category
• Passport-size photograph and scanned signature

Your photograph must be 1200x1200 pixels, under 80KB, with a white background and not older than six months. The signature should be in black pen on white paper, same size limit. Print a physical copy of the exact photo you upload, because you will need to paste it on your admit card later.

A Few Things People Often Miss

Work experience is calculated only up to July 31, 2026. And not every job counts. Part-time work, internships, project work, articleship and pre-graduation jobs do not qualify as work experience for the CAT form. So that three-week internship from college does not make the cut, sorry.

If you are in your final year of graduation, you can still apply. Just make sure your aggregate score across the first two years is above 50%, or 45% if you belong to the SC, ST or PwBD category. If your first two years fall short, your final year needs to compensate. Aim higher than the minimum requirement anyway, since academic record plays a real role in shortlisting.

Filling The Form Does Not Mean Instant Submission

You do not have to complete the form in one sitting. Fill it today, come back next week, pay the fee whenever you are ready, as long as it is before the deadline. The only fields you cannot edit later are your phone number and email ID, so double-check those before hitting submit.

Need Help?

If you get stuck anywhere, the CAT Candidate Helpdesk is available on the toll-free number 1-800-210-0175, Monday to Saturday, 9 AM to 6 PM. Keep your User ID ready before calling, since that is the first thing they ask for.

The CAT 2026 exam is scheduled for November 29, 2026. That gives you a good few months to prepare, but the registration window will close well before that, so do not leave it for the last week.