CAT 2026 registration closes today at 5 pm, says IIM Indore
IIM Indore will close the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2026 registration portal today at 5 pm, after extending the deadline on September 15. The application process, which began on August 3, 2026, is available at iimcat.ac.in. The exam will be held on November 29, 2026, in three sessions across around 170 cities. The fee is Rs 1,350 for SC, ST and PwBD candidates and Rs 2,700 for others, and is non-refundable. The test lasts 120 minutes, with 40 minutes per section.
Source
NDTV — India · read the original report ↗
Desk check · compared with the source
What the desk checked (5)
- CAT 2026 registration portal closes today at 5 pm, after an extension announced on September 15. — Attributed to IIM Indore as the exam body; exact extension date appears in source.
- Application process began on August 3, 2026, on iimcat.ac.in. — Figure and website appear in source; no independent verification possible.
- CAT 2026 exam will be held on November 29, 2026, in three sessions. — Stated in source as per official information.
- Fee is Rs 1,350 for SC, ST and PwBD candidates and Rs 2,700 for others, non-refundable. — Figures appear in source; attributed to official fee details.
- Test duration is 120 minutes with 40 minutes per section, no section switching; exam in around 170 cities with five preferred city choices. — Attributed to the exam conducting body's official test structure.
Analysts’ view opinion
The CAT 2026 process shows a design built for clarity and uniformity — an extended deadline, centres in around 170 cities, and a half-rate fee for SC, ST and PwBD candidates all lean towards access. But the strict clauses — no refunds, and no change once a centre is allotted — clearly prioritise administrative manageability over individual flexibility. On the whole this is continuity with a long-settled delivery model rather than any reform: process tightening, not policy change.
- The September 15 extension suggests the organisers responded to application pace or technical friction, though the story states no official reason.
- The fee structure — Rs 1,350 for SC, ST and PwBD candidates against Rs 2,700 for others — continues a category-based concession model; no income-based waiver is mentioned in this story.
- The no-refund rule places the entire financial risk on the candidate, which is common for administrative cost recovery but still a hard edge for aspirants.
- Five preferred-city choices across roughly 170 cities is an attempt to cut travel burden for small-town candidates, yet the authority retains discretion to allot a nearby centre in high-demand regions.
- A 120-minute test with 40 minutes per section and no switching between sections is standardisation by design, giving every candidate an identical test experience.
What to watch — Watch whether a further extension or a correction window is announced after the deadline, and how scores across the three sessions are normalised.
The story does not establish how many candidates applied, why the deadline was extended, or how many seats the test ultimately feeds into.
Deep dive
Research brief · 8 facts · 4 dates · exam-readyThe brief
Context
The Common Admission Test (CAT) is the national entrance examination that serves as the principal gateway to MBA programmes at the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and is also accepted by several other business schools. The test is conducted each year by one of the IIMs on a rotational basis; for CAT 2026, IIM Indore is the conducting institute. Registration opened on August 3, 2026, was extended on September 15, and the portal closes today at 5 pm, with the exam scheduled for November 29, 2026.
Key facts
- CAT 2026 registration portal, run by IIM Indore, closes today at 5 pm; the deadline had earlier been extended on September 15.
- The CAT 2026 application process began on August 3, 2026, on the official website iimcat.ac.in.
- The CAT 2026 exam will be held on November 29, 2026, in three sessions.
- Application fee: Rs 1,350 for SC, ST and PwBD candidates and Rs 2,700 for all other candidates; the fee is non-refundable.
- Test duration is 120 minutes, with 40 minutes allotted per section; candidates cannot switch between sections while answering a section.
- CAT 2026 will be conducted in around 170 cities, and candidates can choose five preferred cities in the application form.
- The exam authority says it will ensure a candidate gets one of the preferred city options, but in case of high demand in a region it may allot a centre close to a preferred option.
- Once a centre is allotted, no change is permitted by the exam body.
Timeline
- August 3, 2026IIM Indore opens the CAT 2026 application process at iimcat.ac.in.
- September 15The exam body extends the CAT 2026 registration deadline.
- Today, 5 pm (date not stated in the source)CAT 2026 registration portal closes.
- November 29, 2026CAT 2026 to be conducted in three sessions across around 170 cities.
Who has a stake
- IIM Indore — Conducting body for CAT 2026; responsible for registration, fee collection, centre allotment and exam administration.
- MBA aspirants — Must complete registration before the 5 pm deadline; fees are non-refundable and allotted centres cannot be changed.
- SC, ST and PwBD candidates — Pay a concessional application fee of Rs 1,350 against Rs 2,700 for other candidates.
- IIMs and other business schools — Depend on CAT scores as the primary gateway for MBA admissions.
- Exam centre cities (around 170) — Host the three sessions on November 29, 2026; high regional demand may force nearby-centre allotment.
Why it matters
CAT is the single most important filter for entry into India's premier management institutions, so registration deadlines, fee slabs and centre-allotment rules directly shape access for lakhs of aspirants. Because the fee is non-refundable and allotted centres cannot be changed, procedural details carry real financial and logistical consequences for candidates. The spread of the test across around 170 cities in three sessions also reflects how examination bodies balance reach with standardisation.
UPSC angle
Prelims pointers
- CAT 2026 conducting institute: IIM Indore; official website iimcat.ac.in.
- CAT 2026 exam date: November 29, 2026, in three sessions.
- Application window: opened August 3, 2026; deadline extended on September 15; closes at 5 pm on the last day.
- Fee: Rs 1,350 for SC/ST/PwBD; Rs 2,700 for others; non-refundable.
- Test pattern: 120 minutes total, 40 minutes per section, no switching between sections.
- Centres: around 170 cities; candidates list five preferred cities; no change after allotment.
Mains framing
CAT illustrates how a single high-stakes national examination structures access to elite professional education in India. The design choices reported here — a 120-minute test with 40 minutes fixed per section and no inter-section switching — standardise assessment but reduce candidate flexibility, while the concessional fee of Rs 1,350 for SC, ST and PwBD candidates against Rs 2,700 for others acknowledges affordability as an equity concern even as the non-refundable nature of the fee shifts risk onto applicants. Spreading the exam across around 170 cities in three sessions expands geographic reach, yet the rule that high regional demand may lead to allotment of a centre merely "close to" a preferred option, with no change permitted thereafter, can impose travel and cost burdens on candidates from under-served regions. The extension of the registration deadline on September 15 suggests responsiveness to applicant difficulties. A way forward consistent with the source lies in clearer communication of deadlines, wider centre availability in high-demand regions, and greater transparency in centre allotment so that procedural hurdles do not become substantive barriers to opportunity.
Key terms
- CAT (Common Admission Test)
- National entrance test that is the primary gateway to MBA courses at the IIMs and is also used by several other business schools.
- IIM Indore
- The Indian Institute of Management designated as the conducting body for CAT 2026, handling registration and the exam.
- PwBD
- Persons with Benchmark Disability — a category eligible for the concessional CAT application fee of Rs 1,350.
- iimcat.ac.in
- Official CAT website where candidates generate a user ID, fill the application form and pay the fee online.
- Sectional time limit
- CAT rule allowing 40 minutes per section within the 120-minute test, with no switching between sections while answering.
Practice questions
- Discuss how the design of high-stakes national entrance examinations such as CAT affects equity of access to professional education in India.
- Fee concessions for SC, ST and PwBD candidates are a common feature of Indian entrance examinations. Evaluate their adequacy as an instrument of educational inclusion.
- Examination bodies often extend registration deadlines and restrict centre changes. Examine the administrative trade-offs between candidate convenience and examination integrity.
Grounded only in the source report — figures and dates are the source's, not inferred.