CAT 2026 Complete Guide: Exam Date, Pattern, Conducting IIM, Eligibility, Score vs Percentile, and 21-Year Trends (2005–2025)
- Anshu Agarwal
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
(The Only CAT 2026 Guide You Will Ever Need)
CAT (Common Admission Test) is India’s most influential and competitive MBA entrance exam, opening doors to 22 IIMs and 100+ top B-schools. Every year, lakhs of aspirants fight for a few thousand seats — making CAT not just an exam, but a national-level competition of consistency, aptitude, and strategy.
This guide is curated by Anshu Agarwal Sir, known for his high-quality teaching, result-oriented strategies, and one of the most trusted CAT/IPMAT preparation platforms in India.
This ultimate one-stop guide includes:
Expected CAT 2026 Exam Date
Most Likely Conducting IIM
Updated CAT 2026 Pattern
Eligibility Criteria
Total Number of IIMs and their Establishment Year
21-Year CAT Registration Trends (2005–2025)
CAT 2023, 2024 & placeholder CAT 2025 Score vs Percentile
Section-wise Percentile Tables
📅 CAT 2026 Expected Exam Date
Based on the last 15+ years of trends (CAT is nearly always on the last Sunday of November):
👉 Expected CAT 2026 Exam Date: Sunday, 29 November 2026
Expected Timeline:
Notification: Last week of July 2026
Registration Start: Early August 2026
Deadline: Mid/late September 2026
If you want structured guidance throughout this timeline,
👉 CAT 2026 Course: https://www.catipmat.com/cat2026
👉 CAT 2027 Course: https://www.catipmat.com/cat2027
🏛 Which IIM Will Conduct CAT 2026?
👉 Most Likely: IIM Indore will conduct CAT 2026
CAT is conducted by older IIMs on a rotation basis.
Here’s the recent rotation pattern:
Year | Conducting IIM |
2019 | IIM Kozhikode |
2020 | IIM Indore |
2021 | IIM Ahmedabad |
2022 | IIM Bangalore |
2023 | IIM Lucknow |
2024 | IIM Calcutta |
2025 | IIM Kozhikode |
Why IIM Indore is the best prediction:
Rotation clearly points to Indore
Last conducted in 2020 → 6-year cycle fits
Other older IIMs recently completed their turns
Kozhikode conducting 2025 → next is Indore
👉 Prediction: CAT 2026 = IIM Indore
For preparation :
👉 CAT 2026 Course: https://www.catipmat.com/cat2026
👉 CAT 2027 Course: https://www.catipmat.com/cat2027
📘CAT 2026 Exam Expected Pattern
Section | Expected Questions | Time |
VARC | 24 | 40 minutes |
DILR | 22 | 40 minutes |
QA | 22 | 40 minutes |
👉 Total Questions: 68
👉 Total Duration: 120 minutes
Marking Scheme:
+3 for correct MCQ,
–1 for incorrect MCQ,
no negative for TITA.
To master this pattern under expert guidance:
👉 CAT 2026 Course: https://www.catipmat.com/cat2026
👉 CAT 2027 Course: https://www.catipmat.com/cat2027
🎓 CAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria
You are eligible if:
You hold a Bachelor’s degree
General/OBC/EWS → 50%
SC/ST/PwD → 45%
Final-year students can apply
No age limit
🏫 Total IIMs Accepting CAT
(With Establishment Years)
As of 2025, there are 21 IIMs accepting CAT scores.
A 22nd IIM (IIM Guwahati) is proposed and expected to be approved soon.
Students preparing seriously for CAT 2026 or CAT 2027 must know all IIMs — and how rapidly the ecosystem is expanding. With the right mentor (like Anshu Agarwal Sir, 99.97%ile in QA & XAT QA Topper), your chances of reaching these top institutes increase dramatically.
📌 CAT 2026 Course: https://www.catipmat.com/cat2026
📌 CAT 2027 Course: https://www.catipmat.com/cat2027
📘 List of All IIMs in India & Their Year of Establishment
IIM Name | Year Established |
IIM Calcutta | 1961 |
IIM Ahmedabad | 1961 |
IIM Bangalore | 1973 |
IIM Lucknow | 1984 |
IIM Kozhikode | 1996 |
IIM Indore | 1996 |
IIM Shillong | 2007 |
IIM Rohtak | 2010 |
IIM Ranchi | 2010 |
IIM Raipur | 2010 |
IIM Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) | 2011 |
IIM Udaipur | 2011 |
IIM Kashipur | 2011 |
IIM Nagpur | 2015 |
IIM Visakhapatnam (Vizag) | 2015 |
IIM Bodh Gaya | 2015 |
IIM Amritsar | 2015 |
IIM Sirmaur | 2015 |
IIM Sambalpur | 2015 |
IIM Jammu | 2016 |
IIM Mumbai (Upgraded from NITIE) | 2023 |
IIM Guwahati (Proposed / Under Approval) | Expected 2025–26 |
📈 21-Year CAT Registration Trends (2005–2025)
Year | Registered | Appeared |
2005 | 1,70,000 | 1,55,000 |
2006 | 1,91,000 | 1,80,000 |
2007 | 2,50,000 | 2,30,000 |
2008 | 2,90,000 | 2,76,000 |
2009 | 2,41,000 | 2,30,000 |
2010 | 2,04,000 | 1,85,000 |
2011 | 2,05,000 | 1,86,000 |
2012 | 2,14,000 | 1,95,000 |
2013 | 1,94,516 | 1,73,714 |
2014 | 1,96,988 | 1,67,829 |
2015 | 2,18,664 | 1,79,602 |
2016 | 2,32,434 | 1,95,000 |
2017 | 2,31,000 | 1,99,600 |
2018 | 2,40,000 | 2,10,000 |
2019 | 2,44,000 | 2,09,926 |
2020 | 2,27,835 | 1,90,144 |
2021 | 2,32,969 | 1,92,000 |
2022 | 2,55,000 | 2,22,000 |
2023 | 3,28,000 | 2,88,000 |
2024 | 3,29,000 | 2,93,000 |
2025 | 2,95,000 | 2,58,000 |
📊 CAT 2023 vs CAT 2024 vs CAT 2025 (Master Score vs Percentile Table)
Percentile | CAT 2024 | CAT 2023 | CAT 2025 (Update Soon) |
100 %ile | 151 | 142.9 | — |
99.5 %ile | 105 | 84.3 | — |
99 %ile | 92 | 76 | — |
98 %ile | ~85 | ~65–67 | — |
95 %ile | ~70 | ~54.9 | — |
90 %ile | ~58 | ~45.2 | — |
80 %ile | ~45 | ~41.2 | — |
📚 Section Wise Comparison (CAT 2024 vs CAT 2023 vs Placeholder CAT 2025)
VARC [Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension] :
Percentile | CAT 2024 | CAT 2023 | CAT 2025 (Update Soon) |
100 %ile | 59 | 61.7 | — |
99.5 %ile | 45.4 | 44 | — |
99 %ile | 41 | 39.7 | — |
95 %ile | ~30 | 28.7 | — |
90 %ile | ~24 | 23.4 | — |
80 %ile | ~18 | 17.6 | — |
DI LR [Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning]:
Percentile | CAT 2024 | CAT 2023 | CAT 2025 (Update Soon) |
100 %ile | 63 | 50.6 | — |
99.5 %ile | 42.5 | 30 | — |
99 %ile | 36 | 27.4 | — |
95 %ile | ~27 | 19 | — |
90 %ile | ~23 | 15.6 | — |
80 %ile | ~18 | 11.6 | — |
QA [Quantitative Aptitude] :
Percentile | CAT 2024 | CAT 2023 | CAT 2025 (Update Soon) |
100 %ile | 60 | 49.4 | — |
99.5 %ile | 36.5 | 31.4 | — |
99 %ile | 33 | 28.2 | — |
95 %ile | ~22 | 19.7 | — |
90 %ile | ~18 | 13.6 | — |
80 %ile | ~14 | 9.2 | — |
🚀 How to Prepare for CAT 2026 (Expert Strategy by Anshu Agarwal Sir)
✔ 1. Build strong fundamentals first
Shortcuts only work after the basics are mastered.
✔ 2. Develop exceptional DILR strength
If Indore conducts CAT, DILR will be tricky and logical.
(Students love Anshu Sir’s DILR teaching.)
✔ 3. Keep all three sections equally strong
A weak section kills your percentile.
✔ 4. Take 30–40 full-length mocks
Mocks + analysis = 70% of CAT success.
✔ 5. Read daily (articles, editorials, books)
Reading improves VARC more than anything else.
✔ 6. Build your personal time strategy
Every topper has a personal timing plan.
✔ 7. Follow a structured course
Self-study without guidance leads to confusion.
That’s why thousands join Anshu Agarwal Sir’s video courses.
📌 CAT 2026 Structured Course: https://www.catipmat.com/cat2026
📌 CAT 2027 Full Preparation Course: https://www.catipmat.com/cat2027
⭐ Final Word
CAT 2026 will be a high-stakes exam with over 3 lakh aspirants.
But with consistent preparation, the right strategy, and guidance from a trusted mentor like Anshu Agarwal Sir, cracking CAT becomes achievable for every disciplined student.
This blog gives you every critical detail in one place — exam date, pattern, conducting IIM prediction, 21-year CAT history, score-percentile analysis, and a powerful preparation roadmap.
Students across India follow Anshu Sir because:
He scored 99.97 %ile in QA
He is an XAT QA Topper
His YouTube channel has helped thousands achieve IIM dreams
His courses are among the most structured in India
If you’re serious about CAT 2026 or CAT 2027 — start strong, start early.
👉 CAT 2026 Course: https://www.catipmat.com/cat2026
👉 CAT 2027 Course: https://www.catipmat.com/cat2027
📲
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