CAT 2026 registrations at 2.84 lakh — slight dip from last year's 2.95 lakh
IIM Indore, this year's conductor, reports 2.84 lakh successful registrations for CAT 2026, down from 2.95 lakh in CAT 2025 and the 3.29 lakh peak in CAT 2024. Exam in three slots on 29 Nov 2026. At the usual ~86% turnout, roughly 2.45 lakh are expected to appear.
2.84 lakh candidates registered for CAT 2026, conducted this year by IIM Indore; the exam runs in three slots on 29 November 2026.
CAT 2025 (IIM Kozhikode, 30 Nov 2025): 2.95 lakh registered, 2.58 lakh appeared — 1.10 lakh women, 1.85 lakh men and 9 transgender candidates registered; 0.97 lakh / 1.61 lakh / 9 appeared. Results came on 24 Dec 2025: 12 candidates at 100 percentile, 26 each at 99.99 and 99.98.
CAT 2024 (IIM Calcutta): 3.29 lakh registered, 2.93 lakh appeared. CAT 2023: about 3.3 lakh registered (then a record), 2.88 lakh appeared on 26 Nov 2023. CAT 2022: 2.55 lakh registered; CAT 2021: 2.31 lakh.
Registrations have stayed above 2 lakh for several years. After results, each IIM publishes its own shortlist using CAT scores plus its admission criteria.
What it means for you: a slightly smaller pool than 2024–25 means marginally less competition per seat. Percentile cutoffs shift with the pool, so your Expected Paper targets still hold.
Key facts
| Slots in 2026 | 3 |
| Appeared (lakh) | 2018: 2.09 · 2019: 2.1 · 2020: 1.9 · 2021: 1.92 · 2022: 2.22 · 2023: 2.88 · 2024: 2.93 · 2025: 2.58 · 2026: 2.45 |
| Conducting IIM | 2024: IIM Calcutta · 2025: IIM Kozhikode · 2026: IIM Indore |
| Exam date 2026 | 29 Nov 2026 |
| CAT 2025 results | 99_98: 26 · 99_99: 26 · declared: 24 Dec 2025 · 100_percentile: 12 |
| Note on 2026 appearance | projected at ~86% historical turnout |
| Registrations (lakh) | 2018: 2.41 · 2019: 2.44 · 2020: 2.28 · 2021: 2.3 · 2022: 2.55 · 2023: 3.28 · 2024: 3.29 · 2025: 2.95 · 2026: 2.84 |
Source: Indian Express (IE) (media report)
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