Why CAT 2026 Admit Card Delayed?
What was your immediate reaction to the CAT 2026 delay notice?
The release of the CAT 2026 admit card has been officially deferred by convening institute IIM Indore from November 4 to November 6, 2026. Registered aspirants can download their hall tickets from iimcat.ac.in (official website, shown as plain text) alongside the official practice mock test, ahead of exam day on November 29, 2026.
Reason for Delay
The two-day rescheduling has been announced alongside stepped-up exam-security protocols across centres in approximately 170 cities. The IIMs have reported additional face-matching measures and mobile jammers at selected centres to deter impersonation and malpractice. The official announcement does not explicitly state that these security measures caused the postponement, so a precise reason for the two-day shift has not been confirmed.
While a last-minute change can trigger uncertainty, the CAT admit-card schedule has moved in previous years too.
10-Year CAT Admit Card Release Track Record (2017–2026)
Release dates have moved in four of the ten years shown, including the currently scheduled 2026 postponement. Unlike prior years, 6 November 2026 is a scheduled release date, not an actual release as of 4 November. Past release times have varied; there is no universal guaranteed 5:00 PM activation time.
| CAT Year | Convening IIM | Scheduled Date | Actual Release Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | IIM Indore | Nov 4, 2026 | Nov 6, 2026 (scheduled; not released yet) | Delayed by 2 days |
| 2025 | IIM Kozhikode | Nov 5, 2025 | Nov 12, 2025 | Delayed by 7 days |
| 2024 | IIM Calcutta | Nov 5, 2024 | Nov 5, 2024 | On time |
| 2023 | IIM Lucknow | Oct 25, 2023 | Nov 7, 2023 | Delayed by 13 days |
| 2022 | IIM Bangalore | Oct 27, 2022 | Oct 27, 2022 | On time |
| 2021 | IIM Ahmedabad | Oct 27, 2021 | Oct 27, 2021 | On time |
| 2020 | IIM Indore | Oct 28, 2020 | Oct 28, 2020 | On time |
| 2019 | IIM Kozhikode | Oct 23, 2019 | Oct 23, 2019 | On time |
| 2018 | IIM Calcutta | Oct 24, 2018 | Oct 24, 2018 | On time |
| 2017 | IIM Lucknow | Oct 18, 2017 | Oct 25, 2017 | Delayed by 7 days |
Historical dates follow published CAT schedules and contemporaneous reports. For CAT 2024, IIM's original advertisement and contemporary November 5 reporting support the date in the table; some retrospective compilations label November 6, so the precise public activation date varies by source. The CAT 2026 date is not a claim that the admit card has already been released.
Steps to Download on November 6
Step 1. Visit iimcat.ac.in and log in with your CAT credentials.
Step 2. Select the Admit Card tab once it becomes available to view the allotted slot and centre.
Step 3. Download the PDF and check your name, registration details, category, photograph, reporting time, and exam venue. Follow the instructions in the official admit card.
Cetking note: CAT 2026 is scheduled for November 29 in three sessions. The IIMs announced that admit cards for eligible candidates have been generated, but downloading is scheduled to begin on November 6. No outside website links are embedded in this article.
Based on a IIM Indore CAT 2026 media release via NDTV/Careers360; Indian Express historical sources report. Media report, not officially confirmed.
Source: IIM Indore CAT 2026 media release via NDTV/Careers360; Indian Express historical sources (media report)