CAT 2026: admit card, answer key and result
This page explains how the admit card, the answer key and the result work for CAT, which is conducted by Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). The official portal is iimcat.ac.in, and everything here should be checked against the notice for your cycle.
✓ Data verified 6 Oct 2026
Where the 2026 cycle stands
Registration closed on 22 September 2026 (deadline extended from 15 September, with fee payment accepted until 24 September); the exam is scheduled for Sunday, 29 November 2026. A form-correction window has been reported for 5–6 October, and admit cards are due on iimcat.ac.in from 4 November 2026. If you're appearing, you're in the final-revision window: past CAT papers, sectional drills and a full mock every 2–3 days with a strict analysis log.
Status as last verified on 4 Oct 2026. See the important dates for the full list.
Admit card
Where: Your CAT candidate login on iimcat.ac.in.
When: Admit cards are made available a few weeks before the exam, usually in the last week of October or early November (check the official schedule for the date).
- 1Open iimcat.ac.in and sign in with your CAT user ID and password.
- 2Open the admit card link when it goes live and download it.
- 3Check your slot, reporting time, test centre address and photo on it.
- 4Print it and keep it with you, with the ID proof the instructions name.
What to carry
- A printed admit card
- The original photo ID named in the instructions
- Only what the instructions allow. Rough sheets and the on-screen calculator are provided at the centre, as the instructions describe
CAT is held in more than one slot on the same day. Your slot is printed on the admit card.
Answer key
After the exam, the CAT portal releases your response sheet and the provisional answer key, with a short window to challenge answers.
- Sign in to iimcat.ac.in with your user ID and password.
- Open the response sheet and answer key section, and download the response sheet for your slot.
- Compare your responses with the provisional key.
- To challenge an answer, select the question, give your reason and pay the fee before the window closes.
Objection fee: A fee is charged for each question challenged. The amount is fixed in that year's notice, so check it before you pay.
CAT scores are scaled across the three slots and reported as percentiles, so your raw score cannot be converted to a percentile exactly from the response sheet.
Result and scorecard
The CAT result is published on iimcat.ac.in with a scorecard for each candidate, usually in January.
| Stage | What the result means |
|---|---|
| CAT scorecard | Section-wise scaled scores and percentiles, plus the overall score and percentile. |
| IIM and other B-school shortlisting | Each institute shortlists on its own criteria and calls candidates for written ability and personal interview rounds. |
| Final offers | Final selection is made by each institute, using CAT percentile, academics, work experience and the interview. |
Scorecard: The scorecard is valid for the admission cycle of that year. Institutes access the scores through the CAT portal, so you do not send a copy.
Once the result is out, compare your score with the official cutoffs.
Source basis: The CAT candidate portal (iimcat.ac.in) and the process followed in recent CAT cycles. Always follow the notice and the official website for your cycle.
CAT admit card, answer key & result: FAQs
Where do I download the CAT admit card?
Your CAT candidate login on iimcat.ac.in. Admit cards are made available a few weeks before the exam, usually in the last week of October or early November (check the official schedule for the date).
Is the CAT answer key released, and can I challenge it?
After the exam, the CAT portal releases your response sheet and the provisional answer key, with a short window to challenge answers. A fee is charged for each question challenged. The amount is fixed in that year's notice, so check it before you pay.
How do I check the CAT result?
The CAT result is published on iimcat.ac.in with a scorecard for each candidate, usually in January. The scorecard is valid for the admission cycle of that year. Institutes access the scores through the CAT portal, so you do not send a copy.