CAT 2026 Fee Payment Deadline Extended to September 24; New Registrations Now Closed

IIM Indore has given CAT 2026 candidates two extra days to pay their registration fee, extending the deadline to September 24, 2026 (5 PM). The window for filing fresh CAT 2026 applications has closed. Candidates who completed the form but hadn't paid can still do so at the official portal, iimcat.ac.in.

Fee payment: last chance before ineligibility

Candidates who submitted their CAT 2026 application but skipped the fee step now have until September 24, 5 PM. IIM Indore has said applicants who don't pay by then will be marked ineligible for the exam.

What's open, what's closed

• New registrations: closed
• Fee payment for already-submitted forms: open until September 24, 5 PM
• Form correction window: not yet open

Correction window: tentatively early October

IIM Indore is expected to open a form-correction facility in the first week of October 2026, available only to candidates who paid the fee and submitted their form on time. The edit window is limited to three fields: uploaded photograph, signature, and test city preference. No other details can be changed.

Admit card: November 4, 2026

IIM Indore will release CAT 2026 admit cards on November 4, 2026, downloadable using candidates' login credentials on iimcat.ac.in.

Exam pattern: 68 questions, 120 minutes

Each section has its own sectional time limit — candidates cannot shift time between sections. The pattern is unchanged from the 2024 revision, when the question count rose from 66 to 68.

Test centres: ~170 cities, no changes after allotment

CAT 2026 will be held across roughly 170 cities in a computer-based format. Once a test centre is allotted, IIM Indore does not permit changes — candidates should check their allotted centre carefully as soon as the admit card is out.

Exam date and sessions

CAT 2026 will be conducted on November 29, 2026, in three sessions.

Application fee and eligibility

The CAT 2026 application fee is Rs 2,700 for General, EWS and NC-OBC candidates, and Rs 1,350 for SC, ST and PwBD candidates. Eligibility requires a bachelor's degree with a minimum of 50% marks for the open category, and 45% for SC/ST/PwD candidates. 

Official website

Candidates can complete fee payment, check the correction window, and download the admit card at iimcat.ac.in

What candidates should do now

• Pay the outstanding fee before September 24, 5 PM, if the form is already submitted.
• Watch for the correction window notification in early October.
• Keep photograph, signature, and test city preference ready in case edits are needed.
• Save iimcat.ac.in login credentials for the November 4 admit card release.

FAQ’s 

1. What is the new CAT 2026 fee payment deadline? September 24, 2026, 5 PM, via iimcat.ac.in.
2. Has CAT 2026 registration closed? Yes — only fee payment for already-submitted forms is still open.
3. When will the CAT 2026 correction window open? Tentatively the first week of October 2026 (not yet confirmed).
4. What can be edited in the correction window? Only the uploaded photograph, signature, and test city preference.
5. When is the CAT 2026 admit card released? November 4, 2026, on iimcat.ac.in.