CAT 2026 exam day: the timings that matter
CAT 2026 is on Sunday, 29 November 2026 in three slots across 162 test cities. Admit cards can be downloaded from 4 November 2026 on iimcat.ac.in. Below are the timings from last year’s pattern; your admit card shows the exact reporting and gate-closing time for your slot, and the planner uses those.
| Slot | Exam | Reporting | Gate closes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slot 1 (morning) | 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM | 7:00 AM | 8:15 AM |
| Slot 2 (afternoon) | 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM | 11:00 AM | 12:15 PM |
| Slot 3 (evening) | 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM | 3:00 PM | 4:15 PM |
What to carry to the CAT exam centre
- Admit card printed on A4 (every page), photo and signature clearly visible
- The same passport photo you uploaded in the CAT form, pasted on the admit card
- One original government photo ID: Aadhaar, PAN, passport, driving licence or voter ID (not damaged)
- Two simple pens
- A transparent water bottle
- No phone, smartwatch, calculator, wallet or papers inside (there is no locker at most centres)
- No jewellery or metal items; no thick-soled shoes or clothes with large buttons
- Do not sign the admit card at home: sign it in front of the invigilator
- Reach by the reporting time. The gate closes before the exam starts and late entry is not allowed
How to download the CAT 2026 admit card
- Go to iimcat.ac.in and open the registered candidate login.
- Log in with the User ID and password you set while registering for CAT 2026.
- Download the admit card PDF and check your name, photo, slot, test city and centre.
- Print every page on A4 paper and paste the same photo you uploaded in the CAT form.
- Upload the PDF here to get your exam day plan.
Find your CAT test centre
Every centre students add here gets its own page with the address, map, nearest railway and metro stations, parking, and reviews from students who took an exam there. Browse CAT 2026 exam centres by city →
CAT exam day: frequently asked questions
When will the CAT 2026 admit card be released?
The CAT 2026 admit card download begins on Wednesday, 4 November 2026 on the official website iimcat.ac.in. You log in with the User ID and password you created while registering. It stays available until exam day.
What is the CAT 2026 exam date and slot timing?
CAT 2026 is on Sunday, 29 November 2026, in three slots. Last year the slots ran 8:30 to 10:30 AM, 12:30 to 2:30 PM and 4:30 to 6:30 PM. Your admit card shows your own slot, reporting time and gate closing time, and those are the times that count.
What is the reporting time for CAT, and when does the gate close?
On past CAT admit cards the reporting time was 90 minutes before the exam (7:00 AM for the 8:30 slot) and the gate closed 15 minutes before it started. No one is allowed in after the gate closes, so plan to arrive near the reporting time, not the gate time.
What should I carry to the CAT exam centre?
Carry a printed admit card with your photo pasted on it, one original government photo ID (Aadhaar, PAN, passport, driving licence or voter ID), two simple pens and a transparent water bottle. Leave your phone, watch, wallet and any metal or jewellery outside, because most centres have no locker. Check the instructions on your own admit card in case anything changed this year.
Can I change my CAT test centre after the admit card is out?
No. CAT admit cards state that requests to change the test centre are not entertained, so plan your travel (and a stay, if the centre is in another city) as soon as you download the card.
Is my admit card uploaded to your server?
No. The admit card is read inside your browser on your own phone or laptop. We save only the test-day details: date, slot, reporting and gate times, test city and centre. Your date of birth, application number, category and photo are never sent or stored.
How do the exam day reminders work?
Your plan page adds alarms to your phone calendar in one tap: a packing reminder the night before, a leave-now alarm at your leave-by time and a gate-closes-in-30-minutes alert. If you tick the WhatsApp box, IPM Careers may also message you CAT updates, such as when admit cards are out.
How is the 'leave by' time worked out?
We take the reporting time on your admit card, subtract your travel time and add a 20-minute safety buffer. For morning-slot students in North Indian cities we add 20 more minutes, because late-November mornings there are often foggy or smoggy.
Can I find other students taking CAT at my centre?
Yes, safely. Your plan shows how many students using this planner are at your centre and in your slot (counts only, never names). You can opt in to share a cab: we introduce you on WhatsApp only when someone else in your slot has also opted in.