IIM CAT 2026: Registration Deadline Extended to 22 September

By the Online Coaching 4u team

Last updated: 20 September 2026.

The Indian Institutes of Management have extended the CAT 2026 online registration deadline from 15 September to 22 September 2026 (5:00 PM IST), in an official notice dated 15 September 2026 posted on the CAT registration portal. No other date, fee or eligibility detail has changed.

What changed

CAT 2026 registration, which opened on 3 August 2026, was originally due to close on 15 September 2026. In a notice released on that date, IIM Indore — this year's convening institute — announced: "Registration for CAT 2026 will close on September 22, 2026." The seven-day extension gives candidates who missed the original window one more week to apply. This is the only change in the notice; no other part of the CAT 2026 process has been revised.

What hasn't changed

Every other date from the original 26 July 2026 notification stands: the exam remains scheduled for Sunday, 29 November 2026, in three sessions across roughly 170 test cities, with candidates choosing five preferred cities in order at the time of registration. Admit cards are still due for release on 4 November 2026, and results are still expected in the first week of January 2027 (score validity through 31 December 2027). Registration fees also stay the same — Rs 2,700 for General/EWS/NC-OBC candidates and Rs 1,350 for SC/ST/PwBD candidates — as does the minimum-50%-marks (45% for SC/ST/PwBD) graduation eligibility bar. CAT 2026 will be accepted by 21 participating IIMs for admission to PGP/MBA and FPM (PhD) programmes, plus a number of listed non-IIM institutions.

What this means for candidates

Anyone who had not yet completed the CAT 2026 application now has until 22 September 2026, 5:00 PM IST, to register and pay the fee — a one-time payment regardless of how many IIMs a candidate is applying to. Since only the registration window moved, there is no corresponding shift in preparation timelines: with the test date unchanged, candidates registering in this extended window have roughly ten weeks left before the 29 November exam. Aspirants should register directly on the official CAT registration portal linked from iimcat.ac.in and avoid any third-party site claiming to offer a separate or late-fee registration route.

Important pointers

Dated, sourced, standalone facts — 20 September 2026

• [Notice dated 15 Sep 2026] CAT 2026 registration now closes 22 September 2026, 5:00 PM IST, extended one week from the original 15 September deadline.
• [Unchanged, per the 26 Jul 2026 notification] CAT 2026 will be held on Sunday, 29 November 2026, in three sessions across approximately 170 test cities.
• [Unchanged] Admit cards download from 4 November 2026 through the exam date.
• [Unchanged] Registration fee stays Rs 2,700 (General/EWS/NC-OBC) and Rs 1,350 (SC/ST/PwBD); fees paid are non-refundable.
• Myth check: the extension does not reopen or change the exam-city selection process retroactively for candidates who already registered before 15 September — it only lets new applicants register during the extra week.

Sources: official CAT 2026 registration portal notice dated 15 September 2026 (linked from iimcat.ac.in); cross-verified against two independent education-news reports dated 15 September 2026 that quote and link the same official notice. Exam-date and fee details per the CAT 2026 Information Bulletin released 26 July 2026 by IIM Indore. Checked 20 September 2026.

Last updated: 20 September 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What is the new last date to register for CAT 2026?

22 September 2026, 5:00 PM IST — extended from the original 15 September 2026 deadline via an official IIM notice dated 15 September 2026, posted on the CAT 2026 registration portal. Registration had opened on 3 August 2026.

Has the CAT 2026 exam date, fee or eligibility changed too?

No. The extension applies only to the registration window. CAT 2026 is still scheduled for Sunday, 29 November 2026, held in three sessions across roughly 170 test cities, with admit cards downloadable from 4 November 2026. Fees (Rs 2,700 general/EWS/NC-OBC, Rs 1,350 SC/ST/PwBD) and the minimum-50%-marks eligibility bar are unchanged.

Why do CAT registration deadlines get extended?

IIMs don't state a reason in these notices. In past cycles, similar short extensions have generally accommodated a final wave of applicants rather than signalling any change to eligibility or exam format — nothing else in this year's notice changed either.