Illustration of a candidate desk with a blank admit card, a pencil, a wristwatch and a closed laptop in soft morning light before the CAT 2026 exam.
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CAT 2026 admit card out: download link, steps, exam date
IIM Indore has released the CAT 2026 admit cards on 6 November 2026, two days after the original 4 November date. Candidates can download the hall ticket from iimcat.ac.in with their User ID and password; the exam is on 29 November 2026.
⚡Key Highlights
Premium
IIM Indore has released the CAT 2026 admit cards on 6 November 2026, two days after the original 4 November date
Candidates can download the hall ticket from iimcat.ac.in with their User ID and password; the exam is on 29 November 2026.
Key analysis, background details, and full reporting below.
IIM Indore has released the CAT 2026 admit cards, two days later than first planned; registered candidates can now download them from iimcat.ac.in ahead of the 29 November exam.
By StoryTimesNow News Desk — 06 November 2026, 5:01 PM IST
A candidate's desk ahead of the CAT 2026 exam on 29 November. (Illustration: StoryTimesNow)
Key Takeaways
IIM Indore released the CAT 2026 admit cards on Friday, 6 November 2026 — two days after the original 4 November date — and downloads are open at iimcat.ac.in.
Candidates need their CAT User ID and password to download the hall ticket, which stays available until the exam on Sunday, 29 November 2026.
The exam runs in three sessions across about 170 cities, and a mock test with sample questions is live on the official website from today.
Introduction
The Indian Institute of Management Indore has released the admit cards for the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2026, two days after the original release date.
Registered candidates can download it from the official CAT website, iimcat.ac.in, using the User ID and password from registration. The download window stays open until exam day, Sunday, 29 November 2026.
What Happened?
IIM Indore, which is conducting CAT 2026, released the admit cards on Friday, 6 November 2026.
The release had originally been scheduled for Wednesday, 4 November. IIM Indore announced that day that it was postponed to 6 November, and that the cards for all eligible candidates had been generated and would be downloadable between 6 and 29 November 2026.
To download it, candidates visit iimcat.ac.in, open the admit card link on the candidate dashboard and log in with their CAT application User ID and password. The card is issued only in digital form — it is not sent by post — so candidates must download and print it themselves.
Why Does This Matter?
The admit card is the one document no candidate can sit the exam without: it carries the test centre, the allotted session and the reporting time, and entry is denied without a printed copy of it and a valid original photo ID.
The release gives candidates 23 days to check every detail on the card, fix discrepancies and plan travel to their centres. With the exam running in three sessions across about 170 cities, the centre and slot printed on the card decide the candidate's entire exam-day plan.
Important Details
Release date: 6 November 2026, on iimcat.ac.in — originally due on 4 November, postponed by two days.
Download window: 6 to 29 November 2026; login needs the CAT User ID and password.
Exam date: Sunday, 29 November 2026, in three sessions at centres in about 170 cities.
Session timings: the published schedule lists them as 8:30–10:30 a.m., 12:30–2:30 p.m. and 4:30–6:30 p.m.; the exact reporting time is printed on the admit card.
Mock test: a mock test with sample questions on the exam pattern and interface is available on iimcat.ac.in from 6 November.
What to carry: a printed copy of the admit card, ideally a colour printout on A4, plus a valid original photo ID. Entry will be denied without both.
Discrepancies: any error on the card should be reported to the CAT helpdesk at iimcat@iimindore.ac.in before the exam date.
Changes: the IIMs reserve the right to revise the exam date and time if the situation demands it.
Background and Context
CAT is the computer-based entrance test for the Indian Institutes of Management and other participating institutes, conducted each year by one of the IIMs on rotation. IIM Indore is the conducting institute for the 2026 edition.
The original 4 November date was published in the CAT 2026 information bulletin; the postponement to 6 November was announced by IIM Indore on the morning the cards were due, when it said the cards for all eligible candidates had been generated.
What Happens Next?
Candidates should download the card now and check the name, photograph, test centre, session and reporting time printed on it. Any error should be raised with the helpdesk well before 29 November — corrections cannot be made at the centre on exam day.
Candidates should also take the mock test on iimcat.ac.in to learn the exam interface and question pattern, and plan travel so they reach the centre by the reporting time on their card.
What Readers Should Know
Download the card only from iimcat.ac.in or the official link on the candidate dashboard — do not trust admit card links shared on social media or messaging apps, where fake links circulate around every major exam release. Print it on A4 paper, keep a second copy in your bag, and carry an original photo ID matching the name on the card. Reach the centre by the reporting time printed on the card — late entry is not permitted — and confirm the centre's location a day ahead.
FAQs
When is the CAT 2026 exam? Sunday, 29 November 2026, in three sessions — morning, afternoon and evening — at centres in about 170 cities.
How long can I download the admit card? From 6 November until exam day, 29 November 2026, on iimcat.ac.in.
What if a detail on my admit card is wrong? Contact the CAT helpdesk at iimcat@iimindore.ac.in before the exam date — corrections cannot be made at the centre on exam day.
Is the admit card sent by post? No — it is issued only in digital form on iimcat.ac.in, and candidates must download and print it themselves.
Sources and Verification
All dates and download details come from the CAT 2026 information bulletin and IIM Indore's announcements, as reported below on 6 November 2026; the postponement is from IIM Indore's announcement reported on 4 November 2026.
Times Now — CAT 2026 Admit Card Released; Exam on Nov 29 (6 November 2026, 12:21 p.m. IST)
Times Now — CAT 2026 Admit Card Release Postponed To November 6; IIM Indore Announces New Date (4 November 2026, 2:15 p.m. IST)
Shiksha — CAT Admit Card 2026 (Released): Direct Link and How to Download (updated 6 November 2026, 3:51 p.m. IST)
Collegedunia — CAT Admit Card 2026 Out: Download Link, Steps and Exam Dates (6 November 2026)
Moneycontrol — CAT 2026 admit card: Hall ticket download begins November 6, check steps and exam details (6 November 2026)
Details are as published on iimcat.ac.in and reported on 6 November 2026. The admit card itself is the final authority on centre, session and reporting time.
