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CAT 2026 Registrations: The registration figure is lower than the 2.95 lakh recorded last year and the peak of approximately 3.30 lakh in 2023.
According to IIM Indore, 2.84 lakh candidates successfully registered for CAT 2026. (File/Representative image)
A total of 2.84 lakh candidates registered for the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2026, which serves as an entrance exam for postgraduate management programmes at the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and several other business schools. The registration figure is lower than the 2.95 lakh recorded last year and the peak of approximately 3.30 lakh in 2023.
Conducted by IIM Indore this year, CAT 2026 will be held in three slots. Registration figures for the exam have remained above two lakh over the past several years, although the number of applicants has fluctuated.
According to IIM Indore, 2.84 lakh candidates successfully registered for CAT 2026. The exam is a key route for candidates seeking admission to postgraduate management programmes at IIMs. Several other business schools also use CAT scores as part of their admission process.
While registration numbers provide an indication of interest in management education, they do not represent the number of candidates who will actually appear for the examination.
CAT 2025 was conducted by IIM Kozhikode on November 30, 2025. A total of 2.95 lakh candidates registered for the examination, of whom 2.58 lakh appeared.
Among those registered, approximately 1.10 lakh were women, 1.85 lakh were men and nine were transgender candidates. Of the candidates who appeared, around 97,000 were women, 1.61 lakh were men and nine were transgender candidates.
The figures show that the number of candidates who register for CAT is higher than the number who eventually take the examination.
IIM Calcutta conducted CAT 2024, which saw 3.29 lakh registrations. Of these, approximately 2.93 lakh candidates appeared for the examination.
The number of registrations in 2024 was close to the record set a year earlier. However, the figure declined to 2.95 lakh in 2025 and further to 2.84 lakh in 2026.
Approximately 3.30 lakh candidates registered for CAT 2023, setting a record at the time. The examination was held on November 26, 2023, and around 2.88 lakh candidates appeared.
Registrations remained close to this level in 2024 before falling below three lakh in the following two years.
CAT Registration Trends From 2021 to 2026
CAT registration figures have varied over the past six years:
– CAT 2021: 2.31 lakh registrations
– CAT 2022: 2.55 lakh registrations
– CAT 2023: Approximately 3.30 lakh registrations
– CAT 2024: 3.29 lakh registrations
– CAT 2025: 2.95 lakh registrations
– CAT 2026: 2.84 lakh registrations
The figures show that registrations rose between 2021 and 2023, remained nearly unchanged in 2024, and declined in the subsequent two years. However, the registration trend alone does not establish whether overall interest in management education is rising or falling.
The CAT 2025 results were declared on December 24, 2025. A total of 12 candidates secured the 100 percentile, while 26 candidates each scored 99.99 and 99.98 percentile.
A percentile indicates a candidate’s relative performance compared with other test-takers. However, a high percentile does not automatically guarantee admission to an IIM.
After the CAT results are announced, individual IIMs shortlist candidates for the next stages of admission. Each institute follows its own selection policy, which may consider CAT performance alongside academic records and other specified criteria.
Shortlisted candidates may have to participate in further selection rounds, such as a personal interview or other assessment stages, depending on the institute’s admission policy.
Therefore, candidates must meet the relevant eligibility requirements and complete the selection process prescribed by their preferred IIMs. A strong CAT score is important, but final admission depends on the institute’s overall selection criteria.
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Ask News18A total of 2.84 lakh candidates successfully registered for CAT 2026, which is lower than the 2.95 lakh registrations recorded last year and the peak of 3.30 lakh in 2023.
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October 09, 2026, 08:37 IST
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