CAT 2026: How Many Candidates Are Expected To Appear? Check Past Year Registration Trends
CAT 2026 is expected to see around 3 lakh candidates appearing for the management entrance exam. Check the registration and attendance trends from previous years.
With eight days left for the registration window of the highly competitive Common Admission Test (CAT) 2026 to close, anticipation around the management entrance exam is building. Around 3 lakh candidates are expected to appear for CAT 2026, which is scheduled to be conducted on November 29, 2026.
Last year, 2.95 lakh candidates registered for the examination, of whom 2.58 lakh appeared. The number of candidates registering for CAT saw a slight decline in 2025 compared with the previous two years - 2024 and 2023.
In 2024, 3.29 lakh candidates aspiring to pursue MBA programmes at the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and other premier institutions registered for CAT. Of these, 2.93 lakh candidates appeared for the examination. In 2023, around 3.28 lakh candidates registered, while 2.88 lakh appeared.
The number of candidates was comparatively lower in 2021 and 2022. In 2022, around 2.55 lakh candidates registered for CAT, while 2.22 lakh appeared. In 2021, approximately 2.3 lakh candidates registered and 1.92 lakh appeared for the examination.
CAT 2026: Number Of Candidates Appearing Over The Years
Based on the registration and attendance trends of previous years, CAT 2026 is expected to see around 3 lakh candidates appear for the examination. The number of candidates who actually appear is generally lower than the number who register.
| Year | Number of Candidates Registered (In Lakh) | Number of Candidates Appeared (In Lakh) |
| 2026 | Expected Around 3 lakh | Expected Around 3 lakh |
| 2025 | 2.95 | 2.58 |
| 2024 | 3.29 | 2.93 |
| 2023 | 3.28 | 2.88 |
| 2022 | 2.55 (Approximate) | 2.22 (Approximate) |
| 2021 | 2.3 | 1.92 |
CAT 2026 Exam
CAT 2026 is scheduled to be conducted on November 29, 2026, while the result is expected to be announced in January 2027. The registration window will close on September 15, and admit cards are scheduled to be released on November 4, 2026.
Candidates belonging to the general category are required to pay a registration fee of Rs 2,700. The fee for candidates belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) categories is Rs 1,350.
The Common Admission Test is conducted in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode and comprises three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (QA).
The examination will consist of 68 questions, including Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) and Type In The Answer (TITA) questions, carrying a total of 204 marks.
