CAT 2025 vs CAT 2026: What’s Changed, What Not, Things to Know Before Registrations

CAT registration 2026 will begin on August 3, 2026. Every year students await the CAT notification and hope the exam pattern to remain similar to the previous year in terms of questions, level of difficulty, important topics, etc. The CAT question paper undergoes some changes every year which are worth noticing before the candidates lock in their CAT preparation plan.
The exam is conducted every year in the computer based test format and over 2.5 lakh candidates take national level entrance exam. In this article, Jagran Josh has addressed the most asked question of CAT aspirants, what has changed in CAT 2026. Read below to know more.

CAT 2025 vs CAT 2026: What Changed and What Didn’t

BLACKI IIMs conduct the CAT exam every year. This year, IIM Indore will be conducting the exam. CAT exam pattern has not changed since last year and the format remains the same. This is a big relief for the candidates preparing for CAT.

CAT 2025 was conducted by IIM Kozhikode and the exam pattern, number of questions, marking scheme, etc., is the same for this year as well. Check the differences between CAT 2025 and CAT 2026 below:

Candidates should also note that total duration of exam is 120 minutes, and there is a sectional time limit of 40 minutes. Three marks will be awarded for a correct answer and 1 mark will be deducted for each wrong answer. There will be three slots on the CAT exam day, i.e. Morning, Afternoon and Evening.

Also Read: CAT eligibility criteria 2026

Major Changes

CAT has witnessed some fluctuations and there hasn’t been any drastic change in the past few years. But, this year there have been some changes such as:

• There has been an increase of INR 1000 in CAT application fee for the General category candidates and INR 50 for reserved categories. This is a modest hike, which is roughly 4%.
• Number of test cities has increased from 150 to 170.
• The number of students applying for CAT exam 2026 is expected to increase this year. Last year, 2.95 lakh candidates took the exam. It is expected that this number will cross 3 lakh.

Also Read: CAT 2026 application form

Why is the Unchanged Exam Pattern Good News?

Since there are no changes in CAT paper pattern 2026, and the exam will have following 3 sections,

• Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension
• Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
• Quantitative Aptitude

This is good news for aspirants, as they already know the exam pattern, and do not have to alter their preparation plan for upcoming exam. Instead of preparing for surprises, they can stick to their CAT study plan and make the best use of it. Students can use previous year CAT question papers and mock tests to prepare for the exam as they will become the best tools. This has removed uncertainty and candidates can go on about their preparations.

CAT 2026 Important Dates

Candidates can check the table below to know the CAT important dates and events:

CAT 2026 Preparation Tips

With CAT applications just around the corner, students should focus on their preparation plan instead of the possible changes. They should focus on basics, important topics and coverage of the CAT exam syllabus 2026. Students should:

• Read everyday. Build speed and comprehension skills for the VARC section
• Practice mental maths and strengthen arithmetic, algebra, etc.
• Time management should be at the core of CAT exam preparation.
• Take sectional and full length CAT mock test to get a good score in the exam.
• Since the exam pattern has not really changed, candidates should practice mock tests as much as they can. It can become a big differentiator for the CAT exam. Rather than guessing, students should focus on accuracy and practicing more questions and sample papers.