The CAT 2026 fee payment deadline has been extended to September 24, giving an additional opportunity to candidates who had completed their CAT application process before the registration window closed. The latest update is important for MBA aspirants who successfully registered for CAT 2026 but had not completed the fee payment within the earlier deadline.
However, candidates should note one important point: this is not an extension of the CAT 2026 registration window. Fresh registrations are no longer being accepted. The extended facility is only for eligible candidates who had completed their application by September 22.
With CAT 2026 scheduled for November 29, MBA aspirants should now focus on completing any pending application formalities and preparing for the upcoming examination.
CAT 2026 Fee Payment Deadline: Latest Update
The Indian Institute of Management Indore, which is conducting CAT 2026, has extended the deadline for payment of the CAT examination fee to September 24, 2026.
Candidates who successfully completed their CAT 2026 registration process on or before September 22 can use the extended payment window. The latest update does not reopen registration for candidates who missed the application deadline.
This distinction is important because some students may assume that the extension allows them to submit a fresh application. That is not the case. Only candidates who had already completed the required registration process within the original/extended registration period are eligible to make the pending fee payment.
Who Can Pay the CAT 2026 Fee Now?
The extended deadline is relevant to candidates who:
- Completed the CAT 2026 application process by September 22, 2026
- Successfully registered their details
- Have their application pending because of fee payment
- Need to complete the final payment step
Candidates who did not register by September 22 cannot use this extended window to submit a new CAT application.
Therefore, students should first check their application status before assuming that they can register or make a fresh application.
CAT 2026 Application Fee
The CAT 2026 application fee is ₹2,700 for candidates belonging to the unreserved category and ₹1,350 for candidates belonging to the reserved categories.
Candidates should carefully verify their payment status after completing the transaction. Saving the payment confirmation and application details is also useful for future reference.
For an entrance examination as important as CAT, students should keep their registration details, application number and payment confirmation safely stored.
CAT 2026 Exam Date
The CAT 2026 examination is scheduled to be conducted on November 29, 2026. IIM Indore is expected to conduct the examination in multiple sessions at designated test centres.
With the registration stage now closed, the preparation phase becomes even more important for aspirants.
Students should use the remaining preparation period to work on the three major areas tested in CAT:
- Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)
- Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)
- Quantitative Ability (QA)
Instead of only increasing the number of questions attempted, aspirants should also analyse mistakes, improve accuracy and practise managing time under exam-like conditions.
What Happens After CAT 2026 Registration?
The next major application-related update expected by candidates is the CAT 2026 correction facility. Recent reports indicate that the correction window is expected after the registration process concludes, with details to be announced by the conducting authority.
Candidates should regularly check official CAT communication for information regarding:
- Correction window
- Admit card release
- Test centre details
- Exam-day instructions
- Result and scorecard updates
The CAT admit card is currently expected to become available ahead of the November 29 examination, subject to the official schedule.
CAT 2026 Preparation: What Should Students Do Now?
For students who have completed their CAT registration, this is the time to shift their attention from application formalities to preparation.
1. Take Regular Mock Tests
Mock tests help students understand their current preparation level and practise solving questions within a fixed time.
2. Analyse Every Mock
Simply taking a mock test is not enough. Candidates should identify questions they got wrong, questions that consumed too much time and topics where accuracy is consistently low.
3. Strengthen Weak Areas
After analysing mock performance, students can divide their preparation into strong, moderate and weak topics. More revision time can then be allocated to areas that need improvement.
4. Practise Time Management
CAT is not only about knowing concepts. Candidates also need to make quick decisions about which questions to attempt and which ones to leave.
5. Keep Track of Official Updates
Students should follow official CAT announcements for correction-window details, admit card information and other examination instructions.
CAT 2026 Is Important for MBA Aspirants
CAT remains an important management entrance examination for students targeting postgraduate management programmes. A CAT score is used by participating management institutes as part of their admission processes, with individual institutes following their own eligibility and selection criteria.
For MBA aspirants, preparation should therefore go beyond simply targeting the examination. Students should also research the programmes they want to apply to, understand eligibility requirements and keep track of individual institute admission processes.
Reliable Study Education Pvt. Ltd. Can Help Students Stay Updated
MBA admission involves multiple stages, from entrance examination preparation and registration to college selection and the admission process. Reliable Study Education Pvt. Ltd. helps students understand admission-related information and make sense of important updates during the MBA admission journey.
Students should always verify important deadlines, eligibility conditions and application instructions from the concerned examination authority or institute before taking any final step.
Final Words
The CAT 2026 fee payment deadline has been extended to September 24, 2026, but this extension is specifically for candidates who had already completed their CAT registration process by September 22. Fresh CAT 2026 registrations are not being accepted through this extended payment window.
For registered candidates, completing the pending fee payment within the revised deadline is important. After that, the focus should shift towards preparation, mock tests, revision and keeping track of upcoming CAT 2026 announcements.
With the CAT 2026 examination scheduled for November 29, aspirants still have preparation time available—but using that time with a structured strategy can make the preparation process more organised.
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FAQs
The extended deadline for eligible candidates is September 24, 2026.
No. Fresh CAT 2026 registration has already closed. The extension is only for eligible candidates with pending fee payment.
CAT 2026 is scheduled for November 29, 2026.
The fee is ₹2,700 for unreserved candidates and ₹1,350 for reserved-category candidates.
Candidates should complete any pending eligible payment and focus on mock tests, revision, accuracy and time management.