With the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2026 scheduled for November 29, candidates have an opportunity to familiarise themselves with the examination process through the official mock test activated by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs).
The mock test is available on the official CAT website at iimcat.ac.in. It contains selected questions from previous years' CAT papers and is designed to help candidates understand the types of questions and the computer-based test interface.
Why should candidates attempt the CAT mock test?
The official mock test is useful even for candidates who have been taking practice tests regularly. It allows them to understand how questions appear on the screen, how to select answers and how to move between questions.
Candidates can also practise using the question palette, marking questions for review and keeping track of the time left. Getting familiar with these features can help avoid confusion on examination day.
The mock test also gives candidates an opportunity to understand how the three sections are handled separately. They should pay attention to the instructions and the way the timer works rather than treating the exercise only as a test of their preparation.
How to take CAT 2026 official mock test
Visit the official website at iimcat.ac.in.
Click on the CAT 2026 mock test link.
Enter the required login details, as displayed on the portal.
Read the general instructions carefully.
Click on 'Next' to proceed through the instructions.
Accept the terms and conditions, where prompted.
Select 'I am ready to begin' to start the mock test.
The official mock test follows a 120-minute format for non-PwBD candidates, with 40 minutes allotted to each section in the sample test. The three sections are Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA).
However, IIM Indore has clarified that the mock test is only for familiarisation. Its questions, number of questions, sequence and timing are indicative and should not be treated as a final representation of the actual CAT 2026 paper.