CAT answer key 2026 is expected to be released in the 2nd week of December 2026. You can download your answer key from the official CAT website. The official authority releases the CAT answer key PDF, along with the response sheet, which helps students check their answers and calculate their scores.
CAT provisional answer key is released before the final answer key so that you can challenge it if there is any error in the provisional one. The CAT conducting body usually keeps the objection window open for 2-3 days. We can expect the objection window to be open by the 2nd week of December 2026. Read further to know the complete details about the CAT 2026 answer key, steps to download it, the expected release date and how it can be challenged.
CAT Answer Key 2026 Dates
The tentative dates for the CAT answer key are tabulated below to help you keep track of important events. The official dates will be updated below as soon as they are released.
| Events | Dates (Tentative) |
| CAT provisional answer key release date | 2nd week of December 2026 |
| Answer key challenge window opens | 2nd week of December 2026 |
| Last date to raise objection | 3rd week of December 2026 |
| Release of Final answer key | 1st week of January 2027 |
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CAT Answer Key Download Link 2026
The official CAT answer key link will be provided after it is released. The answer key contains the right answers, which are used to cross-check the responses and calculate the expected score.
| Answer Key | Direct Link (To be Updated) |
| Provisional Answer Key | Check Here |
| Response Sheet | Check Here |
| Final Answer Key | Check Here |
Steps to Download CAT Answer Key 2026
The answer key for CAT will be available on the official CAT website: https://iimcat.ac.in. Steps to download the answer key are as follows:
- Go to the official website, which is https://iimcat.ac.in.
- Click the Registered Candidate Login tab on the website’s homepage.
- You will be directed to the login page, where you need to enter your username and password.
- Once you log in, you will be able to download the provisional answer key.
- Download the PDF and check your score.
CAT Response Sheet 2026
The response sheet differs from the actual answer key. The CAT response sheet includes the students’ responses marked during the exam. You need the response sheet to check the answers from the provisional answer key. Once you have checked the answers, you can easily estimate the approx score.
CAT Answer Key vs Response Sheet
The key differences between the response sheet and the answer sheet that will definitely clear your confusion are mentioned below.
| Particular | CAT Answer Key | CAT Response Sheet |
| What is it? | It has the correct answers to the questions asked in the CAT exam | Includes the answers marked by the candidate during the exam |
| Purpose | Helps verify answers and calculate an estimated score | Response sheet helps check what answers were actually submitted |
| What does it contain? | Correct answers, question-wise | Candidate’s marked answers for each question |
| Can it be challenged? | Yes. You can raise objections against disputed answers | No response sheet cannot be challenged |
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How to Calculate CAT Score Using the Official Answer Key?
Once you check your answers using the official answer key and response sheet, you can calculate your score using the following marking scheme:
| Particulars | Details |
| Correct Answer | +3 marks |
| Incorrect Answer (MCQ) | -1 mark |
| Incorrect Answer (TITA) | No negative marking |
| Unattempted Question | 0 marks |
CAT Score Calculation Formula
Use the following score calculator formula to estimate your marks. Note that for non-MCQ questions, there is no negative marking criterion.
| CAT Raw Score = Marks for Correct Answers − Negative Marks for Incorrect Answers |
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How to Challenge CAT Answer Key 2026?
The CAT answer key challenge window is expected to open in the 2nd week of December 2026. The objection window will be open for only 2-3 days. The steps to challenge the answer key are as follows:
Step 1: Visit the official CAT website and log in to your portal.
Step 2: Now open the answer key PDF provided on the portal
Step 3: You can select the question you want to challenge.
Step 4: Choose the objection type and upload supporting material, if required.
Step 5: Pay the objection fee to get it accepted.
CAT Answer Key Objection Fee
The fee to raise an objection for CAT is 1500 per question. The fee should be paid within the stipulated time period provided by the conducting body. The objection raised will be considered if they find it is found valid.
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What After CAT Answer Key?
Once you have raised objections to the provisional answer key, the authority will review them, and the committee will conduct the evaluation. Accordingly, the final answer key will be released. The authority will not consider any objection after the final answer key is released.
CAT Result 2026
After the release of the answer key, CAT result is released. The result is most likely to be released in the first week of January 2027. As per the CAT 2026 official information bulletin, the score is valid till December 31, 2027. You can download the scorecard from the CAT official website. Post-declaration of results, the admission process will be carried out by the respective IIMs on their official websites.
IIM CAT Cutoff 2026 (Expected)
The CAT cutoff 2026 is expected to vary across IIMs based on factors such as the difficulty level of the CAT exam, number of applicants, available seats, and admission policies. Check the expected cut-off in percentiles below.
| IIM | Qualifying CAT Cut-Off Percentile 2026 (Expected) |
| IIM Ahmedabad | 95 |
| IIM Bangalore | 85 |
| IIM Calcutta | 85 |
| IIM Lucknow | 90 |
| IIM Indore | 90 |
| IIM Kozhikode | 85 |
| IIM Amritsar | 90 |
| IIM Nagpur | 95 |
| IIM Rohtak | 97 |
| IIM Mumbai | 85 |
| IIM Jammu | 91 |
| IIM Sambalpur | 94 |
| IIM Trichy | 95 |
| IIM Raipur | 94 |
| IIM Ranchi | 92 |
| IIM Kashipur | 94 |
| IIM Vizag | 82 |
| IIM Udaipur | 94 |
| IIM Bodhgaya | 90 |
| IIM Shillong | 75 |
| IIM Sirmaur | 94 |
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FAQs on CAT Answer Key 2026
CAT answer key 2026 is expected to be released in the second week of December 2026. The exact date will be announced by the CAT conducting authority.
A score of around 110–120 marks is generally considered a good CAT score and may correspond to a 99+ percentile, depending on the exam difficulty and normalisation.
Compare your responses with the official CAT answer key and calculate your marks using the marking scheme. Add 3 marks for each correct answer and deduct 1 mark for each incorrect MCQ.
A 90 percentile is a decent score in CAT and can make candidates eligible for several MBA colleges. However, admission to top IIMs generally requires a much higher percentile along with meeting other selection criteria.
The CAT cutoff varies by institute and category. The expected qualifying cutoff for IIMs may range from around the 75th to the 95th percentile, while the actual shortlist cutoff can be significantly higher.
A 99+ percentile is generally considered ideal for targeting the older IIMs, although the required percentile varies by IIM, category, sectional performance, and other admission factors.
The CAT answer key contains the correct answers, while the response sheet shows the answers the candidate marked during the exam. Candidates use both to calculate their estimated score.