Exam Updates
September 29, 2026
IIM Visakhapatnam Admission 2026: Selection Rounds
Admission is five separate filters, not one scored decision. Here is what each stage removes candidates for, and where your exam score matters most. Read on.
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Exam Updates · CAT 2026
CAT 2026 Exam Updates & Notifications
Every CAT cycle has 8 to 10 official touchpoints (notification, registration, correction window, slot booking, admit cards, exam day, response sheets, results, and IIM cutoffs). The Optima Learn Exam Updates blogs track each one as it happens, cross-referenced against the official IIMCAT bulletin and IIM communications. Bookmark this page so you never miss a date.
All Exam Updates articles
151 articles
Exam Updates
September 29, 2026
IIM Sirmaur Admission 2026: WAT PI And What To Expect
The round after the call is a second assessment with its own weight. Here is what WAT and PI actually measure, and how to prepare the right inputs. Read on.
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Exam Updates
September 29, 2026
IIM Bodh Gaya Admission 2026: Reading The Cutoffs Guide
Qualifying minimum, call level and past closing figure are three different things. Here is how to read any published cutoff figure correctly. Read on.
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Exam Updates
September 29, 2026
IIM Kashipur Admission 2026: What Actually Sets It Apart
Brochure language is interchangeable between schools. The published admission policy is not. Here is how to compare institutes on checkable facts. Read on.
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Exam Updates
September 24, 2026
SCMHRD Pune and the Deadline That Actually Binds You
For a school on another exam, the registration window is the real deadline. See the one question that settles it and what transfers between exams too.
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Exam Updates
September 24, 2026
IIM Sambalpur Admissions: The Stage After the Call
Months go on the exam and days on the stage that reorders the whole field. See what WAT and PI rounds contain and how to prepare without a result too.
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Exam Updates
September 24, 2026
IIM Jammu Admissions: Six Facts Worth Checking Now
The choice arrives when you are attending rounds and cannot research anything. See the 6 checkable facts and why the reading pays you twice over here.
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Exam Updates
September 24, 2026
IIM Amritsar Admissions: How Profile Factors Decide
Shortlists are built from formulas, so the same score ranks differently at each. See what a profile contains and which parts are still movable now too.
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Exam Updates
September 23, 2026
XIMB Admissions and the Deadline That Actually Binds
For a school on another exam, the registration window is the real deadline. See the one question that settles it and what truly transfers between exams.
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Exam Updates
September 23, 2026
IIM Rohtak Admissions: One Exam, Twenty Two Policies
The IIMs share an entrance exam and not an admission policy at all. See why identical percentiles get different calls and the 6 notes to take per school.
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Exam Updates
September 23, 2026
IIM Nagpur Admissions: Read the Facts, Not the Ranking
An inherited hierarchy is a poor basis for a decision that is worth two years of your life. See the 6 checkable facts that beat any ordering you read.
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Exam Updates
September 23, 2026
GIM Goa Admissions: The Forms Close Before Results
The application calendar and the result calendar do not line up at all. See how to handle that overlap and build a list in bands rather than on guesses.
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Exam Updates
September 23, 2026
TAPMI Admissions and the Three Things Called a Cutoff
Qualifying, call and last year closing figures are three different numbers. See why only one of them is published and what to read instead of a cutoff.
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Exam Updates
September 23, 2026
Somaiya and Welingkar: Two Schools, Two Admission Systems
A national exam route and a state route are entirely different systems. See why cutoff comparisons across them fail and what to compare in their place.
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Exam Updates
September 23, 2026
IMT Ghaziabad Admissions: The Form Closes Before Results
Several private school forms shut before CAT results even exist. See why programme choice is part of the decision and the 6 notes to take per college.
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Exam Updates
September 23, 2026
Great Lakes Chennai Admissions: Accepted Is Not Equal
A school taking several entrance exams usually treats the routes differently. See the 6 notes to take per school and exactly what to verify at source.
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Exam Updates
September 22, 2026
SIBM Pune Admissions: The Stage You Will Actually Meet
SIBM runs on SNAP, so the registration window decides availability. See how selection stages differ between schools and what each one actually asks of you.
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Exam Updates
September 22, 2026
NMIMS Mumbai Admissions: The Exam Decision Comes First
NMIMS uses NMAT rather than CAT, which makes the real question whether you will sit it. See the 6 notes to take per school and what to verify at source.
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Exam Updates
September 22, 2026
NITIE Is Now IIM Mumbai: What That Changes for You
NITIE is now IIM Mumbai and it runs on CAT, so no second exam is involved. Here is how its criteria work and why the same percentile lands differently.
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Exam Updates
September 22, 2026
JBIMS Admissions: Why a State Route Works Differently
JBIMS runs on MAH-CET through a state admission authority, not the institute. Here is what that changes for your list, your deadlines and the figures you trust.
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Exam Updates
September 17, 2026
XLRI Admission Process: The Exam Nobody Ever Checks
XLRI uses XAT, not CAT, for Indian applicants. See what it weighs, why no published split exists, and when the decision to sit XAT actually has to be made.
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Exam Updates
September 17, 2026
MDI Gurgaon Admission Process: What Actually Counts
MDI shortlists on CAT alongside overall profile, then interviews. See the stage sequence, what profile actually covers, and why cutoff tables mislead you.
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Exam Updates
September 17, 2026
IIM Shillong Admission Process: What Makes It Differ
The IIMs are 22 policies, not one tier with a sliding threshold. See what Shillong weighs, how the stages differ across IIMs, and what to verify at source.
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Exam Updates
September 17, 2026
IIFT Admission Process: The One Published Formula Now
IIFT states its shortlist split, which makes it plannable in a way most schools are not. See the weighting, the stages, and why a formula beats a cutoff.
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Quick answers to common questions about Optima Learn's CAT blogs, our editorial process, and how to use the articles in your prep.
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We publish new articles daily. The volume varies with the CAT calendar: some days see 8 to 10 new pieces (around notifications, slot booking, or results), other days run 2 to 4, and a quiet day might be one focused deep-dive. The /blogs/explore page always shows the most-recent articles first, and our XML sitemap is refreshed automatically as new posts go live.
Articles are produced by the Optima Learn editorial team and reviewed against our internal accuracy standards. Strategy and exam-update articles cross-reference the official IIMCAT bulletin, IIM reports, and our 20,000+ PYQ corpus.
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A focused 6-month CAT 2026 plan is realistic if you commit 2 to 3 hours daily. Start with our Strategy category for a baseline study plan, then drill into Quant, VARC, and DILR with the section-specific articles. Use Productivity articles to build a sustainable routine and Exam Updates to stay current with the official CAT timeline at iimcat.ac.in.
Bookmark /blogs/explore, it always shows the newest articles. We also publish exam-update articles as soon as official notifications drop, so checking the Exam Updates category around major CAT calendar dates is the fastest way to stay current.
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