AI technology to be used for candidate identification in CAT 2026 exam

Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based facial recognition technology will be used for the first time to verify the identity of candidates in the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2026, IIM Indore Director Himanshu Rai said on Wednesday, according to a report by Hindustan Times. This technology will be used on an experimental basis and will serve as an additional check alongside the existing physical verification process.

Himanshu Rai clarified that this new system will not replace the current process. Physical verification by exam officials based on admit cards will continue. Even if the technology fails to recognise a candidate's face, candidates will not be denied entry to the examination centre. According to Rai, physical verification will still take place by matching the face with the admit card, but this test will be conducted to understand how accurate the AI-based facial recognition technology is and whether further improvements are required for the future.

CAT 2026 is being organised by IIM Indore and will be held on 29 November in three sessions. The exam will be conducted across approximately 170 cities at more than 350 examination centres. The results of this exam are likely to be declared in the first week of January 2027, based on which admissions will be granted for MBA and other management courses in 22 IIMs and other business schools. This year, 2,89,961 registrations have been received for CAT 2026, which is slightly lower than last year's approximately 2,95,000 registrations.

Explaining the reason behind introducing this technology, Rai said that facial recognition has now become a standard feature in the attendance systems of institutions and was also used in online examinations during the COVID-19 pandemic. He added that with the advent of technology, we moved towards biometrics, and now attendance is taken through facial recognition. Most of the world's leading institutions have adopted this standard technology.

After the exam, the institution will analyse the performance of this technology. For this, the identification results produced by the machine will be compared with the verification carried out by human officials. This study will help determine whether more changes are needed if this system is to be implemented on a large scale. Rai said the main objective is to see whether there is any discrepancy between the work performed by humans and the work performed by machines.

Regarding concerns over the privacy of candidates' facial data, Rai stated that no new information will be collected through this technology. The data and photos provided by the candidates in the application forms are already available in the database, and this system will only match them. If this experiment proves successful, the institution may consider wider use of this technology, although the final decision to adopt new technology will rest with individual institutions. Rai expressed hope that once the technology is tested, everyone will adopt it.

IIM Indore has also integrated AI into its academic programmes. The institution also conducts independent courses on this technology and its use in various fields of management. Giving an example, Rai said that if they are teaching marketing, they will also teach how to use AI in creating marketing plans and checking primary financial balance sheets. Additionally, the institution is developing a framework for the ethical use of Generative AI and guidelines for its use in research papers.

The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a crucial entrance examination in India, conducted for admission to management programmes in various institutions. Based on this exam, students can secure admission to courses such as MBA in the country's prestigious institutions.