CAT Score Vs Percentile: Check Normalisation Method & Section-Wise Analysis for Last 5 Years (2024-2020)

CAT score vs percentile calculations are vital to your chances of getting into prestigious IIMs. More than 3.5 lakh candidates have registered for CAT 2024. Understanding how these numbers work together could determine whether you get a seat at a top business school.

Students aiming for the elite 99+ percentile needed by premier IIMs face a tough challenge. Past trends show you need an overall scaled score of 80-95 marks out of the total marks. The good news is that some estimates suggest scoring just 40-45% of total available marks might get you a 99+ percentile in CAT 2025. The exam’s difficulty level, if similar to previous years, means a raw score of 96-98 or above could lead to the same outcome.

This detailed guide gets into the expected CAT score vs percentile trends for 2025. Your CAT 2025 preparation needs a smart approach with realistic percentile goals. Focus on building balanced sectional expertise while keeping past trends in mind. The competition keeps changing, but this detailed analysis of CAT score vs percentile relationships gives you reliable standards to guide your preparation. These insights will help you set meaningful targets and improve your chances of getting into India’s best management institutions.

CAT Score Vs Percentile Overview

CAT score vs percentile 2025 serves as the foundation of MBA programme admissions throughout India. Your preparation strategy will work better when you understand these metrics well.

CAT Score vs Percentile Calculation

A well-structured process determines your standing among test-takers through the calculation of your CAT score. The raw score for CAT 2025 follows a specific marking scheme. Each correct answer earned +3 marks, while incorrect MCQ attempts lost 1 mark. Non-MCQs didn’t have negative marking.

Raw scores then go through a mathematical transformation to give all exam slots a fair chance. Here’s the percentile calculation formula:

Percentile = [(N – R)/N] × 100

N shows the total test-takers, while R represents your rank based on the scaled score. To cite an instance, see a case where 300,000 candidates took the CAT 2024. With a rank of 6,000, your percentile would be 98.

Also Check: CAT Previous Year Question Papers

CAT Score Vs Percentile: What is CAT Percentile?

Your relative performance against other candidates shows up in CAT percentile. The score tells you what percentage of test-takers scored equal to or below you. A 99 percentile means you outperformed 99% of all candidates.

This metric proves valuable because it:

• Makes fair comparisons possible across exam slots
• Acts as the main criterion to shortlist candidates
• Gives a standard measure despite of the exam’s difficulty level

The percentile calculation happens in these steps:

1. Find the total number of CAT candidates (N)
2. Get a rank (r) from scaled scores
3. Use the formula: P = ((N-r)/N) x 100
4. Round the percentile to two decimal points

CAT Score Vs Percentile: Normalisation Method

Normalisation creates an adjusted score called the scaled score. CAT happens in multiple slots with different difficulty levels. The normalisation process gives everyone a level playing field.

Slot discrepancies get handled through normalisation. Without normalisation, candidates from different slots would face unfair evaluation.

Aspect	Description
Purpose	Ensures fairness across different exam slots
Calculation	Based on statistical methods considering difficulty levels
Usage	Used to calculate percentiles for shortlisting
Visibility	Only scaled scores (not raw scores) appear on CAT scorecards

Statistical formulas using averages and standard deviations help calculate scaled scores by comparing performance across slots. Your score might go up or down based on your slot’s difficulty level.

CAT score vs percentile helps you set realistic goals and assess your performance accurately. This knowledge forms a crucial part of your CAT preparation strategy.

CAT Score vs Percentile: Sectional Score vs Percentile Estimates

CAT 2024 scores show clear patterns in all three exam sections. These metrics help candidates who want to prepare for CAT 2025.

The 2024 results show that the VARC section managed to keep difficulty levels similar to CAT 2023. Students needed about 40 marks to reach the 99th percentile, which was close to 39 marks needed in 2023. A score of 30 was enough for the 95th percentile, while 24 marks got students to the 90th percentile.

DILR section turned out easier than 2023. Students needed 38 marks to reach the 99th percentile in 2024, which is a big deal as it means that the requirement was much higher than 28 marks in 2023. Students needed 27 marks to reach the 95th percentile, and 22 marks got them to the 90th percentile.

QA section was somewhat easier compared to 2023. Students needed around 33 marks for the 99th percentile, up from 26.5 marks in 2023. They needed 22 marks for the 95th percentile and 17 marks for the 90th percentile.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of sectional scores and percentiles for CAT 2024:

Percentile	VARC Score	DILR Score	QA Score
99.9	55	50.1	45
99.5	44	41.4	36.5
99	40.3	37.8	33
98	36	34	29
95	30	27	22
90	24	22	17
85	20	19	13.7
80	18	17	11.6
75	15.6	14.95	9.92

Students needed about 96 marks to reach the 99th percentile overall in 2024. A score of 70 meant reaching the 95th percentile, while 57 marks got them to the 90th percentile.

These numbers show how each section’s difficulty level affects the marks needed for specific percentiles. The first slot in 2024 was easier than the other two. This shows why the normalisation process matters in making the exam fair across different slots.

Top IIMs look for percentiles between 95 and 99+. Students should target sectional scores matching these high percentile brackets to improve their chances of getting into premier management schools.

How to Calculate CAT Percentile

The mechanics of CAT score calculation give valuable insights to students who want top percentiles. Several stages work together to evaluate candidates fairly across different exam slots.

Marking Scheme and Raw Score Formula

A clear marking pattern serves as the foundation of CAT’s scoring system. Students earn +3 marks for each correct answer, while wrong MCQ attempts cost them -1 mark. Type In The Answer (TITA) questions don’t have negative marking, which makes them valuable from a strategy perspective.

Question Type	Correct Answer	Incorrect Answer	Unattempted
MCQs	+3 marks	-1 mark	0 marks
TITA	+3 marks	0 marks	0 marks

Raw score calculation follows a simple formula:

Raw Score = (3 × Number of correct answers) – (1 × Number of incorrect MCQ answers)

Also Check: CAT 2025 Registration Date

Scaled Score and Normalisation Process

CAT takes place in multiple slots with different difficulty levels, so normalisation becomes vital. The official process works like this:

Each slot’s statistical parameters get calculated first. These include mean scores (M1, M2, M3) and standard deviation (S1, S2, S3). VARC, DILR, and QA sections each get their own calculations.

The process also looks at the mean raw score of each slot’s top 0.1% candidates. This data helps compare performance across different exam sessions accurately.

A normalisation formula then uses these statistical values to adjust raw scores. This ensures the allocated slot doesn’t give any unfair advantage or disadvantage to candidates.

Slot-wise difficulty adjustment

Slot-wise adjustments tackle variations in exam complexity. Small differences in difficulty show up between slots despite careful planning.

The normalisation algorithm spots these differences effectively. CAT 2024’s first slot was easier than others, which led to a 4-mark reduction in raw scores. Other slots received a 3-mark boost.

Mathematical transformations help compare performance across slots fairly. The statistical method looks at both average and high-end performance metrics. This ensures fairness at every score level.

Raw score calculation, scaled score determination, and slot-wise adjustment are the life-blood of CAT’s evaluation system. These three steps directly affect how cat scores relate to percentiles.

CAT Score vs Percentile- Slot Wise

Check the slot-wise difficulty of the CAT Score vs Percentile that varies based on each slot. Candidates need to score 91+ marks to score 99 percentile in the easy slot. Similarly, candidates need to score 85+ marks in the difficult slot and 88+ marks in the moderate slot.

CAT Score vs Percentile: Expected Ranges

Score ranges for CAT 2025 percentiles help candidates set achievable targets based on past trends and recent exam patterns. These projected standards let aspirants set realistic goals and track their preparation progress.

Overall CAT score vs percentile table

The expected relationship between overall scores and percentiles for CAT 2025 looks stable when we analyse CAT 2024 and previous years’ data. Small changes might occur based on exam difficulty:

Percentile	Expected CAT 2025 Score
99.9+	104-110
99.5	100-105
99	95-100
97	79-84
95	73-78
90	60-65
85	45-50
80	40-45

These numbers assume difficulty levels similar to CAT 2024. Students might need higher scores if the exam turns out easier.

CAT Score vs Percentile: Section-Wise Expected Score

CAT Score vs Percentile section-wise score requirements are vital for balanced preparation:

VARC Section Expected Scores (CAT 2025)

Percentile	Expected Score
99	40-42
95	30-32
90	24-26
80	18-20

DILR Section Expected Scores (CAT 2025)

Percentile	Expected Score
99	30-32
95	24-27
90	19-22
80	13-17

QA Section Expected Scores (CAT 2025)

Percentile	Expected Score
99	30-33
95	22-24
90	16-18
80	11-13

These estimates might shift based on slot-wise difficulty variations.

CAT Score vs Percentile 2024

CAT score vs percentile 2024 data serves as the most reliable baseline to predict 2025 patterns:

Percentile	Overall Score (2024)	VARC Score	DILR Score	QA Score
99.9	123	55	50.1	45
99	96	40.3	37.8	33
95	70	30	27	22
90	58	24	22.5	17
80	44	18.2	17	11.6

Score requirements have changed over the five-year span (2020-2024). The 99 percentile threshold ranged from 76 in 2023 to 101 in 2020. Exam difficulty plays a big role in these variations.

These historical patterns and normalisation processes are the foundations for 2025 projections. They provide valuable standards for candidates during their preparation.

Also Check: CAT Exam Pattern And Syllabus 2025

CAT Score vs Percentile: Trends from Previous Years

A detailed analysis of CAT score vs percentile data over five years reveals key patterns and difficulty levels in the examination.

The marks needed for top percentiles showed notable changes from 2020 to 2024. Top performers scoring 100 percentile maintained scores between 132-151. The 99 percentile cutoff varied considerably, ranging from 76.02 in 2023 to 101 in 2020.

Percentile	2024 Score	2023 Score	2022 Score	2021 Score	2020 Score
99.9	123	101.43	109	124	130
99.5	104	84.29	92.87	110	115
99	96	76.02	83.64	98	101
95	70	54.86	59.75	73	76
90	58	45.16	48.44	60	63
80	44	41.19	36.02	45	48

What You Need for Top IIMs in 2025

Getting into the top IIMs just needs careful preparation based on their 50-year old percentile requirements. Each IIM has its own criteria that students must meet to move ahead in the selection process.

Minimum percentile for IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta

The elite “IIM BLACKI” (Bangalore, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Calcutta, Kozhikode, Indore) expects General category candidates to score between 98-100 percentile. IIM Ahmedabad’s minimum overall percentile stands at 80, while Bangalore and Calcutta ask for 85. These numbers are basic qualifying marks – actual cut-offs go much higher due to competition.

CAT Safe Score & Percentile

College	VARC	DILR	QA	Overall	Safe Percentile
IIM Ahmedabad	70	70	70	80	99.5+
IIM Bangalore	80	80	80	85	99.5+
IIM Calcutta	80	80	75	85	99.7+
IIM Lucknow	85	85	85	90	99+
IIM Kozhikode	75	75	75	85	98.5+
IIM Indore	80	80	80	90	98+
IIM Mumbai	80	80	75	85	98+

CAT 99 Percentile Marks

Students need a score between 95-100 on the CAT exam to reach the crucial 99+ percentile that top IIMs look for. This means scoring about 40-45% of total marks. General category candidates should target 99+ percentile to have a real shot at IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Calcutta.

Sectional cut-offs and balance

Each section’s score matters significantly. A candidate’s overall percentile becomes meaningless if they miss even one sectional cut-off. IIM Ahmedabad requires above 70 percentile in all three sections. IIM Bangalore and Calcutta set higher bars at 80 percentile for VARC and DILR. Their Quantitative Aptitude requirements are 80 and 75 percentiles, respectively.

Reserved category cut-offs

Reserved category candidates have adjusted qualifying marks. OBC candidates usually need 75-80 percentile, while SC candidates should aim for 60-70 percentile. ST category cut-offs range from 45-60 percentiles at older IIMs and drop to 25-30 percentiles for newer ones.

CAT percentile cut-offs for top IIMs

IIM	General	NC-OBC	EWS	SC	ST
Ahmedabad	80	75	80	70	60
Bangalore	85	70	70	60	55
Calcutta	85	65	65	55	45
Lucknow	90	77	77	55	50
Indore	90	80	90	60	50
Kozhikode	85	75	75	65	55

Conclusion

CAT scores vs percentiles are vital for students aiming at India’s top management institutions. Our analysis of past trends and projected CAT 2025 score requirements shows that top IIM aspirants should aim for an overall score of 95-100 to reach the 99+ percentile mark.

Sectional balance plays an equally important role. A high overall percentile won’t help if you don’t clear the sectional cut-offs. General category students need to keep their sectional percentiles above 80 in all three areas—VARC, DILR, and QA. This creates a strong foundation for applications to prestigious institutions like IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Calcutta.

The normalisation process affects final scores. CAT 2025 will likely have multiple slots with different difficulty levels, just like previous years. Students should focus on giving their best performance in their assigned slot. The normalisation algorithm will balance the scores to ensure fair results across all sessions.

Score requirements vary based on candidate categories. General category students need 98-100 percentile for premier IIMs. Reserved category candidates have adjusted thresholds that range from 45-80 percentile, depending on the institution and category.

Frequently Asked Questions