CAT Score vs Percentile 2025: CAT Marks vs Percentile Section-Wise, Previous Year's 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021

CAT Score vs Percentile 2025: CAT Marks vs Percentile Section-Wise, Previous Year's 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021

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Himanshu ShekharUpdated on 29 Jul 2025, 04:54 PM IST
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CAT 2025 score vs percentile for each slots will be available here. How much to score for 99 percentile in CAT? Top institutes, including IIMs and other prestigious MBA colleges, generally require 95 to 99+ percentiles for MBA/ PGDM admission. As per the experts, those who scored 87 to 93 in CAT 2025 will scored 99+ percentile. The maximum score in CAT entrance exam is 204 as 68 questions are distributed across the three sections. CAT score and CAT percentile are equally important as both of them directly affect your chances of getting into IIMs and other top B-schools. The slot-wise CAT score vs percentile CAT 2025 is mentioned in the table below to help the candidates predict their CAT percentile 2025. CAT 2025 result will be announced tentatively in the third week of December 2025. Check this article further for complete details on CAT marks vs percentile 2025.

This Story also Contains

  1. CAT Score vs Percentile 2025 (Expected)
  2. CAT Marks vs Percentile (Previous year): Overall by IQuanta
  3. CAT Score vs Percentile (Previous year)- By IMS
  4. CAT Score vs Percentile Previous Years
  5. Determinants of CAT Score vs Percentile Calculation
  6. How to Calculate CAT Score 2025
  7. How is CAT Score Converted to CAT Percentile?
  8. How is CAT Percentile Calculated?
  9. CAT Score vs Percentile 2025: Section-wise Questions Distribution and Marks
  10. CAT Percentile Predictor 2025
  11. How CAT Composite Score is Considered to Determine CAT Scores Vs Percentile?
  12. CAT Score vs Percentile 2023
  13. CAT Score vs Percentile 2022
  14. CAT Score vs Percentile 2021
CAT Score vs Percentile 2025: CAT Marks vs Percentile Section-Wise, Previous Year's 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021
CAT Score Vs Percentile

CAT Score vs Percentile 2025 (Expected)

IIM Kozhikode will conduct CAT exam on November 30, 2025. Check out below the CAT 2025 score vs percentile slot-wise.

CAT Score vs Percentile Section Wise & Slot Wise

CAT 2025 Slot 1

Percentile

VARC

DILR

QA

Overall

99%

39-40

31-32

30-31

90

95%

31-32

24-25

23-24

66

90%

25-26

19-21

17-18

56-57

85%

22-23

16-18

14-15

45-46

80%

20-21

13-14

12-13

40-41

70%

16-17

11-12

10-11

35-36

CAT 2025 Slot 2

Percentile

VARC

DILR

QA

Overall

99%

41-42

27-28

28-29

87

95%

33-34

22-23

22-23

63

90%

26-27

18-19

16-17

55-56

85%

23-24

15-17

13-14

44-45

80%

21-22

12-14

11-12

39-40

70%

17-18

11-12

10-11

35-36

CAT 2025 Slot 3

Percentile

VARC

DILR

QA

Overall

99%

42-43

28-29

30-32

93

95%

34-35

23-24

24-25

68

90%

27-28

19-20

17-18

58-60

85%

24-25

16-17

14-15

46-48

80%

22-23

13-14

12-13

42-44

70%

18-19

12-13

11-12

37-38


Know the CAT Qualifying Marks

CAT Marks vs Percentile (Previous year): Overall by IQuanta

After the conclusion of the CAT entrance exam, on this page, here we will share the estimated CAT score vs percentile as per students' reactions and expert views. Check out below the slot-wise CAT 2025 marks vs percentile which is provided by IQuanta.

Overall CAT Marks vs Percentile: Slot 1

CAT Percentile

CAT Score

99

91

95

67

90

55

Overall CAT Score vs Percentile: Slot 2

CAT Percentile

CAT Score

99

85

95

62

90

50

Overall CAT Score vs Percentile: Slot 3

CAT Percentile

CAT Score

99

88

95

65

90

53

Question- Can I get IIM with the 95 percentile?

Answer- As mentioned above, the CAT cutoff for top IIMs usually ranges between 98 to 100 percentile for candidates belonging to the General category. Those who belong to a reserved category i.e. SC or ST can expect a call from IIMs with 95 percentile in CAT. Also, the CAT cutoffs for admission to top MBA colleges such as MDI, FMS, and SPJIMR among others range from 90 to 99 percentile.

Question-What is 30 marks in CAT percentile?

Answer- The 30 marks in the CAT exam are considered to be the 80 percentile based on the previous year trends.

Question-What is 60 marks in CAT percentile?

Answer- CAT aspirants who achieve 60 marks in the CAT exam can expect the CAT percentile range from 90 to 92.

Question-What is 50 marks in CAT percentile?

Answer- MBA aspirants who achieve 60 marks in the CAT exam can score the CAT percentile ranges from 85 to 87.

CAT Score vs Percentile (Previous year)- By IMS

PercentileSlot 1Slot 2Slot 3
99.9%120-124118-123
118-123
99.5%106-110
103-108
103-108
99%95-98
92-95
92-95
98%71-74
69-72
68-71
95%59-61
57-5955-57
90%46-47
47-49
45-47
85%41-42
42-4439-42
80%36-37
39-40
36-38

CAT Score vs Percentile Previous Years

Check out the comparative analysis of the CAT marks to percentile previous years. By checking this candidates can be aware of how much they need to secure a CAT scaled score to estimate their CAT percentile. CAT aspirants can also check the CAT marks vs percentile and previous years CAT score and percentile such as CAT score vs percentile 2023, CAT score vs percentile 2022, and CAT score vs percentile 2021 etc here.

Percentile

CAT Scaled Score (2024)

CAT Scaled Score (2023)

CAT Scaled Score (2022)

100 marks in CAT percentile

151

138.59

145.83

99.95 marks in CAT percentile

140

106.95

115

99.90 marks in CAT percentile

135

101.43

109.9

99.50 marks in CAT percentile

125

84.29

92.87

99 marks in CAT percentile

90

76.02

83.64

98 marks in CAT percentile

69+

66.68

73.88

96.6 marks in CAT percentile

67+

59.99

65.4

95.5 marks in CAT percentile

66+

56.41

59.75

93 marks in CAT percentile

57-62

52.35

53

90 marks in CAT percentile

56-57

45.16

48.44

CAT 85 percentile marks

45-46

42.29

41.32

80 marks in CAT percentile

40-41

41.19

36.02

70 marks in CAT percentile

35-36

38.94

28.5-29

Also Read: Best MBA Colleges in Delhi Without CAT

Determinants of CAT Score vs Percentile Calculation

The CAT score vs percentile analysis is done based on these elements. Check below to know how the CAT cutoff score vs percentile is calculated.

CAT Raw Score

CAT raw score is the score that the candidates get after implementing the CAT marking scheme. The CAT raw score can also be calculated by using the CAT response sheet and answer key.

How to Calculate CAT Score 2025

To calculate the CAT score, candidates can follow the below-mentioned process: Also, you can use the CAT score calculator tool to calculate your CAT score.

  • For MCQs: CAT Raw Score -3 x (Number of correct answers) – 1 x (number of wrong answers)
  • For Non-MCQs: CAT Raw Score- 3 x (Number of correct answers)
  • Final Raw Score: CAT raw score for MCQ+ CAT raw score for non-MCQ
CAT 2024 Most Scoring Concepts- VARC, DILR & QUANT
Start your CAT journey today and download CAT 2024 most scoring concepts PDF, including study materials based on CAT previous year papers, CAT question papers, and CAT exam sample questions.
Download EBook

Candidate

Questions Answered

Correct Answers

Wrong Answers

Marks for Correct Answers

Marks for Wrong Answers

CAT Score

ABC

66

40

26

40*3= 120

26*1= 26

120-26= 94

XYZ

54

50

4

50*3= 150

4*1= 4

150-4= 146

Note that due to negative marking, wrong attempts lead to a deduction of marks from the total.

Also check: CAT Marking Scheme

CAT Scaled Score

What is CAT scaled score- CAT is a computer-based test that is conducted each year on a rotational basis by IIMs for providing admissions to the MBA and other managerial programmes at the IIMs in India and other B-schools. The CAT exam is held in three sessions, which means the normalisation process takes place. Scores after normalization are called scaled scores in CAT. The percentile of candidates is calculated based on the scaled CAT score.

To sum up, the scaled score in CAT is the sum total of the marks obtained by a candidate after the normalization in all three sections namely Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (QA).

CAT Percentile

What is CAT percentile?- A CAT percentile is a measure that indicates the percentage of candidates below a candidate in the merit list. For example, if a candidate secures a position at the 90 percentile refers that about 90 percent of candidates competing with that candidate in the test have scored less than him/her. In other words, the CAT percentile is a measure of categorizing candidates based on their performance.

Hence, test takers who secure 90 percentile or above in CAT refer to the top 10 percent of the candidates on the merit list. The percentile secured according to marks obtained is only an indication of the candidate’s position. However, this does not tell the exact marks scored on the test.

Also read: CAT Pass Percentage

How is CAT Score Converted to CAT Percentile?

The conversion of the CAT score to the percentile involves three stages. Firstly, the CAT raw score is calculated on the basis of candidates' performance. After that, the CAT raw score is normalized to get the candidate's scaled score, and then the scaled score determines the CAT percentile. The CAT scorecard does not show the raw score; it only mentions the CAT scaled score and percentile for each section, along with the overall CAT score.

  1. CAT raw score- The CAT raw score is calculated manually through individual CAT response sheets, which are released along with the CAT official answer key.
  2. Conversion of raw score to CAT scaled score- As there are 3 slots in the CAT exam, the difficulty level of all of the CAT slots might be different. Because of this, the CAT raw score undergoes a normalization process to determine the CAT scaled score.
  3. Conversion of scaled score to CAT percentile- The CAT scaled score of the candidates will be determined to provide relative data as to how ahead a particular CAT aspirant is as compared to other test takers.

How to Compute CAT 2025 Percentile?

CAT scorecard mentioned percentile secured by the candidates. IIM computes CAT percentile scores based on the total number of candidates who appeared for the CAT exam and each candidates CAT scaled score. Here we have listed the formula for calculating the CAT exam percentile.

  • P represents candidates CAT percentile
  • R denotes the rank assigned to candidate based on their CAT scaled score
  • N is the total number of candidates who appeared for CAT exam

How is CAT Percentile Calculated?

The CAT 2025 percentile will be calculated based on the scaled score of each section from which questions are asked as well as the overall scaled score. CAT result 2025 will indicate the sectional as well as the overall scaled score and the CAT percentile of candidates.

Now let us take an example and understand how is CAT percentile is calculated. Here the VARC section is just taken as an example with regard to the calculation of percentile.

Step 1: The first step is calculating the total number of candidates (N) who are likely to appear for the IIM Entrance Exam, in both sessions i.e. in the forenoon and afternoon session.

Step 2: Allot Rank (r) based on the scaled score obtained in the VARC section to all the candidates who appeared in the CAT. If two or more candidates score the same marks in the section, then assign identical ranks to the candidates.

Step 3: Calculate the percentile score (P) of a candidate with rank (r) in the VARC section as:

CAT%202020%20Score%20vs%20Percentile

Step 4: Now, round off the calculated percentile score (P) of a candidate up to two decimal points only. For example, all percentile scores greater than or equal to 89.995 are rounded off to 90

Follow the same methodology for computing the overall CAT percentile scores and for percentile scores of other sections. Also you can use the CAT percentile calculator tool to calculate your CAT percentile.

Also See: At What Percentile Can I Get a Call from IIM? - A Complete Guide

CAT Score vs Percentile 2025: Section-wise Questions Distribution and Marks

Section nameNumber of questionsTime allotted (In minutes)Marks (+3 for the correct answer and -1 for every incorrect answer)
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)244072
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)224066
Quantitative Aptitude (QA)224066

How Many Questions to Attempt for 99+ Percentile in CAT 2025?

Out of 66 questions in CAT 2025, candidates should aim to attempt around 45 questions with 85-90% accuracy to get 100 percentile. For those who are aiming to get an MBA seat in IIMs or any other top B-schools, maintaining an accuracy rate of 90 percent is a must. For example, if a candidate attempts 12 questions from the CAT QA section, then answering at least 10 to 11 CAT questions is a must. Section-wise number of good attempts with an accuracy rate of 90 percent to secure 90 to 99+ percentile in CAT 2025 are as follows:

Section-Wise Attempts For 99+ Percentile In CAT 2025

CAT Percentile

VARC questions to attempt

DILR questions to attempt

QA questions to attempt

Overall questions to attempt

100

15-16

11-12

15-16

42-45

99+

14-15

10-11

13-15

40-41

95-98.99

13-14

9-10

12-13

35-39

90-94.99

11-12

7-8

11-12

29-34

85+

9-10

6-7

9-11

24-28

Planning to study MBA abroad

CAT Percentile Predictor 2025

Apart from above mentioned CAT percentile calculation method, candidates can calculate their CAT percentile by using a predictor tool. The accuracy of the CAT 2025 percentile predictor depends on the details provided by the CAT aspirant. While analyzing the CAT percentile, the tool considers the difficulty level of the CAT exam slot, expert analysis, and student feedback to predict the CAT 2025 percentile.

Candidates can use the CAT percentile predictor free tool introduced by Careers360 which is easy to use and one will get to know their MBA admission chances in IIMs or other top B-schools.

Use CAT percentile predictor tool by Careers360

How to Use CAT Percentile Predictor 2025?

Careers360's CAT score calculator is easy to use. Follow the provided steps:

  • Open the Careers360's CAT percentile predictor tool link
  • Enter the required CAT exam details such as
    • Expected CAT score
    • VARC, DILR, and QA score (optional)
    • CAT registration number (optional)
    • Date of birth (optional)
    • Mobile number
  • After entering the required details, click on the 'Predict My Percentile' tab
  • The CAT result prediction report will be sent to candidates' registered mobile number

With the help of the percentile predictor tool, students can know their CAT 2025 expected score vs percentile and CAT expected percentile.

Also Read: How Much CAT Score is Required for IIM

Browse Top MBA Colleges Accepting CAT Score: Location-Wise

How CAT Composite Score is Considered to Determine CAT Scores Vs Percentile?

CAT composite scores of each candidate are calculated on the basis of the following parameters.

  • CAT score (scaled)
  • Class 10 marks
  • Class 12 marks
  • Graduation score
  • Work experience
  • Gender diversity
  • Academic diversity

Here is the formula for calculating the CAT composite score.

cat-normalization

For more details, check out IIM Admission Criteria

CAT Score vs Percentile 2023

CAT score vs percentile 2023 evaluated the individual performance of the CAT exam takers also the performance of the candidates among all other test takers. As per the CAT score vs percentile 2023 analysis, the CAT score achieved above 56 is considered to be a CAT percentile of 95 and above. CAT score vs percentile is expected to change from previous years based on the difficulty level of the exam, the number of applicants and the reservation policy.

CAT Score vs Percentile 2023: Section-wise

On the basis of the difficulty level of the CAT exam, the same was moderate to difficult. Here we have provided last year's CAT score vs percentile section-wise as per experts and students. Candidates can expect CAT score vs percentile will be on a similar line or a bit higher since this year CAT registrations increased as compared to last year.

PercentileScore VARCScore DILRScore QAOverall Score
99.542303086
9936252574
9530202252
9024141342
802011935
70189730

CAT Score vs Percentile 2022

The comparative analysis of CAT score vs percentile 2022 is quite different from 2024 and 2023. Candidates with a CAT score ranging from 48 to 144 made a CAT percentile of 95 to 100. From the year-wise CAT score vs percentile analysis, the required CAT raw score to achieve a CAT percentile above 95 increases year by year due to the higher level of competition and difficulty level of the CAT exam.

CAT Score vs Percentile 2022: Section-wise

PercentileVARCDILRQAOverall Score
99.543323893
9939293384
9023151749
8018111236
70138928

CAT Score vs Percentile 2021

Check out the section-wise CAT score vs percentile 2021.

PercentileCAT VARCCAT DILRCAT QAOverall Score
99.5493740107
9945343497
9028201860
8022151245

Top MBA Colleges in India Accepting CAT Percentile

Over 1000 MBA colleges in India are accepting the CAT percentile for MBA admission. Among the top CAT-accepting colleges are 21 IIMs and other top CAT MBA colleges in a non-IIM category, including MDI Gurgaon, FMS Delhi, SJSoM IIT Mumbai, SPJIMR Mumbai, DoMS IIT Delhi and from this year IIFT has also announced to accept CAT score for the MBA (IB) admission.

IIMs and Other top B-Schools in IndiaRange of CAT cut off percentile
IIM Bangalore94 to 97
IIM Indore91 to 93
IIM Ahmedabad95 to 98
IIM Calcutta97 to 98
IIM Kozhikode93 to 95
IIM Lucknow93 to 96
IIM Bodhgaya85 to 88
IIM Jammu84 to 87
IIM Sirmaur80 to 85
IIM Sambalpur80 to 85
MDI Gurgaon94 to 95
FMS, New Delhi97 to 98
JBIMS Mumbai95 to 97
SPJIMR90 to 95
IIT Bombay, Mumbai90 to 94
IIT New Delhi90 to 93
LBSIM New Delhi80 to 85
Loyola Institute of Business Administration (LIBA) Chennai80 to 85

Also Read: IIM Cut Off: Official IIM CAT Cut Off (GEM/OBC/SC/ST) for MBA/PGDM/PGPM

Top Colleges Accepting 95 CAT Percentile

  • Indian Institute of Management Shillong (IIM Shillong)
  • National Institute of Industrial Engineering, Mumbai (NITIE Mumbai)
  • SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai (SPJIMR Mumbai)
  • Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT)
  • Management Development Institute, Gurgaon (MDI Gurgaon)
  • Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi)
  • Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management, IIT Bombay (SJMSOM IIT Bombay)
  • New IIMs (Udaipur, Ranchi, Raipur, Trichy, Rohtak
  • Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad

List of Colleges Accepting CAT Cutoffs 2025

CAT Score vs Percentile: Key Difference

Check out the key difference between CAT score vs percentile.

ParticularsCAT ScoreCAT Percentile
NatureAbsoluteRelative
ScaleRawStandard
CalculationThe cumulative score of the candidate obtained in all three sectionsPercentage of candidates who secured less than you
UseUse to determine the percentile of the candidateUsed for final call and in MBA admission process

Category-wise CAT cutoff for IIMs

CAT Result 2025

Candidates will be able to download their CAT scorecard in online mode tentatively in the third week of December 2025. Students can check the same by using the required CAT login credentials, such as CAT ID and Password. Prior to the declaration of the CAT result, IIM Calcutta has released the CAT final answer key and response sheet.

Know the CAT attempt limits

Check out for more details:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is CAT percentile?What percentile is 40 marks in CAT?
A:

The percentage of candidates below a candidate in the merit list is indicated through measure of the CAT percentile. The 40 marks in the CAT exam are taken as 70 percentile.

Q: 90 percentile in CAT means how many marks?
A:

In order to secure 90 percentile in CAT entrance test, candidates will have to score 72-75 overall score.

Q: 98 percentile in CAT means how many marks?
A:

As per the expected CAT 2024 score vs percentile, those who will be able to secure 98 percentile in CAT entrance test can easily able to score between  80 to 85 marks.

Q: What is a good score in CAT?
A:

For IIMs, nothing less than 97-98 percentile is good but for other top MBA colleges 90-95 percentile is good. A majority of CAT test takers fall in the category of 80-90 percentile and 100s of B-schools accept candidates having CAT score in this range.

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Questions related to CAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CAT ?

Hello aspirant,

A timetable is essential if you are preparing for the CAT in addition to your college coursework. It will give you an idea of how long it will take you to finish your syllabus and then set aside the appropriate amount of time for revision and mock exams.

Hello Nikita,

To get into any of the top IIMs, such as IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Lucknow, Kozhikode, or Indore, a good percentile in CAT is required, although academics play a vital role too. Let's break it down below:

CAT Score: 98+ percentile is an excellent score and makes one

Hello!

Prep for CAT 2024: Application Pattern

Syllabus: Focus on those areas that fall under the syllabus; for instance, Quantitative Aptitude, Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension, and Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning.

Books: Stick to standard books from renowned authors, say, Arun Sharma for Quant, Norman Lewis in vocabulary, and

I understand your situation, Aishwarya. Preparing for the CAT while balancing your final year of engineering can be challenging, especially without coaching. However, with dedication and the right approach, it's definitely possible to crack the exam.

Here are some tips to help you get started:

1. Assess Your Strengths and