CAT Score vs Percentile: Complete Guide to Calculation and Conversion 2025

Every year, lakhs of aspirants appear for the Common Admission Test (CAT) to secure admission into the prestigious Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and other top B-schools. Yet, a large portion of students remains confused about a core concept: the difference between CAT score and CAT percentile. Many aspirants believe both terms are interchangeable, but they differ significantly in terms of meaning, calculation, and impact on final admission results.

This detailed guide will help you understand what CAT score vs percentile means, how they differ, how the normalization process works, step-by-step calculations, conversion tables, and everything you need to know to accurately estimate your performance.

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What Is CAT Score?

CAT score refers to the marks you obtain in the exam based purely on the number of correct, incorrect, and unattempted questions. It is also known as the raw score because it is calculated before normalization.

CAT Marking Scheme

The CAT exam follows a standardized marking scheme:

• +3 marks for each correct answer
• –1 mark for each incorrect MCQ
• 0 marks for each incorrect non-MCQ (TITA)
• 0 marks for every unattempted question

Raw Score Calculation Formula

The raw CAT score is calculated as follows:

Raw Score = (3 × Number of Correct Answers) – (1 × Number of Incorrect MCQs)

This raw score is not the score that determines your percentile. Instead, it is later converted into a scaled score after normalization.

What Is CAT Percentile?

CAT percentile represents the percentage of candidates who scored less than you. It does not reflect your actual marks but your relative ranking among all test-takers. This makes percentile the most crucial metric because IIMs and other MBA colleges use percentiles for shortlisting, not raw scores.

For example, if you get a 98 percentile, it means you performed better than 98% of all candidates who appeared for the exam.

CAT Score vs Percentile: Key Differences

The following table highlights the fundamental differences between CAT score vs percentile:

The core takeaway is that while the CAT score measures your performance, the CAT percentile measures your competitiveness.

What Is CAT Scaled Score? (Normalization Explained)

Since CAT is conducted in multiple slots, and each slot may have slightly different difficulty levels, the exam authority uses a normalization system to ensure fairness.

Why Normalization Is Needed

• Slot 1 might be easier or tougher than Slot 2
• Performance must be compared fairly across all slots
• Scaled scores create uniformity

How Normalization Works (Simplified Explanation)

• Your raw score is first calculated.
• The average difficulty level of your slot is compared to others.
• A scaling factor is applied to match the difficulty across sessions.
• Final scaled score is generated for each section.

The CAT percentile is always calculated on the basis of scaled scores, not raw scores.

How CAT Percentile Is Calculated

IIMs use a standardized formula to calculate CAT percentiles:

Percentile (P) = [(N – Rank) / N] × 100

Where:
N = Total number of candidates who appeared
Rank = Rank assigned based on scaled scores

Example Calculation

Let’s assume the total number of students appearing for CAT is 2,00,000, and your rank is 4,000.

Percentile = [(200000 – 4000) / 200000] × 100
= 98 percentile

This means you performed better than 98% of all candidates.

CAT Score vs Percentile Conversion Table

Below is an approximate CAT score vs percentile conversion based on previous year trends. Actual conversions vary each year due to normalization.

Overall CAT Score vs Percentile Table (Approximate)

This table is an important part of understanding CAT score vs percentile, especially when predicting chances of admission.

Section-Wise CAT Score vs Percentile

CAT is divided into three sections:

• VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension)
• DILR (Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning)
• QA (Quantitative Aptitude)

Each section is scored and normalized separately.

Section-Wise Percentile Mapping

These values help candidates estimate where they stand in each section.

Why CAT Score and Percentile Do Not Have a Direct Correlation

Candidates often assume that a certain score always equals a certain percentile, but this is not true. The relationship between CAT score vs percentile varies due to several factors:

1. Difficulty variation across slots
2. Overall distribution of high scores
3. Performance of candidates in different sections
4. Normalization adjustments
5. Total number of test-takers

Because of these variables, a score that earned 99 percentile one year might earn 98 percentile in another.

CAT Percentile Conversion: Step-by-Step Example

To understand CAT score vs percentile more clearly, here is a detailed conversion example:

Total number of candidates: 2,50,000
Your scaled score: 120
Your rank: 5,000

Percentile = [(250000 – 5000) / 250000] × 100
= 98 percentile

This example illustrates the exact mechanism used to convert CAT scores into CAT percentiles.

CAT Normalization Example (Simple Interpretation)

Let’s assume there are two slots:

If you score 60 in Slot 2 (the tougher slot), the normalization process will increase your scaled score to ensure fairness. On the other hand, a 60 in Slot 1 might remain the same or reduce slightly after scaling.

Normalization plays a major role in determining CAT score vs percentile, especially for borderline percentiles.

CAT Percentile Requirements for Top IIMs

Different IIMs have varying percentile cutoffs. Below is an approximate requirement:

This shows how essential it is to understand the conversion between CAT score and CAT percentile to target the right score range.

Common Myths About CAT Score vs Percentile

Many misconceptions circulate among aspirants. Here are common myths and their factual explanations:

How to Improve Your CAT Percentile

Although percentile depends on your relative performance, several actionable strategies can significantly improve your chances of scoring higher:

• Strengthen Core Areas: Focus on improving your strongest section first because this contributes most to your final percentile.
• Maintain High Accuracy: Due to negative marking, accuracy is more important than attempts. A moderate number of accurate attempts can outperform many high-attempt candidates.
• Take Regular Mock Tests: Mocks help estimate your expected CAT score vs percentile and reveal areas needing improvement.
• Analyze Every Mock Thoroughly: Identify weak areas, recurring mistakes, timing issues, and conceptual gaps.
• Learn Time Management: CAT demands speed, strategy, and prioritization of easy questions first.
• Build Section-Wise Strategy: VARC, DILR, and QA require different approaches. Tailor strategies separately.

Frequently Asked Questions About CAT Score vs Percentile

Conclusion

Understanding the difference between CAT score vs percentile is essential for every MBA aspirant. The raw score reflects your performance, but the percentile determines your rank among all candidates and ultimately your chances of getting into top IIMs.

The key points to remember include:

• Raw scores are converted into scaled scores through normalization
• Percentiles are derived from ranks based on scaled scores
• IIMs consider percentiles for admissions, not raw marks
• Normalization ensures fairness across multiple exam slots
• The relationship between CAT score and percentile changes every year

With this clarity, you can evaluate your performance more accurately and set realistic goals for achieving a high percentile.