If you’re trying to figure out how many questions to attempt in CAT to get 80 percentile, the answer is that you need to attempt 23 to 25 questions out of 66 questions with high accuracy. The exact number of questions varies depending on the total number of candidates who appeared, exam difficulty level and total number of questions answered correctly in the same year exam.

  • You must correctly answer 23 to 25 CAT exam questions to receive an 80 percentile score.
  • You need to maintain a 70-80% accuracy to score 80 percentile marks.
Download the CAT 2025 Syllabus PDF with Weightage

Also Read

How Many Questions to attempt in CAT to get 80 Percentile?

Key Summary

  • To safely reach the 80 percentile, you should aim for 23-25 accurate attempts, which will put your score in the 50-55 range.
  • The 198-point CAT exam consists of 66 questions, and your percentile is determined by how accurate you are; for instance, a 99+ percentile requires 45–50 correct attempts, while an 80 percentile requires 23-25.
  • You will have to complete 66 questions in 120 minutes across three sections: VARC, DILR and QA. Each section lasts 40 minutes.
  • You should build basics in VARC (RC, para jumbles, summaries), practice DILR sets (graphs, puzzles, tables) and strengthen QA topics like arithmetic, algebra and geometry.
  • For older IIMs, you need a 95-99 percentile, but for some newer or baby IIMs, an 80 percentile with 23-25 accurate attempts can still open doors.

CAT Score vs Percentile

The first thing you should know is how your CAT score is converted into a percentile if you're trying to determine how many questions to attempt in CAT to get 80 percentile.

  • The total number of marks you receive for right answers and the points deducted for incorrect answers is your CAT score.
  • In contrast, your percentile indicates how you rank against all of the other students who took the CAT exam in 2025.
  • The CAT consists of 66 questions and has a total score of 198.
Percentile Score Range (Out of 198) Safe Number of Questions to Attempt (with good accuracy)
99+ Percentile 100 - 110+ Around 45 - 50 questions with 85-90% accuracy
95 Percentile 80 - 90 Around 35 - 40 questions with high accuracy
90 Percentile 65 - 70 Around 30 - 32 questions
80 Percentile 50 - 55 Around 23 - 25 accurate attempts
70 Percentile 40 - 45 Around 18 - 20 questions

 

Also Read

CAT Exam Analysis

CAT Exam Pattern 2025: How many questions to attempt in CAT to get 80 percentile

The CAT exam is computer-based, with three main sections. You get two hours in total, and each section is strictly time-bound, giving you 40 minutes per section.

Here’s a clear breakdown of the CAT exam 2025 pattern:

Section Number of Questions Time Limit Marks
VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension) 24 40 minutes 72 marks
DILR (Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning) 20 40 minutes 60 marks
QA (Quantitative Aptitude) 22 40 minutes 66 marks
Total 66 questions 120 minutes 198 marks

What is CAT Syllabus 2025?

The three primary sections of your CAT syllabus are VARC, DILR, and QA.

VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension)

This section checks your reading and language skills. To score well here, you need strong comprehension and vocabulary.

Topic What You Should Focus On
Reading Comprehension (RC) Practice passages from different topics like science, history, and current affairs. Learn to read quickly and pick answers logically.
Para Jumbles Rearranging jumbled sentences into a meaningful paragraph.
Odd One Out Spotting the sentence that doesn’t fit in a group.
Summary Writing Understanding a passage and picking the correct summary.

DILR (Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning)

This section tests your logic and your ability to work with data. For an 80th percentile target, you need to be accurate and pick the right sets to solve.

Topic What You Should Focus On
Bar Graphs, Line Graphs, and Pie Charts Learn to read and analyse data quickly.
Tables and Caselets Practice calculating percentages and ratios from tables and short data sets.
Puzzles and Seating Arrangements Practice simple and moderate-level logic puzzles.
Games and Tournaments Work on understanding basic tournament and ranking problems.

QA (Quantitative Aptitude)

This section is all about math, but it’s mostly based on concepts up to the class 10 level. To keep your accuracy high, focus on building strong basics.

Topic What You Should Focus On
Arithmetic Percentages, Profit & Loss, Time-Speed-Distance, Time & Work, Ratios, Averages.
Algebra Linear and Quadratic Equations, Inequalities, Functions, and Progressions.
Geometry and Mensuration Triangles, Circles, Polygons, and Solids.
Number System Factors, Multiples, and Remainders.
Modern Math Probability, Permutation and Combination, and Set Theory.

Also Read

CAT Topic Wise Weightage

CAT Total Marks 2025: How many questions to attempt in CAT to get 80 percentile

Your performance in each of the three sections, VARC, DILR and QA, adds up to your final score on the 198-mark CAT exam.

Here’s the marks distribution for the CAT exam 2025:

Section Number of Questions Marks per Question Total Marks
VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension) 24 3 marks 72
DILR (Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning) 20 3 marks 60
QA (Quantitative Aptitude) 22 3 marks 66
Total 66 questions 3 marks each 198 marks

How many questions to attempt in CAT to get 80 percentile, and which IIMs

For most top IIMs, you need to cross at least the 95-99 percentile range, which usually means attempting 40+ questions with high accuracy. But if your aim is a newer or baby IIM, then an 80th percentile with 23-25 accurate attempts can still help you secure a shortlist in some programs.

Here’s a simple and clear breakdown of the CAT total marks vs expected percentile and how that connects to IIM cutoffs:

Percentile Range Approx. Score Range (Out of 198) IIMs You Can Target
99+ Percentile 100 - 110+ IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow (top 4)
95 - 98 Percentile 80 - 100 Newer IIMs like IIM Kozhikode, IIM Indore, IIM Shillong, and top private B-schools
90 - 94 Percentile 65 - 80 Baby and newer IIMs such as IIM Ranchi, IIM Trichy, and IIM Udaipur
80 - 89 Percentile 50 - 65 IIM Nagpur, IIM Bodh Gaya, IIM Kashipur, and other newer campuses

Also Read

How Many Questions to attempt in CAT to get 80 Percentile? FAQs

Ques. What percentile is 11 marks in CAT?

Ans. Your percentile will probably be below 40 if you receive a score of about 11 on the CAT exam in 2025.

  • You should improve your accuracy and try more questions in your next mock practice because you won't be in the range for IIM calls with this score.
  • To raise your score into a safer range, concentrate on developing the fundamentals in VARC, DILR, and QA.

Ques. How many questions to solve in CAT to get 90 percentile?

Ans. In the CAT exam 2025, you should aim for about 30 to 32 correct attempts for a 90 percentile.

  • This typically entails aiming for an accuracy rate of at least 85% and a score of 65 to 70 out of 198.
  • To prevent receiving a bad grade, schedule your time in each section so that you start with the easiest questions.

Ques. How many marks for 70 percentile in CAT?

Ans. You need about 40 to 45 marks out of 198 to reach the 70 percentile.

  • Across all three sections, that equates to roughly 18 to 20 accurate attempts.

Ques. What marks is 99.9 percentile in CAT?

Ans. You must receive at least 115+ marks out of 198 on the CAT exam in 2025 to place in the 99.9th percentile.

  • This typically entails trying about 50 questions with a very high accuracy rate, nearly 90% or higher.
  • Focus on regular practice using section-wise strategies and mocks to get to that level.

Ques. How many IIMs are there in India?

Ans. There are currently 21 IIMs in India, dispersed throughout several states.

  • They are separated into three categories: baby IIMs like Bodh Gaya and Sambalpur; newer IIMs like Trichy and Udaipur; and older IIMs like Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Calcutta.
  • Which group of IIMs you can realistically aim for will depend on your target percentile.