The CAT 2025 Score vs Percentile provides an estimated percentile based on the marks you scored in the CAT exam. Your score is the total marks you get, and the percentile shows the percentage of test-takers who scored below you.
In CAT 2025, according to experts at TIME, it wasn’t about attempting more questions; it was all about accuracy. In fact, you can get the 99 percentile with just around 92–95 marks.
- VARC turned out to be an “easy” section; 53 marks can provide you a 99.9th percentile, and even 25 marks can get you 90th percentile.
- DILR was the toughest, with 26 marks giving 99 percentile, and 12 marks can get you 80th percentile.
- QA was moderately tough, where 32 marks will provide you 99 percentile and only 10 marks can place you in 60 percentile.
"Like CAT 2023 Slot 1 (hard): VARC raw 25=96%ile (scaled 30), DILR raw 7=72%ile (scaled 9), QA raw 15=84%ile (scaled 14); overall 92.8%ile at 53 marks. CAT 2025 Slot 3 similar/harder—DILR 20 max for 99%ile." - Reddit
For the Top IIMs, you will require an 85 to 90+ sectional percentile, along with an overall percentile of 98 to 99+.
Also Read
What are the CAT expected marks vs percentile 2025?
Before estimating the final CAT score vs percentile, it’s important to understand how the score is calculated. Since CAT 2025 was conducted in 3 slots with varying difficulty levels, raw scores are first scaled and normalised to ensure fairness.
This means your percentile is based on the scaled score, not just the raw marks.
Raw Score: Calculated from correct/incorrect answers in VARC, DILR, and QA.
- Correct answer: +3, Wrong MCQ: -1, Wrong TITA: 0, Unattempted: 0
- Example: 40 correct, 12 wrong MCQ - (40×3) − (12×1) = 108 marks
Scaled Score: Adjusted for slot difficulty to ensure fairness across the 3 slots.
Percentile: Shows your rank compared to all candidates.
- If 2,50,000 candidates appeared for CAT 2025 and 200,000 candidates scored below you, Percentile = (2,00,000 ÷ 2,50,000) × 100 = 80 percentile.
This means you are better than 80% of the test-takers, and a higher percentile always indicates a better rank.
Raw score alone doesn’t determine percentile; normalization and scaling are applied before calculating percentile.
Ques. How much will normalization affect my score in CAT 2025?
Ans. Normalization in CAT 2025 will adjust your raw score based on the difficulty level of your slot.
- If your slot was tougher, your scaled score may increase slightly; if it was easier, it may reduce.
- Normalization shifts are usually ±2 to ±6 marks, as per the slot difficulty and section-wise performance.
- It won’t drastically change your percentile, but can move it by 1–3 points in the competitive 85–99%ile range.
Ques. Slot 1 and Slot 3 were tougher. Will we get +5–6 marks in normalization like previous years?
Ans. Yes, a +5-6 mark adjustment is possible for tougher slots, especially Slot 3 (due to difficult DILR and QA) and parts of Slot 1.
- In past CAT exams, tougher slots have often seen candidates get 3–7 marks after scaling.
- For CAT 2025, early difficulty analysis suggests Slot 3 may receive the highest positive normalization, followed by Slot 1, while Slot 2 will have minimal/negative adjustment.
CAT Score vs Percentile 2025 (Overall)
As per expert analysis, the CAT 2025 score vs percentile pattern clearly shows that Slot 1 and Slot 3 were more difficult.
- Candidates in slots 1 and 3 require more marks, 122 and 119 for the 99.9%ile, In slot 2, you can get the 99.9 percentile with 115 marks.
- Even at 99–98 percentiles, Slot 1 and Slot 3 consistently require 5–7 more marks, showing tougher question sets, with a challenging DILR section.
- However, by the 90–80 percentile range, the scores of 53, 51, and 51 across all 3 almost equal slots reflect a balanced normalisation.
| Percentile | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 99.9%ile | 122 | 115 | 119 |
| 99.5%ile | 103 | 97 | 101 |
| 99%ile | 90 | 83 | 86 |
| 98%ile | 81 | 75 | 76 |
| 95%ile | 70 | 65 | 65 |
| 90%ile | 53 | 51 | 51 |
| 85%ile | 45 | 41 | 43 |
| 80%ile | 40 | 37 | 37 |
Ques. I scored only 44 marks. What will be my percentile?
Ans. Based on CAT 2025 slot-wise trends, a score of 44 marks typically translates to around the 80–83 percentile. In some slots with slightly higher difficulty (especially Slot 3), you may get the 84–85 percentile, but generally it is expected to remain in the low-80s range.
Ques. If I have less than 40 marks (say 32–35), what will be my percentile?
Ans. A score of 32–35 marks usually falls in the 70–75 percentile range. In tougher slots, it may go up to the 76–77 percentile, but not beyond that.
Ques. People are saying the paper was tough — will the 99 percentile cutoff drop below 85–88 marks this year?
Ans. Yes, the overall difficulty was high (especially due to tough DILR and QA in Slot 3), so there is a chance that the 99th percentile cutoff can drop to around 85–88 marks.
Slot variations suggest that the top-end scores may be lower this year, so a 99th percentile around the high-80s is very likely.
Check:
CAT 2025 Sectional Score vs Percentile by Coaching Institutes
Based on post-exam response sheet analyses (as of December 9, 2025) from IMS, CL, Cracku, 2IIM, iQuanta, TIME, and Mindworkzz, the expected sectional score vs percentile ranges are averaged across all slots.
- CAT 2025 was tougher than CAT 2024, especially in DILR and QA, lowering the 99+ percentile by 2–4 marks compared to last year.
- For top scorers above 98 percentile, the difference stays within ±1–2 marks, while mid-range percentiles show ±3 marks variation.
VARC (Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension) Score vs Percentile
| Percentile | IMS (Avg) | CL (Avg) | Cracku (Avg) | Others (2IIM/iQuanta/TIME Avg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99.9+ | 52 | 51 | 50–52 | 51 |
| 99.5 | 45 | 44 | 43–45 | 44 |
| 99 | 41 | 40 | 39–42 | 40 |
| 98 | 35 | 34 | 33–35 | 34 |
| 95 | 31 | 30 | 29–30 | 30 |
| 90 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 |
| 85 | 20 | 19 | 19–20 | 19 |
| 80 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 |
DILR (Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning) Score vs Percentile
| Percentile | IMS (Avg) | CL (Avg) | Cracku (Avg) | Others (2IIM/iQuanta/TIME Avg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99.9+ | 44 | 43 | 43–45 | 44 |
| 99.5 | 37 | 36 | 36–37 | 36 |
| 99 | 32 | 31 | 31–33 | 32 |
| 98 | 27 | 26 | 26–28 | 27 |
| 95 | 23 | 22 | 22–24 | 23 |
| 90 | 16 | 15 | 15–16 | 16 |
| 85 | 13 | 12 | 12–13 | 13 |
| 80 | 11 | 10 | 10–11 | 11 |
QA (Quantitative Ability) Score vs Percentile
| Percentile | IMS (Avg) | CL (Avg) | Cracku (Avg) | Others (2IIM/iQuanta/TIME Avg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99.9+ | 46 | 45 | 44–46 | 45 |
| 99.5 | 37 | 36 | 36–37 | 36 |
| 99 | 30 | 29 | 29–30 | 29 |
| 98 | 27 | 26 | 26–28 | 27 |
| 95 | 24 | 23 | 23–24 | 23 |
| 90 | 18 | 17 | 17–18 | 18 |
| 85 | 15 | 14 | 14–15 | 15 |
| 80 | 13 | 12 | 12–13 | 13 |
Ques. I have a very low score in one section (DILR only 6–10 marks). Will my overall percentile get ruined even if the total is decent?
Ans. A low DILR score won’t ruin your overall percentile, but it will pull down your sectional percentile. You can still get:
- 90–96 overall percentile if VARC + QA are strong: Even with just 6–10 marks in DILR, a total of 70–75 marks in CAT 2025 can still give you around 95–96 percentile.
- But you may miss out on older IIMs, as they need a 70–80 sectional percentile, while 6–10 marks in DILR usually gives only a 45–65 percentile.
- Newer IIMs and many top private institutes accept 60–65 sectional percentile, and most colleges like IMT, TAPMI, GIM, MICA, and XUB accept 90+ overall percentile.
Ques. What is a good score in VARC for 99 percentile?
Ans. A score of 45 to 48 marks in VARC is required to reach a range of 99 percentile range, based on the analysis of the last 3 years.
Expected VARC Score vs Percentile
| VARC Score | Expected Percentile | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| 48+ | 99.2 – 99.7 | Ideal benchmark for Top IIM shortlists |
| 45–48 | 99.0 – 99.2 | Competitive range |
| 40–44 | 97 – 98 | Strong for New IIM calls |
Ques. What score is needed for 95 percentile in DILR?
Ans. By achieving 95 percentile in DILR, you will require around 27 to 30 marks.
Expected DILR Score vs Percentile
| DILR Score | Expected Percentile | Difficulty Impact |
|---|---|---|
| 34–36 | 99+ | Rare high-skill performance band |
| 27–30 | 95 – 96 | Safe for strong IIM shortlist profile |
| 21–24 | 90 – 92 | Good for Baby IIM eligibility |
Ques. What is the safe score in QA for crossing 90 percentile?
Ans. In QA, with a score of 18 to 20 marks, it will be enough to cross a percentile of 90. With 3 additional correct questions percentile can shift by 6–8 marks in QA.
| QA Score | Expected Percentile | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| 30–33 | 99+ | Strong quant expertise |
| 22–25 | 95 – 97 | Good for top B-school competitiveness |
| 18–20 | 89 – 91 | Enough to safely clear sectional cutoffs |
Also Check:
Minimum CAT Percentile for IIMs: Category-Wise
As per expert analysis, the minimum CAT percentile required for IIM admissions varies significantly based on both the candidate’s category and the type of IIM.
- For General category students, top IIMs select candidates with 99–99.5 percentiles, while newer and Baby IIMs accept 94–97 and 90–94 percentiles.
- EWS and OBC-NC students have lower cut-offs, around 95–97 and 90–94 percentiles for top IIMs.
- SC/ST students need even lower scores, with SC at 80–85 and ST at 70–75 percentiles for top IIMs, and 60–70 percentiles for Baby IIMs.
Category-wise Minimum Percentile Cut-offs for IIMs
| Category | IIM Ahmedabad/Bangalore/Calcutta | Newer IIMs (Top 7) | Baby IIMs |
|---|---|---|---|
| General | 99–99.5 | 94–97 | 90–94 |
| EWS | 95–97 | 90–93 | 85–90 |
| OBC-NC | 90–94 | 85–90 | 80–85 |
| SC | 80–85 | 70–80 | 60–70 |
| ST | 70–75 | 60–70 | 55–65 |
Ques. Is 104+ Marks Enough for 99.5 Percentile in CAT?
Ans. A score of 104 marks will be considered sufficient to achieve around 99.5 percentile in CAT, as per the score-percentile analysis of the past few years. However, this differs according to the difficulty level, slot normalisation, and scaled score.
Expected Marks vs Percentile Benchmark (Approx.)
| Overall Marks | Expected Percentile | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| 108+ | 99.7–100 | Safe for IIM A/B/C calls |
| 104–108 | 99.4–99.6 | Strong shortlisting band |
| 100–104 | 99.2–99.4 | Competitive but sensitive to scaling |
Ques. Do CAT Sectional Scores Impact Percentile?
Ans. Yes, sectional percentiles impact the overall percentiles and are important for admission shortlisting. By scoring an overall score of 99+, by failing to meet the sectional cutoff of 80 to 90 percentile, or by disqualifying them from the Top IIMs criteria.
| Section | Score for 99 Percentile | Score for 95 Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| VARC | 45–48 | 37–40 |
| DILR | 34–36 | 27–30 |
| QA | 30–33 | 22–25 |
How Much Should You Score in CAT to Get into Top B-Schools?
To get admission in top institutes like IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, FMS Delhi, IIFT, and SPJIMR.
- To get around 99 to 99.5th percentile, you will require around 95 to 104 marks, whereas the safe score will vary according to your category, performance in the program, and sectional performance.
- A balanced performance in VARC, DILR, and QA is required for top colleges will shortlist the candidates after they clear the sectional cutoffs along with an overall competitive percentile.
| College / B-School | Safe Score Target (Scaled Marks) | Expected Percentile | Insights |
|---|---|---|---|
| IIM Ahmedabad | 99–104 | 99.5–100 | High focus on academic diversity & sectional balance |
| IIM Bangalore | 98–103 | 99.5–100 | Strong profile evaluation component |
| IIM Calcutta | 96–102 | 99.3–99.8 | QA usually heavier weightage historically |
| IIM Lucknow | 90–96 | 98–99 | Strong quant + diversity advantage |
| IIM Kozhikode | 87–93 | 97.5–98.5 | High shortlist tolerance for top-scoring males/non-engg |
| FMS Delhi | 94–100 | 99–99.5 | Highest ROI + sectional performance critical |
| SPJIMR Mumbai | 85–92 | 97–98 | Profile-based shortlist before score-based |
| MDI Gurgaon | 80–85 | 96–97 | Greater importance to the overall percentile |
| IIM Mumbai | 78–84 | 96–97 | Strong preference for engineers |
| IIFT Delhi | 72–78 | 94–95 | Quant score tends to drive the percentile more |
| IMT Ghaziabad | 64–70 | 92–93 | Balanced selection factors |
| XIMB Bhubaneswar | 60–65 | 90–91 | VARC heavy selection trend |
CAT Score vs Percentile Last 5 Years
Based on the last five years of CAT score vs percentile data, there has been consistent fluctuation, as expected, due to paper difficulty and slot normalization.
- CAT 2024 and 2021 were easier, so students needed very high marks (108+ and 120–124) to get 99.9 percentile.
- CAT 2023 was tougher, especially in DILR, so even lower scores like 101–102 were enough for 99.9 percentile.
- CAT 2022 had moderately high percentile ranges, while CAT 2021 was a high-scoring, with 99.9 requiring 120–124, similar to 2024.
“Score for 99%ile dropped from 101 in 2020 to 95 in 2024... 2023 outlier at 76–78 due to difficulty spike” - Reddit
| Percentile | CAT 2024 Score | CAT 2023 Score | CAT 2022 Score | CAT 2021 Score | CAT 2020 Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 140+ | 139–143 | 135–145 | 134–145 | 132–137 |
| 99.9 | 108+ | 101–102 | 109–110 | 120–124 | 115–124 |
| 99.5 | 103+ | 84–86 | 92–93 | 110 | 90–104 |
| 99 | 78+ | 76–78 | 83–84 | 98–100 | 75–98 |
| 97 | 68+ | 61–62 | 72 | 82 | 61–79 |
| 95 | 58+ | 54–57 | 62 | 73 | 54–70 |
| 90 | 47+ | 44–47 | 49–45 | 60 | 44–58 |
| 85 | 44+ | 42–44 | 42–44 | 49 | 37–45 |
| 80 | 43+ | 41–43 | 36–39 | 45 | 28–44 |
| 70 | 35+ | 38–39 | 28.5–29 | 30 | 18–30 |
CAT Score vs Percentile 2024
| Percentile | VARC | DILR | QA | Overall Marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99.9 | 55 | 50–50.1 | 45 | 127–130 |
| 99.5 | 44 | 41–41.4 | 36–36.5 | 103–105 |
| 99 | 40–40.3 | 37.8–38 | 33 | 95–97 |
| 95 | 30 | 27 | 22 | 70–72 |
| 90 | 24 | 22–22.5 | 17 | 50–52 |
CAT Score vs Percentile 2023
| Percentile | VARC | DILR | QA | Overall Marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99.9 | 48–50 | 36–38 | 46 | 101–102 |
| 99.5 | 44–46 | 32–34 | 30 | 84–86 |
| 99 | 39–42 | 27–30 | 25–28 | 76–78 |
| 95 | 28–30 | 19–20 | 16–19 | 55–60 |
| 90 | 23–25 | 16–17 | 13–15 | 45–47 |
CAT Score vs Percentile 2022
| Percentile | VARC | DILR | QA | Overall Marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99.9 | 52.0 | 48.0 | 49.0 | 120–124 |
| 99.5 | 45.6 | 34.4 | 36.5 | 103–105 |
| 99 | 41.8 | 32.0 | 36.0 | 90–92 |
| 95 | 29.1 | 22.8 | 26.8 | 64–66 |
| 90 | 24.1 | 14.8 | 23.3 | 50–52 |
CAT Score vs Percentile 2021
| Percentile | VARC | DILR | QA | Overall score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99.5% | 45 | 32–33 | 48 | 103–104 |
| 99% | 40 | 28 | 42 | 95–98 |
| 98% | 36–37 | 25–26 | 37 | 84–86 |
| 95% | 31 | 20–21 | 27 | 70–72 |
| 90% | 26–27 | 16–17 | 22–23 | 55–59 |
| 80–85% | 21–23 | 13–15 | 16–19 | 42–52 |
Ques. If I manage to score 99.9+ percentile in CAT, will my 12th standard score ruin my chance to get admission into IIM Ahmedabad?
Ans. With a score of 99.9+ percentile, you will be placed among the top 0.1% of the candidates, which will increase your chances of getting admission in IIM Ahmedabad PGP Courses.
- The Academic consistency will play an important role in the final shortlisting criteria.
- The IIM Ahmedabad gives around 30 to 34% weightage to class 10 and 12 marks.
Impact of 12th Score on IIM Ahmedabad Selection
| Academic Profile | CAT Percentile | 12th Percentage | Chance of Shortlisting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excellent Profile | 99.9+ | 90%+ | Very High |
| Good Profile | 99.9+ | 80–89% | High |
| Moderate Profile | 99.9+ | 70–79% | Possible but Competitive |
| Low Profile | 99.9+ | Below 70% | Very Difficult |
Ques. What colleges can I expect with a 90th percentile in CAT?
Ans. In CAT, 90 percentile is considered a competitive score and is open for admission in Tier-2 colleges and emerging management institutes. Some New and Baby IIMs will depend upon your category and profile.
Colleges Accepting Around 90 Percentile
| Percentile Range | Expected Colleges | Category Advantage |
|---|---|---|
| 90–92 | IMT Ghaziabad, TAPMI, GIM Goa, Great Lakes Chennai | Strong chance for all categories |
| 88–90 | MICA Ahmedabad, IRMA Anand, LIBA, KJ Somaiya (Profile-based) | Higher chances for Reserved |
| 92+ | New IIMs (Nagpur, Trichy, Raipur, Kashipur) | Good chance with a strong PI |
Ques. Which college would I get into with a 34th percentile in CAT?
Ans. In CAT, 34 Percentile falls below the National MBA Cutoff requirements, but a lot of good B-Schools outside the IIM/NIT accept the score by state or university-level entrance.
Colleges Accepting 30–40 Percentile (Approx.)
| Percentile | Possible Colleges | Alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| 30–40 | AIMS Bangalore, IIMS Kolkata, IIBS Bangalore, FMSRM Chennai | Try MAH-CET, MAT, CMAT, ATMA for better colleges |
| 35–45 | ISBM Pune, IPE Hyderabad, RCM Bhubaneswar | Many offer direct admissions |
| <40 | Regional Universities (Private) | Improve score next attempt |
CAT 2025 Score vs Percentile FAQs
Ques. What percentile is 27 marks in cat?
Ans. A score of 27 marks is relatively low for an overall score and typically ranges between the 50th and 60th percentile. However, if this is a sectional score (e.g., in DILR), it is excellent—27 marks in DILR can fetch a 98+ percentile.
Ques. What is the 99.9 percentile in CAT vs marks?
Ans. For CAT 2025, you need approximately 119-122 marks (Slot 1 & 3) or 115 marks (Slot 2) to hit the 99.9th percentile.
Ques. How much percentile is a 25 score in CAT?
Ans. An overall score of 25 marks corresponds to roughly the 45-50th percentile. However, in the VARC section specifically, 25 marks can secure a 90th percentile.
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, which will be updated soon subject to the notification issued by the University/College.
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