The CAT Score vs Percentile shows the relationship between the percentile range with the marks scored by the candidate in the CAT exam. Previous years’ CAT score vs percentile indicates that a score of around 81-96 translates to around 99 percentile in CAT. Students scoring overall 73-85 marks in CAT 2025 are expected to get a CAT score of around 98 percentile.
- To score 95 percentile in CAT 2025, students must score around 59-70 overall marks in CAT 2025 and must score 30-32 in VARC, 20-27 in DILR, and 18-22 in QA.
- Students with an overall score of 50-57 in CAT 2025 are expected to get a CAT percentile score of around 90.
- 85 percentile in CAT 2025 is expected to translate to around 41-49 CAT score in 2025.

Also Read
What is CAT Score vs Percentile?
CAT score vs percentile is a comparative analysis of the performance of candidates, helping them to analyze and convert their CAT scores into CAT percentile scores. As per the CAT score vs percentile from the last two years, the expected score range for 99 percentile in CAT is around 81-96. 95 percentile in CAT 2025 is expected to translate to a CAT score of around 73-85 marks.
CAT marks vs percentile is determined based on various factors as listed below.
- Difficulty Level of CAT 2025
- Number of Test-Takers in CAT 2025
- Sectional Variability in CAT 2025
Key Summary
- As per CAT score analysis from past years, 99 percentile in CAT 2025 is expected to translate to around 81-96 marks.
- The expected sectional score for 99 percentile in CAT is expected to be: VARC- 41-42, DILR- 30-38, QA- 26-33.
- To score 98 percentile in CAT 2025, students must secure at least 63-85 marks in CAT 2025.
- CAT Score vs Percentile- Overall Analysis
- CAT Score vs Percentile- Slot Wise
- CAT Score vs Percentile- Section-Wise
- Questions to Attempt for 99+ Percentile in CAT 2024?
- CAT Safe Score & Percentile
- Estimated CAT 2024 Total Score vs Percentile
- CAT Score vs Percentile Trends
- Factors Influencing CAT Percentiles
- How CAT Score vs Percentile Is Calculated
- Comparative Analysis: CAT 2024 vs CAT 2023 vs CAT 2022 Score vs Percentile
- CAT Score vs Percentile- Last 5 Years
- CAT Scaled Score vs Percentile
- CAT Score vs Percentile FAQs
CAT Score vs Percentile- Overall Analysis
As per the CAT score vs percentile analysis from past years, aspirants scoring 81 to 96 marks in CAT 2025 are expected to get a CAT percentile score of the 99th percentile.
- For 99 percentile in CAT 2025, students must score around 41-42 in VARC, 30-38 in DILR, and 26-23 in QA.
- To score 98 percentile in CAT 2025, aspirants must score 73-85 overall in CAT 2025, and sectional scores must be around 36-38 in VARC, 26-34 in DILR, and 23-29 in QA.
- Students with a CAT score of around 50-70 are expected to get a CAT percentile score of around 90-95 percentile.
Percentile | VARC Score | DILR Score | QA Score | Overall |
---|---|---|---|---|
99 | 41-42 | 30-38 | 26-33 | 81-96 |
98 | 36-38 | 26-34 | 23-29 | 73-85 |
95 | 30-32 | 20-27 | 18-22 | 59-70 |
90 | 24-26 | 17-22 | 14-17 | 50-57 |
85 | 20-22 | 13-19 | 12-14 | 41-49 |
80 | 18-20 | 11-17 | 10-11 | 36-43 |

Also Read
What marks is 99.9 percentile in cat?
A 99.9th percentile in CAT means that the candidate should score 155–160 marks overall, the candidate needs to score approximately 68 marks. In each section (VARC, DILR, and QA)
This percentile range provides the admission opportunity into top BLACKI IIMs and other top non-IIMs like JBIMS, Mumbai, FMS, Delhi, and DMS, IIT Delhi.
Section | Approximate Max Marks | Estimated Marks for 99.9 P |
---|---|---|
VARC (Verbal & RC) | ~68 | 50–54 |
DILR (Data & Reasoning) | ~68 | 50–54 |
QA (Quant) | ~68 | 55–57 |
Top Colleges with 99.9 Percentile in CAT 2025
Institute | Expected Cutoff Percentile |
---|---|
IIM Ahmedabad | 99–100 percentile |
IIM Bangalore | 99–100 percentile |
IIM Calcutta | 99–100 percentile |
IIM Lucknow | 99–100 percentile |
IIM Kozhikode | 99–100 percentile |
JBIMS, Mumbai | 99.9+ percentile |
FMS, Delhi | 99+ percentile |
DMS, IIT Delhi | 98+ percentile |
MDI, Gurgaon | 97+ percentile |
SPJIMR, Mumbai | 95–99 percentile |
IIFT, Delhi | 95–99 percentile |
How much score is the 95 percentile in CAT?
A 95 percentile in CAT means the estimated scores are around 123–133 marks, which can place the candidate in colleges like IIM Udaipur, IIM Rohtak, IIM Ranchi, IIM Trichy, IIM Bodhgaya, and IIM Amritsar.
Total Marks | Estimated Score for 95th Percentile |
---|---|
204 | ≈ 123–133 marks |
Top Colleges with 95 percentile in CAT
Category | Institutes / Range |
---|---|
Newer IIMs & IIM Shillong/Indore | IIM Udaipur, Rohtak, Ranchi, Trichy, Bodhgaya, Amritsar, Shillong, Indore (94–96 percentile) |
Top Non-IIMs | SPJIMR, IMT Ghaziabad, IIFT, MDI, JBIMS (95–99); XIM, DoMS IIT Delhi (~92–94) |
Other Options | SJMSoM IIT Bombay, VGSoM IIT Kharagpur, NITIE, DoMS IIT Madras, IIT Kanpur/Roorkee, DFS/DSE (IISc) |
CAT Good Score 2025
A score range of 120-149 out of 204 marks, with the percentile range of 95-99, is considered a good score in CAT 2025, which provides the opportunity to place the candidates in the Newer IIMs, FMS, SP Jain, MDI, and IMT Ghaziabad.
Percentile | Expected CAT Score Range | Target Schools |
99+ | 150+ | Top IIMs (IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Lucknow, etc.) |
95-99 | 120-149 | Newer IIMs, FMS, SP Jain, MDI, IMT Ghaziabad |
90-94 | 100-119 | Private B-Schools like XLRI, XIMB, TAPMI, Great Lakes |
80-89 | 80-99 | Tier-2 and Tier-3 B-schools, Institutes with lower cutoffs |
CAT Score vs Percentile- Slot Wise
CAT score vs percentile is different for different CAT slots as the difficulty level of questions varies for each slot. To score 99 percentile in the easy slot, candidates must score around 91+ marks, 85+ marks in the difficult slot, and 88+ marks in the moderate slot.
CAT Score vs Percentile- Easy Slot
CAT Easy Slot | Expected CAT Percentile |
---|---|
150 | 100 percentile |
97 | 99.5 percentile |
91 | 99 percentile |
80 | 98 percentile |
67 | 95 percentile |
55 | 90 percentile |
46 | 85 percentile |
40 | 80%ile |
CAT Score vs Percentile- Difficult Slot
CAT Difficult Slot | Expected CAT Percentile |
---|---|
140 | 100 percentile |
95 | 99.5 percentile |
85 | 99 percentile |
74 | 98 percentile |
62 | 95 percentile |
50 | 90 percentile |
41 | 85 percentile |
35 | 80 percentile |
CAT Score vs Percentile- Moderate Slot
CAT Moderate Slot | Expected CAT Percentile |
---|---|
140 | 100 percentile |
96 | 99.5 percentile |
88 | 99 percentile |
77 | 98 percentile |
65 | 95 percentile |
53 | 90 percentile |
44 | 85 percentile |
38 | 80 percentile |

CAT Score vs Percentile- Section-Wise
Aspirants can go through the tables below to check the expected CAT score vs percentile for each section of CAT 2025 based on the CAT score vs percentile trends from past years.
CAT Score vs Percentile- VARC
Percentile | CAT 2024 Score |
---|---|
99.9 | 51-55 |
99.5 | 44-45 |
99 | 41-42 |
98 | 36-38 |
95 | 30-32 |
90 | 24-26 |
85 | 20-22 |
80 | 18-20 |
CAT Score vs Percentile- DILR
Percentile | CAT 2024 Score |
---|---|
99.9 | 37-50 |
99.5 | 31-41 |
99 | 30-38 |
98 | 26-34 |
95 | 20-27 |
90 | 17-22 |
85 | 13-19 |
80 | 11-17 |
CAT Score vs Percentile- QA
Percentile | CAT 2024 Score |
---|---|
99.9 | 35-45 |
99.5 | 28-37 |
99 | 26-33 |
98 | 23-29 |
95 | 18-22 |
90 | 14-17 |
85 | 12-14 |
80 | 10-11 |

Questions to Attempt for 99+ Percentile in CAT 2024?
The percentile in the CAT exam is determined by several factors, including the difficulty level of the paper, the performance of other candidates, and the scaling process. Based on trends from past years, to get a 99+ Percentile, the CAT score generally ranges between 102 and 117 in total raw scores.
With 80% accuracy, you need to attempt 42–48 questions across sections. You Here is an approximate breakdown of the score required for the 99+ percentile and the number of section-wise attempts, assuming 80% accuracy:
Section | Raw Score of 99+ percentile | Questions to Attempt (80% Accuracy) | Accuracy Assumed |
---|---|---|---|
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 37-42 | 16-18 | 80% |
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) | 30-35 | 12-14 | 80% |
Quantitative Ability (QA) | 35-40 | 14-16 | 80% |
Overall | 102-117 | 42-48 | 80% |
CAT Safe Score & Percentile
CAT safe score is different for different IIMs. As per the CAT cutoff for previous years, the expected CAT safe score for IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Bangalore is 99.5+ percentile. For IIM Calcutta and IIM Lucknow, the expected CAT safe score is around 99.7+ and 99+ percentiles.
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+ |

Estimated CAT 2024 Total Score vs Percentile
Total Marks (out of 204) | Percentile Range |
---|---|
190 - 204 | 99.9+ |
170 - 189 | 99.5 - 99.9 |
150 - 169 | 99.0 - 99.5 |
130 - 149 | 98.0 - 99.0 |
110 - 129 | 95.0 - 98.0 |
90 - 109 | 90.0 - 95.0 |
70 - 89 | 80.0 - 90.0 |
50 - 69 | 70.0 - 80.0 |
30 - 49 | 50.0 - 70.0 |
Below 30 | Below 50 |
“Typically, IIMs and top-tier B-schools look for candidates in the 99+ percentile range, but lower percentiles can still secure you admissions to other well-known institutes.”
Also Read
CAT Score vs Percentile Trends
Subsequently, the CAT Score vs. Percentile graph goes up and down every year based on the difficulty of the CAT test, candidates’ ability, and percentile conversion. Here is a comparison of CAT Score vs Percentile for 2023 and 2024 (based on historical trends and assumptions for CAT 2024):
Percentile | CAT 2023 Approx. Score | CAT 2024 Expected Score | Trend Analysis |
---|---|---|---|
99.9+ | 130-140 | 135-145 | Slightly higher for 2024 if the paper is easier. |
99+ | 100-110 | 105-115 | Higher cutoffs expected for easier QA and VARC. |
95+ | 75-85 | 80-90 | Possible slight increase in cutoffs. |
90+ | 60-70 | 65-75 | Cutoff trends to increase marginally. |
85+ | 50-60 | 55-65 | Consistent difficulty expected. |
80+ | 40-50 | 45-55 | Trends remain similar across moderate-level papers. |
Factors Influencing CAT Percentiles
- Difficulty Level: A tougher paper usually means lower raw scores for high percentiles.
- Number of Test-Takers: A larger pool of candidates may slightly shift percentile boundaries.
- Sectional Variability: Performance across sections often varies; one tough section can influence overall scores.
How CAT Score vs Percentile Is Calculated
CAT percentiles are calculated using the following steps:
- Raw Score Calculation: A formula derived from the CAT marking system is applied, whereby three points are awarded for each correct answer, and one point is deducted for each incorrect answer.
- Normalization: Raw scores collected are aligned across the different slots so as to achieve a balance. This process contributes to the differences in the difficulty level of the task needed for each slot, which are only slightly different.
- Percentile Assignment: The probability scores are then ranked and the percentage rank is determined by applicable statistical techniques.
CAT Score vs Percentile Previous Year Analysis (2024-2022)
The previous year analysis of CAT score vs percentile (2024-2022) shows that CAT 2024 had a relatively easier CAT exam as compared to the previous years, 2023 and 2022, which resulted in s steep rise in score requirement across all percentile ranges.
- The 99.9 percentile saw a significant variation, with CAT 2024 required the highest score of 131, whereas in 2023 it was 102 and 110 in 2022.
- For 99.5 and 99 percentile the required scores were highest in 2024 (104 and 96 respectively), moderate in 2022 (93 and 84) and lowest in 2023 (84 and 76).
- 97–95 Percentile Range required scores in 2024 (79–71) are well above 2022 (71–60) and 2023 (61–55).
- For 90 Percentile there was a huge difference of marks i.e, 59 in 2024, 49 in 2022, and 44 in 2023.
- To get 85–80 Percentile, the CAT scores followed the same pattern,7 50–40 in 2024, higher than 41–36 in 2022 and 38–33 in 2023.
Percentile | CAT 2024 | CAT 2023 | CAT 2022 |
99.9 | 131 | 102 | 110 |
99.5 | 104 | 84 | 93 |
99 | 96 | 76 | 84 |
97 | 79 | 61 | 71 |
95 | 71 | 55 | 60 |
90 | 59 | 44 | 49 |
85 | 50 | 38 | 41 |
80 | 40 | 33 | 36 |

CAT Score vs Percentile- Last 5 Years
CAT score vs the Percentile of the last 5 years shows a distinctive fluctuation in the difficulty of the exam and normalization.
- For the 100 percentile, scores were fairly stable in the range of 132–145, with 140+ in CAT 2024.
- The 99.9 percentile saw a decline in 2023 of 101–102, but it increased to 108+ in 2024.
- For the 99 percentile, scores have reduced from 83–100 in previous years to 78+ in 2024.
- The mid-range percentiles, like 95 and 90, also required less marks than in 2020, which indicates that papers have become more challenging.
- In 2023, even a 38–39 mark was placed in the 70 percentile, whereas earlier in 2020, it was 18–30.
- In 2024, marks for lower percentiles increased slightly, so there was more competition among average scorers. Small variations in marks can make a huge difference in your percentile.
Percentile | CAT 2020 Score | CAT 2021 Score | CAT 2022 Score | CAT 2023 Score | CAT 2024 Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
100 | 132–137 | 134–145 | 135–145 | 139–143 | 140+ |
99.9 | 115–124 | 120–124 | 109–110 | 101–102 | 108+ |
99.5 | 90–104 | 110 | 92–93 | 84–86 | 103+ |
99 | 75–98 | 98–100 | 83–84 | 76–78 | 78+ |
97 | 61–79 | 82 | 72 | 61–62 | 68+ |
95 | 54–70 | 73 | 62 | 54–57 | 58+ |
90 | 44–58 | 60 | 49–45 | 44–47 | 47+ |
85 | 37–45 | 49 | 42–44 | 42–44 | 44+ |
80 | 28–44 | 45 | 36–39 | 41–43 | 43+ |
70 | 18–30 | 30 | 28.5–29 | 38–39 | 35+ |
Also Read
CAT Score vs Percentile 2024
Percentile | VARC Score | DILR Score | Quant Score |
---|---|---|---|
99.9 | 55 | 50.1 | 45 |
99.5 | 44 | 41.4 | 36.5 |
99 | 40.3 | 37.8 | 33 |
97 | 33.54 | 30.8 | 25 |
95 | 30 | 27 | 22 |
90 | 24 | 22.5 | 17 |
85 | 20.42 | 19.5 | 13.7 |
80 | 18.2 | 17 | 11.6 |
75 | 15.60 | 14.95 | 9.92 |
CAT Score vs Percentile 2023
Percentile | VARC Score | DILR Score | Quant Score |
---|---|---|---|
100 | 61.66 | 50.4 | 49.46 |
99.99 | 58.20 | 42.66 | 44.89 |
99.9 | 51.14 | 36.58 | 34.96 |
99.5 | 44 | 30.58 | 28.28 |
99 | 39.83 | 27.29 | 25.20 |
95 | 28.78 | 18.92 | 16.87 |
90 | 23.37 | 15.63 | 13.63 |
80 | 17.58 | 11.67 | 9.2 |
CAT Score vs Percentile 2022
Percentile | VARC Score | DILR Score | QA Score |
---|---|---|---|
99.5-100 | 44-48 | 33-36 | 36-40 |
99 | 41-45 | 30-32 | 33-37 |
95 | 29-33 | 20-24 | 23-30 |
90 | 24-28 | 17-20 | 17-24 |
80-85 | 17-24 | 11-16 | 11-15 |
CAT Score vs Percentile 2021
Percentile | VARC Score | DILR Score | QA Score |
---|---|---|---|
99.5 | 42 | 30 | 41 |
99 | 38 | 25 | 35 |
98 | 34 | 22 | 31 |
95 | 29 | 18 | 22 |
90 | 24 | 14 | 19 |
85 | 22 | 12 | 16 |
80 | 20 | 10 | 13 |
CAT Score vs Percentile 2020
Percentile | VARC Score | DILR Score | QA Score |
99.5 | 47 | 41 | 48 |
99 | 40-45 | 35-36 | 40-44 |
98 | 38-42 | 31-34 | 36-40 |
95 | 32-37 | 27-30 | 33-38 |
90 | 29-33 | 23-27 | 25-34 |
80 | 25-27 | 16-19 | 17-20 |
CAT Scaled Score vs Percentile
Based on last year’s CAT score and percentile analysis by experts, we have provided below the scaled score required for getting 70-100 percentile.
Percentile | Scaled Score |
---|---|
70%ile | 29-31 |
80%ile | 36-38 |
85%ile | 41-43 |
88%ile | 45-46 |
90%ile | 49-50 |
95%ile | 62-65 |
97%ile | 70-72 |
98%ile | 80-85 |
99%ile | 87-88 |
99.3-99.8%ile | 95-105 |
99.9%ile | 108-110 |
100%ile | 125-127 |
CAT Score vs Percentile FAQs
Ques. What is the difference between score and percentile in CAT?
Ans. CAT Score means the actual marks a candidate achieve in the CAT exam. The CAT score is calculated with respect to the CAT marking scheme: +3 for each correct MCQ, −1 for each incorrect MCQ, and usually no negative for non-MCQs (TITA or type-in) or unanswered questions as per each section VARC, DILR, QA.
CAT Percentile is a relative measure of performance, which tells you how you have performed as compared to all test-takers in the respective years across all the slots.
Feature | Score | Percentile |
---|---|---|
What it measures | How many marks you actually got (correct vs incorrect) after normalization etc. | How you performed relative to all test takers (i.e. your standing among them) |
Absolute vs Relative | Absolute — fixed value depending on what you answered correctly/wrongly. | Relative — depends on how others did too. If many do poorly, a lower score may get a high percentile. If many do very well, even high scores might map to “lower” percentile comparatively. |
Dependence on difficulty / scaling | Very much — because raw scores need scaling if slots differ. But once scaled, it becomes more “fair”. | Indirectly — difficult exam tends to shift scores lower for many, so percentiles may kick in differently; scaling helps adjust for this. |
Fixed vs Variable | Fixed for you — a particular number of marks. | Variable — can change across years. What gave 99 percentile one year may give 97 or 98 percentile another year depending on overall performance/difficulty. |
Use in admissions | Colleges often look at your score (sectional + total), along with your percentile, to decide whether you meet cutoff norms. | More commonly used for cut-offs, shortlistings, comparison, and determining whether your performance is “top x%”. |
Ques. What percentile is 72 marks in CAT?
Ans. A 72 marks in CAT will give you around 95 percentile, which can provide you admission into Newer IIMs like IIM Udaipur, IIM Rohtak, IIM Raipur, and IIM Ranchi and Non-IIMs like SPJIMR, Mumbai, MDI Gurgaon, and IMT.
Top Colleges with 72 Marks in CAT
Type | Institutes You Might Aim For (~90-95 percentile) |
IIMs (Newer / Lower Tier / Baby IIMs / IIMs with slightly lower cutoffs) |
|
Non-IIM / Private / Other Top B-Schools |
|
Ques. What percentile is 40 marks in CAT?
Ans. As per the CAT score vs percentile from previous years, the expected CAT percentile score for 40 marks is expected to be around 85 percentile. The sectional score for 40 marks in CAT is around 20-22 in VARC, 13-19 in DILR, and 12-14 in QA.
CAT Score | CAT Percentile |
---|---|
40-49 | 85+ percentile |
Ques. How much percentile is a 25 score in CAT?
Ans. Candidates with a score of 25 marks in CAT 2025 are expected to get a CAT percentile score of less than 80 percentile. However, students will get different CAT percentile scores for scoring 25 marks in different CAT sections as discussed below.
CAT Section | CAT Percentile for 25 Marks |
---|---|
VARC | 90 |
DILR | 95 |
QA | 98 |
Ques. What are the total marks for CAT 2025?
Ans. As per the CAT 2025 exam pattern, 24 questions will be asked from VARC, 22 from DILR, and QA each. For each correct answer, 3 marks will be awarded. In VARC, students can score a maximum of 72 marks, and in DILR and QA, each, students can score a maximum of 66. Total marks for CAT 2025 are 204.
Particulars | Details |
---|---|
Number of Questions Section-Wise | VARC- 24 DILR- 22 QA- 22 |
Total Number of Questions | 68 |
Marks for Each Correct Answer | +3 |
CAT Marks Section-Wise | VARC- 72DILR- 66QA- 66 |
Total Marks | 204 |
Ques. What is CAT score vs percentile in previous years?
Ans. CAT score vs percentile are different for different years based on the difficulty level, number of aspirants, etc. Students can check the CAT score vs percentile for previous years in the table below.
Percentile | CAT Scaled Score (2022) | CAT Scaled Score (2023) | CAT Scaled Score (2024) |
---|---|---|---|
100 | 145.83 | 138.59 | 140+ |
99.95 | 115 | 106.95 | 108+ |
99.90 | 109.9 | 101.43 | 103+ |
99.50 | 92.87 | 84.29 | 86+ |
99 | 83.64 | 76.02 | 78+ |
98 | 73.88 | 66.68 | 68+ |
95.5 | 59.75 | 56.41 | 58+ |
90 | 48.44 | 45.16 | 47+ |
85 | 41.32 | 42.29 | 44+ |
80 | 36.02 | 41.19 | 43+ |
Ques. Can I get IIM with the 95 percentile?
Ans. With 95 percentile in CAT 2025, it is difficult to get admission to top IIMs like IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, and IIM Calcutta. However, candidates can get admission to mid-tier and newly established IIMs with 95 percentile in CAT, like IIM Amritsar, IIM Nagpur, IIM Sambalpur, IIM Shillong, IIM Sirmaur, IIM Jammu, etc.
IIM Institute | Expected CAT Cutoff |
---|---|
IIM Amritsar | 95-96 |
IIM Nagpur | 95-96 |
IIM Sambalpur | 95-96 |
IIM Tiruchirapalli | 94-95 |
IIM Raipur | 94-95 |
IIM Ranchi | 94-95 |
IIM Kashipur | 94-95 |
IIM Visakhapatnam | 92-94 |
IIM Udaipur | 92-94 |
IIM Bodh Gaya | 92-94 |
IIM Shillong | 90 |
IIM Sirmaur | 90 |
IIM Jammu | 90 |
IIM Rohtak | 90-92 |
*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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