97 Percentile in CAT is the top 3% score, which is generally considered a good score. 97 percentile in CAT indicates your marks were in 85-95 which places you in the 9000 -10000th rank. With 97 Percentile, you can get into top IIMs- IIM Kozhikode, IIM Indore, and IIM Shillong.
- Attempting 35 to 40 questions accurately, preventing negative scoring as much as possible, will help to score 97 percentile in CAT and more.
- In CAT 2024, a raw score of 93-94 was needed for 97.9 percentile, but the scaled score was much higher, 97.4, due to a tougher paper and stronger competition.
- Scaled score for 85-93 raw score is around 93-99 for 97 percentile in CAT
- Many reputed non-IIM business schools, such as TAPMI, IMI Delhi, and Great Lakes, admit students who score in the 97 percentile in CAT.
Also Read

Key Summary
- 97 Percentile in CAT can give you a strong chance to get into IIM Kozhikode, IIM Indore, and IIM Shillong if you have above 90% in Class 10 and Class 12.
- 97 percentile means you have outperformed 97% of overall candidates.
- If you belong to the Reserved Category, you have a high possibility of getting into IIM A, B, C or L with 97 percentile in CAT.
- A raw score of 85-95 is needed for 97 percentile in CAT.
- Top B schools like MDI Gurgaon, SPJIMR, NITIE Mumbai, and many others accept 97 percentile in CAT.
- Additionally, if you score above 75 percentile in all three sections and the 97th percentile in the CAT overall, your ticket into IIMs is guaranteed.
97 Percentile in CAT is Good or Bad
97 Percentile in CAT is a good score enough to get into mid-tier and baby IIMs. If you belong to reserved categories, you have a strong chance to get into IIM A, B and C, and L. Non-Engineering background candidates and females with 97 Percentile in CAT also surely get into mid-tier and baby IIMs.
Additionally, any top B-school and over 1500 colleges accept 97 Percentile in CAT for MBA and PGDM.
97 CAT Score Vs Percentile
| Percentile | Raw Score | Scaled Score | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 97.9 | 93-95 | 98.8 | 6300 |
| 97.8 | 92-94 | 98.5 | 6600 |
| 97.7 | 91-93 | 98.2 | 6900 |
| 97.6 | 90-92 | 97.8 | 7200 |
| 97.5 | 89-91 | 97.5 | 7500 |
| 97.4 | 88-90 | 97.1 | 7800 |
| 97.3 | 87-89 | 96.8 | 8100 |
| 97.2 | 86-88 | 96.4 | 8400 |
| 97.1 | 85-87 | 96.0 | 8700 |
| 97.0 | 84-86 | 95.6 | 9000 |
| 96.9 | 83-85 | 95.2 | 9300 |
| 96.8 | 82-84 | 94.8 | 9600 |
| 96.7 | 81-83 | 94.3 | 9900 |
| 96.6 | 80-82 | 93.9 | 10200 |
| 96.5 | 79-81 | 93.5 | 10500 |

Section-wise Score and Percentile for 97 percentile in CAT
- If you compare the above image posted on reddit.com, 97 percentile can be achieved with a comparatively lower scaled score. But you need to clear the sectional cut-off to get shortlisted by IIMs.
- Scoring above 97 percentile in CAT in each section usually places you among the top 8000 to 10,000 candidates.
- Scoring high in VARC and attempting all TITA without errors, and a decent number of sets completely correct in both DILR and QA sections can push your scores about 40, leading you to 97 percentile.
VARC Section Score and Percentile for 97 Percentile
- 40-46 marks in the VARC section can fetch a 97.9-97 percentile in CAT.
- The scaled score ranges from 31.5 to 29.2 for 97 percentile in CAT.
- With a score between 35-45, candidates can fall into the 97.9 to 96 sectional percentile.
| Overall Percentile | VARC Raw Score | VARC Scaled Score | VARC Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 97.9 | 44-46 | 31.5 | 97.9 |
| 97.8 | 43-45 | 31.3 | 97.7 |
| 97.7 | 42-44 | 31.1 | 97.5 |
| 97.6 | 41-43 | 30.9 | 97.3 |
| 97.5 | 40-42 | 30.7 | 97.1 |
| 97.4 | 39-41 | 30.5 | 96.9 |
| 97.3 | 38-40 | 30.3 | 96.7 |
| 97.2 | 37-39 | 30.1 | 96.5 |
| 97.1 | 36-38 | 29.9 | 96.3 |
| 97.0 | 35-37 | 29.7 | 96.1 |

DILR Section Score and Percentile for 97 Percentile
- A score between 35-45 in this section can give you a 95-97 percentile, depending on the number of candidates and difficulty.
- A percentile of 97.9-97 percentile in CAT can be achieved with a 39-43 score in this section.
- 27.8-30 scaled score in this section can give you a range of 97.5-95.7 sectional percentile, adding to 97 percentile in CAT
| Overall Percentile | DILR Raw Score | DILR Scaled Score | DILR Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 97.9 | 43-44 | 30 | 97.5 |
| 97.8 | 42-43 | 29.8 | 97.3 |
| 97.7 | 42-43 | 29.5 | 97.1 |
| 97.6 | 41-42 | 29.2 | 96.9 |
| 97.5 | 41-42 | 29 | 96.7 |
| 97.4 | 40-41 | 28.8 | 96.5 |
| 97.3 | 40-41 | 28.5 | 96.3 |
| 97.2 | 39-40 | 28.2 | 96.1 |
| 97.1 | 39-40 | 28 | 95.9 |
| 97.0 | 38-39 | 27.8 | 95.7 |

QA Section Score and Percentile for 97 Percentile
- The raw score range for the QA section between the 97.9 and 97 percentile is 36-42.
- The scaled scores in this range vary from 26.8 to 29
- 95.2 to 97 Sectional percentile can be expected with a score between 36 to 42.
| Overall Percentile | QA Raw Score | QA Scaled Score | QA Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 97.9 | 41-42 | 29 | 97 |
| 97.8 | 40-41 | 28.8 | 96.8 |
| 97.7 | 40-41 | 28.5 | 96.6 |
| 97.6 | 39-40 | 28.2 | 96.4 |
| 97.5 | 39-40 | 28 | 96.2 |
| 97.4 | 38-39 | 27.8 | 96 |
| 97.3 | 38-39 | 27.5 | 95.8 |
| 97.2 | 37-38 | 27.2 | 95.6 |
| 97.1 | 37-38 | 27 | 95.4 |
| 97.0 | 36-37 | 26.8 | 95.2 |

Slot-wise Percentile for Raw score for 97 percentile in CAT
| Overall Percentile | Easy Slot Raw Score | Moderate Slot Raw Score | Difficult Slot Raw Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 97.9 | 94-95 | 92-93 | 90-91 |
| 97.8 | 93-94 | 91-92 | 89-90 |
| 97.7 | 92-93 | 90-91 | 88-89 |
| 97.6 | 91-92 | 89-90 | 87-88 |
| 97.5 | 90-91 | 88-89 | 86-87 |
| 97.4 | 89-90 | 87-88 | 85-86 |
| 97.3 | 88-89 | 86-87 | 84-85 |
| 97.2 | 87-88 | 85-86 | 83-84 |
| 97.1 | 86-87 | 84-85 | 82-81 |
| 97.0 | 85-86 | 83-84 | 81-82 |
97 Percentile in 2024,2023,2022
- In CAT 2022, the 97 percentile in the CAT band was achieved with 77-85 raw marks, as the paper was tougher and the candidates was fewer.
- In CAT 2023, due to the easier slots raw score of 80 to 90 was needed for 97 percentile in CAT.
- In CAT 2024, a raw score was as high as 93-94 was needed for 97.9 percentile, but the scaled score was much higher, 97.4, due to a tougher paper and stronger competition.
| Percentile | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raw Score | Scaled Score | Raw Score | Scaled Score | Raw Score | Scaled Score | |
| 97.0 | 77-78 | 60 | 80-81 | 60.8 | 84-85 | 95.6 |
| 97.1 | 78-79 | 60.2 | 81-82 | 61 | 85-86 | 95.8 |
| 97.2 | 78-80 | 604 | 82-83 | 61.2 | 86-87 | 96 |
| 97.3 | 79-80 | 60.6 | 83-84 | 61.4 | 87-88 | 96.2 |
| 97.4 | 80-81 | 60.8 | 84-85 | 61.6 | 88-89 | 96.4 |
| 97.5 | 80-82 | 61. | 85-86 | 61.8 | 89-90 | 96.6 |
| 97.6 | 81-82 | 61.2 | 86-87 | 62 | 90-91 | 96.8 |
| 97.7 | 82-83 | 61.4 | 87-88 | 62.2 | 91-92 | 97 |
| 97.8 | 83-84 | 61.6 | 88-89 | 62.4 | 92-93 | 97.2 |
| 97.9 | 84-85 | 61.8 | 89-90 | 62.6 | 93-94 | 97.4 |
97 Percentile in CAT, which IIM?
- IIM Jammu, IIM Bodhgaya, IIM Nagpur, and IIM Sirmaur admit students with 97th percentile in CAT belonging to the SC/ST, OBC, and EWS categories
- Admission under the Common Admission Process(CAP) with the 97th percentile allows access to multiple IIMs via a shared selection process.
- With a CAT score weighing around 30 to 40% final selection is done based on WAT/PI, strong academic and professional profile for the 97th percentile in CAT.
Also Read
Category Wise IIM MBA FeeTop IIMs accepting 97 percentile in CAT
| IIM Name | CAT Cut-off (Category-wise) | Eligibility Criteria | Categories Accepted at 97 percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| IIM Lucknow | Gen: 97.5, NC-OBC: 85, SC: 70th | 50% UG + PI | SC, ST, PwD |
| IIM Kozhikode | Gen: 97, NC-OBC: 85, SC: 70th | 50% UG + Work ex | SC, ST, PwD |
| IIM Shillong | Gen: 97, NC-OBC: 85, SC: 70th | 50% UG + Work ex | SC, ST, PwD |
Mid-tier IIMs accepting 97 percentile in CAT
| IIM Name | CAT Cut-off (Category-wise) | Eligibility Criteria | Categories Accepted at 97 percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| IIM Trichy | Gen: 94, NC-OBC: 75th, SC: 65 | UG 50%, WAT/PI | SC, ST, NC-OBC, PwD |
| IIM Udaipur | Gen: 93, NC-OBC: 76, SC: 65 | 50% UG + Acads | SC, ST, NC-OBC, PwD |
| IIM Raipur | Gen: 93, NC-OBC: 75th, SC: 60 | UG degree, 50% | SC, ST, NC-OBC |
| IIM Ranchi | Gen: 93, NC-OBC: 75th, SC: 60 | UG + PI/WAT | SC, ST, NC-OBC |
| IIM Rohtak | Gen: 95, NC-OBC: 78, SC: 65 | UG, GD-PI | SC, ST, NC-OBC |
Baby IIMs accepting 97 percentile in CAT
| IIM Name | CAT Cut-off (Category-wise) | Eligibility Criteria | Categories Accepted at 97 percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| IIM Jammu | Gen: 92, NC-OBC: 75th, SC: 60 | UG 50%, PI | Gen (borderline), SC, ST, NC-OBC |
| IIM Amritsar | Gen: 92, NC-OBC: 75th, SC: 60 | UG, PI | Gen (min), SC, ST, NC-OBC |
| IIM Bodhgaya | Gen: 90, NC-OBC: 72, SC: 55 | UG 50% | Gen (low 80ths), SC/ST/OBC |
| IIM Sambalpur | Gen: 90, NC-OBC: 72, SC: 55 | UG + PI | Gen (80ths), SC/ST/OBC |
| IIM Sirmaur | Gen: 90, NC-OBC: 70th, SC: 50 | UG + PI | Gen, SC, ST, NC-OBC |
| IIM Nagpur | Gen: 92, NC-OBC: 74, SC: 55 | UG + PI, Gender & Acad diversity | SC, ST, NC-OBC |
| IIM Vishakapattanam | Gen: 92 NC-OBC: 75th SC: 60 | UG + WAT/PI | SC, ST, NC-OBC |

The above reddit.com post shows concern over B schools and considering a drop. Well, 97 percentile is still a good score. In 2024 Top 3 IIMs minimum cut-off stood at 85, and mid-tier and Baby IIMs had a minimum percentile further less. Below are the lists of non-IIM institutions accepting 97th percentile.
Read more Top MBA Colleges with Low Fees in India
Category-wise cut off for 97 Percentile in CAT
| Category | Rank | IIM Call Chance/Shortlisting | Getting into IIM with 97 percentile in CAT | Reservation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | 9000 | Yes | Less | 0%(PwD have 5% overall) |
| NCL-OBC | 6500 | Yes | Possible with WAT+PI score and strong profile | 27% |
| EWS | 7000 | Yes | Possible with WAT+PI score and strong profile | 10% |
| SC | 500 | Yes | Yes | 15% |
| ST | 300 | Yes | Yes | 7.5% |
| PwD | 500-300 | Yes | Yes | 5% (included in categories) |
97 Percentile in CAT-Male vs Female
| Gender | Diversity Advantage | Chance for IIMs |
|---|---|---|
| Male | No advantage | Possible only with a strong WAT-PI and a strong academic and professional profile |
| Female | Extra weightage in IIM K, I, S | Higher with a strong profile |
Also Read
CAT Diversity at IIM: Benefits for Non Engineers and Female Candidates97 Percentile in CAT-Engineer vs Non-Engineer
| Background | Diversity Advantage | Chance for IIMs |
| Engineers | No advantage | Moderate |
| Non-Enginners | Extra weightage in IIM K, I, S | Higher with a strong profile |
Also Read
97 Percentile in CAT FAQs
Ques. Which IIM is in the 97 percentile?
Ans. Depending on the category, all IIMs accept 97 percentile.
- IIM Kozhikode, IIM Shillong, and IIM Indore have 97 percentile cut-off.
- IIM Jammu, IIM Bodhgaya, IIM Nagpur, and IIM Sirmaur admit students with 97th percentile in CAT belonging to the SC/ST, OBC, and EWS categories
Ques. Can I get IIM Bangalore with 97 percentile?
Ans. No, IIM Bangalore has a cut-off of 98+ percentile. But you can get into IIM Bangalore if you belong to the reserved category.
- Candidates belonging to the SC/ST/PwD category can easily get into IIM Bangalore with 97 percentile in CAT.
Ques. What does 97 percentile mean?
Ans. 97 Percentile in CAT means you have performed better than 97% of overall candidates.
- 97 Percentile in CAT indicates that you are one of the top 3% candidates who performed well.
- With 97 Percentile in CAT, you can get into mid-tier and Baby IIMs and top B schools.
- Reserved candidates can get into the Top 3 IIMs with 97 Percentile in CAT.
Ques. Is 97 percentile in CAT good or bad?
Ans. Yes, 97 Percentile in CAT is a good score.
- With 97 Percentile in CAT, also surely get into mid-tier and baby IIMs.
- Any top B-school and over 1500 colleges accept 97 Percentile in CAT for MBA and PGDM.
Ques. How much rank is 97 percentile?
Ans. 97 percentile in CAT ranks you in the top 8000-10000 candidates.
- 97 percentile means you have performed better than 97% of the candidates and in the top 3% of total test takers.



Comments