Over the past three years, an average of approximately 13 candidates have achieved a perfect 100th percentile in the CAT exam. This year’s exam was also conducted for 204 marks and 68 questions.
Based on the CAT 2025 expected score, approximately 120 out of 204 marks may be required for a 99.99+ percentile, with variations due to slot difficulty and normalisation.
- The highest verified score was 164.44 by Vagish Bhushan Nangia in 2024.
- Out of the fourteen 100th percentiles, 13 were of an engineering background in 2024.
- Maharashtra produced the highest number of CAT 2024 toppers.
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Key Summary
- The IIM CAT result for 2025 is likely to be released by IIM Kozhikode this week.
- According to experts, CAT 2025 was slightly tougher than CAT 2024.
- Maharashtra dominated the CAT 2024 results with 5 out of 14 100th percentiles.
- Engineers still dominate CAT toppers, but academic diversity is gradually increasing.
Highest Ever CAT Score Out of 204
The highest widely verified CAT score in the 204-mark format is 164.44, scored by Vagish Bhushan Nangia in CAT 2024.
Some community discussions on forums mention scores above 200. However, IIMs do not publish individual scores, and such claims remain unverified and should not be treated as official data.
Expected Scores for Toppers in CAT 2025
- CAT toppers typically require near-perfect scores, with past trends and 2025 slot predictions pointing to 120 marks for the 100th percentile and scores around 115 marks for the 99.95th percentile.
- Slot 1 estimates suggest 115+ for the top AIR 1 rank, slot 2 around 112+, and slot 3 slightly lower at 110+ because of normalisation.
| Percentile | Slot 1 Marks | Slot 2 Marks | Slot 3 Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 120+ | 118+ | 115+ |
| 99.95 | 115 | 112 | 110 |
| 99.90 | 103-106 | 102-104 | 100-102 |
| 99.5 | 90-92 | 88-90 | 86-88 |
Check: Is 99 Percentile the Top 1% in CAT 2025? Marks and Ranking Explained
Ques. Which slot was the toughest in CAT 2025?
Ans. Many experts say slot 3 was the toughest, especially due to the challenging quantitative ability questions and tricky DILR sets.
Ques. Which slot was the easiest in CAT 2025?
Ans. Slot 1 was considered the easiest by experts, with moderate quantitative ability.
Trend Across Years
As CAT shifted from 300 to 204 marks, toppers increasingly rely on precision and accuracy, not volume of attempts.
| Year | Marks |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 100th percentile at 145-165 scaled score |
| 2023 | Highest 151 |
| 2020-22 | 130-150 for top ranks |
CAT 2024 Toppers’ List
CAT 2024 results were declared on Thursday, December 19, 2024.
| Topper | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Maruti konduri | 100 |
| Vagish Bhushan Nangia | 100 |
| Mani Praneeth Chilukuri | 100 |
| Sanjeev Kumar | 99.99 |
| Aryan Ray | 99.99 |
| Dhatri Mehta | 99.99 |
| S K Nath Kannan | 99.99 |
| Vedant Chandewar | 99.98 |
| Sarthak Jaiswal | 99.97 |
| Swaraj Pal Kesari | 99.95 |
| Gyara Yagnavalkya | 99.95 |
| Shubham Rana | 99.94 |
| Aniruddh Singh | 99.89 |
Also read: CAT toppers list, marks, percentile, and strategy
Top Percentile Distribution: Discipline, Gender & States
100 Percentile Candidates
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Total | 14 |
| Female | 1 |
| Male | 13 |
| Engineers | 13 |
| Non-Engineers | 1 |
CAT 2024 Slot-Wise Marks and Percentiles
CAT 2024 was moderately difficult overall. Slot 2 was the toughest, and the first slot was the easiest among the 3 slots.
| Percentile | Slot 1 Marks (easiest) | Slot 2 Marks (toughest) | Slot 3 Marks (moderate) |
| 100 | 140-160+ | 130-150+ | 135-155+ |
| 99.99 | 110-125 | 100-115 | 105-120 |
| 99.98 | 105-115 | 95-105 | 100-110 |
| 99 | 90-100 | 83-92 | 88-98 |
Check:
- Are your scores enough for IIMs?, Check category-wise CAT 2025 cutoff here
- Low score in CAT 2025?, Check the list of these top MBA college options
Ques. How did difficulty vary in VARC across the CAT 2024 slots?
Ans. VARC was easy to moderate in all slots, with slot 3 slightly tougher in some RCs but no para-jumbles in any slot.
Ques. Which section showed the most slot-wise variation in CAT 2024?
Ans. DILR had the clearest variation, with slot 2 being significantly tougher than slots 1 and 3.
Ques. Why was the CAT exam’s total score reduced from 300 marks to 204 marks?
Ans. In 2020, COVID-19 safety measures led to a permanent reduction in the CAT exam duration from 180 to 120 minutes, along with fewer questions.
Ques. Has the number of 100 percentilers increased in the current pattern?
Ans. Yes, averaging 10-20 in recent years versus 0-10 in most years of the 300-mark era.
So to sum up, a scaled score of 140 is enough to secure the elusive 100th percentile. The essence of topping the CAT remains the same: high accuracy, smart question choices, and staying calm under pressure.
Toppers, mostly engineers but more diverse now, show that you don't have to solve everything, just the right ones perfectly. With focused prep and mock practice, the 100th percentile is achievable for anyone.
CAT Topper Marks Out of 204 FAQ
Ques. Is it possible to score 204/204 in CAT?
Ans. Theoretically, yes, but no officially verified case of a perfect 204 score exists.
Ques. Do CAT toppers score equally high in all sections?
Ans. Not always, but they clear all sectional cutoffs easily.
Ques. What is the highest score in CAT 2024?
Ans. The highest score in CAT 2024 was around 164-165, according to media coverage and reports. One topper named Vagish Bhushan Nangia scored about 164.4/204, securing a 100 percentile.
Ques. What do CAT toppers usually score out of 204?
Ans. CAT toppers typically score between 115 and 135, depending on the difficulty level.
Ques. Does normalisation affect toppers' scores?
Ans. Yes, slot-wise normalisation can slightly increase or decrease the scores.
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