How many questions to attempt in CAT for 90 percentile? If this is your question, well, the answer is 28-35. Attempting 28-35 questions will fetch 90 percentile in CAT. 70%-75% accuracy often helps in securing 90 percentile in CAT.
In easier slots, attempting about 30 to 37 questions with 70% plus accuracy is generally enough for the 90 percentile. The Number of questions required for 90 percentile slightly drops for tougher slots, ranging from 28 to 34.
- 90% is achieved by 10% of total test takers every year.
- 8-10 in VARC, 7-9 in DILR, and 7-8 in QA, accurate answers are required to gain 90 percentile.
- The scaled score required for the 90% time falls within the 67 to 70 plus range.
- A raw score of 60 to 70 out of 204 or slightly higher usually places a candidate at the 90 percentile.
- Sectional scores of 24-27 in VARC, 22-25 in DILR, and 20-23 in QA correspond to sectional higher percentile.
- If the difficulty level of the slot is higher, fewer correct answers are sufficient to land in 90 percentile
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Key Summary
- Though 90 percent sounds like a higher score, in CAT, 90 percentile can be achieved easily with an accurate 28-35 answers.
- Over the past five years, scaled scores have ranged between 13-24 across sections
- 23-26 in VARC and 20-22 in DILR, and 13-17 in QA have given sectional 90 percentile.
- Scoring 90 percentile means the candidate has outperformed 90% of the test takers.
- 10% of all candidates manage to secure 90 percentile.
- In recent years, an average score of around 45-48 can land a candidate in 90 percentile.
CAT Score vs Percentile 2025
- To get an idea of how many questions to attempt in CAT for 90 percentile, you need to understand the CAT score vs percentile breakdown.
- 28-35 questions with 80%+ accuracy need to be answered for the 90th percentile.
- The raw score for 90 percentile can vary between 62-77 based on the difficulty level of the paper or slot.
| Percentile | Raw score | Scaled score | Rank (Estimated) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 105-110 | 140-145 | Top 10-50 |
| 99-.9 | 95-104 | 125-139 | Top 300-600 |
| 99.5 | 85-94 | 115-125 | 1200-1600 |
| 99 | 72-84 | 98-14 | 3000-5000 |
| 95 | 50-54 | 75-85 | 12000-15000 |
| 90 | 40-43 | 60-70th | 25000-30000 |
| 85 | 35-38 | 53-58 | 45000-50000 |
| 80th | 32-35 | 48-52 | 60000-65000 |
| 70th | 18-31 | 42-46 | 80000-90000 |
| 60 | 24-27 | 37-41 | 110000-120000 |
| 50 | 20-23 | 32-36 | 140000-150000 |
| 40 | 15-18 | 26-31 | 175000-190000 |
| 30 | 12-14 | 20-25 | 210000-225000 |
| 20 | 8-11 | 14-19 | 240000-260000 |
| 10 | 5-7 | 9-13 | 275000-290000 |
| <5 | 0-4 | 0-8 | 290000-300000 |
Also Check
90 Marks in CAT Percentile: Check Expected Cutoff, Rank vs CollegeHow Many Questions to Attempt in CAT for 90 Percentile: Reddit
90 percentile might sound high score. But scoring 90 percentile is not as difficult as 95+ scores.
Raw score of 46 in 2023 was also grouped in scaled scores for 90 percentile.
- The above Reddit posts show the opinion and reflect the experience of getting 90 percentile is easy peasy.
- Also, the posts make it very clear that 100% accuracy in 16-20 questions is required.
- 28-35 questions with over 75% accuracy will also get 90 percentile.
- Not just preparation but also speed is equally important, and in-hall smart time allocation is a must to attempt the desired numbers.
Read more
CAT Score vs Percentile-Check Section-Wise Analysis last 5 years(2024-2020)| Year | Raw Score | Scaled score | Paper difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 47-48 | 46-47 | Easy-moderate (Tough VARC) |
| 2023 | 45-46 | 45 | Easy(Tough QA) |
| 2022 | 48-62 | 48-62 | Easy-moderate |
| 2021 | 60-62 | 60 | Moderate |
| 2020 | 60-63 | 60 | Moderate |
Questions to Attempt in the CAT Sectional Score for 90 percentile:
- VARC required 22-26 raw scores for the 90th percentile in the past five years
- The DILR section consistently needed a 15-23 raw score for the 90th percentile.
- QA cut-offs for the 90th percentile hovered between 13-18 marks.
- The figures below show the overall range, irrespective of slot difficulty.
- VARC has remained the strongest weightage required section over the years.
| Year | VARC Raw score | VARCScaled Score | DILRRaw score | DILRScaled Score | QARaw Score | QAScaled Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 23-26 | 23-25 | 21-23 | 21-22 | 16-18 | 16-17 |
| 2023 | 23-25 | 23.37 | 17-15 | 15 | 17-20 | 17 |
| 2022 | 24-26 | 24-26 | 15-17 | 17-22 | 14-17 | 17-19 |
| 2021 | 24-26 | 24-26 | 21-22 | 17-22 | 18-19 | 16-18 |
| 2020 | 24-26 | 27-31 | 23-26 | 22-23 | 14-17 | 17 |
How Many Questions to Attempt in CAT for 90 Percentile: Quora
- How many questions to attempt for 90 percentile in CAT is a common question of candidates aiming for top B-schools.
- As seen in the above Quora post, there is no fixed number of questions to get 90 percentile. The 90th percentile depends on relative performance and accuracy.
- Post 2020, the maximum score range is between 204-198, so 28-37 accurate answers are needed for 100 percentile.
- An accurate attempt of 28-35 questions with an accuracy rate of over 70%-85% is needed to hit the 90 percentile range in CAT 2025.
Also check
Download Free CAT Study Material PDF for VARC, DILR, and QuantHow many questions to attempt in CAT for 90 percentile
An accurate attempt of 28-35 questions with an accuracy rate of over 70 to 85% is needed to hit the 90 percentile range in CAT 2025.
| Section | Total Questions | Target attempts for 90 Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| VARC | 24 | 11-13 |
| DILR | 22 | 8-10 |
| QA | 22 | 10-12 |
| Total | 66 | 28-34 |
How many questions to attempt in CAT for the 100th percentile
| Section | Total Questions | Target attempts for 100 Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| VARC | 24 | 18-20 |
| DILR | 22 | 16-18 |
| QA | 22 | 17-18 |
| Total | 66 | 35-55 |
How many questions to attempt in CAT for 99 percentile
- Accurate attempts of 32 to 39 questions are required for 99 percentile.
- 70 to 75% of questions in all sections, with an overall 85 to 90% accuracy, will help in crossing 99 percentile.
| Section | Total Questions | Target attempts for 99 Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| VARC | 24 | 12-14 |
| DILR | 22 | 11-14 |
| QA | 22 | 10-14 |
| Total | 66 | 32-39 |
How many questions to attempt for 80 percentile
- Accurate attempts of 15-20 questions are required for 99 percentile.
- 70 to 75% of questions in all sections, with an overall 50 to 60% accuracy, will help in crossing 80 percentile.
| Section | Total Questions | Target attempts for 99 Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| VARC | 24 | 5-7 |
| DILR | 22 | 4-6 |
| QA | 22 | 5-7 |
| Total | 66 | 15-20 |
CAT Paper Pattern: How many Questions are in the CAT
Suppose you are aiming for 90 percentile and have doubts about how many questions to attempt in CAT for 90 percentile. In that case, you need to understand the CAT Paper Pattern like sectional distribution and types of questions to strategise your preparation.
- Strengthening core areas is the key to a high score.
- VARC generally has a larger number of questions, attempting maximum in the section accurately helps in scoring more.
- DILR and Quantitative Aptitude vary in difficulty but are predictable.
- TITA questions do not carry negative marking. If your aim is anything above 98 percentile, attempting all TITAs without mistakes is a must, and that takes smart preparation with CAT Previous year papers, CAT Mock Test, and regular practice.
Check
CAT Syllabus 2025- Download pdf for Quant, VARC and DILR with Topic Wise Weightage| Sections | Total Questions | MCQs | TITA | Time Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VARC | 24 | 18-19 | 5-6 | 40 minutes |
| DILR | 22 | 15-17 | 5-7 | 40 minutes |
| QA | 22 | 14-15 | 7-8 | 40 minutes |
| Total | 68 | 47-51 | 17-21 | 120 minutes |
Don’t miss
Preparation Tips to Score 90 Percentile
- If you are wondering how many questions to attempt in CAT for 90 percentile, you might be one of those aiming to get into top MBA colleges.
- It is not just 90 percentile you are aiming for, but the best college for your best professional journey.
- You need to have a strategic and smart study plan, along with knowing how many questions you need.
| Master the Foundation |
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| Section-wise approach |
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| Take mocks and analyze your scores |
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| Be aware of slot normalisation |
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| Revision and mental conditioning |
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| PYQs |
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Read More:
CAT 2025 BooksBest Books to follow to Score 90 Percentile in CAT
| Section | Book Title | Author/Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| VARC | Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT | Arun Sharma |
| DILR | Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning for CAT | Arun SharmaOr R. S. Aragwal |
| QA | Quantitative Aptitude for CAT | Arun SharmaOr R. S. Aragwal |
| CAT | PYQs and Mock | Oswaal |
How many questions to attempt in CAT for 90 percentile FAQs
How many questions to attempt in CAT for 90 percentile FAQs
Ques 1. Is it easy to score 90 percentile in CAT?
Ans. It is not easy to score 90 percentile in CAT. But, it is possible to score 90 percentile.
- Only the top 10% candidates manage to get into the top IIMs.
- Less than 0.1% secure seats in well-known B-Schools.
- CAT demands high accuracy.
- Not just the overall score, but the sectional score is also equally important.
- It requires not just management aptitude but also logical thinking, quantitative aptitude, and language proficiency in terms of comprehension and diction.
Ques. How many students get in the 90th percentile in CAT?
Ans. 90 percentile plainly says 10% of the overall candidates have scored better than 90% of the candidates.
- Consistently, 10% of overall test takers get 90 percentile.
- In 2024, out of 2.93 lakh test takers, 29300 got 90th percentile.
- Irrespective of the number of candidates, 10% will have the 90th percentile.
Ques. Is CAT MCQ-based?
Ans. No, CAT is not a completely MCQ-based test. CAT has both multiple-choice questions and TITA (Type In The Answer) style questions.
| Sections | Total Questions | MCQs | TITA | Time Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VARC | 24 | 18-19 | 5-6 | 40 minutes |
| DILR | 20-22 | 14-15 | 5-6 | 40 minutes |
| QA | 22 | 14-15 | 6-8 | 40 minutes |
| Total | 66 | 46-49 | 17-20 | 120 minutes |
Ques. Is the CAT score valid for 2 years?
Ans. No, the CAT score is valid for only one year.
- If you write CAT in 2025, then the result will be valid to take admission for the immediate academic year only.
- If you write CAT this year (2025), you can use the score to get admission in 2026-27.
- The score will be valid from January to December. You should get admitted by December.
Ques. Can we skip questions in CAT?
Ans. Yes, you can skip questions in CAT.
- If you are not sure about the answer, you can skip the question.
- There is no negative marking for unanswered questions.
- However, each section has a limited 40 minutes; to attempt or to skip or to revisit within a section, you need to do so during the allotted time for each section.
Ques. What percentile is 37 marks in CAT?
Ans. A raw score of 37 in the CAT can get an 80-90 percentile.
- A raw score of 37 can come in the scaled score of 37-42, depending on the difficulty level.
- 35-39 scores usually get candidates 80-85 percentile.
Ques. How many questions to one attempt in the CAT to get a good percentile?
Ans. A good percentile in CAT means 98+ percentile. This percentile gets candidates to IIMs.
- To get a 98+ percentile, one should attempt 40+ questions with 90-95% of accuracy.
- 36-39 questions with 90% accuracy can get 95+ percentile.
- An accurate attempt of 30+ questions with 95% accuracy will get a 95+ percentile.
Ques. Is a CAT very tough?
Ans. Yes, CAT is considered one of India's toughest entrance exams. Students with strong reasoning and quantitative aptitude generally find the CAT to be easy.
- It is the third most difficult exam in India.
- It has a tricky DILR and challenging VARC sections.
- CAT is also known for their time pressure and demand for accuracy.
- Cut-offs for IIM are also extremely high, which makes it further competitive.
- 2-3 lakh candidates compete for the top 2 percent to secure seats in IIMs.
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