What Marks Does CAT AIR 1 Require? Marks Revealed

CAT is an extremely competitive MBA exam in India, with only an average of 14-15 candidates who score 100 percentile every year out of 2.5 to 3 lakh candidates who attend the exam.

To get an AIR 1 in CAT, you need 100 percentile, which typically requires scoring 100-120 overall marks out of 204, with high sectional scores depending on the difficulty of the paper.

While exact marks may vary yearly, achieving AIR 1 puts you in the top 1% and secures admission to premier IIMs.

• Based on the previous year’s trends and analysis of the exam paper, it is expected that a score of 115-120 may get AIR 1 with 100 percentile, while 100-106 may get 99.9 percentile in CAT 2025.
• In CAT 2024, a score of 151 resulted in AIR 1 with 100 percentile, and approximately 127 marks resulted in 99.9 percentile.

“The 100 percentile is derived by performing a round figure for the third place decimal. If a candidate's score is 99.998, it will round to 100%, Similarly, if the score is 99.995, it will also round to 100%. Based on this mathematical rounding, you can expect to find one 100 percentile scorer for every 20,000 candidates”, says an expert from Supergrad CAT.

Also Read:

• Check the CAT results expected dates and the direct link to the CAT 2025 scorecard
• Check the CAT cutoff of top IIMs and their sectional cutoffs

Expected AIR 1 Marks in CAT 2025

• CAT AIR 1 typically requires near-perfect scores, with past trends and 2025 slot predictions, pointing to 110-120 marks for 99.5+ percentile, making it AIR 1.
• Slot 1 estimates suggest that 115+ for the top AIR 1 rank, slot 2 around 112+, and slot 3 slightly lower at 110+ due to normalisation.

Also Read:

Check the Previous year’s CAT Toppers list and their CAT percentiles

Ques. Do AIR 1 scorers need a 99+ percentile in all sections?

Check Out: Minimum vs actual CAT 2025 cutoff for general category students in IIMs

CAT 2024 AIR 1: Toppers' Performance

CAT 2024 was considerably easier than the past year’s papers, increasing the marks needed to get AIR 1 compared to previous years.

• In CAT 2024, an overall score of 151 was needed to get a 100 percentile with approximately 59 in VARC, 63 in DILR, and 57 in QA.
• Marks around 127 resulted in 99.9 percentile with approximated marks around 45-55 across sections.

CAT Score Historical Trends for AIR 1 (100 Percentile)

The score required for AIR varies significantly based on the number of candidates and the difficulty level of the exam.

Getting a 100 percentile in CAT 2024 required 151-153 marks, an increase from 2023's 142-144 marks, mostly because the 2024 test was easier than the 2023 test.

Also Read: 99.9 percentile in CAT 2025? slot-wise scores are revealed

What CAT AIR 1 Means for Admissions

Achieving AIR 1 in CAT opens doors to India’s premier IIMs, guaranteeing you calls from top IIMs. Some IIMs like IIM Lucknow, Calcutta, and Ahmedabad shortlist 100 percentiler even the your graduation marks are not good.

“If you have 100 percentile in CAT, even if you have poor marks in 10th or 12th, there is a guarantee that you are going to get a call from IIM Ahmedabad”, says Rahul Singh from CATKing.

Also Read:

• Evaluating criteria and preparation strategy for WAT in IIMs
• Preparation tips to ace a Personal Interview in IIMs

Ques. How does the CAT weightage work for IIM calls for AIR 1?

Achieving AIR 1 with a perfect 100th percentile is a remarkable achievement that requires dedication and strategic preparation. Typical marks needed for AIR 1 are around 110-120 marks, but they greatly vary each year.