A CAT score represents your actual marks in the exam, while a CAT percentile is calculated using a normalisation method that gives your rank relative to other candidates.

  • CAT Marks ( Score) are calculated using the CAT marking scheme (+3 for each correct answer, -1 for each incorrect multiple-choice question, and 0 for TITA or unattempted questions).
  • Your CAT score is then converted to a CAT scaled score using the slot normalisation process.
  • CAT Percentile shows the percentage of candidates who scored equal to or lower than you.
  • A 99 percentile means you performed better than 99% of the candidates who appeared for the exam.

Based on the previous year's trends and CAT 2025 analysis, the expected CAT Marks vs percentile 2026:

Percentile Approximate Overall Score (Range)
99.9+ percentile 110-115+ marks
99 percentile 80-86 marks
95 percentile 62-67 marks
90 percentile 51-54 marks
80 percentile 38-40 marks
Note: CAT 2026 is scheduled for November 29, 2026; its actual CAT Marks vs Percentile data is not available yet.

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CAT Marks vs Percentile

Table of Contents

  1. What Is the Difference Between CAT Marks and Percentile?
  2. How many marks for 99, 95 and 90 percentile in CAT?
  3. CAT Marks vs Percentile Last 5 Years (2021-2025)
  4. CAT Marks vs Percentile Section-Wise Analysis
  5. Minimum CAT Percentile for IIMs: Category-Wise
  6. How Is CAT Percentile Calculated?
  7. What Is a Good CAT Mark and Percentile?
  8. How Much Should You Score in CAT to Get into Top B-Schools?
  9. CAT Marks vs Percentile 2026 FAQs

What Is the Difference Between CAT Marks and Percentile?

CAT uses raw scores, scaled scores and percentiles for different purposes.

  • Raw marks are calculated from responses,
  • Scaled scores account for differences between exam slots, and
  • Percentiles reflect relative performance.

Therefore, the same raw score can correspond to different percentiles across CAT years and slots.

CAT Marks vs Percentile vs Scaled Score

Parameter CAT Raw Marks CAT Scaled Score CAT Percentile
Meaning Marks calculated from correct and incorrect answers Score adjusted through CAT's slot-normalisation process Relative performance compared with other candidates
Calculation Based on the marking scheme Based on raw scores and the applicable scaling methodology Based on the prescribed percentile calculation
Main purpose Measures performance on the questions attempted Makes scores from different slots more comparable Indicates how a candidate performed relative to others
Effect of slot difficulty Reflected in the initial score Accounts for slot-level differences through scaling May change with the scaled score distribution
Example 80 raw marks Depends on the official scaling process Depends on the candidate's relative performance
Where it is used Estimating performance before results Official CAT score calculation Admission eligibility and shortlisting, subject to institute criteria

Example: Same CAT Marks give different percentiles

CAT year Approximate score associated with 99 percentile
CAT 2023 76 marks
CAT 2024 95 marks
CAT 2025 84.8 marks

Check:

How many marks for 99, 95 and 90 percentile in CAT?

For CAT 2026, the marks required for 99, 95, and 90 percentile will depend on the exam’s difficulty level, slot-wise normalisation, and candidates’ overall performance.

  • For 99 percentile, the expected score range is 95-104 marks, compared with 84.8 in CAT 2025 and 95.13 in CAT 2024.
  • Candidates may need 60-74 marks to secure 95 percentile in CAT 2026, compared with 62.3 in CAT 2025 and 70 in CAT 2024.
  • The expected range is 45-59 marks for 90 percentile in CAT 2026, compared with 51.5 in CAT 2025 and 58 in CAT 2024. The 2025 percentile was approximately 11% lower than in 2024.
CAT Percentile Expected Score Range
99.9 percentile 115-125+ marks
99.5 percentile 105-114 marks
99 percentile 95-104 marks
97 percentile 75-94 marks
95 percentile 60-74 marks
90 percentile 45-59 marks
85 percentile 35-44 marks
80 percentile 25-34 marks

Source: CAT 2026 Score vs Percentile | How Many Marks for 99+, 95 & 90%ile?

Check:

70 Marks in CAT Percentile 60 Marks in CAT Percentile
37 Marks in CAT Percentile 80 Marks in CAT Percentile
40 Marks in CAT Percentile 30 Marks in CAT Percentile
10 Marks in CAT Percentile 90 Marks in CAT Percentile
50 Marks in CAT Percentile 75 Marks in CAT Percentile

Ques. How many marks are required for 99 percentile in CAT 2026?

Ans. Candidates may need approximately 95-104 marks to achieve the 99 percentile in CAT 2026, based on the expected score range. However, the actual requirement will depend on exam difficulty and slot-wise normalization.

Ques. How many marks are required for 90 percentile in CAT 2026?

Ans. Candidates may need around 45-59 marks for the 90 percentile in CAT 2026. This is an estimate, and the final marks-to-percentile conversion may vary depending on candidates’ performance and the difficulty of the exam.

CAT Marks vs Percentile Last 5 Years (2021-2025)

  • The marks required for 99 percentile fell from 98 in CAT 2021 to 76.15 in 2023, increased to 95 in 2024, and dropped to 84.8 in 2025.
  • For 95 percentile, the estimated score decreased from 73 in 2021 to 54.86 in 2023, increased to 70 in 2024, and fell to 62.3 in 2025.
  • For 90 percentile, the score dropped from 60 in 2021 to 44.36 in 2023, increased to 58 in 2024, and declined to 51.5 in 2025.
  • Overall, estimated marks for these percentiles were lower in CAT 2023, peaked in 2024, and fell by around 11% in 2025.
Percentile CAT 2021 CAT 2022 CAT 2023 CAT 2024 CAT 2025
99.9 124 109 101.43 127 111
99.5 110 92 84.29 104 93
99 98 84 76.15 95 84.8
97 82 72 61.45 78.9 70
95 73 62 54.86 70 62.3
90 60 49 44.36 58 51.5
80 45 36 35.5 44 38
CAT Marks vs Percentile Last 5 Years (2021-2025)

Source: KCC ITM and ExamCharcha

Also Check:

Ques. In which year were fewer marks required for 99 percentile in CAT between 2021 and 2025?

Ans. CAT 2023 had the lowest estimated score requirement among these years, at approximately 76 marks for the 99 percentile. The corresponding estimates were 98 in 2021, 84 in 2022, 95 in 2024, and 84.8 in 2025.

Ques. Why do CAT marks vs percentile figures change every year?

Ans. The score required for a percentile changes with the difficulty of the paper, candidate performance, and slot-wise normalization. Therefore, the same raw score may correspond to different percentiles in different years. Historical figures are estimates, not guaranteed conversions.

CAT Marks vs Percentile Section-Wise Analysis

  • In VARC, the estimated score for the 99 percentile was 43 marks, compared with 30 marks in DILR and QA.
  • Candidates targeting the 95 percentile needed approximately 32 marks in VARC and 23 marks each in DILR and QA, based on these estimates.
  • Sectional percentiles and overall percentiles are calculated separately, so candidates should assess each section independently rather than rely only on their total score.

VARC Score vs Percentile (Slot-wise)

Percentile Slot 1 Slot 2 Slot 3
99.9 51 52 53
99.5 45 45 46
99 40 40 41
98 34 34 35
95 30 32 32
90 24 25 25
85 20 21 21
80 18 18 18
VARC Score vs Percentile (Slot-wise)

DILR Score vs Percentile (Slot-wise)

Percentile Slot 1 Slot 2 Slot 3
99.9 46 42 44
99.5 39 35 37
99 34 30 32
98 31 27 29
95 26 23 24
90 19 17 18
85 15 13 15
80 13 11 12
DILR Score vs Percentile (Slot-wise)

QA Score vs Percentile (Slot-wise)

Percentile Slot 1 Slot 2 Slot 3
99.9 48 43 45
99.5 40 35 37
99 33 28 30
98 30 25 27
95 25 20 23
90 18 15 17
85 16 13 14
80 14 12 12
QA Score vs Percentile (Slot-wise)

Check:

How many questions should you attempt for each percentile?

  • Candidates targeting the 99+ percentile should aim for around 34-35 overall attempts, with 18-19 in VARC, 13-14 in DILR, and 12-13 in QA, while maintaining high accuracy.
  • For the 95-98.99 percentile, approximately 25-33 overall attempts may be a useful target, including 14-17 in VARC, 9-12 in DILR, and 8-11 in QA.
  • Candidates aiming for the 90-94.99 percentile can target 21-24 overall attempts, with 11-14 in VARC, 8-9 in DILR, and 7-8 in QA.
  • For the 85th percentile and above, the table suggests 18-21 overall attempts, including 9-10 in VARC and 5-6 in DILR; the QA attempt range is not specified.
Target Percentile Overall Attempts VARC DILR QA
100 55-56 23-24 21-22 21-22
99+ 34-35 18-19 13-14 12-13
95-98.99 25-33 14-17 9-12 8-11
90-94.99 21-24 11-14 8-9 7-8
85 and above 18-21 9-10 5-6 Not specified

Ques. How many questions should I attempt in CAT 2026 for the 99 percentile?

Ans. Candidates can target around 34-35 overall attempts for the 99+ percentile, including 18-19 questions in VARC, 13-14 in DILR, and 12-13 in QA. Accuracy is essential, as incorrect MCQ answers attract negative marking.

Ques. How many questions should I attempt in CAT 2026 for the 95 percentile?

Ans. Candidates targeting the 95-98.99 percentile can aim for approximately 25-33 overall attempts, including 14-17 in VARC, 9-12 in DILR, and 8-11 in QA. The actual percentile will depend on accuracy, exam difficulty, and slot-wise normalisation.

Minimum CAT Percentile for IIMs: Category-Wise

As per expert analysis, the minimum CAT percentile required for IIM admissions varies significantly based on both the candidate’s category and the type of IIM.

  • For General category students, top IIMs select candidates with 99–99.5 percentiles, while newer and Baby IIMs accept 94–97 and 90–94 percentiles.
  • EWS and OBC-NC students have lower cut-offs, around 95–97 and 90–94 percentiles for top IIMs.
  • SC/ST students need even lower scores, with SC at 80–85 and ST at 70–75 percentiles for top IIMs, and 60–70 percentiles for Baby IIMs.

Category-wise Minimum Percentile Cut-offs for IIMs

Category IIM Ahmedabad/Bangalore/Calcutta Newer IIMs (Top 7) Baby IIMs
General 99–99.5 94–97 90–94
EWS 95–97 90–93 85–90
OBC-NC 90–94 85–90 80–85
SC 80–85 70–80 60–70
ST 70–75 60–70 55–65

Check:

Ques. Is 104+ Marks Enough for 99.5 Percentile in CAT?

Ans. A score of 104 marks will be considered sufficient to achieve around 99.5 percentile in CAT, as per the score-percentile analysis of the past few years. However, this differs according to the difficulty level, slot normalisation, and scaled score.

Overall Marks Expected Percentile What It Means
108+ 99.7–100 Safe for IIM A/B/C calls
104–108 99.4–99.6 Strong shortlisting band
100–104 99.2–99.4 Competitive but sensitive to scaling

Ques. Do CAT Sectional Scores Impact Percentile?

Ans. Yes, sectional percentiles impact the overall percentiles and are important for admission shortlisting. By scoring an overall score of 99+, by failing to meet the sectional cutoff of 80 to 90 percentile, or by disqualifying them from the Top IIMs criteria.

Section Score for 99 Percentile Score for 95 Percentile
VARC 45–48 37–40
DILR 34–36 27–30
QA 30–33 22–25

How Is CAT Percentile Calculated?

CAT percentile shows a candidate’s relative performance compared with other candidates who appeared for the exam. It does not represent the percentage of marks scored.

For example, a 99 percentile means the candidate performed better than approximately 99% of test-takers, subject to CAT’s ranking and tie-handling methodology.

For more details, check: CAT Score Calculation 2026: +3/-1 Marking Scheme, Normalisation Formula and Score vs Percentile

What Is a Good CAT Mark and Percentile?

A good CAT score depends on the MBA college a candidate is targeting, their category, sectional performance, and admission profile. A high percentile can improve shortlisting chances, but it does not guarantee an IIM interview call or admission.

CAT Percentile Approximate Score Benchmark What It May Indicate
99+ 85+ marks Strong performance for highly competitive MBA programmes
95–98.99 62–84 marks Competitive performance for several management institutes
90–94.99 51–61 marks May meet some institutes’ overall shortlisting thresholds
80–89.99 38–50 marks Opportunities depend strongly on institute and candidate profile
Below 80 Below 38 marks Options depend on college cut-offs, category and other criteria

Score benchmarks are approximate references based on the supplied CAT 2025 estimates, not guaranteed CAT 2026 conversions.

For example, IIM Indore’s published PGP admission procedure lists an overall CAT percentile threshold of 90 for General and EWS candidates, with sectional thresholds of 80 in VARC, DILR and QA. These are eligibility thresholds for further consideration, not guaranteed interview or admission scores.

Ques. Is 90 percentile a good score in CAT?

Ans. A 90 percentile can meet the published initial threshold at some institutes, but admission depends on sectional performance, category, academics and each institute’s selection policy.

Ques. Is 99 percentile enough to get into an IIM?

Ans. Not necessarily. IIMs use different selection criteria, and some consider academic marks, work experience, diversity factors, interviews and other components alongside CAT performance

How Much Should You Score in CAT to Get into Top B-Schools?

To get admission in top institutes like IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, FMS Delhi, IIFT, and SPJIMR.

  • To get around 99 to 99.5th percentile, you will require around 95 to 104 marks, whereas the safe score will vary according to your category, performance in the program, and sectional performance.
  • A balanced performance in VARC, DILR, and QA is required for top colleges will shortlist the candidates after they clear the sectional cutoffs along with an overall competitive percentile.
College / B-School Safe Score Target (Scaled Marks) Expected Percentile Insights
IIM Ahmedabad 99–104 99.5–100 High focus on academic diversity & sectional balance
IIM Bangalore 98–103 99.5–100 Strong profile evaluation component
IIM Calcutta 96–102 99.3–99.8 QA usually heavier weightage historically
IIM Lucknow 90–96 98–99 Strong quant + diversity advantage
IIM Kozhikode 87–93 97.5–98.5 High shortlist tolerance for top-scoring males/non-engg
FMS Delhi 94–100 99–99.5 Highest ROI + sectional performance critical
SPJIMR Mumbai 85–92 97–98 Profile-based shortlist before score-based
MDI Gurgaon 80–85 96–97 Greater importance to the overall percentile
IIM Mumbai 78–84 96–97 Strong preference for engineers
IIFT Delhi 72–78 94–95 Quant score tends to drive the percentile more
IMT Ghaziabad 64–70 92–93 Balanced selection factors
XIMB Bhubaneswar 60–65 90–91 VARC heavy selection trend
How Much Should You Score in CAT to Get into Top B-Schools?

Check:

CAT Marks vs Percentile 2026 FAQs

Ques. Is 72 a good score in CAT?

Ans. Yes, 72 marks can be a competitive CAT score and may help candidates target a high percentile. The actual percentile depends on exam difficulty, slot-wise normalization, and overall candidate performance.

Ques. What percentile is 29 marks in CAT?

Ans. A score of 29 marks may correspond to approximately the 70–75 percentile based on indicative score estimates. The actual percentile can vary each year.

Ques. What percentile is 50 marks in CAT?

Ans. A score of 50 marks may correspond to approximately the 90 percentile, based on recent CAT score estimates. The final percentile depends on the exam's difficulty and normalization.

Ques. What percentile is 40 marks in CAT?

Ans. A score of 40 marks may correspond to approximately the 80–85 percentile, although the conversion can change with the difficulty of the paper.

Ques. Is 140 a good score in CAT?

Ans. Yes, 140 marks would be an exceptionally high score in CAT and could correspond to a percentile close to 99.9 or higher, depending on the maximum marks and exam-year performance.

Ques. Is CAT tougher than JEE?

Ans. CAT and JEE test different skills. CAT focuses on verbal ability, logical reasoning, data interpretation, and quantitative aptitude, while JEE tests Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. Difficulty depends on a candidate's strengths and preparation.

Ques. Is 60 percentile good in CAT?

Ans. A 60 percentile means a candidate performed better than approximately 60% of test-takers. It may limit options at highly competitive MBA institutes, but some colleges may accept candidates at this level.

Ques. Is 85 percentile easy to achieve in CAT?

Ans. An 85 percentile is achievable with consistent preparation, strong accuracy, and effective time management, but it is not guaranteed. Candidates should practise mock tests and analyse their performance across all three sections.

Ques. What percentile is 21 marks in CAT?

Ans. A score of 21 marks may correspond to approximately the 55–60 percentile based on indicative estimates. The actual percentile depends on the exam year and candidate score distribution.

Ques. Are 120 marks good in CAT?

Ans. Yes, 120 marks would generally be considered a very strong CAT score and could place a candidate among the highest-performing test-takers. The exact percentile depends on the exam's maximum marks, difficulty, and normalization.