The Common Admission Test (CAT) is one of India's most prominent and highly competitive entrance exams for admission into postgraduate management programs. It is conducted annually by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). CAT serves as a gateway to prestigious management institutes across the country, including the IIMs and numerous other renowned business schools.

The CAT exam assesses candidates' aptitude in various areas such as Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA).

This article will analyze the Score Vs percentile in the CAT examination for the past year.

CAT Score Vs Percentile 2022: What is CAT Score?

Prior to delving into the analysis of the CAT score versus percentile in 2022, let's grasp the concept of the CAT score. It refers to the cumulative marks obtained by a student in the CAT exam, taking into account the designated marking scheme. Essentially, the CAT score represents the sum of marks obtained by a candidate across all three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) (24 questions), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) (20 questions), and Quantitative Ability (QA) (22 questions). The CAT raw score is the basis for the subsequent analysis of CAT marks versus percentile. The CAT exam awards 3 marks for every correct answer and deducts 1 mark for every incorrect answer. There is no penalty for an unattended question. Moreover, for every incorrect answer for a NON-MCQ question, there is no penalty.

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 CAT Score Vs Percentile 2022: How to calculate the CAT Score?

It is crucial to comprehend the calculation method for the CAT score.

Candidates can utilize the following steps to determine their CAT score:

1. Firstly, count the number of correct answers marked in the CAT exam and multiply each by 3 (as three marks are allotted for each correct answer).
2. Next, calculate the number of incorrect answers and subtract that total from the product of the total number of correct answers multiplied by 3.
3. Do not account for the unattempted questions.
4. The resultant value will represent your CAT score.

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CAT Score Vs Percentile 2022: What is the CAT scaled score?

The CAT exam is conducted in multiple sessions, typically two or three. As the question papers differ slightly between sessions, a normalized process is used to create a scaled score. This ensures fairness and equality when comparing performance. The scaled score may vary from the raw score in various ways depending on the difficulty of each section.

Quick Links:

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Section Wise Questions Distribution and Marks

Section	Number of Questions	Time Allotted (In Minutes)	Marks (+3 for every correct answer and -1 for every incorrect answer)
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)	24	40	72
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)	20	40	60
Quantitative Aptitude (QA)	22	40	66

 

CAT Score Vs Percentile 2022: What is CAT Percentile?

A percentile is a metric utilized to assess the proportion of students in the merit list who rank above or below a specific individual. For instance, achieving a score of 80 percentile on the CAT indicates that 80% of the test takers obtained lower scores than you. Consequently, candidates with a percentile of 80 or higher can be considered part of the top 20 % among all the test takers.

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CAT Score Vs Percentile 2022: How to calculate the CAT percentile?

Prior to conducting the analysis of CAT score versus percentile in 2023, candidates should grasp the underlying mathematical concept of CAT percentiles. CAT percentiles function in a similar manner to percentiles in other exams. They serve as an indication of the number of individuals who have achieved lower scores than you on the test. Essentially, the CAT marks versus percentile analysis enable us to determine our performance relative to other candidates. Here is the formula for calculating CAT percentiles in 2023:

CAT Percentile = (1 - All India Rank / Total Candidates in the Exam) * 100%.

An Example: If a total of 250,000 students took the CAT exam and you achieved a rank of 4,000, your CAT percentile can be calculated using the following formula:

Your CAT percentile = [1 - { 4000/2,50,000 }] * 100 = 98.4 Percentile 

Percentile Vs Marks Distribution (CAT 2022) (Overall)

InsideIIM has conducted comprehensive data research to compile an extensive analysis of overall scores versus percentiles for the year 2022. The following table compares the score and percentile for CAT 2022.

Score	Percentile
145.83	100
114.15	99.93
109.9	99.9
104.28	99.81
92.87	99.5
90.49	99.41
87.2	99.25
84.33	99.05
83.64	99
73.88	98
72.07	97
65.4	96.5
59.75	95
53	93
49.2	90.4
48.44	90
45.7	88
42	86
41.32	85

 

VARC SECTION - Score VS Percentile

The following table compares the score and percentile for the VARC section for CAT 2022.

Score	Percentile
57	100
48	99.8+
43	99.5
40	99+
35	98
29	95
24	90
22	85
16	75
12	65

 

DILR Section - Score VS Percentile

The following table compares the score and percentile for the DILR section for CAT 2022.

Score	Percentile
48	100
39	99.9
34	99.7
29	99
27	98
19	95
16	90
14	85
10	75
7	65

 

QA Section - Score VS Percentile

The following table compares the score and percentile for the QA section for CAT 2022.

Score	Percentile
57	100
47	99.9
43	99.8
33	99
29	98
22	95
17	90
14	85
11	75
8	65

 

TOP MBA Colleges to Target Based on CAT Percentile

Here are the MBA colleges to target based on the percentile range:

- If you have a percentile between 90-100:

  - Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM Ahmedabad)

  - Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM Bangalore)

  - Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIM Calcutta)

  - Indian Institute of Management Lucknow (IIM Lucknow)

  - Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIM Kozhikode)

  - Indian Institute of Management Indore (IIM Indore)

  - Indian Institute of Management Shillong (IIM Shillong)

  - Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi (FMS Delhi)

  - SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai (SPJIMR Mumbai)

  - National Institute of Industrial Engineering, Mumbai (NITIE Mumbai)

  - Management Development Institute, Gurgaon (MDI Gurgaon)

  - Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management, IIT Bombay (SJMSOM IIT Bombay)

- Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad 

- CAP IIMs (Udaipur, Ranchi, Raipur, Trichy, Rohtak

If you have a percentile between 80 and 90

- Fore School of Management (FSM), Delhi

  - Goa Institute of Management (GIM)

  - Great Lakes Institute of Management (GLIM), Chennai

  - Vinod Gupta School of Management (VGSoM), IIT Kharagpur

  - Department of Industrial and Management Engineering (IME), IIT Kanpur

  -International Management Institute (IMI), Delhi

  - LalBahadurShastri Institute of Management (LBSIM), New Delhi

  - T.A. Pai Management Institute (TAPMI), Manipal

  - University Business School (UBS), Chandigarh

  - Xavier Institute of Management (XIMB), Bhubaneswar

Note: The above list is not exhaustive, and there are several other reputed management institutes that consider CAT scores for admissions.

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Expected CAT qualifying Cutoffs - 2024

These projected qualifying cutoffs for admissions in 2024 are based on data analysis conducted by InsideIIM.

IIM	Qualifying CAT Cut-Off
IIM Lucknow	90
IIM Ahmedabad	85
IIM Bangalore	85
IIM Calcutta	85
IIM Lucknow	90
IIM Indore	90
IIM Kozhikode	85
IIM Amritsar	90
IIM Nagpur	85
IIM Sambalpur	92
IIM Trichy	92
IIM Raipur	92
IIM Ranchi	92
IIM Kashipur	92
IIM Vizag	80
IIM Udaipur	92
IIM Bodhgaya	80
IIM Shillong	75
IIM Sirmaur	92
IIM Rohtak	95
IIM Jammu	80

 

# Please note that these are the minimum qualifying cutoffs and the actual call may be expected at a higher percentile.

 

Some Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the distinction between the CAT score and the CAT percentile?

A: The CAT score refers to the total marks obtained by a student in the CAT exam. On the other hand, the CAT percentile represents the candidate's rank among all the test takers. For admission purposes, the CAT percentile is the metric that is primarily considered.

Q: What are the key factors considered in calculating the CAT percentile?

A: When calculating the CAT percentile, several important factors are taken into account. These factors include the difficulty level of the exam (which is used to normalize raw scores), the raw CAT score obtained by the candidate, and the total number of candidates who appeared for the test.

Q: How challenging is it to achieve a 99 percentile in the CAT exam?

A: With over 2 lakh students appearing for the CAT exam each year, scoring a 99 percentile can be quite challenging. However, it is not impossible. If you dedicate yourself to studying for approximately six to nine months with full commitment, you too can aim for a 99 percentile. It is important to note that you should strive to answer at least 28 of the total questions correctly to have a chance at scoring a 99 percentile. The section-wise targets for a 99 percentile should be attempting approximately 50% of the number of questions in each section.

Q: How many questions should I attempt in CAT to achieve a 99 percentile?

A: The number of questions you need to attempt to achieve a 99 percentile in CAT will vary depending on the difficulty level of the exam slot. Based on our analysis of the CAT 2022 score versus percentile, if you were to attempt 28 questions correctly with no negative marking, you would have likely achieved a 99 percentile.