CAT Score Vs. Percentile 2023: Percentile Data and Insights

Common Admission Test (CAT) is a national-level management aptitude test the IIM conducts for admission to MBA courses offered by its 21 campuses. In addition, it is accepted by the country's premier B-Schools like FMS, SPJMIR, MDI, etc. CAT exam is conducted daily in three sessions at about 400 test centers in 150+ cities across India. CAT serves as a gateway to admission to top business schools. This article will provide the CAT Score Vs percentile 2023 examination data, an in-depth analysis of the exam syllabus and pattern, and key insights.

Check CAT 2024 Score vs Percentile Data Here

CAT 2025 is tentatively scheduled for November 30, 2025, the last Sunday of the month.

CAT Score Vs Percentile 2023: What is the CAT score?

The CAT (Common Admission Test) score is the raw score obtained by a candidate in each exam section. It is the sum of the marks acquired from correct answers, with deductions for incorrect answers. Students are awarded +3 for every correct answer, deducted with -1 for every wrong answer, and 0 for unattempted questions.

RTI Data 2024-26: What is the minimum CAT Percentile and Academics required for IIM-Bangalore?
RTI Data 2024-26: What is the minimum percentile who got into IIM-Indore?

CAT Score Vs Percentile 2023: What is the CAT Scaled Score?

The CAT scaled score is the adjusted score derived from the raw score through normalization. This process accounts for differences in difficulty levels across different test slots, ensuring fairness. Marks are added/deducted from a student's raw score, which varies between sections of the exam and the slot.

For reference, in CAT 2024, the first slot was on the easier side, and due to normalization, almost 4 marks were reduced from a student, whereas for the other slots, 3 marks were given.

Exam Pattern & Total Duration:

120 minutes (2 hours)
Each section is timed separately, with a duration of 40 minutes per section.

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 Percentile Explained:

A percentile is a metric used to assess the proportion of students in the merit list who rank above or below a specific individual. For example, achieving a score of 90 percentile on the CAT indicates that 90% of the test takers scored lower than you. Consequently, candidates with a percentile of 90 or higher are considered part of the top 10% among all the test takers.

CAT Score vs. Percentile 2023: How to Calculate the CAT Percentile

Before analyzing the CAT score versus percentile for 2023, candidates should understand the mathematical concept behind CAT percentiles. These percentiles, similar to those in other exams, indicate the number of individuals who have scored lower than you on the test. CAT marks versus percentile analysis helps determine your performance relative to other candidates. Here is the formula for calculating CAT percentiles in 2023:

Example Calculation: If a total of 300,000 students took the CAT exam and you achieved a rank of 6,000, your CAT percentile can be calculated using the following formula:

**Your CAT percentile = [1 - { 6000/300,000 }] * 100 = 98 Percentile**

CAT Marks Vs Percentile 2023: Percentile Vs Marks Distribution (CAT 2023) (Overall)

Percentile	Scaled Score
100	142.9
99.99	118.67
99.95	106.95
99.9	101.43
99.83	95.96
99.5	84.29
99.37	81.75
99	76.02
98.5	71.15
98.37	70.31
98	66.68
97.7	65.91
97	61.56
96.6	59.99
96	58.1
95.42	56.13
95	54.86
94	53.32
93	52.35
92.05	47.99
91	46.13
90	45.16
85	42.29
80	41.19
75	40.02

VARC SECTION- Scaled Score Vs Percentile

Percentile	Scaled Score
100	61.66
99.99	57.32
99.87	51.02
99.5	44
99.26	41.76
99	39.7
98.21	35.88
96.72	31.47
95	28.68
93.5	26.33
90	23.39
86.43	20.66
80	17.58
75	15.27
62.28	11.53

DILR SECTION- Scaled Score Vs Percentile

Percentile	Scaled Score
100	50.6
99.99	42.7
99.9	36.58
99.71	32.78
99.43	29.71
99.14	27.56
99	27.39
98.37	24.58
96.83	20.88
95.53	19.6
90	15.63
84.87	13.01
80	11.67
77.88	10.81
72.94	9.67

QA SECTION- Scaled Score vs Percentile

Percentile	Scaled Score
100	49.46
99.98	41.87
99.9	37.83
99.5	31.39
99	28.18
98.5	25.73
98	24.31
97.5	23.71
97	22.7
96.5	21.69
96	21.41
95.5	20.44
95	19.68
94	17.91
93.5	17.66
93	17.54
92.5	15
90	13.63
80	9.2

Quick Links:

Preparation Strategies and Time Table for CAT 2025
Free CAT Mock Test 2025
List of Books for the CAT Exam
Free online cat exam coaching by ARKSS

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 98-100:

- Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM Ahmedabad)

- Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM Bangalore)

- Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIM Calcutta)

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

- Indian Institute of Management Lucknow (IIM Lucknow)

- Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIM Kozhikode)

- Indian Institute of Management Indore (IIM Indore)

- If you have a percentile above 95:

- Indian Institute of Management Shillong (IIM Shillong)

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

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

- Management Development Institute, Gurgaon (MDI Gurgaon)

- Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT)

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

- Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi)

- Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad

- New IIMs (Udaipur, Ranchi, Raipur, Trichy, Rohtak)

If you have a percentile between 90 and 95

- Baby IIMs (Amritsar, BodhGaya, Nagpur, Sambalpur)

- Xavier Institute of Management (XIMB), Bhubaneswar

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

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

-International Management Institute (IMI), Delhi

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

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

- University Business School (UBS), Chandigarh

Note: This is not an exhaustive list, and you will find more info about colleges on the InsideIIM site.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What is the difference between CAT marks and percentile?

A: CAT marks are the raw scores a candidate achieves in the exam, calculated based on the number of correct and incorrect answers. The percentile, however, is a relative ranking that indicates the percentage of test-takers who scored lower than a particular candidate.

Q2) How many questions should I attempt in CAT to achieve a 99th percentile?

A: Question attempts depend on the difficulty level of the CAT exam. The 2023 paper was tougher and 99 percentile could be achieved with less correct attempts whereas CAT 2024 was comparatively easier, requiring more correct attempts.

Q3) How can I improve my CAT percentile?

A: To improve your CAT percentile, focus on strengthening your conceptual understanding, practicing with mock tests, analyzing your performance to identify weak areas, and managing your time efficiently during the exam. Revision, especially as the CAT exam approaches, is very important.

Q4) How do sectional scores determine my overall CAT percentile?

A: Sectional scores are crucial as most top B-Schools have sectional cut-offs that candidates must meet in addition to the overall cut-off. Strong performance in all sections is necessary to secure a high overall percentile and meet the criteria of top business schools.

Q5) How does the normalization process impact my CAT score?

A: The normalization process adjusts your raw score to account for varying difficulty levels across test slots. This ensures fairness, so candidates in an easier slot are not unfairly advantaged over those in a tougher slot.