The difference between CAT score vs percentile is that the score is your raw marks, while the percentile is a relative ranking indicating how you performed compared to all other test-takers.
The CAT score is the scaled score which is based on your raw marks obtained in the CAT exam. The CAT percentile is a relative measure in terms of percentage on how you performed out of all the candidates taking the exam. For example, a 98% percentile would mean that you did better than 98% of the candidates taking the exam. It must not be confused with you scoring 98% in the examination.
You will be screened and shortlisted by the IIMs based on your CAT score and percentile for the selection process rounds. The details on the CAT percentile vs score has been detailed below for your convenience.
What is the CAT Percentile and CAT Score?
CAT Percentile is the percentage of test takers who scored less than you or the percentage of test takers with whom you have scored better. For example, if you get a CAT percentile of 99%, it means you did better than 99% of the total candidates who took the exam. This percentile is measured by the conducting authority to compare the scaled scores of all the candidates who took the exam.
However, CAT Score is the total raw score or the scaled score obtained by you. It is calculated simply by following the CAT marking scheme, where +3 is given for the correct answer and -1 is deducted for each incorrect answer.
Why is the CAT Score vs Percentile Important?
Calculating the CAT score and percentile is important. It is the metric that is used by the top B-schools to shortlist candidates and also check a candidate’s performance in comparison to all the others taking the exam.
What is the Raw CAT Score?
Raw CAT score is the normal score, which is calculated using the CAT marking scheme. That is, you get +3 for each correct answer and -1 for each incorrect answer. The final obtained marks will make up your CAT raw score. After this calculation, the raw score is then normalized because the difficulty level is different for all the slots.
Also Read: CAT Answer Key 2025: Release Date, How to Download, Get Link
CAT Section-wise Score vs Percentile
There are three sections in the CAT Exam, and the score vs percentile in CAT shall be different for all of them. The estimated percentile for each section of CAT paper has been tabulated below for your reference.
CAT VARC Score vs Percentile Estimates
|
Percentile |
VARC Score |
|
80.00 |
18.00 |
|
85.00 |
20.00 |
|
90.00 |
24.00 |
|
95.00 |
30.00 |
|
98.00 |
36.00 |
|
99.00 |
41.00 |
|
100.00 |
59.00 |
CAT DILR Score vs Percentile Estimates
|
Percentile |
DILR Score |
|
80.00 |
17.00 |
|
85.00 |
19.00 |
|
90.00 |
22.00 |
|
95.00 |
27.00 |
|
98.00 |
34.00 |
|
99.00 |
38.00 |
|
100.00 |
63.00 |
CAT QA Score vs Percentile Estimates
|
Percentile |
QA Score |
|
80.00 |
11.00 |
|
85.00 |
14.00 |
|
90.00 |
17.00 |
|
95.00 |
22.00 |
|
98.00 |
29.00 |
|
99.00 |
33.00 |
|
100.00 |
57.00 |
Last 5 Years of CAT Score and Percentile
You can also check the CAT previous 5 years of CAT score vs percentile marks in the sections below to check the changes marked every year.
CAT 2024 Score vs Percentile
|
Percentile |
Marks in 2024 |
|
99.9 |
123 |
|
99.5 |
104 |
|
99 |
96 |
|
97 |
79 |
|
95 |
70 |
|
90 |
58 |
|
80 |
44 |
CAT 2023 Score vs Percentile
|
Percentile |
Marks in 2023 |
|
99.9 |
101 |
|
99.5 |
84 |
|
99 |
76 |
|
97 |
61 |
|
95 |
54 |
|
90 |
44 |
|
80 |
35 |
CAT 2022 Score vs Percentile
|
Percentile |
Marks on 2022 |
|
99.9 |
109 |
|
99.5 |
92 |
|
99 |
84 |
|
97 |
72 |
|
95 |
62 |
|
90 |
49 |
|
80 |
36.02 |
CAT 2021 Score vs Percentile
|
Percentile |
Marks in 2021 |
|
99.9 |
124 |
|
99.5 |
110 |
|
99 |
98 |
|
97 |
82 |
|
95 |
73 |
|
90 |
60 |
|
80 |
45 |
CAT 2020 Score vs Percentile
|
Percentile |
Marks in 2020 |
|
99.9 |
130 |
|
99.5 |
115 |
|
99 |
101 |
|
97 |
85 |
|
95 |
76 |
|
90 |
63 |
|
80 |
48 |
Also Read: How to Tackle Non-MCQ Questions in CAT 2025?
How to Convert CAT Score to a Percentile?
It is very easy to convert your CAT raw score to percentile. The IIMs first normalize your score on account of the difficulty level of each session to create a CAT-scaled score. Then the percentile will be calculated by dividing the number of candidates who scored less than you by the total number of candidates who took the exam and then multiplying it by 100. Generally, the final obtained percentile is rounded to two decimal.
Also Read: Which IIM is best for CAT 2025 Aspirants?
Conclusion
The CAT score vs percentile will let you have an insight into the scores that must be obtained to achieve a set percentile. It is the minimum criteria followed by the IIMs and top MBA colleges to shortlist candidates. If you want to target a 99% in your CAT exam, then you must aim to achieve between 98-100.
