Learn the difference between the CMAT score and percentile. Learn how your test score is translated into a percentile, which will help you understand your prospects in comparison to other test takers.
Table of Contents
The importance of understanding how to interpret both your CMAT score and percentile is twofold. Your CMAT score indicates how well you performed on the exam, and your percentile indicates your rank compared to other candidates who took the exam at the same time. Thus, converting your CMAT score into a percentile is very useful for understanding your relative performance among your peers.
CMAT Score (your raw score) is a score out of 400, whereas the Percentile tells you how well you scored compared to other test-takers (e.g. being in the 99th percentile means you did better than 99% of the people who took the same exam).
A higher CMAT score usually results in a higher percentile, but the value of a score fluctuates from year to year. Generally, scoring between 280 and 300+ places you in the range of 90-99 percentiles (for competitive B-schools), and scoring between 345 and 350 places you in the top percentile, or 100th percentile.
CMAT 2026 Score vs Percentile
To achieve a perfect 100 percentile, you typically need to score between 345 and 350. Using the CMAT score vs the percentile 2026, you may evaluate your overall performance and predict your projected cutoff.
|
CMAT Score Range out of 400 Maximum Marks |
CMAT Percentile Range |
|
345-350 |
100 |
|
281-340 |
90-99.99 |
|
201-280 |
81-89 |
|
171-200 |
71-80 |
|
141-170 |
61-70 |
|
116-140 |
51-60 |
|
Below 116 |
Below 51 |
Also Read: List of MBA Colleges Accepting 60 to 70 Percentile in CMAT 2025
What is the CMAT Score?
The CMAT score is the minimum qualifying mark required to apply to management institutes.
- The entire CMAT score is based on 400 marks.
- The CMAT scores are based on the number of correct and incorrect answers.
- Candidates must achieve the CMAT pass mark.
The CMAT score calculator makes it easier to measure your performance on the exam and understand how it relates to the CMAT score versus the percentile 2026. By entering expected scores, you may easily compare your performance to that of other test takers.
How to Calculate CMAT Score?
The CMAT exam format comprises 100 questions and 400 marks. The CMAT score vs. percentile 2026 marking methodologies are as follows.
+4 points for each correct answer.
Each wrong answer is worth one mark.
Unanswered questions do not count against your grade.
Steps for calculating the CMAT score vs percentile 2026 are explained below:
For example, suppose you attempted 95 questions, with 80 correct answers, 15 incorrect responses, and five unsolved questions.
Marks for Correct Answer: 80 x 4 = 320
Marks for incorrect answers: 15 x 1 = 12
Total CMAT score: 320 - 15 = 305.
Also Read: What to Do After CMAT Result 2026?
What is the CMAT Percentile?
CMAT percentile 2026 reveals how you stand in comparison to other entrance exam candidates.
A CMAT percentile in the 90th level indicates that you are in the top ten per cent of exam takers.
For example, if 10,000 students took the CMAT, a percentile of 90 would represent outranking 9,000 other candidates.
How to Calculate CMAT Percentile?
The CMAT score versus percentile 2026 for each of you is calculated using a method that takes into account the total number of candidates and your ranking. The CMAT 2026 score versus percentile calculator can be computed as follows:
For example, roughly 65,000 to 75,000 students take the CMAT 2026 exam.
The formula is: CMAT Percentile: 100 - (Candidate Rank ÷ Total Candidates × 100).
Assume a candidate's rank is 500 in an exam with 70,000 candidates.
CMAT Percentile = 100 minus (500 ÷ 70,000 × 100).
The CMAT percentile is 99.29%.
The percentile indicates that they outperformed around 99.29% of the exam participants.
Also Read: How to Calculate CMAT Percentile 2026? Formula, Steps
Factors Affecting CMAT Score vs Percentile
Various factors affect the CMAT score vs percentile.
- The percentile is not constant and changes annually based on factors such as exam difficulty, test takers, and available seats at participating institutes.
- However, the CMAT scorecard only provides raw scores and the All India Rank (AIR), not percentiles.
- The difficulty of the exam, the number of test takers, and the total number of seats available at participating institutes all influence the CMAT percentile.
- You can use the CMAT percentile predictor to assess your performance and calculate your expected cutoff.
Also Read: What is a Good Score in CMAT 2026?
Previous Years CMAT Score vs Percentile
Check out the CMAT score vs percentile for the previous year below.
CMAT Score vs Percentile 2025
The CMAT score vs percentile 2025 is given in the table below.
|
CMAT Percentile |
CMAT Score |
|
99.99 |
>340 |
|
99.5 |
300 |
|
99 |
270 |
|
95 |
245 |
|
90 |
205 |
|
85 |
190 |
|
80 |
180 |
CMAT Score vs Percentile 2024
The CMAT score vs percentile 2024 is given in the table.
|
CMAT Score Range |
CMAT Percentile Range |
|
345-350 |
100 |
|
281-340 |
90-99.99 |
|
201-280 |
81-89 |
|
171-200 |
71-80 |
|
141-170 |
61-70 |
|
116-140 |
51-60 |
|
Below 116 |
Below 51 |
CMAT Score vs Percentile 2023
The CMAT score vs percentile 2023 is given in the table below.
|
CMAT Score |
CMAT Percentile |
|
315 - 350 |
100 |
|
286 - 310 |
99.1 – 99.99 |
|
261 - 285 |
90 – 99 |
|
201 - 260 |
81 – 89 |
|
171 - 200 |
71 – 80 |
|
141 - 170 |
61 – 70 |
|
116 - 140 |
51 – 60 |
|
Below 116 |
Below 51 |
Also Read: MBA Colleges Accepting 50 to 60 Percentile in CMAT 2026
Conclusion
Your CMAT 2026 score out of 400 will represent your total score, and your CMAT 2026 percentile will indicate your position versus other examinees (e.g., if your CMAT 2026 score was in the 90% percentile, you scored higher than 90 % of all other examinees). Percentiles are derived from normalised CMAT 2026 scores between multiple testing windows. To achieve the highest possible score on a CMAT 2026 (i.e., 100% percentile), you would typically need a CMAT 2026 score of 345 - 360+.
A CMAT 2026 score of 281-340 would generally be between the 90% - 99.99% percentiles, and a CMAT score of 201-280 would typically be approximately 81% - 89% percentiles. The lower your CMAT 2026 score, the lower your CMAT 2026 percentile will be, thus showing your relative performance. Your CMAT percentiles are critical for admission into an MBA program, more so than your raw score.
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