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Can your CAT 40% marks = 99 percentile? The answer is no. A CAT score of 40% translates into 81-82 marks, which is not sufficient to get a 99 percentile. Though the candidate can expect a 98 percentile for scoring between 78-82 marks in the CAT exam and get top MBA colleges like DMS, IIT Delhi, and IIM Indore. The section-wise requirement for scoring the 99 percentile stands at 41 marks in VARC, 38 marks in DILR, and 33 marks in QA, while you need to score 36 marks in VARC, 34 marks in DILR, and 29 marks in QA for 40% marks, in turn, 98 percentile in the CAT. Keep reading for information on how to calculate the CAT score vs percentile, normalization process, and much more.
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You need slightly more marks than 40% to get a 99 percentile in the CAT examination. The 40% marks that translate into around 81-82 marks fetch you somewhere around 98 percentile as indicated in the table below. The table contains the expected 2025 percentile in slot 1, slot 2, and slot 3. Please refer to find your preferred score.
CAT Exam Slot 1 Percentile (Expected) | ||||
CAT Percentile 2025 | CAT VARC Score 2025 (Expected) | CAT DILR Score 2025 (Expected) | CAT QA Score 2025 (Expected) | CAT Overall Score 2025 (Expected) |
99 | 39-40 | 31-32 | 30-31 | 90 |
98 | 30-31 | 25-26 | 26-27 | 82 |
95 | 31-32 | 24-25 | 23-24 | 66 |
CAT Exam Slot 2 Percentile (Expected) | ||||
CAT Percentile 2025 | CAT VARC Score 2025 (Expected) | CAT DILR Score 2025 (Expected) | CAT QA Score 2025 (Expected) | CAT Overall Score 2025 (Expected) |
99 | 41-42 | 27-28 | 30-31 | 87 |
98 | 30-31 | 25-26 | 26-27 | 78 |
95 | 33-34 | 22-23 | 22-23 | 63 |
CAT Exam Slot 3 Percentile (Expected) | ||||
CAT Percentile 2025 | CAT VARC Score 2025 (Expected) | CAT DILR Score 2025 (Expected) | CAT QA Score 2025 (Expected) | CAT Overall Score 2025 (Expected) |
99 | 42-43 | 28-29 | 30-32 | 93 |
98 | 30-31 | 24-25 | 23-24 | 78 |
95 | 34-35 | 23-24 | 24-25 | 68 |
The CAT percentile is calculated based on the candidates’ scaled scores in the exam and represents the relative position of the candidates in the race for MBA admissions. The following points will brief you regarding the CAT raw score, scaled score, and CAT percentile.
CAT Raw Score: The CAT raw score is calculated based on the candidates’ answers in the response sheet. CAT raw scores are released along with the official answer key.
CAT Scaled Score: IIM calculates the CAT scaled score through the CAT normalization process to avoid potential biases and unfair advantages as a result of different slots. The CAT raw scores are normalized to calculate the CAT scaled scores.
CAT Percentile: In the end, the conducting authority calculates the candidates’ percentile using the percentile formula and scaled scores. This percentile decides an aspirant’s relative position to other candidates in the CAT exam.
Candidates who are calculating whether their CAT score of 80 marks falls into the desired 99 percentile need to check the section-wise breakdown as well. To check whether your score falls into 99 percentile or not, please refer to the table below.
CAT Percentile | VARC Score |
99 | 41 |
98 | 36 |
95 | 30 |
CAT Percentile | DILR Score |
99 | 38 |
98 | 34 |
95 | 27 |
CAT Percentile | QA Score |
99 | 33 |
98 | 29 |
95 | 22 |
To calculate if the 40% mark is equal to 99 percentile, one must know the CAT marking scheme and exam pattern. The following points mention the CAT marking scheme for you to better understand how to calculate the CAT percentile and score.
The CAT exam 2025 contains a total of 68 questions divided into three sections. Each questions carry 3 marks, making the CAT exam a maximum of 204 marks.
Candidates get 3 marks for every correct answer, while 1 mark is deducted for each incorrect response in the CAT exam. However, there’s no negative marking for type-in-the-answer questions.
CAT Sections | Number of MCQs | Number of TITA Questions | Total Number of CAT Questions | CAT Maximum Marks | Time Allotted (Section-wise) |
VARC | 22 | 2 | 24 | 72 | 40 minutes |
DILR | 12 | 10 | 22 | 66 | 40 minutes |
QA | 14 | 8 | 22 | 66 | 40 minutes |
Total | 48 | 20 | 68 | 204 | 120 minutes |
CAT Exam Percentile Vs Score 2023 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
CAT Percentile | CAT VARC Score | CAT DILR Score | CAT QA Score | CAT Overall Score |
99 | 39.70 | 27.39 | 28.18 | 76.02 |
98 | 35.88 | 24.58 | 24.31 | 66.68 |
95 | 28.68 | 19.60 | 19.68 | 54.86 |
CAT Exam Percentile Vs Score 2024 | ||||
CAT Percentile | CAT VARC Score | CAT DILR Score | CAT QA Score | CAT Overall Score |
99 | 41 | 38 | 33 | 96 |
98 | 36 | 34 | 29 | 85 |
95 | 30 | 27 | 22 | 70 |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, the 99 percentile is possible without maths, but you need to focus more on the VARC and DILR sections and attempt more questions from these sections. However, it is recommended to follow a balanced approach to get a good percentile score in the exam.
A 99 percentile means you have scored better than 99% of the aspirants. A candidate is expected to score 85-90 marks to get 99 percentile in the CAT exam.
Generally, a candidate scoring 40 marks in the CAT exam can expect a percentile of somewhere between 80. However, it largely depends on the number of candidates who appear for the exam and the difficulty level.
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