CAT Score vs Percentile 2026: Check Expected Marks vs 99, 95, 90 Percentile

What is CAT Score vs Percentile 2026 ?

CAT 2026 score vs percentile explains how a candidate's raw or scaled marks in the CAT exam convert into a percentile, which indicates their relative performance among all test-takers. Let us understand what is CAT score and percentile 2026 mean for a better understanding.

• CAT 2026 Score: The marks you obtain will be based on correct answers, where you will be awarded +3 marks and in case of incorrect answer -1 mark will be deducted across Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (QA) sections. After the normalisation process, it will become scaled score.
• CAT 2026 Percentile: Shows the percentage of the candidates who scored less than or equal to you. A candidate with 95 percentile mean that you performed better than 95% of test-takers.

CAT 2026 Score Vs Percentile (All Slots): Expected

Check Out: CAT 2025 Score vs Percentile vs Colleges | CAT 2025 cut off IIM ABC | Expected IIM Ahmedabad Composite Score 2026 

CAT 2026 Score vs Percentile - Key Differences

To be able to understand this topic, you must understand every term about the CAT 2026 exam properly. One must understand that the CAT score 2026 refers to the total mark obtained in the exam based on the CAT 2026 marking scheme, whereas the CAT 2026 percentile is the relative ranking received by the candidate among all the test takers. Check out the following table, which mentions the difference between the two.

How to Convert CAT 2026 Score into CAT Percentile 2026?

The conversion of the CAT 2026 score to the percentile involves three stages. Firstly, the CAT raw score 2026 is calculated on the basis of candidates' performance. After that, the CAT raw score is normalised to get the candidate's scaled score, and then the scaled score determines the CAT percentile. The CAT 2026 scorecard does not show the raw score; it only mentions the CAT scaled score and percentile for each section, along with the overall CAT score.

1. CAT 2026 raw score- The CAT raw score is calculated manually through individual CAT response sheets, which are released along with the CAT official answer key.
2. Conversion of raw score to CAT 2026 scaled score- As there are 3 slots in the CAT 2026 exam, the difficulty level of all of the CAT slots might be different. Because of this, the CAT raw score undergoes a normalisation process to determine the CAT scaled score.
3. Conversion of scaled score to CAT 2026 percentile- The CAT scaled score 2026 of the candidates will be determined to provide relative data as to how ahead a particular CAT aspirant is as compared to other test takers.

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How to Calculate CAT Score 2026: Methodology

To calculate the CAT 2026 score, candidates can follow the process. Also, you can use the CAT score calculator tool to calculate your CAT score.

• For MCQs: CAT Raw Score -3 x (Number of correct answers) – 1 x (number of wrong answers)
• For Non-MCQs: CAT Raw Score- 3 x (Number of correct answers)
• Final Raw Score: CAT raw score for MCQ+ CAT raw score for non-MCQ

Note that due to negative marking, wrong attempts lead to a deduction of marks from the total.

How is CAT 2026 Percentile Calculated?

The CAT 2026 percentile will be calculated based on the scaled score of each section from which questions are asked as well as the overall scaled score. CAT result 2026 will indicate the CAT sectional score as well as the overall scaled score and the CAT percentile of candidates.

Now let us take an example and understand how is CAT percentile is calculated. Here the VARC section is just taken as an example with regard to the calculation of percentile.

Step 1: The first step is calculating the total number of candidates (N) who are likely to appear for the IIM Entrance Exam, in both sessions, i.e. in the forenoon and afternoon session.

Step 2: Allot Rank (r) based on the scaled score obtained in the VARC section to all the candidates who appeared in the CAT. If two or more candidates score the same marks in the section, then assign identical ranks to the candidates.

Step 3: Calculate the percentile score (P) of a candidate with rank (r) in the VARC section as:

Step 4: Now, round off the calculated percentile score (P) of a candidate up to two decimal points only. For example, all percentile scores greater than or equal to 89.995 are rounded off to 90

Follow the same methodology for computing the overall CAT percentile scores and for the percentile scores of other sections. Also, you can use the CAT 2026 percentile calculator tool to calculate your CAT percentile.

How to Compute CAT 2026 Percentile?

The final CAT 2026 scorecard will display the percentile secured by each candidate. All must know that the CAT percentile scores are calculated by the IIMs, taking into account the total number of candidates who took the exam and each candidate's scaled CAT score.

The formula for calculating the CAT exam percentile is as follows:

• P: Candidate's CAT percentile

• R: Rank which has been assigned to the candidate based on the CAT scaled score.

• N: Total number of candidates who appeared for the CAT 2026 exam.

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How CAT Composite Score is Considered to Determine CAT Scores Vs Percentile?

CAT composite scores of each candidate are calculated based on the following parameters.

• CAT score (scaled)

• Class 10 marks

• Class 12 marks

• Graduation score

• Work experience

• Gender diversity

• Academic diversity

Here is the formula for calculating the CAT composite score.

CAT Score vs Percentile of the Previous Years 

One of the IIM will conduct the CAT 2026 exam on November 29, 2026 in CBT mode. Check out this CAT 2026 score vs percentile slot-wise table, where we have listed the CAT marks vs percentile 2026 (expected). 

CAT Score Vs Percentile 2025: Slot-Wise