CAT Normalization Process 2025 Explained: Percentile, Scaled Score & Composite Score Calculation

CAT Normalisation Process 2025

Recently, candidates in the CAT 2025 exam slot 1 got a difficult question paper relative to the CAT 2025 exam slot 3 and slot 2. Due to this reason, IIMs adopt a CAT normalisation process before releasing to ensure that no candidate faces discrimination in the final CAT scores in the CAT 2025 result. This process of score normalisation is meant to ensure rationality and veracity in the performance of candidates in the CAT exam. Read the complete article to know more about the CAT normalisation process 2025.

What is the CAT Normalisation Process 2025?

The entrance exam for CAT 2025 is conducted in a computer-based mode. To avoid any kind of discrimination in CAT results, the Indian Institute of Management follows the process of normalisation for CAT 2025, which changes scale differences of score distributions across different forms.

The normalisation process of CAT 2025 will be followed as an established practice that will compare the scores of candidates across different/various forms. The main purpose of the CAT 2025 normalisation process will be that none of the candidates from either of the slots/ shifts get undue advantages or face disadvantages.

The scaled score in CAT is then converted into the CAT percentile. The candidates who get shortlisted (based on CAT percentile) have to appear for the selection process of IIMs, which includes a Written Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussion (GD), and Personal Interview (PI) rounds.

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CAT Normalisation Process 2025: How is it Conducted

The first normalisation process of CAT 2025 will initially be applied to different forms, and then the CAT scores will be further normalised across different sections. The normalisation process has become a common trend and is widely used for almost all MBA entrance exams, which are conducted in different slots/ shifts. The CAT normalisation process 2025 will be conducted in two steps:

• In the first step, IIMs adjust the exam scores for scale differences of distribution of the CAT scores in different forms.
• In the second step, scores of different sections are normalised.

Scaled Normalised Marks: Calculation of CAT Scaled Scores

Complete details related to sectional scores and overall scaled scores will be mentioned in the results of CAT 2025. The steps will be followed by IIM in CAT result 2025, to calculate the normalised overall score in CAT for each section. Let us look at an example of how the scaled score is calculated for CAT 2025 and the normalisation formula.

Step 1: First the mean & standard deviation (SD) will be calculated of the raw scores in the DILR section for all candidates who will appear in the morning shift

• Let Mean = M1
• Let SD = S1

• Hence, G1 = M1 + S1

Step 2: Similarly, the mean and the standard deviation (SD) of the candidates who will appear in the afternoon shift will be calculated from the raw scores in the same DILR section for all candidates.

• Let Mean = M2
• Let SD = S2
• Hence, G2 = M2 + S2

Step 3: Now, calculate the mean and the standard deviation (SD) of the raw scores in the DILR section for all candidates appearing in both morning and afternoon shifts.

• Let Mean be M
• The standard Deviation be S
• Therefore, G = M + S

Step 4: Calculate the mean raw score in the DILR section of the top 0.1% of candidates who will appear in the first-morning shift. Denote the same by ?1 0.1

Step 5: Similarly, For the top 0.1% of candidates of the afternoon shift, calculate the mean raw score in the DILR section. Denote it by ?2 0.1

Step 6: Now For the top 0.1% of candidates who will appear in CAT 2025 for both morning and afternoon shifts, calculate the mean raw score in the DILR section. Denote the same by ?0.1.

A similar technique will be followed to calculate the scaled score of all three sections. i.e. Total scaled score = Sum of scaled scores of DILR, VARC, QA

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CAT Composite Score Formula

The composite score in the Common Admission Test (CAT) is calculated by adding the normalised scores of each CAT section. The formula for calculating the CAT composite score is: Composite Score = Normalised Score (VARC) + Normalised Score (LRDI) + Normalised Score (Quant). The CAT composite score is then used to determine the CAT percentile rank of the candidate, which is the basis for shortlisting candidates for the further round of the MBA admission process.

How CAT exam score normalised, and the composite score calculated?

The CAT 2025 composite score of each candidate is arrived at by calculating their points based on the following parameters.

• CAT 2025 scaled score
• Class 10th and 12th marks
• Graduation score
• Work experience
• Diversity (Gender)
• Diversity (Academic)

Check out the process of CAT composite score calculation for the shortlisting of students for the WAT-PI process by IIM Lucknow. The IIM L admission policy 2025 based on CAT 2025 will be announced soon on the official website.

How to Calculate CAT Percentile 2025?

IIM releases the percentile calculation method of CAT. The rank obtained by a candidate will be termed as CAT percentile 2025. Based on the scaled score, the percentile of CAT 2025 will be calculated. Candidates must understand how their CAT percentile 2025 will be calculated and ranks will be allotted to them through CAT 2025 score predictor and normalisation.

A higher rank will be provided to those candidates who score more marks in all sections. If two candidates score similar marks in the VARC section, then in such case both of them will be given Rank 1. The CAT 2025 percentile score will be calculated based on a defined formula. After the normalization formula is implemented, there will be a need to round off the calculated percentile score (P) of a candidate up to two decimal points.

The following steps will be used with regard to the calculation of the CAT 2025 percentile. For example, the QA section is chosen to know how the CAT percentile is calculated and a similar process will apply to other sections as well.

Step 1: Calculate the total number of candidates (N) who appeared for CAT 2025 (i.e. including morning, afternoon, and evening sessions).

Step 2: Assign a rank (r), based on the scaled scores obtained in the QA section, to all candidates who appeared for the CAT exam 2025. If two or more candidates get identical scaled scores in the QA section, then the same rank will be awarded to all those candidates.

As an example, suppose two candidates obtain the highest scaled score in the QA section, then both of those candidates are assigned a rank of 1. Moreover, the candidate(s) obtaining the second-highest scaled score in the QA section are assigned a rank of 3 and so on.

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

• ? = ( (?−?) ? ) × 100

Step 4: Round off the calculated percentile score (P) of a candidate up to two decimal points.

For example, all percentile scores greater than or equal to 99.995 are rounded off to 100, all percentile scores greater than or equal to 99.985 but strictly less than 99.995 are rounded off to 99.99, and so on.

The method that is mentioned above is used for the computation of the overall CAT percentile scores and the percentile scores of other sections.

CAT Composite Score Calculator

To calculate the CAT 2025 composite score for each student, candidates can use a CAT 2025 score predictor or CAT composite score calculator for IIMs that takes into account the overall scaled score in CAT exam, the marks of 10th and 12th standard, the graduation score, the gender diversity, the academic diversity, and the work experience.

How to calculate composite score in CAT?

• For IIM Kozhikode, your CAT composite score = 0.5*CAT Index Score + 0.15*Class 10 Score + 0.20*Class 12 Score + 0.1*Gender/Academic Diversity Score + 0.05*Work Experience Score.

* CAT composite score calculation value is different for each IIM.

CAT Result 2025

IIM is expected to announce the result of CAT 2025 in the third week of December 2025. CAT results will contain details related to the personal details of candidates, sectional scores obtained, percentile, as well as total, scaled score, and CAT percentile.

Candidates who will qualify will be called upon to take part in the further IIM admission process. CAT scores are accepted not only by the Indian Institute of Management but by various other top B-schools other than IIMs as well.