To obtain a percentile of 85 means a candidate has to secure approximately 41-47 marks (overall) in CAT 2025. Achieving 85 percentile in the CAT 2025 exam is considered a good score for a candidate. The marks for the CAT 85 percentile vary slightly for each of the CAT 2025 exam slots. Aspirants can choose from 20+ renowned colleges that will accept 85 percentile in the CAT 2025 for their management programs. KJ Somiaya, IMT Ghaziabad, IIT Roorkee, GLIM, and Fore School of Management are some of the colleges that accept 85 percentile for MBA admissions. The CAT percentile is designed by MBA experts to help students set a target for how much to score in the CAT. Students can check below, 85 percentile in CAT means how many marks in the CAT 2025 (overall). Apart from that, they can review a list of colleges apart from IIMs accepting 85 percentile for MBA admissions 2026. The CAT 2025 was conducted on November 30, 2025, by IIM Kozhikode.
LATEST Official CAT 2025 Answer Key RELEASED | CAT 2025 Answer Key Link | CAT 95 percentile Marks 2025
IIM Kozhikode will retain its three-stage admission process for the MBA (PGP) 2026–28 batch, with CAT 2025 scores carrying a final weightage of 35 percent. The minimum overall CAT cut-off for general category candidates remains at 85 percentile, with sectional qualifying scores required in VARC, DILR, and QA. Shortlisting of candidates will be based on CAT performance, academic record, and personal interview rounds.
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The overall marks required to achieve 85 percentile in the CAT 2025 exam are expected to be between 41-47, based on the trends from the last few years and as per the data obtained from MBA experts and multiple coaching institutes.
CAT 2025 Percentile | CAT 2025 Marks (overall) |
85 | 41-47 (expected) |
ALSO CHECK: CAT 2025 Slot 1 Score vs Percentile | CAT 2025 Slot 2 Score vs Percentile | CAT 2025 Score vs Percentile vs Colleges
Below is the CAT 2025 percentile vs score by IMS for each CAT 2025 slot for 85 percentile and more.
Percentile | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 |
95 | 70 | 65 | 66 |
90 | 53 | 51 | 52 |
85 | 45 | 41 | 43 |
80 | 40 | 37 | 37 |
75 | 34 | 33 | 33 |
The table below contains the expected 85 percentile vs CAT 2025 marks data from Career Launcher.
Expected Percentiles | CAT 2025 Slot 1 | CAT 2025 Slot 2 | CAT 2025 Slot 3 |
95 | 65 | 66 | 67 |
90 | 52 | 53 | 53 |
85 | 45 | 45 | 45 |
80 | 40 | 40 | 40 |
Candidates can check the CAT percentile vs marks for CAT 2025 slots in the following table, as expected by IQuanta.
Percentile | Slot 1 CAT Marks | Slot 2 CAT Marks | Slot 3 CAT Marks |
95 | 65 | 67 | 65 |
90 | 54 | 56 | 52 |
85 | 45 | 47 | 42 |
80 | 40 | 42 | 38 |
Check Out CAT 2025 cut off IIM ABC | Expected IIM Ahmedabad Composite Score 2026| CAT 2025 Slot 3 score vs percentile
For the slot 1 CAT marks vs 85 percentile, see the table below.
CAT 2025 Percentile | CAT Marks 2025 Slot 1 |
95 | 56-58 |
90 | 45-48 |
85 | 40-42 |
80 | 35-36 |
75 | 32-33 |
70 | 30-31 |
60 | 25-31 |
Data by Careers360
The CAT 2025 marks for 85 percentile are predicted to be around 34-35. See the table below to know the required marks for more CAT percentiles.
CAT 2025 Percentile | CAT Marks 2025 Slot 2 |
95 | 55-57 |
90 | 44-46 |
85 | 38-40 |
80 | 34-35 |
75 | 31-32 |
70 | 29-30 |
60 | 24-25 |
Data by Careers360
For the Slot 3 CAT 2025 exam, the required CAT marks for 85 percentile are listed in the following table.
CAT 2025 Percentile | CAT Marks 2025 Slot 3 |
95 | 54-56 |
90 | 44-45 |
85 | 38-40 |
80 | 34-35 |
75 | 30-32 |
70 | 29-30 |
60 | 24-25 |
There are so many colleges that will accept the CAT 2025 score for MBA admissions 2026. Some of those colleges accepting 85 percentile in CAT for the admission of candidates into their MBA /PGDM program are as follows.
Colleges Accepting 85 Percentile | CAT 2025 percentile (Expected) |
85+ | |
IIT Roorkee cut off CAT 2025 | 85+ |
85-95 | |
85+ | |
BIM Trichy cut off CAT 2025 | 85+ |
85 | |
IMT Nagpur CAT 2025 cut off | 85-90 |
KJ Somaiya cut off CAT 2025 | 83-86 |
IIT Madras CAT 2025 cut off | 85 |
85 | |
Christ University CAT 2025 cut off | 80-85 |
As CAT percentile is calculated based on your section-wise CAT scaled scores and the overall CAT scaled score. The CAT percentile calculation method uses a simple percentile formula using the number of candidates in the exam and the rank of the candidates. Now let us take an example of the VARC section and understand how is CAT percentile is calculated.
Step 1: Calculate the total number of candidates (N) expected to appear for the CAT 2025 exam across both slots, morning and afternoon.
Step 2: Allot Rank (r) based on the scaled score obtained in any one section (e.g., VARC) to all the candidates who appeared in the CAT. If there are two or more candidates with the same score in the section, then assign identical ranks to the candidates.
Step 3: The image below shows how to calculate the CAT percentile using the rank based on the VARC section scaled score. Here, P is the percentile.

The normalisation process is implemented by the institutes to eliminate potential bias and maintain fairness for the CAT 2025 exam. Since the CAT exam is held in three separate slots with potentially varying levels of difficulty, the normalisation process helps create an equal field for all candidates. After evaluating the candidate’s response sheet, raw scores are generated. These raw scores are then converted into scaled scores through the normalisation process. Finally, the scaled scores are used to determine the CAT percentile. FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The expected marks in the CAT exam 2025 for 85 percentile are around 44-52.
The CAT percentile is the position or rank of the candidate among all the test takers, whereas the CAT score is a candidate’s raw performance in the exam.
Yes, the CAT percentile slightly varies each year.
KJ Somiaya, IMT Ghaziabad, IIT Roorkee, GLIM, Fore School of Management, and others are some of the colleges that accept 85 percentile for MBA admissions.
On Question asked by student community
With 84.91 percentile in CAT (General, male, no work experience), top colleges like IIMs, IITs, FMS, MDI, etc. are not possible. You may get calls from private institutes such as IMT Nagpur/Hyderabad, IMI Bhubaneswar, XIME, SDMIMD, Welingkar (some programs) and similar colleges. Universities like Amity or LPU are also options.
It’s better to choose carefully, as placements and ROI may be average. Reattempting CAT or trying XAT/CMAT could improve options.
Hello,
With a CAT percentile of 88.77 and a strong CGPA of 9.0, you are in a competitive range for newer IIMs (like IIM Amritsar, IIM Bodh Gaya, IIM Sirmaur, IIM Nagpur) and several top non-IIM B-schools such as TAPMI, BIM Trichy, Great Lakes, IMI Delhi, FORE School of Management, and KJ Somaiya. You may not reach the older IIMs (Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, etc.) since they usually require 98+ percentile, but you have excellent chances at mid-tier and emerging institutes.
For more details access mentioned link below:
Hope it helps.
Hello
The expected cutoff for the JAP (Joint Admission Process) is around 90 to 95th percentile, with a minimum sectional cutoff of around 75 percentile in Quantitative Ability. You have scored 82.2% which is very low; that's why you are unlikely to meet the minimum criteria for the JAP IIMs in the general Category.
I hope this information helps you.
Thank you.
Hello,
Here is your IIM Cutoff for Gen/OBC/SC/ST, CS Score Cut Off. I am providing you the link. Kindly open and check it out. From here you can get all the details.
I hope it will help you.
Thank you.
With a CAT score of around 80 percentile and about 2 years of work experience, getting a call from the top IIMs (IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Lucknow, Kozhikode, Indore) is extremely difficult, as their cutoff percentiles are usually much higher, even for reserved categories. These institutes typically shortlist candidates above 95–99 percentile depending on category, academic profile, and diversity factors.
However, you may still have some chances at a few of the newer or baby IIMs, especially if you belong to a reserved category (SC/ST/OBC/EWS) and have a decent academic background. IIMs such as IIM Jammu, IIM Bodh Gaya, IIM Sirmaur, IIM Sambalpur, IIM Nagaland, IIM Amritsar, and IIM Vizag have historically called candidates in the 75–85 percentile range for certain categories. Your 2 years of work experience can also work in your favour, as most IIMs give weightage to professional experience during shortlisting and final selection.
That said, selection does not depend on CAT percentile alone. Factors like your 10th and 12th marks, graduation score, academic consistency, gender and academic diversity, work experience quality, and performance in the personal interview play a very important role. Even with an 80 percentile, a strong interview and profile can improve your chances at newer IIMs.
You should also keep strong non-IIM options open. At this percentile, good colleges like newer IIT MBA programs, some NITs, and reputed private B-schools can offer better and more realistic opportunities. Applying broadly and preparing seriously for the interview stage is very important.
In summary, while top IIMs are unlikely at 80 percentile, you may still have a realistic chance at some of the newer IIMs depending on your category and overall profile.
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