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CAT is one of the most competitive MBA entrance exams in India and serves as the gateway to admission to top MBA colleges in India, such as the IIMs, FMS Delhi, SPJIMR, MDI Gurgaon and several others. However, one of the biggest challenges for aspirants is understanding the relationship between the CAT score and the percentile. Since CAT is a scaled-score-based exam, the raw marks are converted into scaled scores and percentiles. This can vary each year depending on the exam’s difficulty. CAT 2025 exam is scheduled to be held on November 30. Candidates appearing for this MBA entrance must check out this article to know how much to target section-wise in the upcoming CAT 2025 exam, make sure you keep reading the article.
IIM Kozhikode is set to release the final answer key for the CAT 2025 exam today, December 17. The CAT 2025 exam results are also expected to be announced soon.
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The CAT 2025 score vs percentile depends on the previous year’s analysis. The section-wise CAT 2025 score vs percentile (expected) data helps a candidate get an idea of both sectional cut-off and the overall cutoff required by them for MBA admissions 2026.
Check out the following tables, which mention the CAT 2025 section-wise scores which all candidates must target (slot-wise) by iQuanta.
CAT 2025 Slot 1 Sectional Cutoff
| CAT Percentile | CAT VARC | CAT DILR | CAT QA | Overall |
| 99.9 %ile | 54 | 43 | 44 | 120 |
| 99.5 %ile | 44 | 35 | 36 | 100 |
| 99 %ile | 40 | 30 | 32 | 88 |
| 98 %ile | 35 | 25 | 27 | 75 |
| 95 %ile | 30 | 20 | 21 | 65 |
| 90 %ile | 24 | 16 | 16 | 54 |
| 85 %ile | 20 | 13 | 13 | 45 |
| 80 %ile | 18 | 11 | 11 | 40 |
| 75 %ile | 15 | 9 | 9 | 30 |
CAT 2025 Slot 2 Section-wise cutoff
| CAT Percentile | VARC | DILR | QA | Overall |
| 99.9%ile | 54 | 46 | 42 | 121 |
| 99.5%ile | 46 | 38 | 34 | 102 |
| 99%ile | 41 | 33 | 31 | 90 |
| 98%ile | 35 | 28 | 27 | 77 |
| 95%ile | 30 | 23 | 20 | 67 |
| 90%ile | 25 | 16 | 16 | 56 |
| 85%ile | 21 | 13 | 13 | 47 |
| 80%ile | 18 | 11 | 11 | 42 |
| 75%ile | 15 | 9 | 9 | 32 |
Slot 3 Section-wise cutoff fro CAT 2025
| CAT Percentile | VARC | DILR | QA | Overall |
| 99.9%ile | 54 | 42 | 38 | 115 |
| 99.5%ile | 46 | 36 | 33 | 97 |
| 99%ile | 41 | 30 | 28 | 85 |
| 98%ile | 35 | 27 | 26 | 72 |
| 95%ile | 30 | 22 | 20 | 65 |
| 90%ile | 25 | 17 | 16 | 52 |
| 85%ile | 21 | 12 | 12 | 42 |
| 80%ile | 18 | 10 | 11 | 38 |
| 75%ile | 15 | 8 | 9 | 30 |
The CAT 2025 section-wise cutoff for each slot is mentioned in the following tables as per IMS India.
| Slot 1 | ||||
| Percentile | CAT VARC Score | CAT DILR Score | CAT QA Score | CAT Overall |
| 99.9 | 51 | 46 | 48 | 122 |
| 99.5 | 44 | 39 | 40 | 103 |
| 99 | 40 | 34 | 33 | 90 |
| 98 | 34 | 31 | 30 | 81 |
| 95 | 30 | 26 | 25 | 70 |
| 90 | 23 | 19 | 18 | 53 |
| 85 | 19 | 15 | 16 | 45 |
| 80 | 17 | 13 | 14 | 40 |
| 75 | 15 | 11 | 12 | 34 |
| Slot 2 | ||||
| CAT Percentile | VARC Score | DILR Score | QA Score | CAT Overall |
| 99.9 | 52 | 42 | 43 | 115 |
| 99.5 | 45 | 35 | 35 | 97 |
| 99 | 41 | 30 | 28 | 83 |
| 98 | 36 | 27 | 25 | 75 |
| 95 | 32 | 23 | 20 | 65 |
| 90 | 25 | 17 | 15 | 51 |
| 85 | 20 | 13 | 13 | 41 |
| 80 | 18 | 11 | 12 | 37 |
| 75 | 17 | 10 | 10 | 33 |
| Slot 3 | ||||
| CAT Percentile | CAT VARC Score | CAT DILR Score | CAT QA Score | CAT Score |
| 99.9 | 53 | 44 | 45 | 119 |
| 99.5 | 46 | 37 | 37 | 101 |
| 99 | 41 | 32 | 30 | 87 |
| 98 | 34 | 29 | 27 | 77 |
| 95 | 30 | 24 | 23 | 66 |
| 90 | 23 | 18 | 17 | 52 |
| 85 | 19 | 15 | 14 | 43 |
| 80 | 17 | 12 | 12 | 37 |
| 75 | 15 | 11 | 11 | 33 |
The CAT percentile is the percentage of test takers a candidate has scored better than, not their percentage score. The CAT 2025 percentile is calculated by comparing a candidate’s rank to the total number of test takers. The final percentile score is rounded to two decimal places.
For example, if a candidate has a 99th percentile, it means that their performance was better than 99 per cent of all the CAT test takers that year.
The formula for calculating the CAT sectional as well as the overall CAT percentile for each candidate is provided below. For percentile calculation, the raw CAT scores of every candidate across the exam sessions are scaled to be marked on the same scale.
The CAT 2025 normalisation process is conducted to adjust scores across different exam slots. This is to ensure fairness due to potential variations in difficulty. This is a statistical process that uses the mean and standard deviation of each slot, which can be equated to a slightly higher scale score than a raw score from an easier slot.
The CAT exam is not just about overall percentile; it’s also about how well you perform in each section. To crack CAT 2025, one will need a section-wise strategy that will align with their strengths, weaknesses and target percentile.
Take a look at the following table to understand the CAT 2025 exam structure and how one can plan section-wise CAT targets.
Section | Number of Questions | Time Limit | Type of Questions | Marking Scheme |
VARC (Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension) | 24 | 40 mins | MCQs + TITA | -3/-1 |
DILR (Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning) | 20 | 40 mins | MCQs + TITA | -3/-1 |
QA (Quantitative Ability) | 22 | 40 mins | MCQs + TITA | -3/-1 |
Total | 66 | 120 mins | — |
Take a look at the following table, which mentions the list of colleges that will fall under the required CAT 2025 percentiles.
CAT 2025 Percentiles | Colleges that Accept CAT 2025 Percentile |
90-100 Percentile | |
95-99 Percentile | |
80-90 Percentile | |
70-80 Percentile (and below) |
|
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
A 99.9 percentile in the CAT exam will correspond to an overall score of approximately 102-106 marks, with the exact number varying slightly by year and slot.
A safe score in CAT will usually be between 90 and 98 and will be achieved with 72-84 raw marks. Such a percentile is appropriate for admissions to new IIMs and other B-schools as per the previous year's CAT cutoff.
A 40-mark score in CAT exam is estimated to be around 85 percentile. However, this can vary based on the exam’s difficulty and the number of test takers.
On Question asked by student community
Hello,
For a raw score of 56 in CAT 2025 Slot 3, your expected overall percentile is likely to be in the range of the 90th-95th percentile. The exact percentile can vary slightly on the final normalization process and the process and performance of all test-takers. In this article you'll find more about the CAT result.
I hope it will clear your query!!
Hello,
With a projected CAT percentile of 87% but not clearing sectional cutoffs, your chances at top IIMs are limited because they require both overall percentile and sectional minimums. However, you still have a good shot at other reputed management institutes and non-IIM B-schools. Consider colleges like NMIMS, SPJIMR, IMT, TAPMI, Great Lakes, and other well-ranked private or state-level B-schools that accept CAT scores and weigh your profile holistically. Your academic record, BSc in Animation with 80%, and 5 years of work experience at Ubisoft India are strong points and may help in institutes that value work experience in their selection process. Also, explore institutes that accept XAT, MAT, or CMAT, where your profile can be competitive.
Hope this helps you.
Good Morning,
NIT Rourkela CAT cutoff range is between 70-85 percentiles for the general category. 70 is the minimum percentile needed to apply, and 85 is the highest percentile. However, the maximum percentile depends on the particular year competition. It can be changed.
Thank You.
If you filled the UGC NET form under EWS but you don’t have a valid EWS certificate, then forget using the EWS category. They won’t accept it. You’ll automatically be treated as General category during document verification.
And no, this won’t make your form “invalid” or “illegal.” It just means you won’t get the EWS benefit.
So yes — you can still go for General category posts and Professor recruitment. Just don’t try to submit a fake/invalid certificate; that will get you disqualified.
Hello,
If your CAT admit card shows your surname first followed by your first name as entered in the form, it is correct. You do not need to worry about this format as long as it matches the details you provided. Ensure all other information on the admit card is accurate and carry it to the exam along with the required identification documents.
Hope this helps you.
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