CMAT Score Normalization Process 2025 - Check Composite Score Formula

CMAT Score Normalization 2025: With the CMAT 2025 exam expected to be held in two shifts as per the previous year, the CMAT result will be subject to normalisation wherein the marks of candidates appearing in the easy paper will be reduced while the marks of candidates appearing for the difficult paper. Normalisation is the process of negating the differences between difficulty levels in the question papers of different shifts by adjusting the scores of the candidates. The process is used to make sure that no candidates get undue advantage or disadvantage because of the difference in difficulty level of the question papers. Read this article to understand the CMAT score normalisation process 2025 to apply for mba programmes.

New: CMAT MCQs Guide: Section-wise Practice Questions

Latest: CMAT Free Mock Test Series

CMAT 2025: 10 Free Mock Tests with Solution | All Sections 1000+ Questions

This Story also Contains

1. What is CMAT Normalization Process?
2. CMAT Merit List 2025
3. CMAT Percentile Scores
4. Preparation of CMAT Result and Merit List

Candidates who get relatively rigorous question papers in CMAT exam are at risk of getting lower marks than those who get relatively easy question papers. Therefore, to ensure that there are no pros or cons for any candidate due to the different difficulty levels of the CMAT 2025, the NTA will use the CMAT score normalization procedure to prepare the merit list.

What is CMAT Normalization Process?

CMAT normalization is a procedure for comparing the performance of candidates in multiple session papers and is similar to that adopted in other national-level entrance tests conducted in India. For normalization across sections, the NTA will use a percentile balance. To understand the CMAT normalization process, let us first understand the CMAT percentile calculation.

To prevent any students from getting undue benefits due to difficulty level, NTA will use the normalization process to prepare CMAT score. It is a tried and tested process used in many MBA entrance exams in India. Through CMAT normalization, the score of the students who had difficult question paper will be increased and the score of the those who got the easy question paper will be reduced.

• Step 1: Distribution of Students
• Step 2: Preparing of CMAT Result 2025
• Step 3: Compilation of NTA CMAT Score

CMAT Merit List 2025

CMAT results will be published in the form of scorecard that includes sectional marks, total marks and NTA sectional and overall score. The candidates need to apply at CMAT colleges with their CMAT score. On the basis of the scores, candidates will be selected for GD and PI rounds to be held separately by the CMAT score accepting colleges.

CMAT Percentile Scores

From the picture above, you can see that the CMAT percentile scores are based on the comparative performance of all the candidates in the exam sessions. Basically, the marks obtained by each candidate are converted from 100 to 0 for each session.

The CMAT percentile score refers to the percentage of candidates who scored EQUAL TO OR BELOW (raw scores) a certain percentile in the CMAT exam. Therefore, the first place (highest scorers) in each session will get 100 percent. Scores obtained between high and low scores are also converted into appropriate percentile. The formula for CMAT percentile calculation is:

Number of candidates (in the ‘Session’ with raw score EQUAL TO OR LESS than the candidate) X 100

The total number of the candidates who appeared in the ’Session’

In this Careers360 article, we explained the CMAT score normalization process, including the percentile calculation, the normalization formula, the method used for normalization, etc. The CMAT percentile calculation as described by the NTA is given below.

Lowest Raw Score and Percentile Score:

The percentile score of all the lowest original marks depends on the total number of candidates who have appeared for the respective session.

Highest Raw Score and Percentile Score:

All of the highest raw scores will have a normalized percentile score of 100 for their respective session.

Must Read:-

• Top B-schools Accepting CMAT Scores
• CMAT Score vs Percentile

CMAT Normalization: How CMAT Result is Prepared

To prepare the CMAT result by the normalization process, the Selection Commission will divide all the selectors equally into two sessions:

CMAT Exam Shift 1 and Shift 2

This will ensure that there is no bias in the distribution of candidates who clear the exam. Moreover, the chance of such a bias is remote as a large population exam is spread across the country.

CMAT 2025 results for each session would be prepared in the form of;

• Raw Scores
• Percentiles Scores of Total raw scores

The percentages for each candidate will be calculated by the formula given below.

Total Percentile (TP1) = 100 x (No. of candidates who appeared from the session with raw score EQUAL TO or LESS than T1 score/ Total No. of candidates who appeared in the session)

Preparation of CMAT Result and Merit List

CMAT percentile scores for total raw scores for all shifts (Shift 1 and Shift 2) will be combined and called NTA scores to be used for the preparation of the merit list. In case, CMAT percentiles for the multi-shifts (shift 1 and shift 2) being unequal, the lowest will be the eligibility cutoff for that category for all students across all exam sessions.

For Example:

If 40 percent marks are equivalent to 79 percentile in Shift 1 and 80 percentile in Shift 2, those with or equal to 79 percentiles in both shifts (100 to 79 percentile scores) will eligible in the general category.