How to Achieve a Good CAT Score; Sectional Score (VARC, DILR And QA) And Overall CAT Score

How to Achieve a Good CAT Score; Sectional Score (VARC, DILR And QA) And Overall CAT Score

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CAT Application Date:01 Aug' 25 - 13 Sep' 25

Team Careers360Updated on 02 Jul 2025, 05:38 PM IST

What is a Good CAT Score - Every CAT aspirant dreams of securing admission into the top IIMs and leading MBA colleges in India, but only a few manage to convert those calls. So, what exactly is considered a good CAT score to receive interview calls from these premier institutes? This article by Careers360 aims to answer that by analysing the previous year CAT cutoffs of IIMs and other top B-schools accepting CAT scores. It’s important to note that a good score in CAT 2025 depends on several factors, including the difficulty level of the paper (as per exam analysis), the overall performance of aspirants, and the competition level (number of applicants). In this article, we’ll explore what qualifies as a good CAT score and share CAT preparation tips, strategies for high scores, and effective techniques to crack the CAT exam.

This Story also Contains

  1. What Is a Good CAT Score?
  2. Good CAT score for all Tier B-Schools
  3. CAT 2025 Cutoff
  4. How to achieve a good CAT score?
How to Achieve a Good CAT Score; Sectional Score (VARC, DILR And QA) And Overall CAT Score
What is a Good CAT Score

What Is a Good CAT Score?

Candidates appearing for CAT 2025 are advised to attempt questions from all sections judiciously so they score a good percentile in the CAT exam. The good CAT score differs from institute to institute, as each B-school has a different CAT cutoff to shortlist candidates for selection rounds. For example, to get admission into IIMs, a candidate generally needs to secure a high percentile, as these institutes have competitive cutoffs compared to other B-schools like IIFT, and FMS Delhi, SPJIMR that accept CAT scores below 95 percentile.

So, is a particular score considered good in the CAT exam? The answer depends on your target B-schools. A high CAT score is generally seen as a strong performance and can boost your chances of getting shortlisted by top management institutes. However, it’s important to remember that different MBA colleges have different admission cutoffs and criteria. While the IIMs and other top-tier institutes may require higher scores, several other reputed B-schools accept moderate scores and consider overall profiles as well. Even candidates with average CAT scores can secure admission into good colleges based on their academic background, work experience, and performance in the interview process.

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CAT Participating Institutes: Get the complete list of CAT 2025 participating institutes, including all 21 IIMs and other top B-schools like FMS Delhi, MDI Gurgaon, SPJIMR Mumbai, IMT Ghaziabad, and more that accept CAT scores for MBA admissions.

How Many Questions to Attempt in CAT to Get 99 Percentile: To score a 99 percentile in CAT 2025, candidates typically need to attempt around 65–75% of the total questions with high accuracy. This may vary depending on the difficulty level of the exam, but maintaining 90%+ accuracy is key to reaching this percentile range.

CAT Score vs Percentile 2025 - Expected

As per experts, the difficulty level of CAT 2025 will be moderate to difficult. Here we have provided the CAT 2025 expected score vs percentile on the basis of the CAT cutoff marks vs percentile on the basis of the past few years' trends.

Take a look at the general CAT score-to-percentile trend in the table below.

Percentile

Score VARC

Score DILR

Score QA

Overall Score

99.5

42

30

30

86

99

36

25

25

74

95

30

20

22

52

90

24

14

13

42

80

20

11

9

35

70

18

9

7

30

CAT Good Attempts

When preparing for the CAT exam, understanding what constitutes "good attempts" is crucial for maximising your score. A good attempt in CAT refers to the number of questions answered accurately while balancing speed and accuracy. It’s not just about answering more questions; it's about ensuring that your attempts are strategically chosen to minimise negative marking. Generally, aiming for 70-80% accuracy with a sufficient number of good attempts can significantly boost your percentile. Remember, quality over quantity is key in determining your overall performance.

Section No.

Section Name

Total No. of Qs

Good Attempts

I

VARC

24

16-18

II

DILR

22

9-11

III

QA

22

9-11

TOTAL

68

34-40

Good CAT score for all Tier B-Schools

The good CAT score required to qualify for admission will vary from one institute to another. The B-schools accepting CAT scores can be divided into three tiers, which are mentioned in the table below:

Tier-wise CAT scores for B-schools

Tier

Minimum CAT score

Minimum Sectional Score

Top tier

200

80-85

Middle tier

120

40-50

Low tier

100

30-40

For candidates who do not qualify for any of the tiers above, B-schools accepting low CAT scores are a good option to choose. They can also appear for other national-level entrance exams like CMAT, XAT, SNAP, etc., which are reputed and accepted by many of the top B-schools.

CAT 2025 Cutoff

B-schools accepting CAT scores and IIMs will release their respective cutoff based on the CAT scores. Candidates meeting the minimum cutoff criteria for the B-school will be shortlisted for the selection rounds, as per the institutes they will apply. The good percentile in the CAT exam 2025 to clear the CAT cutoff will be determined on various factors such as:

  • The difficulty level of the CAT question paper

  • Number of test-takers

  • Seat availability

  • Reputation of the Institute

  • Past year cutoff trends

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How to achieve a good CAT score?

To achieve a good CAT score, one has to draw a study timetable and a CAT exam strategy to ace the examination. Some of the proven tips for CAT preparation 2025 include:

Time management

Time management is crucial for success in the CAT exam, making it essential for aspirants aiming for a high score in CAT 2025. When beginning your CAT 2025 preparation, having a well-structured timetable is key to ensuring balanced coverage of all sections, VARC, DILR, and Quantitative Aptitude. Since the CAT 2025 exam pattern includes a sectional time limit of 40 minutes per section, managing speed and accuracy becomes especially important in time-intensive sections like Quantitative Aptitude (QA) and Data Interpretation (DI). A smart timetable helps candidates prioritise topics effectively and adjust their strategy based on performance in CAT mock tests and previous year CAT question papers, ultimately leading to a more focused and result-oriented preparation. Also know how the CAT cut-off marks vs percentile are calculated.

Know the CAT 2025 Sectional Time Limit and Number of Questions

Knowing the CAT 2025 sectional time limit and number of questions is essential for building an effective exam strategy. It helps candidates manage their time efficiently during the test, allocate focus to each section—VARC, DILR, and QA—and practice under real exam conditions. Understanding the section-wise distribution of questions also allows aspirants to prioritize topics, improve accuracy, and reduce stress on exam day.

Section

Total Number of Questions

Duration for all categories

Duration for PwD Category

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)

24 Questions

40 Minutes

53 Minutes and 20 Seconds

Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)

22 Questions

40 Minutes

53 Minutes and 20 Seconds

Quantitative Ability (QA)

22 Questions

40 Minutes

53 Minutes and 20 Seconds

Total

68 Questions

120 Minutes

159 Minutes and 60 Seconds

Take Frequent CAT Mock Tests

To know how to manage their stress level and time during D-day, students must take the mock test of CAT. Solving the CAT sample papers will help candidates become familiar with the exam environment and, most importantly, help them understand the detailed exam pattern of CAT. Also, CAT mock tests will help students become familiar with their strengths and weaknesses, which will help to gauge the preparation level and achieve a good CAT score.

Appear for the CAT Test Series

Before appearing for any entrance exam, it is crucial for students to take the CAT test series, as they serve as key stepping stones toward success. With the rise of e-learning platforms, aspirants can now access online CAT test series that not only simulate the real exam environment but also help evaluate their performance and preparation level. These mock tests are essential for identifying strengths and weaknesses, enabling students to refine their strategy and improve their chances of securing a high CAT score for admission into top B-schools. Moreover, many platforms offer live chat support and expert guidance for their test series. Students can interact with mentors to receive valuable preparation tips, personalised feedback, and strategies to boost their CAT 2025 performance.

Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses

By solving the CAT 2025 mock tests, students must know their weaknesses and strengths to execute the strategy for CAT preparation. This practice will inculcate strategic planning, positivity, lots of practice, self-guidance, and hard work. Students must know that there are no shortcuts to success. One has to pay for it. One must work hard towards their weaknesses sincerely to ace the CAT exam 2025.

Maintain your Cool

While preparing to get a good score in CAT 2025, it is important to keep your level of enthusiasm and positivity high to confront any kind of challenge or difficulty. While writing the CAT exam, students must not only check their accuracy but also their level of anxiety. It is crucial to know how you can manage the stress level while solving the CAT questions. Remember, when you are writing an exam like CAT 2025, it is not completely about the number of questions you attempt, but the quality and accuracy to get a good percentile in CAT.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: How much should i score in cat to get into IIM?
A:

As per previous year CAT Cutoffs, candidates are required to secure more then 90 percentile in CAT to get a call from IIMs.

Q: How should I prepare for the CAT to achieve a good score?
A:

A balanced preparation strategy, including time management, regular mock tests, solving previous year question papers, and focusing on high-weightage topics (like Quantitative Aptitude, DILR, and VARC), is key to achieving a good CAT score.

Q: What is considered a good CAT score to get admission into top B-schools?
A:

A good CAT score for top B-schools like IIMs is generally above 95 percentile. For IIFT, FMS Delhi, and other reputed institutes, a score around 90-95 percentile is often considered competitive.

Q: How many questions should I attempt in the CAT to get a good percentile?
A:

Ideally, you should aim to answer around 70-80% of the total questions accurately. In terms of good attempts, you should aim for around 34-40 correct answers out of 68 questions.

Q: What is the difference between sectional cutoffs and overall cutoffs for CAT?
A:

Sectional cutoffs refer to the minimum marks you need to score in each section of the CAT exam (VARC, DILR, QA), while the overall cutoff is the cumulative score required to be shortlisted for the next round.

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Questions related to CAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CAT ?

Hello

As you said you by mistakenly done that,  you don't need to get worry regarding that ,

Just inform the help desk and carry the correct certifications , the state certificate will not disqualify you .

The steps you can follow is -

1. You can check if the correction window is available or not

2. Contact the CAT desk immediately.

Hope this helps

In CAT registration, you cannot create a new user ID with the same mobile number, even if you use a different email ID. Each mobile number and email can be linked to only one account. If you already registered once, the system will not accept a duplicate with that number. To register again, you must use a new mobile number and new email ID. If you lost your old login, you can recover it through the forgot password/user ID option on the CAT portal.



Yes, you can fill the CAT form even if you currently have a backlog. CAT eligibility requires you to be in your final year of graduation or already graduated backlogs don’t stop you from applying.

While filling the form:

  • Enter the aggregate percentage/CGPA of marks you have obtained up to the latest semester for which results are declared (in your case till 4th semester).

  • There will be an option to mention that you have a backlog.

  • If you clear the backlog later, you’ll just need to show the updated marks during admission.

Hello Aspirant,

Yes, you can apply for the CAT exam as a final-year student. You must declare your backlog on the online application form. You do not write about it on the final-year student certificate; that document is to certify your enrollment status. You must clear all backlogs before the final admission process to any MBA college.

Hello,

Thank you for your question!

KL- MAT syllabus: Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning, English/Verbal Ability, and General Awareness (similar to MAT/CMAT pattern).

CAT scores are valid in many private universities including KL University, but always check the year’s admission notification.

CAT vs other exams: CAT is toughest (IIMs + top B-schools), while MAT/CMAT/ATMA are relatively easier and accepted by many mid-level private universities.

Hello it will clear your doubt!